I was born with a silver spoon; my parents were the crème de la crème of society being that, my mother was the only daughter of the Oba of Lagos, and my father, the chairman of Balon Oil group. Suffice it to say, I was destined for a good life… or not.

I was six years old when mother died. That day was the worst day of my life, it was the day that the stars aligned for evil, and the Universe changed my lot. The day before mother died, she had taken me, her beloved son on a shopping spree because Christmas was in two days. She had been so busy with her fashion house, that I had thought that this year’s Christmas would be my day of mockery as I would not be wearing any new clothes.

We shopped the length and breadth of Balogun market, entering only the exclusive stores with their expensive, state-of-the-art interior décor. In this kind of stores, you must be alighting from a 2019 model of car, and be dressed in new season clothes, for any of the salesperson to attend you. After shopping, the six years old me needed a break; mother took me to a fast food restaurant, where I had lots of ice cream and pop tarts to satisfy my little heart. How would I have known that this would be my last time with mother? It was like the biblical last supper.

I slept like a prince, counting the days to Christmas, when I could show off my new expensive attire to the other rich kids in the estate. I always wore the best even when the other kids had richer parents because, when money meets a fashionista, a novel idea is birthed. Mother was fashion oriented so she had an eye for design and fabric, with this precision; she picked my clothes at the store. I was in lala land when I heard a piercing scream; it was unmistakably my mother’s. I Jumped out of bed and hurried down the lit hallway, down to my parents’ wing. Before I could turn the door knob, a hand gripped me and scooped me off my feet.

Me: “Leave me alone, I want to save my mother” I cried because, so close to my parents’ room, I could hear mother’s groans, amidst other voices. I turned and saw Mary, my favorite nanny. Her eyes were red rimmed like she had been crying.

Mary: “Leke bobo, your mother will be fine, your dad will take care of her” she whispered and stroked my head as she usually did on those nights that mother was out late and I was unable to sleep. She took me back to my bedroom, and pressed down a door knob by the bedlamp, which brought a maid to the room.

Mary: “Bring Leke, his favorite hot chocolate” she instructed.

Leke: “I don’t want chocolate, I want my mummy” I wailed. We all heard footsteps coming down the hall to my bedroom, the door opened and there was a young lady glaring at us. She was lithesome, with very fair skin, and deep dark eyes. She had long black wavy hair, and she looked like the people my science teacher called “half caste” when she was teaching us the races of the world. She would have been beautiful, but the aura and the permanent scowl on her face, made it hard for me to associate beauty with her. My nanny Mary was beautiful, even though she didn’t have the body that this woman had, even though she did plain sade braids, even though her hands were callused from all the hard work she had done in her life. But she, not this woman was beautiful, because where this woman inspired fear, Mary inspired love and security. So, I saw her as ugly and in one of my moods in the future, I would call her that, to her face.

Woman: “You will have chocolate and keep your mouth shut”

Leke: “Who are you to tell me how to act in my father’s house, go away, I want my mummy” I retorted, fat tears streaming down my eyes. That was my first encounter with the woman who would turn out to be my tormentor. She did not reply me, but the look she gave me, caused fear in my little heart. I hid my face in Mary’s arms and bawled my eyes out. I knew in my heart that something was very wrong with my mother, if not, who was this woman? And why was she ordering me around in my house.

When I woke up, the room was empty; Mary was nowhere to be found, she had pulled the curtains to give the room a cool ambience, but my dreams had been filled with scary scenarios that involved my mother. I remembered I had heard my mother scream last night, so I jumped out of bed, in my Tom and Jerry pajamas, and rushed to my parents’ room. My parents’ room was also empty, so I rushed downstairs to the living room, and saw that my mother’s family had arrived, father, Bamidele, was sitting alone on a couch, and his face was sober, his sister Aunt Jumoke was sobbing and retying her wrapper a thousand and one times. Something had gone wrong while I was asleep.

Leke: “Father?” I called softly, but my voice carried and everyone turned to look at me as I stood on the last stair, afraid to move forward into the room. My father stretched out his arms and I ran, all the way into his arms. He began to weep, holding me tightly like I was his lifeline. Mother’s dad, my maternal grandfateher, the Oba was sitting with his wives; he looked at me and sighed, a long and sad sigh.

Oba: “Ha death, why are you so wicked, could you not have spared her for the sake of this little boy?” he lamented. I turned to my father and asked for my mother. At this question, the women present, began to sob and sing a sorrowful song in Yoruba, iya ni wura.

