Show me the moon (COMPLETED)

Healing Bruises

The world seemed blurry as her eyes shifted to focus. White walls. White walls? Her bedroom walls were pink not white! Bukola's brain began to reboot as funny as it sounds.
Sounds were beginning to get clearer in her ears as her pupils focused on the person in front of her. Mummy.
"Hey, she has woken up oo!, Oko mi (my dear)" exclaimed her mother as soon as she saw her daughter open up her eyes.
Mrs Okele was dressed in her house clothes. A long brown gown with a scarf to match.

She had been called by Nene to come and get her daughter. Immediately Bukola had fallen, Nene screamed her name and rushed to shake her. She was wondering why Bukola would run away from her and still trip and faint. She hoped that Bukola wasn't going bananas. As she got to Bukola who was sprawled on the ground, she immediately picked her purse and removed her phone to call her mother.

The poor woman had run out of their house and jumped on a bike, while screaming at the bike driver to zoom fast to the market. She had sent her daughter to buy some spices and vegetables for the Saturday lunch and she was scared when her daughter's friend called her with her phone to tell her that her child had fainted.
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The doctor walked into the ward and proceeded to check Bukola's  vitals. He nodded with satisfaction and told her mother that all she needed was a good amount of rest.

"Don't let her stress herself too much. She has developed a mild high blood pressure. She should stop thinking too much, or brooding on a particular matter. Please talk to your daughter, more preferably, ask her what has been bothering her. A sixteen year old girl having mild HBP is not something to joke with" , with those words, he nodded once more and turned to attend to other patients.

Mrs Okele turned to her child. Her beautiful plumpy melanin princess! She wondered what had been eating her up. Bukola had seemed such a happy child in the recent years. Although back when Bukola was around 7  years old, she used to come back home from school, crying that her friends called her names.
With tears gleaming in her small eyes, she would hold her mummy's waist and start ranting that; "Mummy they are always insulting me. Mummy, Collins said that I look like an elephant. That I'm too fat."
Then her mum will say " Don't mind them. You're a chubby princess " then she'll argue with her little voice that "No, I told them that I am chubby but Daniel also said that I'm a hippopotamus grandmother!" Then she'll start crying again.
From around age 7-12, Bukola had suffered that fate. She became more reserved and coiled into her own world like cocoon. She changed schools in Jss3 and had been a happier child since then. Mrs Okele hoped that her childhood memories had nothing to do with her brooding. She turned to Bukola.
"Bukky, I am your mother. I want you to tell me the truth. What has been bothering you? You can talk to me like an elder sister. Is it about your body or a boyfriend or school work? Just talk to me" she assured with a motherly smile.
Bukky stared at the ceiling, she was contemplating on whether to pour out her heart to her mother or not. Then she decided on the former.
"Mummy" she began
"Yes dear, go on"
"Mummy, I think I'm stupid?"
Mrs Okele was taken aback. Why would her daughter think that. She was a brilliant child in her academics.
"Why would you think so?"
"I..." She stuttered " I think I'm fat and ugly. No one really likes me except you and daddy and maybe Nene..and some of our extended family members "

This topic was getting intriguing and interesting. Mrs Okele shifted the hospital plastic chair closer to the bed to hear her child better. She couldn't believe that she was a civic/government teacher who also doubled as a guidance and counsellor and she didn't even know her child wasn't happy.
"Okay go on" she wanted her to let her heart out.
"So, I've liked some boys and they didn't like me back. Its not dating o, just crush, they didn't like me back but they liked other slimmer and  beautiful girls."
Bukky shifted her weight on the bed for a better lying position.
"So I liked this guy on our street since, like more than 3 years now, though I never really talked to him. He didn't notice me even though I normally went to the shop in front of his parents house to buy things"

Mrs Okele started scanning their street in her mind's eyes. She began to count how many shops they had on the street and how many young guys she knew that sold things in the shops.
"Then, I also liked this guy in my school. He's the assistant head boy. I like him so much"...tears threatening to run down the sides of her face.
" But, can you just imagine, the two of them like Nene! Nene! Because she's slim and fair and beautiful! "
'Lobatan!' (It is finished!)  thought Mrs Okele in her mind.'So all these stress and fainting because of boys and relationships?

Bukola was still ranting. "I felt so pained. So pained. That the two people I like, stab me in the back and go ahead to like my best friend. Mummy is that fair? That's why I didn't answer Nene when she was calling me in the market. I saw those two guys go and meet her where she was selling, and they were smiling and playing with her. One even gave her money. Can you imagine mummy! Why is life like this? Won't I get married again because I'm fat and ugly?"
 

"Bukky, calm down" her mother placated. "You're not ugly. Fat, maybe. You eat a lot you know. Maybe you should work on getting slimmer. I heard that there are workout apps that you can download on play store. Bukky, you're a beautiful girl. I'm not saying this because I'm your mother. I'm saying this because I know you are. I can see it. You have a good heart. You're a good person. Don't let ridiculous issues make you become enemies with your friends. You're dark skinned and so what? Bleaching doesn't that mean you'll be beautiful. You're a melanin princess, I've always told you that."
"Sweetheart, I want you to focus more on being happy and facing your studies. A dark skinned intelligent girl is better than a fair skinned dummy. Don't look for love. Let love find you. Stop frowning, smile. Be at peace with God and your friends. Your dad and I love you very much okay?"
Bukky nodded like a baby "Okay Mummy, I'm sorry"
"Its fine. Get well soon. When we go home, I'll prepare jollof rice for you!"

That brought a smile to her face. At that moment, Bukky decided to appreciate herself and not get stressed over crushes. It was stupid after all. She made a mental note to apologise to Nene whenever she got to see her after being discharged from the hospital.
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Nene watched them from the back of the hospital door. So Bukky was annoyed that Ade had given her money? She didn't even know that her mother was sick. She didn't even care to know. All those times that Nene had tried to talk to her.
'Does she think that I'm okay being poor? Who cares about useless crushes? How crush take help me? My mum is sick and I'm selling yams everyday just to make ends meet and here she is angry about being fat? Human beings are insatiable' Nene thought with unshed tears of frustration and anger stinging the back of her eyes. How could Bukky be so myopic about things? So selfish about her own dumb feelings, not caring about others.
Nene dumped the oranges she had brought for Bukola into the nearest waste bin and walked out of the hospital... She was disappointed.

Thanks for always reading and voting guys!