Moment Of Agony And A Lifetime Delight

Every event or occurrence is established for a reason. Some happen as repercussions of past deeds (even from older generations). Some, out of wishful thinking, curiosity, or a momentary push from within, wouldn't afford us the chance to envisage and analyze any possible consequences of the action we're about to take. Just like my favorite Fuji musician (King Dr. Saheed Osupa) said in one of his songs “If an evil resembles goodness in the beginning and one can't discern, it's inevitable that such a person will pray that it doesn't end, and likewise for a goodness that resembles evil in the beginning, the human being will pray and hope that God brings an end to such. But only God knows the end from the beginning.

Stocksnap
I believe that if someone does evil to you that brings sad tears, don't ever think it's over, God may want to use the tears to bring laughter to your mouth, just that the tears in the moment of grief won't let you see it. Such is the story of Ajoke; who got a lifetime of delightful joy that successfully erased a lifetime of pain and agony.

Ajoke was a sixteen-year-old girl many years ago. A perfect epitome of sweet sixteen in all classifications. The only female child of her parents, and the last born of the family. She grew up with lots of care provided by almost everyone in and around her life. Maybe her name “Ajoke” meaning” collective care” was responsible for that, as she got enough of it. Like every other child would grow and experience educational life, Ajoke equally had hers, but in a very pleasant way owing to the incessant pampering that was available. Blessed with a great body physique and charming outward look, she was already attracting the attention of boys even at age fifteen. Many boys in her neighborhood longed to be with her, but the overprotective presence of her brothers was a major barrier to any advances toward her.

One of their neighbors down the street, “Adekunle”(an undergraduate at a Nigerian University) came back home with a friend from school after their second-semester exams to observe the long holiday together. In the evening of a day when boys had gathered at a local pitch to play football, Alex (Adekunle's friend) saw and beheld the beauty of Ajoke (who followed her brothers to the pitch). “Ooh boy, see this beautiful damsel,” said Alex. Adekunle looked around to see the person. “Hmmmmm, that one? Her name is Ajoke, she lives on my street as well, you dare not go near her because her brothers will contend with you”. Alex ignored his advice and decided to approach Ajoke. Hello beautiful girl, how are you? The next thing that followed was a big slap on his face by one of her brothers. “Who are you, by the way?” another one asked after giving him a punch from behind. The scene soon degenerated into chaos when Adekunle couldn't hold back his anger anymore after seeing the inhumane treatment meted out by his friend. It took the intervention of other spectators to stop the fight, but Alex was already thoroughly beaten and humiliated. “ Are you all going to marry your sister? This certainly is not the end of it, I promise” said an angry Alex.

Alex cut short his stay in Adekunle's house owing to the embarrassment of that day and the shame that followed it, he left after just a week.

Ajoke was a popular figure in her school because of her unique beauty and academic prowess. She became the senior prefect (girl) after her promotion to SS3.

The annual inter-house sports competition of the school was approaching, as it's normally done in the first term of every session. It was always going to be big because that's how Darley College would do it every year. Schools were invited for inter-school relay competitions and this made many students always want to attend. November 8th was chosen for it, with the heat competition to come up on the 4th of November that year. Coincidentally, every 4th of November is Ajoke's birthday, meaning she would turn 16 years old on the day of the heat competition.

Alex came around to join his friend (Adekunle) to return to school together as final-year students. “ Hello Kunle, I'm in front of your house and the security man told me you're not at home” Alex called Adekunle on the phone. Yea! I'm at Darley College's heat competition, just tell a bike man to bring you here, but I'm afraid you won't be allowed in, just wait for me at home I will soon return” Adekunle replied to him. The house would be too boring for Alex alone, so he decided to go there and find all possible means to enter the school. Getting there, he met stiff opposition to his intentions at the entrance gate of the school, so he decided to jump over the fence at the tail end of the school.

Ajoke, who left the company of friends to ease herself at the back of the biology lab, barely finished pulling off her tracksuit and became naked when Alex co-incidentally jumped from the fence and landed in front of her. The memory of that day's humiliation in the hand of her brothers rushed back into his head and coupled with his eyes seeing her nakedness, out of anger, he forcefully had the carnal knowledge of her body. He agonizingly deflowered her on her 16th birthday. Immediately, he jumped back outside and ran away, leaving Ajoke with blood all over her private part. One can only imagine how horrible and agonizing that experience would be for Ajoke that day.

Months later, Alex graduated from the University with a first-class result in pharmacy. He had his one-year NYSC in a reputable pharmaceutical company in Lagos State, and it was certain he was going to be retained after service as a member of staff in the organization. But the hope was dashed when the GM gave the only vacant position to his favorite candidate, this meant Alex would seek employment elsewhere. For several months and years, he searched for employment opportunities, but to no avail. One day, a powerful uncle of his (who was a force to reckon with in the advertisement industry) advised him to go and study mass comm and major in advertising since he was still young, this can afford him a chance to get Alex a good job in that line. Alex was reluctant in the beginning but later agreed to it since age is still on his side.

Stigma and shame made Ajoke leave home for her aunt's place in Lagos, where she finished her secondary education and got admitted into the University of Lagos to study mass comm.

Alex's uncle's influence got him admitted into the same mass comm in Unilag, but he was a year junior to her. One blessed day, they walked into each other in the corridor of their department building, it was the biggest surprise of their lives. Alex made several efforts to plead for forgiveness, claiming that it was the work of the devil. After a series of persuasions, especially promising to marry her to make up for that wrong deed, Ajoke finally forgave him and agreed to have a relationship with him. Not quite long after they became lovers, a multinational pharmaceutical company (where Alex had once submitted his CV) called him for a job opportunity with a fat salary and countless benefits. That's how he abandoned mass comm and became gainfully employed. He married Ajoke before she could even finish school. They had three beautiful children together and lived happily ever after. During one of Ajoke's mother's visits to their home, she started raining blessings on Alex and was about cursing the infamous rapist that defiled her daughter. Ajoke told her to stop and forget about that as God had already erased that agony with eternal delight, but she couldn't reveal the identity of the rapist. If it were you, what would you have done?