The Temitope Falusi Story (4)
Tolu and his mum left for Chicago, leaving me alone in their house. So, I had to move to his sister’s house and live there. Unfortunately, it was at a time I lost my admission and there was nothing to do. All I did was to sleep and wake up in his sister’s house. Some people who knew my story had been going to my dad to complain; he didn’t do anything to stop me or look for me.
It was after I left Tolu’s house that my dad sent policemen to look for me and bring me home. Tolu had already travelled and the house was locked then. They left it for almost a year before they started looking for me. Couldn’t believe it. Nice eeh uhmm.
When Tolu got to the US, he did all he could to bring me to the U.S. He paid an agent to process a visa for me, but I was eventually refused. After some few months, he came back to Nigeria on my birthday, and threw a surprise 21st birthday party for me. He got me a passport to enable me travel and told me to wait for him till. He said he would be back to take me to the US.
Three months later he came back with his sick mum, still sick and this time around, we all went to a distant village to seek spiritual help for his sick mum. This was not like the previous places; this was more like witchdoctor’s house. When we got there, the man we met said we shouldn’t have gotten to a particular place we stood, that we should have waited in the car for him to come and get us. This prompted him to do some spiritual arrangement for each person by getting some local eggs for sacrifice.
Tolu used the opportunity to convince me into taking an oath with him which I felt was okay. I was so blinded by love not knowing I was making a big mistake. He spoke with the witchdoctor and he asked us to come back to take the oath. His mum overheard us talking about it and refused to allow us to go. Tolu was upset and said we had to go, but because his mum did not support the idea, I decided not to go with him. However, after a while we went to Osun shrine in Osun State. All I could remember was, when we got to a bridge, the guy showing us around told us if we made any wish in the river flowing under the bridge, it will come to pass. We went to the river and we made a wish to be together forever. We even drank the water and did all sort of things.
Whenever I think about those days and where I am at the moment, I realise that if I had known I shouldn’t have taken an oath with him. Shortly after, they left for the US again and he started behaving funny. I started hearing stories of him drinking and having girlfriends. I felt very bitter. I would call him several times but he wouldn’t pick up. I also would call his mum but she won’t say a word about his attitude. I felt really hurt and was determined to go to the U.S too.
I went to my dad one day, and showed him the passport Tolu gave me and I asked him to pay for my trip that I have got people in the US to look after me. I was 21 then. He told me if he paid for the travelling and I got deported, the money he would give me would be what I would inherit from him, so he would include it in his will. I accepted the inheritance pact.
My dad paid for the ticket and made arrangements for me to travel with the passport Tolu left for me and I left for Chicago.
I got to Chicago without telling Tolu, a friend picked me up from the airport. And getting to my friend’s one bedroom house, she had four other boys and a lady living in the one bedroom flat with her. Staying there with them would have put the number at seven altogether. So, I decided to call one of Tolu’s sisters who lived in Chicago. Immediately she came to pick me up.
She told me tales about their mum who she said was so mean. When they approached her about discouraging Tolu on having another girlfriend, she refused. She quoted what her mum said: ‘If she (that’s me) didn’t take care of me, back in Nigeria, somebody else would have’. She was referring to me; can you imagine, after all I did. I lost my admission because of her and all I got was this from her. I felt really hurt, after all. I was very upset with her.
Note: The story continues next week.
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