Americana's Diary VI: Not Too Late "What is it about Shabado? " Bodmas asked " You know when we finished from secondary school, he could not further his education claiming that he is the only child of his parents and that his parents asked him to go and marry", Dee said, taking a bite of the pie as he looked at Bodmas "I don't think I have inkling into this part of the story of his life, but, I know that he did not further his academics and had to marry Yaby baby whom he has been close with since our Junior School days", Bodmas said. "Thank gracious that you know the lady he married. But, the story that led to his marriage after our Ordinary Level examination is what I am telling you now... " "Hen hen", Bodmas said surprisingly
"He is the only child of his parents, and his parents were aged by the time we finish from school, they thus have to tell him to make them happy by marrying someone when they were yet alive. And since Yaby baby and Shabado had been closely walking he decided to make the relationship a deeper one with her. After explaining to her what he wants from her, Yaby could not push him off even at that relatively tender age. Soon enough when we got to the senior class, they concluded that it was of no use to them continuing to sneak around and he presented the case to his parents who were happy with him and asked him to bring her to them. Shabado’s parents were happy to know Yaby baby, as from thence they started treating her as their daughter and would be sending things to her ", Dee said
"I remember that Yaby baby was just struggling academically when we were in the school, she was not above average in class, so when something like that was raised with her, according to what Shabado told me afterwards, she was partly happy because after all she told him that she knew that she will likely not proceed after the secondary school examination. All she wanted was to get the ordinary level certificate to show people later in life that she also attended college. On the other note, she was afraid because stepping into the world of parenthood that early calls for her to at least have something doing, she thence asked Shabado if he has a solution into this for her, or else, they will have to wait until she can boast herself of having something that she will call her own, a small scale business or something, after getting this they can then be married ", I added.
“Uhm mm, that makes sense you know, because we are not living in the world of our fore-parents, everything is evolving from ancient chitin-like stage to a more flexible one, where both parents need to join force together to make something good out of life and for their lives”, Bodmas added as Dee continues his narration of what transpired to the best of his knowledge.
"After Yaby baby has been approved by Shabado’s parents, she also also took Shabado to her parents", Dee continues with his story, "on getting to her parents, as expected there was no problem with them either, because her parents also know that she was not sound academically and had just been praying that she will at least finish her secondary school. Although, they did not know that she will get someone that soon, and that was why they have been trying to ensure that she finishes her high school before talking to her about anything like that….”
“Wow! It is usually good that one knows the capability of one’s children. Even though her parents were not sound educationally, yet they knew their daughter’s capability. If something like this could happen in many families, I think this country would be a better one, a changed place because parents would stop insisting that their children do what their brain capabilities cannot support them on”, Bodmas interrupting, added
“Oh! Yes. That is true. It is high time our people know that the foundation of it all is that their children know how to read and write and communicate with people outside. At least being able to sign cheque in banks if need be to take loan for the business, to know the figures written on the cheques and in case fate brings such a one across people from other climes, the person would be able to interact with such people without fear or favor…”
“Oh yes”, Bodmas interrupting me said, “but now people want to get degree at all cost and have by that bastardize our degrees. It is pathetic!” he conclusively said as Dee continues.
“Yaby baby’s mother told Shabado that when things were not working as expected for her family she attempted to secure an employment with the Local Authorities but she was being asked to present her prove of education, a certificate from high school, but since she was unable to present that, because she did not finished her secondary school, she was not employed.”
“Uhm not even for a gardener or something” Bodmas said rather than asking as Dee continued
“It may be that the position of gardener was not open when she was applying no one could tell for that would have been a better alternative at least half a bread would be better than nothing…”
“That maybe it”, I said, while Dee continued with his story
“Learning from what happened to her, she does not want a repeat of that for her daughter and thus they were asking her to endure whatever is happening to her in the school and give it all it takes to ensure that she finishes, have the certificate for who knows what she may likely use it for in the future as it happened to her” Dee concluded, takes his cup of wine and emptied the cup.
I continued from where Dee stopped, "her parents therefore were guiding against the occurrence of that for their daughter, so they kept on supporting her, encouraging her because sometimes, Yaby baby would aphoristically tell her parents that, “a person who never stepped into the four walls of classroom are also living on earth, I am not interested in going to school again”, her parents said she would say" I added.
“Uhm, uhm, uhm, it shows her condition, she wants her parent to know her true nature”, Bodmas said.
"That is right. For this reason, her parents often send her to be coached, all because they do not want her to cry in the future", Dee enthused.
"They are wonderful parents", Bodmas said. "When she took Shabado to her parents, they were happy but asked him what he plans to do for their child because family development requires the combine efforts of both hubby and wife, and Shabado said he told them that their daughter has told him that she is interested in learning how to sow clothes and that she will enrol with a woman after their solemnization" Dee said.
"Having gotten the consent of both parents, they started planning in their little ways for the solemnization, and they got married in December 24th, 2000. I was there with some other aluminites. It wasn’t an elaborate one, but it was not too bad for their caliber too", I added.
"Waoh! That is good. There was no way I could have been there because after our examination, I travelled with my uncle to Lagos and I did not come back to this area until after our results were released. In fact the first time I came around I did not stay more than 10 days, what makes my staying reach that duration was because our principal was not around and I was asked by my uncle to come with my result so that he will know the next step we will take on my academics. Immediately I got the results, I left the following day for Lagos. It was when I got to University that I came across Faglo he was the one who told me that Shabado and Yaby baby have twins... "
Interrupting Bodmas "That is true, their first issue was twins", I said
"But if I may ask do you know what Shabado does for a living? "Bodmas asked
"He is into buying and selling, tailoring material" Dee answered him
"While Yaby baby sows cloths or is that not? Bodmas inquired again.
"Yes, that is it" I replied him
"Uhmn. That is interesting. I however think this is not what you want to tell me about him", Bodmas said
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