-Aminat Shiyanbade
ACW-UA CHRONICLES.
CHAPTER 1.
Juliet lived in the outskirts of Aza Doriah with her mom and siblings. Her father passed away many years back.
Since the death of her father Mr. Jethro, things has not been easy for the Jethro's. Mother has been doing her best in taking care of the children, she made sure they are feed from the token she amount of money she earned at the end of every month from where she worked as a nanny in a nursery school.
Wale the elderest of the family dropped out of the university and was not able to complete his studies due to lack of money, he soon had a job in a hotel as a waiter and he has been supporting the family financially.
Juliet's elder sister Martha had a son for a man, and he refused to marry her. She left her son for mother to take care of him. And this annoys Juliet the most. Martha was not working to assist the family, she felt unconcerned and does whatever she wanted.
Nevertheless, Martha seems to be the most prettiest in the house and everyone testified of that. This made her feel like a queen. The only thing she does at home was to take care of her self, wash her clothes, call on mother to relax her hair and she pressed her phone all day. Most times, she doesn't come home at night and spend time at night parties and clubs.
Juliet hated the way her elder sister is unmindful about everything going on at home even when Godwin her son need to be taken care of. Godwin was just a year old. And sometimes when his ill or his diapers needs changing, Martha wouldn't care, and mother would talk to her but she wouldn't listen.
This made Juliet to querrel with her alot times.
She hasn't liked her sister and they have fought alot times when they were younger. Juliet was more closer to her elder brother Wale and he has been just like a father to her. He had always provided money for her school fee every term. Aside that, they plays alot. She often called her BigBoss and he calls her LittleQueen, and sometimes she doesn't want to be called that knowing Martha is far prettier than her.
Anytime he returns from work during the weekends he buys them things. And they were all happy family.
CHAPTER 2.
Things were not going well as usual since when Wale reduced the amount of money he brings home after been paid monthly, saying he needed to save for a new computer and a printer in other to open a computer Cafe but mother did not buy the idea. She wanted him to keep working and wait for the promotion Wale once talked about.
This decision of Wale has really bothered mother making her to talk over and over about it but he seems not to hear. Mother felt she could not cope in catering for the entire needs of the family.
That also affected them, they now manage to feed twice a day and Juliet rarely get transport fare to school. Juliet understands Wale and she didn't complain much, she even try letting mother know he's plan on opening a business center is the best for the family.
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Juliet was sixteen and in SS2, she attended Nessa High School located few kilometers from where they lived. She's a church girl, very decent, hardworking and brilliant. She doesn't have friends in their neighborhood and at school her only friend was Ene, and she lived at the opposite street close to theirs. Juliet's mom and Ene's mom are friends and they attend the same church.
In school, Julie was bullied and mocked for having big front tooth and her hair never grow long instead it remain kinky and brown. She hates it when she is insulted. This made her not to talk in public, and she do not go close to where student are gathered and had prevented any situation that would expose to the public nor would make her to participate in school activities. She sits in front of the classroom, and when she speaks she uses her hand to cover her mouth or bends her head.
It has really troubled her, and she felt inferior.
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There was this new boy that was admitted into her class, and it is not like Nessa to admit student by second term. It was heard that his dad donated huge amount of books and other educational materials to the school's library and every students seem to be talking about it.
Apart from his father contributions, every girl talked about the 'new guy'. He was tall, handsome, dark with white teeth, eyes and dimple.
The girls in Juliet's class were all naive and crushed on him. They wanted him to be their boyfriend. They always dragged to sit with him and followed him around the school compound. Girls fought each other just to get him for themselves.
The only girl in his class that seemed not to really care at first was Juliet. Notwithstanding Julie can't deny the feelings she developed for him right from the first day he was introduced to class. She admitted he is indeed handsome, she liked the shape of his eyes and dimple pieced in when he smiled. She told no one what she thought about him and kept it within herself.
Sometimes she could not resist staring at him, and she tries not to let him or anyone notice her stare. During sports on friday morning, she would stand at a distance and watch him play football. She slowly began to develop desire for him but she tried to kill the feelings. She knew she can not be his girlfriend, she thinks she's ugly and not the kind of girl he would loved to go out with. She doesn't wear earring neither do she apply makeup, and so it was impossible for him to find her attractive.