Leke: “Where is my mother?” I asked again, crying. I was having a bad feeling, and I knew at that moment that something had happened to my mother.

Bamidele: “Your mother has gone to meet the Lord” my father replied me.

Leke: “My mother is dead?” I burst into fresh wailing. I was just six years old, but I was wise beyond my age. My parents were business people, so I was left to myself most of the time, fending for myself meant, what I read was not censored, so I read anything I laid my hands on. I had begun to read books about Metaphysics, and I was also beginning to question the existence of God. So I knew people died and we would never see them again, I also knew people died not because they wanted to. Also, having heard my mother’s screams, I knew she had died a painful death. Telling me “she had gone to meet the lord” was not going to obscure things for me.

Leke: “What killed her?” I asked between bursts of sobs. The room fell quiet at my question; it was a big question coming from a child such as I was.

Oba: “Somebody should take this child away from here” my maternal grandfather said in a strong voice. Mary took me from my father’s arms and up to my bedroom.

On the day that my mother would be buried, I saw that same woman who had shunned me the day my mother died; she was hovering around my father. I was walking beside Mary, so I asked her.

Leke: “Who is that woman?”

Mary: “That’s your father’s personal assistant”

Leke: “What is she doing here though” I murmured under my breath.

Mary: “Don’t be silly, she and other staff are here to condole with your dad”

Leke: “And was she also condoling with dad on the night mother was screaming?” I asked. Mary looked at me and shook her head pitifully. While I was conversing with Mary, the object of my discourse walked up to me and took my hand. On her face was plastered a forced smile.

Woman: “Adeleke, I am Nora, you will be seeing me a lot in your house, I have to help your dad cope with the loss. I suggest we get to know ourselves” her red painted fingernails dug into my supple flesh.

Leke: “Everyone calls me Leke, and please you are hurting my hand” I mouthed off.

Nora: “Aren’t we a tad ill mannered, which will change in time” she replied, letting go of my hand.

Mary: “Stop taunting the child’ she said simply, pushing me behind her. Nora turned to stare at her and my champion, Mary stared her down. But Mary would not be there to save me from subsequent attacks. Mary would be evicted from the house in a fashion almost like my mother’s.

After mother’s burial, my maternal family left the house, and so did father and Nora. I was left once again to myself, but this time, there was no counting the hours until mother would be back and filling it up with reading. There was no anticipating mother’s voice as she shouts “Leke bobo” as she climbed the stairs. The house was quiet and cold, it was like mother had carried the life of the house to her grave, or perhaps, she was the life of the house. With her sing song laughter that rang around the house and made me smile whenever I heard it, even with her shouts when she was angry with the house servants, she made the house alive. Now it was just cold and dead.

I lay on my bed, not bothering with my shoes. The rain began to fall lightly, I thought of mother in the grave, the rain falling on her. She had hated the rain when she was alive, she said it made everywhere dank and colorless, but I suspected it made her cold, as she always layered on clothes when it began to rain. Who would protect her now from the pelting of the rain, she was there alone in the grave, not even her beloved son had stayed back to keep her company. A line from a sermon I heard in church sometime ago crept into my little mind.

“The dead has nothing to do with the living” I cried, I hit the bed, hoping to inflict some of the pain I felt on it. I heard the door open, and before I saw her, I knew it was Mary. Mary is not intrusive, I was only six but when she enters my room, she does it like am older.

Mary: “Leke, I brought you pop tarts” she said. The mention of “pop tarts” reminded me of my shopping spree with mother, a day before Christmas.

Christmas had come and gone, even with the New Year, and for the first time, the other rich kids did not get floored by me. All the expensive things mother had picked up for me, were in my wardrobe untouched, I detested them.

“Take them away” I said in a low tone, my throat choked with sobs. Mary came to the bed and pulled me into her arms, and rocked me like a baby. Then, the door opened for the second time, and the devil’s mistress came in. She was wearing black, and she was wearing a dark makeup. She reminded me of “Lucifer’s Queen”, a book I read a fortnight ago.

Nora: “Don’t you have something to do in the kitchen or something?” she asked rudely, glaring at Mary.

Mary: “My job description is limited to Leke’s needs” she replied her, and began to loosen the lace of my shoes.

