on RAUL STREET #projectNigeria

32~Tears, Lies and Ends.

"Mommy, what are you saying? Daddy?" Tinu looked at both of her parents. Abayomi sat rigid on the couch while Sarah's body was shaking with tears.

"I didn't want you to find out this way," Sarah looked at her daughter. She didn't know how else to explain. How else will she explain for Tinu to understand.

"Can you guys hear yourselves?! Can you hear what you are saying?!!! You didn't want me to find out this way? How else did you want me to find out?!!!" Tinu was screaming now. She abruptly stood up. Tears were streaming down her face and she angrily wiped them off.

"How could you?!" She asked in a angry voice deceptively laced with softness.

"Tinu..." Abayomi started gently.

"Stop! Please stop!" Tinu raised her hand to silence him. The simple act of breathing seemed to have eluded her. All her life she had been deceived. All her damn life!

"Tinu, I am sorry," Sarah sobbed. Her eyes were red and her face puffy from crying.

"You are sorry? You are sorry? You sold my sister for money and you are sorry? All my life, I have been deceived. If you were truly sorry, you would have told me a long time ago, that I have a sister somewhere, that I was a twin!!" Tinu felt dizzy. Her eyes were clouded with tears falling in angry torrents down her face.

She wrapped her arms around her torso to calm her body which was shaking with spasms of anger.

"This is hard for me too. It's hard," Sarah stood up and made her way towards Tinu.

Tinu moved back. "Don't touch me! This is the reason why you were always on my case. Always guarding me. Never letting me be free. You are such a hypocrite. You are always calling God, but deep down, you know what you were doing."

The shout of her name from her father and the slap that landed on her face from her mother were simultaneous. Her face stung and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Yeah. Slap me. Beat me. Do all sorts to make yourself feel better. It doesn't make you both less of liars!" With that, Tinu turned and ran up the stairs to her room.

Sarah crumpled to the room, facing Abayomi. "Won ti finally get me. They have gotten me!"  She wailed, beating the tiles with her palms. Abayomi rose and gathered her in his arms. He didn't even know what to say. He also was in pain. He didn't know how on earth they will explain to Tinu that what happened to her twin sister, Tiwalola was inevitable.

Atinukeola and Tiwalola were two when Tiwalola was diagnosed with ASD; Atrial Septal Defect which was commonly know as a hole in the heart. They ran helter skelter to keep Tiwalola alive. Sarah and Abayomi ran from hospital to hospital; church to church; school to school to seek for help but no help was forthcoming.

Whatever they got was just a drop of water in the ocean of their problems. There was Tinu to look after and of course, other problems were piling.

Then, Sarah worked as the housekeeper for a rich, childless madam and when the woman realised Sarah was not coming regularly, she threatened to cut her off until Sarah pleaded with her and told her what was going on.

The madam was deeply sad and she promised to help with the payments but only on a condition: they would give Tiwalola to her as her child.

Sarah refused. She was adamant. Give her child out? No way! But Tiwa's health kept on deteriorating. She had to give in with the consent of Abayomi who had no decent job to hold on to, then. She also banked on the fact that she would be able to see her daughter when she went to do her housekeeping duties.

Sarah cried to God that if Tiwa's surgery is successful, she would forever serve him.

The madam made her and Abayomi signed a nondisclosure agreement and that once Tiwa was given to her, she will become hers therefore, Sarah and Abayomi lose all rights to call her theirs.