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Juliet later went to church to ask for forgiveness from the lord for imagining all the evil thoughts. She tried as hard as possible to take away those thoughts of being his girlfriend.
CHAPTER 3.
One morning, Juliet woke up quite late by passed seven, she aided mother to prepare breakfast for the house before setting of to school. She dropped Bisi their neighbors daughter in nearby primary school before leaving for hers.
When she got to school, she found out that the assembly was over and was lucky to escape punishment. She sneaked into the classroom hoping to see the maths teacher, Mr Bakko, instead she met the class rowdy and noisy, no one noticed her presence.
She sat at the front as usual, she turned around to check for her friend Ene, but didn't see her, instead she met the eyes of Johnson the new boy. He was the only one in the whole class that was staring at her. She regretted looking back.
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For the past few days, Johnson has been trying to talk to Juliet about becoming his girlfriend, but she had refused.
It all started one afternoon during the break time as she and her friend Ene were walking towards the school's kiosk where they sell snacks, when Johnson approached her and requested her to be his girlfriend, Julie was shocked and surprise . She was suddenly speechless, she never believed what she once imagined would come to reality.
"I'm not interested " she said and walked away with Ene.
After buying some snacks from the Koisk, Johnson still meet them pleading,
"don't you get it" Ene said "she is not interested"
Juliet cannot believe it, she thinks maybe he was just making fun of her. She later knew he was serious when he paid her transport back home that day.
Juliet sat in her desk that morning immediately Ene came to sit with her.
'Hi Juliet' Ene greeted
'What's up Ene'
'You came late today'
'I helped my mom to carry some loads to the main market.'
Immediately, Mr Bakko the maths walked in and the class became suddenly silent as a crypt. Mr Bakko was the discipline master in their school. He was harsh and rude. The students knew he is capable flogging the whole student in the school without getting tired.
Students were afraid of him but not Juliet, he was his favourite teacher. Juliet is very good in mathematics.
Mr Bakko introduced a new topic on the board, he solved few examples on the board and asked appointed some students to solve it in the board but they did not get it correctly. Then he called on Juliet and handed over the chalk to her, she walked shyly to the board and solved it correctly.
''A round of applause for her'' Mr Bakko said excitingly.
Only a few clapped for her. And she could hear some of them call her "big teeth".
******************
After the class, Johnson met her when she was alone, he asked her to teach him some of the calculation that was taught in class. At first she disagreed but changed her mind. After school that day, they stayed back and she taught him some of the calculations. While she talked she noticed he was not concentrating, he was staring at her eyes and that made her uncomfortable, but she tried not to be distracted by his charming looks.
Johnson put his hand across her neck and it startled her. She immediately felt her pulse and blood ran through her vein to her heart. She removed his hands.
"whats this Johnny" She asked and stood to pack up her bags.
"I'm sorry" he said "I love you." he held her both hands and drew close to her.
She could not believe what was going on, she stood frooze. She could feel the warmth of his palm on hers and the perfume of his body. She felt she could just disappear into the thin air.
"Leave me be" She said as she tried to let go of her hands. But he arm is firm. He tried kissing her on the lips but she pushed him and head for the door, she stood at the door for a second and came back to him and they kissed not minding the opened door and windows.
*
"I love you too, Johnny."
CHAPTER 4.
Juliet begun behaving differently and happily. Mother has noticed some strange attitudes in her lately and once asked her the reason behind it but she did not say.
Every night Juliet think about Johnson before going to bed and she just could not wait to meet him in school the following day.
It was known throughout school that Johnson was dating Juliet the "HolyHoly girl". Her friend Ene do not want her having a boyfriend and this made them quarrel and they stopped talking to each other.
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Mother began to noticed that Juliet now returns home late from school and Juliet gives her one or two excuses knowing she spent the hours at Johnny's place until one evening around 4pm when she returned, She saw Mother was in an unusual mood, she looked worried and was tapping her right foot on the cemented floor as she rested her head on her palm.
"Good evening mom" She greeted.
Mother did not answer.
"Mom, I'm greeting you"
"Why are you coming by this time?" mother asked. "and i want you to tell me the truth"
"Mom! I told you last week we organised an after school lesson for ourselves" Juliet lied and hoped it sound real.
"Come here child" Mother said and she came closer.
"Sit down" she said and sat down close to her mother.
"Juliet." Mother callled.
