I was in heaven. I was in the care of my creator. He showered me with all his love and attention but over time, I had to start my journey to the world. I had to choose a family.
My creator showed me a lot of families to pick from. They all wanted a child.
The first couple were not married and were practising extramarital affairs. I refused to be their child. I refused to be regarded by the world as a bastard.
The second couple had a lovely home. They already had two children. I loved the family because I thought they would shower me with love and I would not be lonely. I would have siblings to play with but then I saw how they scolded one of their children and praised the other. It happened that they preferred one. I refused to join such a family. I feared being treated as they were treating their other child.
The third couple was newly wedded and their marriage was the talk of the town. They were rich and deeply in love but they seemed not to be hasty about having a child because they just married. They wanted a child though. I wanted to be with them for they were peaceful and everyone loved them. Just as I was about to choose them, I heard the sobs of a woman.
The woman sobbing was barren. She had been married for ten years yet she had no child and her husband was considerate. He loved her dearly. I saw the wife cry on her husband's shoulder and I was moved. I felt that no family deserved me more than that one so I chose them.
My birth brought laughter to their faces and I was content. They were so glad and they took great care of me.
After a few years, they forgot their barrenness. They forgot how hard they looked for a child. They were engulfed in their businesses. They were not rich yet they were hard-working. They let their work come first. The two left home early, leaving me with my younger one. They provided for our needs when they had them. All they kept saying was that they were struggling so that we could have a better tomorrow.
It was then that I realized that humans forget their sorrows quickly. They use the opportunity as they deem fit.
I was not intelligent at school but my younger one was. It was as if I was happy about it. They made coping with life worse for me. They praised my younger one and lambasted me every time they got the opportunity. I felt I made the biggest mistake.
I was fed up with the way I was maltreated and I turned to my creator.
“I am fed up.”
He heard my cry and comforted me. I moved on but the pain got worse. My younger one won a scholarship and I failed my external examinations. My neighbors and mates taunted me. I sought solace in my parents but it was like throwing fuel on a burning fire.
My parents made things worse. They had forgotten how I had wiped their tears. They could not introduce me to their friends for I was not intelligent and as successful as my mates. While they attended feasts with my younger one, they left me behind.
I became completely fed up and turned to my creator.
“Send me back to you.”
He granted me the request and I died in my sleep. After I was gone, I saw my parents cry bitterly. Although they treated me so badly, they wanted me to stay with them. To me, they were so selfish.
A month later, my younger one died after falling off the school's flight of stairs at his convocation ceremony. I was shocked. I saw my parents cry in deep sorrow. They were barren again.
I ran to my maker.
“Why did you take my younger one away too?”
“We had a deal before your younger one went to join you in the world. Your younger one told me that he wanted to die this day if your parents hurt any of you but if they did not, your younger one wanted to live till old age with you. Since they hurt you so much, I kept to my promise.”
My heart sank.
“Will they ever get another child?”
“No. The woman has reached her menopause already and the man cannot produce a child either.”
I pitied them. I wished I had left them a child before dying but I did not and that was the end of everything.
They lived the rest of their lives that way - without a descendant.
💕 I wrote this short story after watching a short play on Facebook and of course, I changed the plot and the central idea of tIe story.
I wrote this, aiming at parents who deal with their children with partiality, especially when one of their children is not as good as they want.💕
© Imole Olusanya