Rebellion

19. Clean Slate

“The heart was made to be broken.” – Oscar Wilde.

•••

“Dayo, you know I don’t get you at all.”

I don’t either.

Dayo swallowed as he sat before his parents in the living room of their apartment in Magodo, trying to explain why his plan had taken such a detour suddenly. Ever since he returned back to Nigeria – a night ago, he had decided after much thought and contemplation to return back to the United States. Of course, he had duties mapped out till the end of the year – but within him he just couldn’t find enough reason to progress further. He was void of hope.

“You said you would be staying in the country for a long time, perhaps a year.” Deborah looked disheveled and distraught. He understood her plight, after all – about a month ago, they hadn’t seen him in five years. And now he had arrived, spent just a month and was taking off again. It was indeed taking a toll on his parents’ sanity. His siblings also wore bleak expressions on their faces, as they stood on the sides of their parents.

“And now after just a month, you’re leaving? How’s a month duration even on par with a year’s.”

He sat up. “Well to my surprise, I achieved more than I hoped to in this past month…”

Liar.

He shut his eyes close, to quiet down his conscience. “I mean, there was a writing camp, I launched about twenty new book-stores and also set up a new imprint to discover new talent. That’s all what I planned on doing really. Before I just thought I’d stay about and manage it, but I’m just wasting my time here dallying about when I could be back in New York, working on a new book.”

His mom surrendered and reclined backwards in her seat. Tears were welling up in her eyes, that bit was obvious but there was nothing he could do other than apologize for dropping the bombshell on them.

“You’re an adult, Dayo.” David began, clasping his hands. “And we can’t tell you what to do. We can only express distress on your actions and plead that you listen to us. Which we’ve done, but it seems like you’re hell-bent on leaving anyway. But let me just tell you this. I know you didn’t plan for this at–”

“Dad, things happen out of the blues–”

“And I know you’re every bit as shocked like us, that you’re leaving in fact. I’m a man of God, Dayo. And I’ve seen all sorts of people in positions like you, taking similar decisions like you’re doing now and I know it doesn’t end well. You’re going through a phase, a short-coming, I just know you’ve just gone through something unpleasant that is taking a toll on you and you’re trying to run away from it–”

“I’m not running away from anything!”

Yes, you are.

“Dayo–”

“If there is anything I’ve been running away from its my responsibilities back in America!” He bellowed, rising to his feet. “And I think it’s high time I return to it. I don’t have anything left here. My work here is done. I need to get back, ASAP.”

Deborah protested further. “Fine, you do whatever you want. Return back to the United States, go back to your hectic life and kill yourself okay? Work so much without taking a break, and kill yourself in the process!”

“Mom–”

“Don’t talk to me.” Deborah cut him off, before rising to her feet also and exiting the room. What the hell was happening? They were all making a big deal out of nothing. For goodness sake, he was just returning back to work early, he wasn’t going to the temple to become a monk and live there all his life. Neither was he retiring into the Jungle forever just to explore nature. For hell’s sake.