Gather here you all!!
I am about forty-three years old now. A full grown adult. Whoever had been my parent till this age is my parent forever, forget any new discovery. This is my direct answer to this week's prompt.
When I was about twenty years old, I just gained admission into the university, far away from home. Back then, there weren't any mobile phones. The president Obasanjo led government had just kick-started the handset project and only a few Nigerians could afford it. So, it was difficult communicating home from school except through letters that were only posted via the post office that would take about a week or two to be delivered.
So, I could be in school for one semester before going home. During one of those semesters, I followed one of my friends who stayed with his parents in the town where my school was located. I was welcomed the first time I went with him. Afterwards, it became a weekend medicine for me with my friend. One of such visit, I encountered a case of this magnitude.
Kindel Media
Ilelabayo Family Feud (Real name withheld)
Mr. Illelabayo loved his wife so much. They have been married for over twenty years without any biological children. They lived in a three bedroom apartment with four children. All along, nobody knew that the children weren't their biological wards until one beautiful evening.
We just returned from the shop. My friend's parents were dealers in building materials. We heard a quarrel from the Ilelabayo apartment. The voices were not known to be that of the husband and wife. Out of curiosity, my foster parents (Chief and Chief (Mrs) Obi) went to check out what the problem was.
Mr. Ilelabayo lost his father about a year ago. The family waited a little after the burial to share the property as it was written in the late patriarch's will. The family lawyer read out the will in which the husband and wife got a huge portion of the family business. This angered the other family members who started raising eyebrows against Mr and Mrs Ilelabayo, quoting that why will they be accorded most part of the family heritage even though they didn't give birth to any child.
The four children were amazed to learn that their biological parents were not the Ilelabayos. It was a tough time for Femi, Jacob, Peter and Toun. Though the lawyer had carried out the business of the day, he left an indelible mark for the Ilelabayo to handle.
All four children have been adopted from different orphanages and motherless baby homes across the country. The youngest of them was Toun and she was nineteen years old when the matter was revealed. The other children were already in the university, with Femi in his Housemanship as a medical student.
However, since they were legally adopted, Mr and Mrs Ilelabayo stood their ground saying that it wasn't a crime not to give birth to children but that the children in their care are Ilelabayo and nothing can change that. Though, the argument was not needed as it won't change what the family patriarch had written in his will.
Femi, on behalf of all other children, spoke with confidence that there was no going back. Mr and Mrs Ilelabayo were their parents even though they were just learning that they were adopted.
In his speech, parenting can come from many quarters. It could be biological or foster or even communal. As much as they were treated as children with the best kind of education, it is nobody's business to use that against their parents.
The speech ended every argument as those family members who had the intention to fight started withdrawing from the scene one after the other.
It is the African mentality that when a marriage refuses to produce children, it should not get recognised in family heritage. Gracefully, that is changing now.
Just like Femi and other children supported their parents, I will exactly. This life is too short for me to begin the search of who my real parents could be when there are bills to pay and jobs to search for. If the real parents were responsible they wouldn't stand away from another neutral person to play their parental roles.
This is my submission to the #hivenaijaweekly prompts for week #63. Kindly read up the rules Here and subscribe to the community to take part in this contest.
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Posted Using InLeo Alpha
