A Happy and United family
Chapter One
A Happy and United Family
The city of Abeokuta wore a beautiful glow that evening. Christmas was only a few hours away, and joy danced freely through the streets like music carried by harmattan wind.
Inside the spacious home of Mr. and Mrs. Toyin, laughter echoed from every corner of the compound.
It was the kind of house that immediately told visitors that peace lived there.
Relatives from different parts of Nigeria and abroad had arrived earlier in the day. Children chased one another around the compound, their tiny feet racing across the tiled floors while older cousins gossiped near the swimming pool.From the kitchen came the rich aroma of fried meat, jollof rice, and spices powerful enough to wake a sleeping stomach.
Mr. Toyin sat outside in the courtyard alongside the other men, enjoying bottles of wine as they shared stories about work, marriage, and life abroad.
At fifty-two, Mr. Toyin was a respected medical doctor who had climbed the ladder of success to become the Chief Medical Director of a government hospital in Abeokuta.
His wife, Mrs. Toyin, was equally hardworking. She owned three supermarkets scattered across town and was widely admired for her business sense.
They were not among the richest families in the city, but in the Nigeria of the 1990s, families like theirs were comfortably respected as middle class. To poorer families around them, they looked wealthy enough to belong among the elites.Together, they had five children.
Anita, the first daughter, was intelligent and graceful. Ibukun, the second child, was lively and outspoken. Segun, the only senior son, carried himself with unusual confidence for his age. Then came Bimbo — quiet, observant, and soft-hearted. The youngest, Ife, was still playful enough to cry whenever someone collected a toy from him.
“Fred, Washington has changed you o!” Mr. Toyin laughed loudly, pointing at his friend sitting opposite him. “Look at your skin and your fine clothes. I can see your wife’s care and America all over you.”
The men burst into laughter.
Fred adjusted himself proudly in his seat before replying, “My brother, life abroad is not easy o. My wife and I barely see each other because of work shifts. Sometimes I’m just entering the house while she’s rushing out.”
“Hmmm…” the men murmured sympathetically.
“For almost two years now,” Fred continued, shaking his head, “that has been our daily routine.”
Mr. Ireti leaned forward thoughtfully.
“Has your wife considered changing her job schedule?”
“She has,” Fred replied, “but the jobs with flexible shifts pay far less than what she currently earns.”
“Ahh… I understand,” Mr. Ireti said.
Mr. Joe, who had remained quiet while sipping his drink, smiled gently.
“I thank God for my wife’s remote job in Canada. At least she has enough time for the children.”
Mr. Toyin stretched and yawned.
“In everything,” he announced loudly, A gbọ́ ọ̀rọ̀ burúkú nípa ara wa. “we thank God for life and progress. May evil never come near us, our wives or our children.”
“Amen!” the men chorused immediately.
Near the swimming pool, Anita laughed alongside her cousins when Mr. Ireti called her over.
“Omo Anita!” he shouted playfully. “You have grown taller than me!”
The men laughed again.
“The young shall grow,” one of them said.
“And they shall grow well,” Mr. Ireti added proudly.
Anita approached respectfully and knelt down.
“Good evening, sir.”
“My daughter, good evening,” he replied warmly. “Please help me tell your mother that I am hungry already. What is delaying the food?”
Fred laughed loudly.
“Mr. Food! You and your stomach are five and six!”
“After God na food!” Mr. Ireti replied confidently, causing another round of laughter.
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At the Dining Table
Not long after, everyone gathered around the large dining table.
The table looked like a Christmas feast prepared for royalty. Plates of rice, assorted meats, fruits, and chilled drinks filled every available space.
Mr. Joe prayed briefly over the meal, and moments later the dining room became almost silent except for the sound of spoons and forks touching plates.
The children sat separately in the sitting room, eating while watching television and singing along to Feliz Navidad with innocent excitement.
“This food is wonderful,” Mr. Ireti announced after swallowing a large spoon of rice. “You women truly outdid yourselves tonight.”
The women smiled proudly.
Mr. Joe nodded in agreement. “Honestly, our wives deserve awards.”
Mrs. Toyin’s face glowed with satisfaction.
Conversation soon shifted toward the children and their education.
“Where is Enoch?” Mr. Toyin asked Fred and his wife.
“He traveled for a winter excursion with his school,” Mrs. Fred replied. “The boy just entered college this year.”
