BUNMI (Non Fiction/True Life) By; Iredia Aiwekhoe

                             BUNMI

(Non Fiction)

By; Iredia Aiwekhoe

Bunmi and Jacob dey date for almost 4 years now. Dem don dey take the relationship to the next Level.

To Jacob, Bunmi dey very neat, playful, truthful, kind, get good manners and really know how to cook.

E really love her cos she be the type of girl wey any good man go like to marry.

Bunmi get one aunty wey dey stay jettu.
Almost every weekend nai she dey go this her aunty place.
Jacob nor really like the idea say she dey go her aunty place every weekend cos e want make dem two dey hangout.

This her aunty dey 6 months pregnant and her husband don die. So, na only she dey stay. Nai make Bunmi dey go spend time with her.

One night, armed robbers come the compound wey the aunty dey. That day, Bunmi dey house. Na so dem rob all the tenants from one gate to another.
When day break, Bunmi call Jacob, tell am wetin happen.
Jacob cum reach there that morning before e say make e go work.
Bunmi tell am say dem collect her two phones, her aunty phones, some money and dem even collect the gold wedding ring wey dey her aunty finger.

As time dey go, Jacob cum get up say make e dey go say e go come back later in the evening cos the aunty still dey in shock.

Mean while, one lady wey dey stay the next compound, know Jacob say e dey friend Bunmi.
As e dey go, nai the Lady call am begin ask am wetin Bunmi tell am.
E tell the woman, nai the woman ask am say
"So, your girl nor tell you say dem rape her, because dem rape all the girls for the compound?"

The words be like bomb for e head...

After Jacob close come from work, nai e go meet Bunmi start to ask her

"My love, tell me what happened."

Bunmi looked agitated saying "Bae, I have told you what happened. They came and ravaged the house, carted away all our phones and money..."

As she dey talk, her eyes dey dart here and there.

Jacob cum throw the bomb shell
"It is okay.
Now, tell me the truth.
Dem rape you?"

Silence!

Bunmi paused for some time before she start to dig the tiled floor with her frightened eyes.

She began to stammer
"When dem come, dem begin push us about.
After dem don collect all the things I told you about, dem cum say dem wan sleep with my aunty.
The four of dem say make my aunty follow dem enter room.
Na there I for begin beg dem say the pregnancy na 6 months. Say make dem leave her.
Dem cum say okay, make I follow dem."

She began to cry.

"Am listening."

"I cum follow dem enter room.
Na so dem four take take turn on me one after the other."

There was another silence which was broken by Jacob

"So, four guys raped you and you refused to tell me?"

She kept quiet.
"Anyway, take"
e give her 5k.
"Tomorrow morning, go Biomed go do blood test."

On that note, Jacob got up and left.
He was indeed angry.

Two days later, Bunmi cum go give Jacob the test result.
She was clean.

But Jacob say e nor dey satisfied cos even if she get any infection now, test may not discover it so soon.

Small small, na so Jacob cum dey dislike Bunmi.
He hardly called her.
He hardly asked her to come spend the night.
Two months later, Bunmi, feeling detached from Jacob now, brazen courage nai she go meet Jacob for house one evening...

After she don clean the room for am finish, she cum tell Jacob say she like to make love. Say it's been long dey both roughed the bed.
Jacob cum give her money say make she go buy condom. Say he can't sleep with her like that again.

Tears start to roll down Bunmi eyes.
She hold the #100. Stand before Jacob.
Feeling broken, she say
"You no longer love me, all because I told you the truth
If I had lied to you.
If I had denied it.
I am sure, our love for still dey strong.
But I was open.
I couldn't lie to you.
Now, you took my loyalty and used it as a weapon against me.

I will leave you.
But remember, I love you with the whole of my heart ..."

She drop the money, nai she waka go room, carry her bag. Pick some of her stuffs from the room. Come back to the parlour, wear her sandals, nai she waka go meet Jacob for where e Sidon put

"I learnt to be loyal from you, but I will not learn to be a liar from what has happened to our love."

Jacob nor shake body.
She open the door nai she walked away that night with tears bleeding her eyes....

My pipo, Bunmi is still heart broken and she dey ask if what she did, by telling the truth was good or bad.

I am speechless.

But make we All remember
"What goes around, comes back around."

Iredia Aiwekhoe is currently observing his 3 weeks orientation at NYSC camp Yikpata, Kwara state, he is a member Creative Writing SAED.