The KT OLLA Web Stories

JOSHUA Morrow saw what his foster kids did, and it hurt him a lot. He had thought he’d got children in his nephews and nieces, so he had loved them. But there they were drawing the line. It was thin line, yet thick. But then Bamiji went on raising them all. Only, he knew whose children they were. They weren’t his. So, when the males among Dekomi’s kids drew thick lines between them and their uncle, Bamiji felt so betrayed. It was payback that hit home. But God was planning good. No, this thing wrecked Joshua to pieces. He faced himself and saw failure. Those children were like the home he was building. And now they were crumbling like sand castles. No, he didn’t see future... just failure. For the first time in plenty years, the fact that Banji had nobody fazed him hard. But he knew nothing about God. That He could bring something out of nothing... like He alone can do. So, Banji sank several times in the squalors of that moment. He felt sad, lonely. So he drank even more and smoked. H...

EVERYTHING that happened and made Banji take on Abraham’s kids – everything was within earshot. Dekomi’s earshot. Well, Dekomi was gone and his oldest one was there. He caught on fast. The gentleman knew the cold rebuff that was served his mama. It hurt him more to watch her try. He hated that his mother liked his uncle. Then he hated that Banji didn’t look her way. He wanted him to respond, be her new man. No, stand up as their old man and care for them. Or better, not snub her mama like that. Well, he hadn’t wished that the man was their father. But then again he asked, ‘What if...?’ Then, Banji took them up and ensured they rose high. The first son was about 30 years. So he sent him to university. The younger one had written their surname in the way his uncle spelt it. He did that during grammar school. Yes, he had looked up to his uncle like to his own father. But now, he thought about this mess and hated everything. So, for his mother’s sake, he hated the man. He hated the fact th...

BAMIJI toiled on and reaped. He was made Vice of high school principal. But it was briefly. Still, life wanted him first. Well, the regional government happened to establish more schools, and Banji was made to start those schools. So, Mr Morrow was transferred away from home to start new modern schools then. They were junior and senior secondary. He worked for the olden state government of Ọyọ, which owned quite a wider scape then. It, in fact, had within it a widespread district then, called Ọshun. It was where he called home, and he was carried around that place. Now Bamiji settled in Ede of Oshun, a township so vast it could make a city. Then, he travelled to work in towns. Yes, he founded the high schools in those towns as Principal... their first principal, too. He built structures, enrol’ kids, planted trees... The seed outlived him. So then, Morrow got transferred from place to place. For when his seedlings showed promise, the planter was sought to help plant more schools. So, h...

NOW Banji moved to Ede and got transferred at work to that town. He was 50 at that time when Abraham died and he went home. Then time crawled from 1975 – 9. In those passing years, people grew a little more, and youngsters matured. The many children of Abraham grew in their 30, 20s and teen... And Bamiji grew into a father, the father of them all. Now among Banji’s precious things had been that wooden piece he got himself several years before. His piano. The man had given a thought on how best to move that chunk home, but he hadn’t found a way. He’d got a new car – those old days when the teaching career paid well. Then he changed it after an accident. Now all he’d got to move precious things were his saloon car, and a pickup. (The lorries then carried logs.) So then, Banji sold off that treasure, his piano. The thing was “heavy duty”— quote ’n’ unquote . Then he moved back home. The man took up new responsibility. He put his brother’s kids through schooling, paying through their educ...

NOW the group agreed like they’d got no issue with the whole thing. Like they were on the same page. But no, they’d got other plans. And that Plan B was the real trouble. Already, Joshua was the head of Morrow’s household, and nobody could force him against his own will. But Bepo wasn’t anybody. The widowed one mattered. Yes, the fierce beauty had got the whole womenfolk behind her. Sassy ladies from town and everywhere. She’d got friends in town and the village, and they were there for her cause that day. The households were seated, too. Truly, Bepo had been faithful with her husband through their married years. But she felt the space he’d filled when he died. Now she wouldn’t mind having this elite man here. Or no, she even dared to. Well, Bepo had admired Joshua since she joined their great household. She’d watched him go through school, and knew nothing about that life. Jo was tall, dark and handsome. He was every girl’s talk playing out of earshot. He was fantasy quite so far up i...

