Midnight Shrub

Chapter break (part 3)

A/N: This chapter is about Sijuade's  childhood before he met Anju. it starts from when he was five and what happened till he was nine years old. Sijuade first met anju when he was nine years old. 

Fifteen years ago, Sijuade at five years old*

"This would be his final exam to determine his healing skills," said my private teacher as he conversed with my parents.

My name is Sijuade and I'm the only westerner that was born with no pele mark.

"Then what happens if the potion doesn't work?" asked my mum with tears swelling in her eyes. Arewa, she was called. I loved my mother and my mother loved me back but that wasn't enough, I needed more.

"You would do well to hold your tears back." said my father as he scolded my mother. Orun, that is my father's name. Most know him as Oba but I didn't care, he was still a father to me. I loved him with all the love in the world but he didn't love me back. Even though I am just a kid, I understand that I am smarter than kids my age.

"Are there no potions to help?" asked my brother, Wale from my side. He had been standing beside me all this while and hadn't said anything. I could see it in his eyes. He didn't want to be here but his mother forced him to stay. Wale is five years older than I am, but I like to think I'm smarter than him. It doesn't matter if he has three pele marks and I barely have one, I crammed each herb and how to make potions with them before he did.

"Madam, if the potions he makes have no effect at all then we would have to find a new medicine that can help force out his powers. You told me he was born a weak child, so I don't think pushing him might be what's good for him." advised my teacher to my family.

"No son of mine will be seen as weak. He's not my son!" spat my father at me.

"Orun! How dare you say that at his front?!" shouted my mum as she got up from her seat.

"This is all your fault." whispered my brother into my ears. "Only if you weren't born, mother and father would never fight. I despise you."

"Sorry." that was all I managed to say. At this point, I knew my family hated me and I knew it was my fault. I was weak and couldn't help the lineage. I even had a weak frame. But I didn't ask to be born,

"Mother, father," I walked up to them from the corner I'd been standing in. "It's fine, I will keep on taking classes and my medicine until my powers begin to show." I tried to assure them, to assure me. "We don't have to do the potion test now, I won't pass it now, but in seven years, I know I will be able to do it."

"Seven years! Who wants to wait for seven years again? Your powers should have manifested by now!" shouted my father at me. "Look at me son," he ordered me and I turned to face him, to stare deep into his eyes. Papa is scary.

"Ade, you won't ever have powers, you should be grateful to be alive," he said.

....

One year later, sijuade at six years old*

"Woo..ow, I'm proud of you my boy." Said my mum as she congratulated Wale on his most recent success. He got into oracle's special classes I would love to get in myself.

"Of course, he would get in, he's my son after all." Said my dad as he patted wale's shoulder.

I wasn't invited to this congratulatory party so instead, I watched all this from a corner.

Father said I shouldn't show my face here or else people will start talking so I was ordered to stay in my room all day. He kept Papa in charge of guarding my room so I found a way to convince papa to let me out. He agreed on the condition that he will be with me throughout my stay out. Right now, he was standing with me in the corner.