Kirikiri Diary (11)
“the issue that you hid from the father, it is that same father that would resolve it”
Read Kirikiri Diary (10)
Dear Father,
When we were younger, I remember you chuckling anytime you sense that we were hiding something from you. You would always shake your head and say “the issue that you hid from the father, it is that same father that would resolve it”.
Today, more than ever, that proverb rings true.
Lawyer came yesterday and he told me that you know what I have done. He said he was sorry, but he had to tell you about my tryst with Aunty Ayo and that it is because he did that I may be leaving here soon.
He said when he visited Aunty Ayo and told her all that has happened to me, and that I needed her to save me, she said she was sorry but she wouldn’t be able to help. She said everything I said was a lie, that she would never cheat on her husband and certainly not with a boy she considered a little brother. She then asked him to leave.
He said it was after he left her house that he called you because he hoped that if you pleaded with her to save me, perhaps she would.
I really wanted to ask him what you said when you heard, or even what your expression was like; were you shocked, disappointed, angry or a bit of all? But I didn’t. Somehow, I suspected that you felt all three emotions and I would find out soon.
When he said you agreed immediately and set out with him to visit Aunty Ayo, I wasn’t surprised. I immediately remembered the day I came home with a sprained arm. I was 9 years old. The neighbours told you that I had been sliding down the railings again and that all their caution fell on deaf ears. I remember crying so hard, not just for my sprained arm but also for fear of the consequences of my disobedience. You looked at me and said, “Let’s go to the hospital, we must first blame the thief, before saying where the owner put her property was improper”. I knew what you meant immediately, your first priority was getting me the help that I needed, but after you would address my disobedience.
So I knew, that just like that day, saving me from this hole was your priority, and everything else must wait. I also know you would never forget because all those years ago, the beating that came after my arm healed still makes me shiver.
Lawyer said you appealed and pleaded with Aunty Ayo, and you wouldn’t accept her denial. He said you promised her that if she provided the help that I needed, her husband would not hear of it, at least not from you, but if she didn’t, you would find a way to help me without her, but you would also make sure that I confessed to her husband. He said she lost her bravado when she heard your words. I’m certain that it is because she knows that your words are never empty ones.
I understand the position I have put you in, Father. I know how it must have felt, to have to plead her and I am sorry.
Lawyer showed me the Affidavit he made Aunty Ayo signed, he said he already informed the police and has given them Aunty Ayo’s address so they can investigate my claim before the court sits next week. He assured me that she promised you that she would cooperate with the police when they come.
Next week, I shall know my fate. And when my freedom comes, I hope so does your forgiveness.
Always,
Your Son.
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