Nora: “Is he not a little old for a nanny? Please leave the boy, he can undress himself” Mary got up abruptly; I knew she was vexed, but was trying to control her temper.

Mary: “The boy has just lost his mother, why are you picking on him?”

Nora: “Why would you say a despicable thing like that?” she yelled on top of her voice. My father came in at that moment; he was probably looking for his executive secretary.

Bamidele: “What is going on here?” he asked looking frightened, like he was expecting another bad news.

At that point, I realized I was only thinking of myself, but my father was also in grief too, he had just lost his wife, but that’s what kids should do right? Worry about themselves, but I am not like most kids, I understand what Adults do not expect me to understand. I was not that close with my father, we have our moments, when he was not busy being pursuing millions. I was still thinking that me and dad have to grief together, we have both lost the woman we both loved, when Nora opened her mouth and released the bomb.

Nora: “Adeleke is just being a naughty boy, he asked for pop tarts, now he said he wants chocolates” My eyes opened wide in disbelief. I knew adults lie, but they always had a reason, but she was lying for no reason. What was she up to.

Bamidele: “Give the boy whatever he wants” he barked, his frustration was evident on his face.

Leke: “She is lying father, I asked for nothing, Mary was just here when she entered and asked Mary to leave, Mary…”

Mary: “It is alright, Leke" she said and patted me on the head.

Nora was so vexed that Mary could just stop me from giving an explanation to my father, that the veins of her neck stood out and her eyes became even darker. The truth was, Mary had a lot of leverage with my parents because they depended solely on her to take care of me. They saw she was good to me, she gave them peace of mind, and they could pursue their dreams without worrying about me.

Bamidele: “What do you want, Leke?”

Leke: “I want my mummy” I said as fat tears rolled down my cheeks. Father crossed over in two long strides and pulled me into his arms. He began to weep, sobs shook his body. We were both sad, we had both lost our woman.

Nora: “Bamidele, you know you have to be strong, you have a company to run” she said as she walked over to us and extricated my father from the embrace, then she embraced him. I watched them and wondered what kind of secretary called her boss by name and embraced him in such manner. My little mind could already see what she was doing, it was the reason she had lied, she was warming her way into father’s heart.

Nora: “Come on, let’s go make you some tea to calm your nerves, you are meeting with the investors from…”

Leke: “You know what else I want, dad? I want her gone” I interrupted her, pointing my finger at her.

Nora: “Oh my God, Bamidele, your son is being nasty” she began to cry, her mascara ran down her face, she looked just like a witch.

Bamidele: “Apologize to Aunt Nora now, Leke” Father thundered, gone was the man, who was crying at the loss of his wife.

Leke: “I am sorry” I said, trembling at father’s anger.

Bamidele: “That’s better, Mary I do not know what you have been teaching this boy” he said. Mary looked up at him, with pain in her eyes, this was the first time, father complained about the way she handled me. She turned and looked at Nora; she was obviously blaming her for this change.

Nora: “Let’s just go” she murmured and pulled my father out of the room. Mary told me to go to the bathroom and shower, after which I wore my pajamas and another day without my mother ended or so I thought.

I fell asleep the moment my body hit the bed, my six year old body was tired, even though my mind was still trying to comprehend the things that were changing. Then a piercing scream rend the quiet atmosphere in the house, it was coming from a room on the same floor. I got up with fear in my heart, was I going to lose my father too. I had woken up to this type of scream and my mother had died after ward, was it my father’s turn. I was too scared to move, I stood in front of the door, unable to turn the knob. I saw the shadow of two feet stop in front of my door, and my heart lurched into my mouth, the feet traipsed down the hallway, as the scream grew louder. The fear of the unknown gripped me and paralyzed me, I fell down in a heap.

When, I woke up, my room was lit by the sunlight streaming in, through the flowery curtains Mother had decorated my room with. Fear gripped me as I thought of last night.

Leke: “Father!” I screamed out in fear, I could not bear to lose my father; he was all I had now.

Bamidele: “I am here son, do not be afraid” he replied as I hugged him fiercely, and then I noticed Nora looking down at him with a menacing glare. I looked around and could not find Mary. That was when I remembered the tiny detail about last night. It was a woman’s scream I heard.

Leke: “Father, where is Mary?” I asked eagerly. Father looked at me with sad eyes and began to pat my head. I pushed his hand away angrily; he was trying to hide something away from me.

