Who Got Yemisi pregnant?

Who got Yemisi pregnant?

Back in Ife, in my days in Awo hall, there was a tradition of hawking. "Fine Akara" and other "fine things".

Yemisi was one of the hawkers. A young girl just entering into full maturity. Yemisi was very jovial and would treat and tease her customers. She was popular in Awo Hall.

Then one day trouble came. Yemisi came into the hall with her mother. She was pregnant. She claimed an undergraduate had impregnated her. The mother wanted to find out, who it was.

The fist person accused was a seemingly innocent ECU brother, the brother owned up to sleeping with her but pointed out that he was second to Alfa. Alfa was serious student. He recites some chapters from the Koran and claimed he came after Paul.

Paul was in part 2 then and a wannabe club boy. Paul denied vehemently but soon confessed to sleeping with her on the threat of Ogun lakaiye. Then Paul said he was introduced by Sabu in another hall.

Yemisi had a chain of lovers in Awo. Her mother broke down and accepted that she would have to live with the pregnancy and no father to own up. Her daughter was selling more than "fine Akara".

When Yemisi got home, her father took the cane to her for disgracing him. He wanted to punch the pregnancy out of her. He did not think to ask why Yemisi that should have been in secondary school was selling Akara. That when he married the fourth wife and now had to choose only first of the wives to educate that he was consigning the rest into situations like this.

Yemisi's mother cried in pain. Yemisi's earnings supported her other son that was in school. She also had to choose. She took another son as that one showed potentials.

Life was not fair to them. They called it free education but charged levies. Those levies were substantial. She needed help to deliver.

Well Yemisi gave birth, the baby was an albino. The choirmaster in their church was an albino as well and he was particularly fond of Yemisi.

There were times Yemisi went to learn songs with him. But she never mentioned him in the allegations.

Paul the "wannabe" had two sisters that were albino too. Alfa's mother was from an Albino father.

We never did find out the father of Anu the son Yemisi birthed. No one thought of DNA then.

In the background was Tomori who was convinced the baby was his. He never spoke up. How was he so sure, he was the first with Yemisi and calculated because of the day of his Uncle's burial that she gave birth 9 months give or take some days after. Tomori could not speak up. You see, he was a cousin to Yemisi's mum. Taboo!

Is this story fiction? We need to educate all and ensure access to at least JSS 3. That should be compulsory. The society, poverty and poor parenting got Yemisi pregnant. They are the fathers of children like Anu.

Published with permission from the Author, Ademola H Adigun.