The Burial

Episode 9

Preparation for the burial begun and it really got our side of the family together. We were not friendly before this day, so why has everyone left that aside?. have they all turned a new leaf?. Yes! they have, but just for the time we would round off the burial rite and immediately mama had gone 6ft beneath the earth, the hatred would raise its ugly head again.

The hatred all started when Ms Kehinde’s father died. He was until his death the most senior of the family and immediately he died, my Grandfather as his brother and the only surviving child of their parents assumed duties as the head of the entire Adelakun family. His first born was the twin brother of Ms kehinde and when his father died, had it in mind he was now capable of taking their own share of the family’s property, so a family meeting was called up and he summoned his siblings that were eight (8 ) in numbers to attend the meeting and requested for their own share of the property since their father is late.

The meeting took place in our bar. It started on a very calm note, my Grandfather addressed them being the new head of the family since their father is late but they weren’t in the meeting for such announcement my Grandfather was making.

“Gbo gbo nko ten so yen ko la ba wa sibi yi (all that you are saying are not what we are here for).” Mr. Taye said angrily.

“Beni, aa wa sere nibi bai (yes, we are not here for jokes).” One other sibling spoke to back his brother up

“Calm down, calm down, I’m not fighting with you guys. Shey ti ija le ba wa biyi ni? (Are you here for a fight?).” Papa tried to calm them but what he heard made him know they weren’t here for suiting words or words of comfort. They already had plans and wanted to achieve every bit of it in that meeting.

“E wo, ikan ta n so ni pe ,ki e pin ogun yi, afe gba ogun baba ti wa(Look!. All we are saying is, we want our share of the property, we mean our father’s property).” Was the loud cry that came from Mr. Taiwo.

It is obvious he is the spokesman of the gathering because he was the first born and male to be specific. He had to assume duties immediately his father was gone. He wants to fight for the right of his younger ones. But there were so many hidden agendas in his clamours that his siblings do not know of, If they knew, they wouldn’t be up against my Grandpa like they were.

“Ok, what do you want us to do now?.” Papa asked.

“Just divide this property and let everyone be on their own. We don’t want to have anything to do with you again. We are grown-ups and since our father is no more, it is our right to have the property he left behind.”

“Do you know I have always held your father in high esteem, and I have never had anything against you his children. He is my brother and I wouldn’t do anything that would displease him. Why then are you people talking to me this way?. As if I mean nothing to you!.”

“Ewo!!. Story len so yen (look!!. All you are saying is story).”

“Yes!, my brother just said it, all you are saying is story. We are not here for that, we are here to know how we will get our own share and nothing more.” Ms kehinde added.

“Ok, what do you think we should do now?.”

“Good!. You are just talking. We need you to divide this property once and for all. Let everybody be on their own.” Mr. Taiwo spoke up.

“But you people have to give me a month to do the needful then everything is resolved. You will have your share.”

“No! No!, No!. There is nothing like a month here. We are giving you just a week to divide it and stay clear of our territory.” Was Mr taiwo’s immediate response to Grandpa’s request.

“Please, I beg of you. A week would not be enough to clear eveything once the property is divided. You all know my toilet and bathroom are on your territory and it wouldn’t be enough to build a new toilet and bathroom in a week without perfect plans. Where do you want mummy to take her kitchen to?. More so, my son’s room is also just at the demarcation of the land.”

He was cut short by Mr. Taiwo who said waving his finger at Grandpa’s face “we don’t care how you do it. If you like, put the toilet on your head or build the bathroom on the road or take your wife’s kitchen to hell and send your son to live inside the carnal. We do not care!. If by this time next week you are not off our share of the property, you will hear from us in such a way you wouldn’t believe it.”

I was so suprised at Mr. Taiwo’s display at my Grandfather, a brother to his father. I wish I wasn’t a Grandson, so I could enter the meeting and give him a slap to send a message that reads ‘how dare you talk to my Grandfather like that, as if he were your mate’ but I couldn’t, I just sat outside the corridor nursing my vexation inward and kept on with the thoughts.

What was he thinking about?. There was nothing more to guess than they had always wanted their father dead before now. They never liked my Grandpa and with the way they treated their father, one would know there can be no respect for any other person since they showed same ‘I don’t care’ towards their blind father.

What got me more baffled with their display in the meeting was because Grandpa was the one who provided everything they used for their father’s burial, ranging from a land to bury their father at the cemetery, the coffin, clothes that he wore, requiem mass booking in church, ETC.
But they were blind. All what grandpa did to them seem, was to buy their love so he would remain on their father’s property and never have the mind of splitting it so they can have theirs.

Grandpa was so confused that day, he started weeping and couldn’t control himself. What has he done to merit his brother’s children talking to him that way. He was Sobbing, talking and regretting at the same time. “Taye yen!, o n ju owo fi ba mi soro (that Taye, waving his finger at me to talk to me).”

He called his 3 daughters abroad to inform them of the ridicules he just went through. He was pitied and they advised that he calls my dad to come over so they start clearing off their property cause with the way they warned Grandpa, they meant business and one can’t be too careful than to make sure everything was done in the weak’s favour because they looked stronger and determined. You wouldn’t predict what they might do, witnessing some horrifying consequences of people that had fought because of properties in the past.

I couldn’t blame or pity my Grandfather because his brother before going blind never liked him and the hatred he passed onto his children towards my Grandpa was not just a ‘help me nurse it’ type of hatred. He really cooked them up and made them to detest Grandpa so much.
My Grandfather with all the hatred and bad names he got then, didn’t stop respecting his brother and accommodating his children.

It was an unforeseen circumstance that got their father to love Grandpa back and that was his blindness. Only God could tell why that happened but when he went blind, Grandfather was the only person that stood by him, taking care of him, changing his clothes whenever he messed up and also fed him. Some of his children fled and the once around started treating him badly as if he were not their father. I was remembering how everything had gone when a statement Grandfather once made came to my mind when he said “Do not do anything whether good or bad to someone today and expect something in return immediately but because of the future.”
Truly, no one knows the future and one needs to act gently in ones dealing. Before you throw stone into the market, you need to consider the consequences. It might land on your relatives’ head. There is every possibility it may land on someone close to you. One needs to be good and try to help anybody that needs ones help now because you might not know it might be your turn next.

Who knew Grandpa would be the one to stand by him when he went blind with all the hatred he had for him?. To the extent of providing for all what was needed for his burial. But his children were not ready to learn from that and the hatred their father had built in their mind was not addressed before his death. That was one of the mistake I think he made before his death.

He should have at least cleaned Papa’s name when he went blind after he saw Papa wasn’t the way he thought, should have called his children together and tell them he made a mistake hating Papa and tarnishing his name and image before them, but where were his children when he needed them most?. They were nowhere to be found and that was the reason he was unable to redeem Papa’s image and name before his death.

What happened on the ultimatum they gave Papa was not something one could fathom because a week wasn’t just enough for him to clear off their territory and the threat they made wasn’t just something to call a bluff. They meant business and they came battle ready.

They brought cutlass, invited different Mallams, Area boys with different weapon to come destroy things. Blood were split, hospital welcomed patients, rooms/buildings went down like they were hit by an earthquake. Respect was beaten blue black.