Teni is a single mother of two boys. They are Danny and Lotanna. Danny is 13 while Lotanna is just five years old. Lota is the abbreviated form of his name
Teni is pregnant with her third child. She was on her maternity leave when I paid her a visit at her Ago Palace, Lagos, residence.
“All I hear these days is my baby girl sister ooo,” she informed me about Lota’s frequent reminder to her. “He prefers a baby girl.”
Lota desires to have a sister. He is always telling his mum about it. “Mummy, I want my baby girl sister. When are you bringing my baby girl naa? ” He often asked.
“T’boy,” I called as I alighted from my car in front of their house. He had come out with his mother when I called to announce my arrival. “You are fast becoming a big boy ooo.” He nodded and ran towards me for our traditional bear hug.
“Aunty, did you bring my bicycle?” He queried.
“Of course; it is the car.” His bright eyes shone like a thousand stars. He was excited and eager to see it.
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I had promised to buy a bicycle for him, as a birthday gift on his last birthday. Since then, he hadn’t forgotten. Whenever, I visited them, the first question was about the bicycle. So, on this visit, I didn’t forget to take it along for any reason because I was beginning to feel guilty about it.
“Danny”, he screamed, “come and see my bicycle. Aunty has bought me a bicycle”.
He hadn’t seen it. Yet, he was calling his brother to come and see it.
Danny came and brought it out from my ash coloured Sienna Van. The little boy was already jumping around in excitement.
Then, he came to me and hugged me. I lifted him up. He was delighted. He has a peculiar way of greeting. Most captivating for him is my response. “Thank you, T’boy,” I always say.
Lota definitely liked this new possession. He had wished to have this since his last birthday. He was fascinated by what he saw. “I like this bicycle,’’ he repeated, as he checked every part. Danny also admired it. He checked it too.
Teni was most thankful. She noted that with this gesture, she had been spared Lota’s subtle harassment. Then, Danny reminded his little brother that whenever he got heady or naughty, he would personally return the bicycle to aunty. “Now, you are jumping about like a cricket; remember that it is not completely your own ooo,” he warned.
Lota looked at his big brother with surprise. He seemed not to understand what he had heard.
“Yes, naa; if you like pretend as if you didn’t hear me,” Danny continued. “If you put up those your stupid acts, I will return this bicycle to aunty. Do you hear me?”
“No, no, it is my bicycle,” Lota’s protest rent the air.
Danny had succeeded in deflating his sense of excitement. Tears were beginning to build up around his eyes.
“Don’t mind him,” Teni and I chorused from the corridor where we had sat all along. “He is jealous of you. No one can take it from you. It is yours. But you must be a good boy. Do you understand?”
He nodded, half smiling, half crying.
“Clean your face naa and be a good boy,” his mother added.
Lota then gave a list of those he would give a lift in his new ride. “Aunty, I will carry you and my mummy to Festac. No,” he corrected himself almost immediately. “I will carry my mummy and Danny to our church.” He had completely forgotten his little squabble with Danny.
“Where is your church?” I asked
“It is there.” He pointed towards the gate
“Where is there?” The mother asked him.
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“Ahhh, there naa. Mummy, you don’t know our church again?”
“I don’t know,” she replied.
I changed the conversation with his love for a baby girl.
“T’boy, your mummy’s tummy is very big. What is happening?” He didn’t say anything initially. However, I insisted, saying: “I will take my friend away to my house if you and Danny do not tell me what happened.”
As if he was afraid of my threat. “Aunty, my mummy ate beans yesterday,” he whispered to me.
Struggling not to betray my emotion, I said, “Ahhhh, so, she ate beans and she had this big tummy?”
“Yes naa. Mummy said that my baby girl sister is there,” he insisted.
So, your mummy ate beans and now you people are expecting your baby girl sister?” He nodded again.
“That’s very good. But how many bags of beans could she have eaten to have this big tummy?”
“She ate two bags,” came his quick response. “No, no, aunty, it’s only one,” he was blabbing now, counting with figures. When I looked away to avoid embarrassing him, he was counting his fingers, as if the answer was therein
He then tapped me to bring my attention back. “Aunty, yes, my mummy ate 13 bags of beans.”
“Wonderful!” I exclaimed. “So, when you baby girl sister comes, what will you do?” I asked
“I will carry her on my bicycle. I will take her to school and I will buy her Caprisone,” he promised.
“But T’boy, who told you that someone has to eat 13 bags of beans to become pregnant and how did you know?”
“One boy in our class said it. And I know naa,” he stated seriuosly.
“Aunty, do you know that boy in our class?” Lota veered off completely from our initial line of conversation. “One day, he brought a razor to the class. And he can’t write. Aunty Chinenye is always copying his homework for him.”
“He is always the last person to finish writing. And he is a big boy oo. One day, one day…” He sensed that I had divided attention while he was talking and still determined to get my attention; he tapped me again, on the shoulder. I turned to face him and he informed me that one day, the boy’s mother brought the boy’s cardigan and homework book for him in the school because he had forgotten them at home.
“And the mother has a big tummy too’’ Lota told me. “Is he your friend?” I asked
“No, he is not my friend. And his name is Kayode,” he told me.
“Who is your best friend in the class?” I asked
“My best friend’s name is Tobechukwu Ozodi,” the little boy mentioned and sped off with his new bicycle.
