My father travels from one state to another for work, he works with a building construction company and he is into furniture-making.
Whenever he comes back from work he plays with us (his children), cooks for us and we all go out together.
I always knew my father to be a loving and caring person apart from the fact that when he is angry and he wants to beat, he doesn't beat a child like a child but like an adult. I can recall once in 2011 when I and my siblings were home alone, it was a Saturday mum had not returned from work (She works for a Poly Producing company) and some weekends she works overtime (i.e if she leaves for work on Friday by 7:00 a.m. she will return by 7:00 p.m. on Saturday) it was one of those weekends.
Dad was around but hel stepped out to get something at the nearest junction, my little siblings (the twins) went out to play and My big sis knowing that Dad won't be happy to meet them playing outside because the compound does not have an entrance gate which isn't really secured for the children.
One of the twins refused coming into the house to continue his play and was forced in by my big sister, he cried and cried when it was as if the cry was enough big sis decided to pet him, but Oh no! it's only made him increase his voice louder as if the first wasn't loud enough and then big sis ignored him 'Let him cry to his satisfaction' she said.
Unknown to us, Dad was on his way back from where he went to get something when he heard my little brother crying from a far-off so he hurried to the house to find out why he was crying so seriously, that was when he heard when big Sis. said 'Let him cry to his satisfaction' (that was the beginning of the problem).
His next action is what's baffling me till now. Dad angrily told all of us (children) to get inside the house, he locked the door and flogged the hell out of us with his long whip.
He used the whip on us mercilessly, I was fortunate enough to receive only a touch of it cause I was kind of calculating the way he was beating that when it got to my turn I would run to hide behind another person while I was still calculating how to unlock the door and escape.
I luckily managed to unlock the door and I ran out as fast and far as I could. When I was tired of running, I stopped, turned back and I was surprised to see the rest of my siblings with me.
None of us went into the house until mom returned from work, we narrated the whole episode to her and showed her the scars on our bodies. The scars were more on my older sister's body and she fell sick (I think dad centered the beating on her).
Dad travelled back to work on Monday, every other person went to school, mom didn't go to work cause big Sis was still sick, a week later with all the treatments that she has been given she wasn't recovering. An elderly woman from the Yoruba tribe advised that my Dad should come back and take care of the himself. My Dad came back and three days later she was fine.
Despite Dad's characters, I still love him and I still wonder WHY HE HAD TO BEAT HER THAT WAY.
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