Project 9ja Mag The Revolution. 1st Edition | Page 33

MELANCHOLY
MELANCHOLY
TEMITOPE KOMOLAFE
AGE 5
“Where’s Dada, Mama?”
Those large brown eyes stared into mine
Expectantly awaiting my reply
For a second I thought my heart stopped beating
She was my world and the reason I was still sane
Whatever I said that moment she’d never forget
Urging my quivering lips to become stable
I said in a whisper, “You’ll miss your bus Kam”
Fighting back a tear, I held those little hands to the bus
stop.
AGE 10
All through the week I work, 9 to 5 I’m on the run
Extra hours I beg for just to keep us aloft
My body aches all over
But as I snuggle under the duvets
In a squeaky voice she asks, “Where’s Dada, Mama?”
I let a tear drop, then two more
Muffling a yawn, I told her “I need some sleep Kam”
AGE 16
“Kam’s been acting wild, we can’t keep her anymore”
I was broken to say the least
Those were the words of Ms. Greene the principal
The neighbors got a new gist
“Rehab will be best for Kam”- I heard everyday
However, with an emotionless expression she still
probed
“Where’s Dada, Mama?”
In tears, I asked “What’s going on Kam?”
AGE 18
“I’m so sorry Kim, I did the best I could”, Kam’s
attorney was saying
But I wasn’t really listening
The words of the judge boomeranged in my head
“To be executed by a firing squad”
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I felt my skin hairs rise, I had goose bumps all over
Kam did shoot three kids on Father’s day
She was caught on CCTV
But that was my little girl
I ran to the cop leading her away
They couldn’t take her from me or so I thought
Kam stared at me, her eyes void of emotion
And in an emotionless voice she asked
“Where’s Dada, Mama?”
My knees gave way
I lost balance and fell
My sanity was gone
Kammmm
I have answers now my baby girl:
“He hurt us so much, he shattered my life and I’m so
sorry you ever had to be a part of it. He’s a painful
memory I’d give anything to totally forget. You have
his genes but without the evil in it. He’s gone baby.
He’s gone from our lives and for that we should be
grateful”
But Kam was long gone
She never heard my answers
I lost my world, my other half
Those words haunt me daily
I see her lips everywhere, asking me that one question
“Where’s Dada, Mama?”