Bamidele: “Calm down Leke, Mary is going to be alright”

Leke: “She was alright when I went to sleep last night.” Before my father could explain further, he was informed by one of the housekeepers that policemen were downstairs waiting for him.

Bamidele: “Adeleke, please stay in your room and do not come out” he said and ushered everyone out, he closed the door but did not lock it. I sat on my bed and pondered. My father had never called me “Adeleke” before; things were changing fast, too fast for my little mind to comprehend. I went to my reading table where a picture frame of mother stood; I picked it up and held it to my chest. After a while, I dropped it, my curious mind wanted to know what was happening downstairs and why Mary had not come to my room. I opened the door confidently, knowing everyone was downstairs and walked down the hallway in a hurry. I went down the stairs, in slow quiet paces. Just before the landing, a bit obscured from people in the living room, I squatted to listen.

Police: “How long has Mary been working for you?” I arched my eyebrows, why were they talking about Mary? I asked myself.

Bamidele: “Since Leke my son, was a baby. He is six years old now” father replied.

Police: “One last question, where is your son?” I heard the police man ask, it seemed I came when it was all over.

Bamidele: “My son is not in the house, he went to be with his grandfather” I heard father lie to the police man. Why was he lying to a policeman? I asked myself, nobody was giving any answers.

Police: “Mary is still in coma at the hospital, it seems she went into the shock. I am surprised though that someone that has been with your child since infancy will be attacked in your house and nobody from this household is at the hospital with her”

Bamidele: “I had to take care of my son” he said before he realized he had told the police that his son was away from home.

Police: “Is it the same son, you told us went to his grandfather’s?”

Leke: “I am here, no need scolding my father” I said as I walked down to the living room, father just shook his head in resignation.

Nora: “You should have stayed in your room as your father said. Always listen to your elders” she said her eyes on father, who was scowling at me. He was obviously blaming me for disobeying him, but wasn’t he the one who told the police two different tales? Adults are always blaming kids for things that they did.

Police: “I consider this an obstruction of justice. We will hear from the boy if he knows anything about it” the taller police man said as he came closer and squatted to my level.

Policeman: “Your nanny Mary is in the hospital, she was attacked last night in this house, her two legs are broken, she may never walk again, if you know anything that will help us catch the culprit, your nanny will love that.” I was already weeping at this point, Mary’s legs were broken and she would never walk again, who would take care of me now, I had lost my mother, now I was going to lose my nanny?

Leke: “The last time I saw her, she tucked me in for the night, and she stayed with me till I slept. I woke up to a scream, a woman’s scream. I was too scared to come out, I thought my father was dead too”

Policeman: “Why would you think that?” I looked at father, he had a pained look on his face, and Nora on the other hand was looking intently at me, hanging on my every word.

Leke: “The last time I heard a scream, my mother died” I said through choked sobs, just the mention of my mother brought sadness and tears. The policemen looked thoughtful, and began to scribble in their writing pads.

Policeman: “So you did not see anything that night, except hear a scream?”

Leke: “I saw feet, they stopped at my door, I was so scared”

Policeman: “What did you do, did you go out?”

Leke: “I cannot remember, I woke up in my bed, my father was with me”

Bamidele: “We found him passed out by the door, which is the reason we tried keeping him away from you. He just lost his mom, he is traumatized” father added. The policemen kept scribbling in their pads.

Policeman: “What killed your wife?” At that father stood up angrily from the couch and walked over to the policeman who had asked the question.

Bamidele: “I won’t allow you disrespect me in my own house, and in front of my kid. If you have no more questions, you best leave”

Policeman: “Being a brute won’t get you anywhere, because we realized that you as the head of the family did not call the police, you covertly took her to the hospital. The public only know your wife died, but no one knows how she died, her burial, there was no lying in state. Then days later, your nanny is attacked in this house, you refused to call the police”

Bamidele: ‘If I did not call the police, then how are you here?”

Policeman: “One of your nieghbours called. Mister man, you will follow us to the station to give your statement”

Bamidele: “I am going nowhere with you, look here, do you know who I am, do you think you can just come here and say rubbish. If you are not arresting me, I advise you go do your home work” father replied.

Policeman: “This is not the end, we will be back” he said and they left the house.

Nora: “It is all your son’s fault, he is so unruly” she said angrily. Father looked at me in a way he had never looked at me before, like I was a nuisance to him. He walked to me in quick strides and grabbed me by the arm.