BANJI got a summon from home in the week following. Someone went from Ede to tell him his brother had died. Well, Dekomi Morrow had been in and out of clinic from time to time. And this far, his sickness had been well managed. But then his body seemed to have had enough of pain. So one day he rested this body, and passed. It was a painful loss for his family and for the children of Moro their father. Now Banji sat in the living room of Moro’s large house – the family compound-house. He’d returned in the week before, after he heard the news. It was a new week as the middle-aged one joined in mourning. Neighbours had come and gone, townsmen showing up daily; then, within a week their numbers had dropped... And it was this house left alone. Now Bamiji got ready to travel back to work, so the family sat together one last time. This time, it was to discuss future. Now at that meeting, the school teacher was asked to take in the widowed one. He was asked to take Bepo, Dekomi’s widow, as wife...

BAMIJI smiled. ‘Jonah, we are grown men. If anything, I should have got kids their age—.’ He pointed at the students loitering close. ‘So, what more do you think someone my age hasn’t done to prepare ahead? I told you there’s nothing new under heaven!’ Jonah answered simply. ‘You can hand your whole life over to Jesus. ‘You can let Jesus steer your wheels. He knows the way too well, so you will arrive at your goals. ‘He is called Beginning and the End, meaning He’s the A and Z of everything. ‘He knows the end of every trip. And just Him can steer you home!’ Now those words fell on Joshua’s ears as they flowed. He was going to ponder on them and let them thrive. But like winds on desert blades, the words drifted away too quickly. They sounded like some echo in the wind. By then, the students whom the men set out to watch were being scolded by a different teacher.  Morrow saw it and he went even more upset. Even things he’d got no issue with, upset him. He talked up. ‘Jonah, you know...

MR Jonah glanced at his colleague and could tell he wasn’t cross with him. If Mr Morrow felt upset with my question, he wouldn’t have answered me. But since he went talking something else, and stopped now to listen, then he must’ve given it a thought. With this, Jonah took on the talk and hit the nail. ‘It is life as you say—not school life or work life. ‘But that life has yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So how do we face Tomorrow? ‘Maybe I’m asking you since your name means the Future. But how do you face Future, sir?’ Those words hit Morrow and he couldn’t stay upset. He looked away and sighed. But then Jonah brought hope. ‘Mister Jo,’ he called. ‘There is a way to beat life’s troubles whichever way they present themselves. ‘I did Biology education at teachers’ college, you know. And there’s this thing called being immune via vaccine. ‘Well, before the Westerners brought vaccines here, we’ve developed immunity to several airborne diseases. ‘So, we don’t ever come down with flu when w...

BANJI hadn’t thought much about future. Everything life to him had always been about getting education and a good pay job. Well, he’d repaid his school loan then, so he added a life quote: Neither a borrower nor a lender be. He owed no man thenceforth. Yet now, the man took care of his family. He sent money to cater for his siblings. They’d given up school just for him, so he felt responsible for them. So, life to this school master was ‘present tense’—not a future tense or thought. He answered Jonah. ‘Life is full of hurdles, yeah – but there ain’t surprises: “ there’s nothing new under the sun.” ‘Now you can’t compare what we have ahead in time to what’s in front of our eyes. ‘I mean, why will you compare future time with students playing here? Or even this exam period? ‘We’re talking life, Jonah. Not school life!’ Right then he dipped a hand in his pocket and took out a cigarette stick and lighter: ‘Now talk about life!’ Jonah replied him. ‘It’s about Jesus. Want to tell you the Way...

A SCHOOL bell rang aloud in the boiling heat of noon. It was dry season that year and everyone could feel the heat... Except for the students who littered the widespread field of this school. It was the end of lunch break, and that call made those kids return for class. It was the week before Joshua got his home call. The week before he went back home. Morrow sat in the staff office and went through papers at his desk. He was still head teacher for arts classes then, and was anticipating being made school head. A vice principal, for starts. Jo had just finished vetting questions for the students’ term papers in language, literature and religion. So he glanced up at a nearing voice. ‘Done with yours, Mister Jo?’ It was a teacher friend walking up to his desk. He called him Jo... Mister Jo. Banji looked up. ‘Yeah, Jonah.’ He called the younger man by name. That friend of his was from the science department. He quipped. ‘Lucky you, I’m still stuck with the theory. I’ll cross-check practic...