"Yes Ma" she answered. Her heart began to pound, so many thought ran through her mind.
"Does Mother knows she is now have a boyfriend?" she thought.
"What's is his name? " mother asked looking at her in the eye.
"l........ I don't understand Mom" Juliet stammered. "who... What are you talking about? "
"Is it true about what I heard about you in school? " mother asked.
"NO! What are you talking about?"
"That you have been following boys in school? "
"no mom, it's all lies. Who told you that? " she asked. " l know its Ene don't mind her, she's jealous of me. We are no longer talking anymore."
"Why" asked mother.
Juliet framed up a story for mother and she trusted and believed her.
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It got to a time when Juliet could no longer hide Johnson from mother. Her relationship with him became obvious to everyone. Thier love grew stronger and mother did all she could do to end that relationship. She'd sat her down and advised her of the consequences of going into a relationship at that tender age.
Mother had gone to Johnson perents and talked to them in warning their son to stay away from her daughter.
Mother feared that what happened to Martha shouldn't happen to her younger sister. She had reported her to their pastor's wife to talk to her and advised her. Mother soon later discovered that she did not go to evening service instead she diverted to meet with Johnson. Then mother grounded her at home and prevented her from going out except when the whole family would along.
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One evening, Juliet needed to go badly to meet Johnson. He had promised to take her out for dinner. She dressed really differently and not like the Juliet they used to know. She wore the new dress he bought for her. She wore a pink leggings, black armless top that fastened at the neck. She applied makeup and put on wig to cover her kinky her. Martha was shocked when she got to her room dressing.
"Mother wants to see you" Martha said "and were are you going?"
Juliet turned away from the mirror and faced her sister.
"How do i look?" she asked grinning.
"Horrible!" Martha replied and burst into laughter.
"You laugh like a witch!" Juliet said and hissed and walked past her and out of the room down to the sitting room.
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Mother hindered her from going out that evening. Juliet got really upset. She insulted mother angrily and Mother gave her a slap. She distroyed some ceramic dishes on the wooden cupboard. Throughout that night she cried and had thought of packing out to live with Johnson.
CHAPTER 5.
Couple of weeks later, Juliet woke up feeling uncomfortable, she had a truobled stomach, while she dressed for school, she felt like vomiting, Bisi who was already dressed up for school saw Juliet ran out of the house, Bisi followed her to the backyard and found her vomiting and she reported to Mother who was at the kitchen.
Mother saw her sitting on the floor and she took her the clinic across the major road.
The doctor did series of tests and told mother that Julie's was two months pregnant.
Mother burst into tears. Even the doctor felt sorry for her.
As mother and Juliet walked home, mother did not mention a word to her, instead she brought out her phone from where she wrapped her in her wrapper round her waist.
She called Wale and narrated everything to him.
While they were on the tricycle going back home, Juliet felt so spineless and useless.
She could only utter some words.
"I'm sorry mom, am so sorry, forgive me"
Immediately a car from behind which was believed to be coming with a high speed came and hit the tricycle from behind.
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Juliet woke up in a room filled with white light. It did not look like her bedroom neither do it look like Johnson's. When she opened her eyes fully despite the brightness in the room, she felt sharp pain in her head, back and legs.
She noticed she was in her school uniform stained with blood with a drip hung vertically and running down her body. She tried sitting upright but she could not.
Immediately, she remembered she was in a tricycle before a car hit theirs from behind.
And she thought of Mother. "Mother!" she shouted.
And she sat, removed the drip that was stuck close to her wrist hoping to ran out to find her mother when the door opened and a nurse walked in.
"You're awake" nurse said dropping some drugs on the table.
"Where's my mother? "
"Try to relax yourself child" said the nurse.
"No i want to meet my mother" Juliet stood up and felt a sharp in her back. She couldn't move. The nurse helped her to sit back on her bed.
"My dear you are lucky to be alive" Nurse said. "Just relax, and calm down "
"No" Juliet struggled to stand "Not until i see my Mother "
"Im sorry dear, she could not make it" Said the nurse.
"No ooooooooooo" cried Juliet.
Juliet blamed herself. She wished she hadn't known Johnson.
After a drug was given to her she slept.
Days later, she heard Johnson was nabbed by the police for meddling with cocaine.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
Aminat Shiyanbade
ACW-UA CHRONICLES.
CONTACT: 08143532405
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