That special morning, she remained on her bed, tired and feeling sick. Funke’s eyes were red and swollen. It was her 18th birthday, but it was obvious she wasn’t ready for anything near a celebration.
That special morning, she remained on her bed, tired and feeling sick. Funke’s eyes were red and swollen. It was her 18th birthday, but it was obvious she wasn’t ready for anything near a celebration.
She was still sobbing when her mother entered her room, she called her twice “Funke! Funke! I’m back”, but there was no response. She moved closer, sitting beside her when she noticed Funke was stained in blood.
Funke just looked at her and burst into tears. “Oh no! It’s your period again, the usual waist pain I guess, just go to the bathroom, I will get you some pain killers by the time you are out.”
That special morning, she remained on her bed, tired and feeling sick. Funke’s eyes were red and swollen. It was her 18th birthday, but it was obvious she wasn’t ready for anything near a celebration.
She was still sobbing when her mother entered her room, she called her twice “Funke! Funke! I’m back”, but there was no response. She moved closer, sitting beside her when she noticed Funke was stained in blood.
Funke just looked at her and burst into tears. “Oh no! It’s your period again, the usual waist pain I guess, just go to the bathroom, I will get you some pain killers by the time you are out.”
Funke managed to get to the bathroom, slowly she took off her blood-stained red nightgown and dumped it in a bucket, turned on the shower, got into the bathtub and started crying uncontrollably. When she got back to the room, her mother had changed the bedsheets and was smiling at her “You are a woman now, you should be able to withstand pain and not be a cry baby”.
Funke just walked to her wardrobe and was about picking a shirt, when her mother stopped her “Don’t tell me you are going to wear that shirt, birthday girl”. For the first time in all morning, Funke spoke “Mum! I’m not up for any party and am not feeling well”,
“really! Not until you see the dress I got you” her mum replied. She called the housemaid “Shade! Shade!” the reply she got was a “Yes madam”, “Go to my room and get Funke’s birthday dress” Shade replied “Yes madam!”
Turning to Funke, she said to her “Sweetheart just wait for it, you would love it”. “Mummy I don’t want any dress, I just want to rest, please!” Funke replied. At this point, her mother moved closer to her “If it’s the waist pain, that can be sorted out, it’s your 18th birthday my dear”.
Just then Shade knocked on the door “come in” Funke’s mum replied. In Shade’s hand was the most beautiful red dress Funke has ever seen, her mum knew her favourite colour and got a dress was simply perfect. It must have been very expensive, she thought.
“What do you think of your dress dear” smiling lavishly at Funke, the response she got was one she never expected. Funke looked at her and suddenly had a nausea feeling, she ran to the bathroom and started vomiting. Her mother and Shade ran after her to the bathroom.
As the mum was rubbing her back, Shade was cleaning her face. “Shade run to my room, get my car keys,” said her mother. “Yes madam” replied Shade as she hurried out of the room. “You will be fine dear, I am taking you to the hospital right away”.
Exactly 32 years later, on a beautiful Saturday morning, the maids and gardener were busy running around to get the house ready for the 25th wedding anniversary of Hon. Seun Akintola and his wife Bimpe which coincided with her 50th birthday.
Indeed it will be no ordinary celebration considering the names on the guests' list. Bimpe came out of the bathroom, looked at the table clock, it was past 10 already, she was surprised,
“I must have spent too much time supervising the maids”, she said as she grabbed her phone to call her goddaughter, Bola, who would accompany her to pick the dress for the party tomorrow. “Hello dear, how are you?”
“I am fine ma, I have been expecting your call” Bola replied”. “Sorry dear, I have been putting finishing touches to the party’s arrangement that I lost track of time, I will be in your house in about 10minutes from now if there is no traffic on the way of course”. “No problem ma” replied Bola.