Bamidele: “You will do as I say” he said and pulled me up the stairs

Leke: “Father, father, you are hurting me” I cried as he dragged me up the stairs. When he got to my room, he opened the door and pushed me in, this time he locked the door on the other side. I banged the door, but no one heard me, or if they did, they were forbidden to answer me. I cried my eyes out, till I fell asleep.

In my dream, I saw mother, she had her throat slashed, blood was gushing out from the slit, and her fingers were all covered in blood. I screamed till I woke up, I was still screaming. I heard the door rattle, it opened and one of the female house servants came in. We called her Iya Biliki, I rarely saw her because, she was always in the kitchen.

IyaBiliki: “Leke bobo, why you dey shout like say you see ghost, abi you see your mama?” she asked. I nodded my head slowly, I was disturbed by what I saw of my mother and I began to wonder if that was how she died.

Leke: “How did my mother die?”

IyaBiliki: “Omo mi, this question you dey ask me, ei big pass me oh. Na only your papa go fit answer you” she said in a sober voice, then she held me to her bosom and began to rock me.

IyaBiliki: “Ha death, death is not fair” she said aloud. The smell of soot and cooking was beginning to choke me from her clothes, so I pulled away softly. I didn’t realize I had been crying, IyaBiliki seeing that I was crying, made to pull me again into her bosom, but I shifted away fast, I couldn’t bear the smell that emanated from her one more time. I looked behind her and saw that she brought a tray.

IyaBiliki: “Ha no mind me oh, I bin dey bring food for you, when I hear you dey shout. I prepare omiobe with correct brokoto” I smiled; this was one of the joys of having Yoruba parents… lots of meat and big ones too. I sat at my reading table;

IyaBiliki cleared my books to one side and dished my food. As I was eating, it struck me, that this was the first meal that I was eating in my room, and all by myself. When mother was alive, she made sure that she was home for my meal times, even if she rushed out afterwards, but she must be there to eat with me. I missed my mother all the more.

Two days after that incident, I have been restricted to my room, I was not allowed out. So I began to read all the books I had read before, just to fill the void I felt. I could not wait for school to resume, so I could escape my reality and mix up with other kids my age. The police came to our house with an arrest warrant for father; somehow they had concluded that father was responsible for the attack on Mary. When father was arrested, Nora became scarce in the house; I was released from the house arrest I had been subjected to by father. I took this time to see Mary in the hospital, iyaBiliki who was now in charge of taking care of me, took me to see her. Her state was grotesque, her legs have been mangled. I wondered who could have done such horrible thing to a simple woman such as Mary.

Leke: “There really is no God, if there is, why do good people suffer so” I began to sob, so great was my pain. It was obvious from where I was standing, that Mary may never walk again, if she could not walk, then she could not stay in our house. It seemed to me, there was a force trying desperately to make me all alone. I was scared of that line of thought because, it would mean, my father was next.

I went close, and held Mary’s hand, while I stared at her intently, like I was willing her to open her eyes. And she did…

Mary’s eyes opened and held me strongly like she was glaring at me, she held my hand tightly and I got scared, I almost whimpered when she spoke in a soft tone that belied her looks.

Mary: “Leke, you are not safe in that house. Something is out to get your family, they killed your mother. You have to leave that house” she said

Leke: “But Aunt Mary, where would I go? I am only six!” I exclaimed.

Mary: “But you are stronger than you think, are you not Leke bobo?” she said, I smiled in spite of the confusion I felt.

Leke: “Aunt Mary, I am scared. I saw the feet outside my door, I was scared, I am still scared”.

Mary: “I see the books you read, you are stronger than you know, call your maternal grandfather to come get you” I nodded my head even when I knew there was no way I could access grandpa’s number.

Leke: “My father was arrested” I said simply, at a loss of whatelse to say.

Mary wanted to speak but stopped, she was looking at someplace behind me. I turned and saw Nora standing there.

Nora: “Adeleke, your father needs you at the police station. Mary, I am deeply sorry about your condition, hope you get well” she said.

Mary: “Leke, don’t go” she said even as it seemed like she was slipping back into unconsciousness.

Leke: “But my father needs me” Mary shook her head slowly, and then her eyes closed. I looked at Nora, who stared back with a passive face that divulged nothing of her intentions.

Leke: “Let’s go” I said and walked ahead of her, out of the room where Mary was kept.