Adults are always right.

That's what they've made us to believe. All of them. And by them I mean, my parents and few elders in our community.

When something goes wrong at home or elsewhere, my siblings and I try to explain ourselves to our parents but they wouldn't listen. They never did.

They've made it seem like we are always wrong and don't have a say to anything concerning us. It hurts. It hurts even more that mother and father would rather listen to a stranger than listen to the words coming out of their kids mouth.

If they'd eventually listen, they'd say we're talking back at them and wouldn't hesitate to lash out on us or better still, cane us for only trying to explain our part of the story.

This went on for so long till an unfaithful day came. Father had sent Tomi, my younger sister, to buy him dried fish two streets away from our house. Father waited for her but she'd been gone for almost an hour. He was getting angry and so he went in search of her. It didn't take long, father came back home wearing a thick frown. Tomi wasn't with him and this got me and mother worried.

Mother insisted to know what the problem was and he told her. According to him, on his way to the fish seller's shop to find Tomi, he met Mrs. Wolo, his friend's wife. They got engaged in an interesting discussion which later led to the topic about Tomi. He had explained to Mrs. Wolo that he had sent Tomi but she hadn't returned. It was then Mrs. Wolo informed him that she was just coming from the fish sellers shop and she had seen Tomi kissing a boy there. Father got enraged. He felt it was better he came back home and wait for Tomi's return.

I didn't believe what Mrs. Wolo had told him because I knew Tomi wasn't like that. She was disciplined and wouldn't make out with a boy in public. I wanted to tell father this but I knew he wouldn't listen rather, he would shout at me and say I was making up excuses for my younger sister.

He picked an heavy stick from the ground and said, "She'll come home and receive my wrath."

Few minutes later, Tomi arrived with the hot dried fish he had sent her in a black nylon bag. She was smiling, unawares of what awaited her at home.

"Young lady, where are you coming from?" Father attacked her immediately.

"From the fish seller's shop," Tomi replied innocently.

"And what were you doing there that took you this long?" He inquired, waving the stick towards her.

"I was waiting for the fish to get properly dried. The fish seller told me to wait because-"

He didn't let her to complete her sentence as he hit her head with the stick, "Shut up, you liar!" He yelled, "Who did you kiss?"

Tomi had confusion written all over her face, "Kiss? I didn't kiss anybody oh. Father, you have to believe me." Her eyes were teary.

"Mrs. Wolo said she saw you kissing a boy. Who was it?" he insisted.

"Oh. Now I know what she was talking about. While waiting for the fish to get properly dried, I was discussing with Peter, my class boy. But we were only discussing oh. We didn't kiss." She tried to explain.

"Are you trying to say Mrs. Wolo is a liar? Are you trying to call an adult a liar? Is that how I trained you?" Father raged, "I sent you on an errand and instead of doing what I sent you, you went there to kiss a boy. So you want to turn into a prostitute, not so? I'll teach you a lesson today."

I couldn't save Tomi as daddy whipped her mercilessly. It was heartbreaking for I knew she was innocent. I cried bitterly as I watched my younger sister been beaten for something she didn't do.

It was a few days later, my father got confronted by the fish seller whom confirmed that Tomi had told him nothing but the truth. I knew Dad felt bad after learning about the truth but he couldn't undo what he had already done. My sisters body was severely wounded.

Father made up his mind that he wasn't going to listen to people anymore and he wasn't going to take actions until he got to know everything that truly happened.

Sadly, kids experience these out there. Parents should please listen to their children and also study them properly so you'd know what your kids are capable of doing and what not. I know my story wouldn't make a difference, but I really wish this would change.

But in the end, all I can do is wish.

©Love_Richie,
The storyteller.