“Oh, wonderful,” Mrs. Toyin said excitedly. “Our Anita also gained admission into the University of Ibadan to study Medicine.”
“Ahh!” Mr. Joe clapped once. “Another doctor in the family. She’s following her father’s footsteps.”
Everyone laughed happily.
Mrs. Toyin continued proudly, “Ibukun is preparing for her final secondary school examinations, and Bimbo just moved into senior secondary school with five A’s in her Junior WAEC.”
“Very impressive,” someone said.
“And Segun,” she continued, “has already decided he wants to become a surgeon.”
Mr. Fred chuckled.
“I hope the boy knows Mathematics must become his best friend first.”
“He already knows,” Mr. Toyin replied proudly. “Segun recently won a Mathematics competition among secondary schools in Abeokuta and earned himself a scholarship.”
Some family members clapped in admiration.
“Brilliant boy,” Fred said. “Like father, like son.”
Mrs. Toyin smiled deeply.
She loved moments like this — moments where she could proudly speak about her children’s achievements.
To her, their success was proof that she was raising them well. But motherhood was more than good grades and academic excellence.
True parenting stretched beyond school reports. It reached into discipline, emotional growth, moral values, and truly understanding the hearts of one’s children.
As the night continued, other parents began sharing funny and strange experiences they had encountered while raising children abroad.
Mr. Joe shook his head dramatically before speaking. “My twenty-year-old son once called the police on me because I seized his PlayStation after he refused to attend school for three days.”
“What?” several voices exclaimed together.
“The police actually came to my house,” he continued. “It was my wife who later explained everything before they released me.”
The table exploded with laughter.
“I still sent him out of the house afterwards,” Mr. Joe added firmly.
“Abroad parenting no easy at all,” Mrs. Ireti sighed. “Those countries don’t allow enough discipline because of all these police matters.”
“My sister, na true,” Fred agreed immediately. “Over there, you cannot even slap nonsense out of some children again.”
Mrs. Toyin smiled softly.
“I believe he will eventually learn.”
“Yes,” Mrs. Joe added. “Children change with time.”
As the evening gradually came to an end, tiredness settled gently over the house.k
“Merry Christmas in advance!” Mr. Ireti announced cheerfully.
“Merry Christmas!” everyone replied together.
Soon, the children were sent to bed while the chefs and househelps cleared the dining area.
One after another, the lights in the mansion went off until silence finally covered the house.
But only for a few hours.
Because before sunrise, the sound of the village rooster echoed through the compound once again.
The rooster crowed loudly into the early morning air.
One after another, the women in the house slowly woke from sleep. Mrs. Toyin wrapped her wrapper firmly around her waist before quietly stepping into the sitting room with the other women.
The Christmas tree stood beautifully in the center of the room, waiting to be decorated.
Soft whispers and occasional laughter filled the house as they carefully arranged colorful ornaments around the tree. Wrapped gift boxes carrying different names were placed neatly beneath it, while sweets and ribbons hung from the branches.
By exactly 8 a.m., the once silent house had transformed again into a joyful celebration.
Children rushed out of their rooms smiling excitedly.
“Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!”
Warm hugs and cheerful greetings echoed around the house.
From the kitchen came the irresistible aroma of fried chicken, jollof rice, turkey, and spices blending beautifully together.
Mrs. Joe supervised the cooking alongside two chefs, while Mrs. Ireti, Mrs. Toyin, Mrs. Fred, and Anita focused on decorating the sitting room.
Christmas music played softly in the background.
“Keresimesi ti de… odun olowo…”
The atmosphere carried a special kind of happiness that only Christmas mornings could bring.
Soon, the children were asked to line up quietly beside the Christmas tree.
Excitement danced all over their faces.
One after another, they picked the gifts that carried their names.
Joy exploded across the room as wrappers tore open.
Some children screamed in excitement while others jumped around proudly showing off their presents.
Inside the boxes were beautiful clothes, Barbie dolls, story books, school bags, PlayStations, and the latest Nokia phones.
Bimbo received a shiny bracelet, a matching necklace, and a pair of beautiful Nike shoes.
Her eyes sparkled immediately.
“Thank you mummy!” she shouted happily before hugging Mrs. Toyin tightly.
Mrs. Toyin smiled warmly and kissed her forehead.
“Go and prepare for the outing now before we leave you behind,” she teased.
Almost immediately, the entire house became busy again.
Children hurried into bathrooms while adults prepared themselves for the day’s celebration.
An hour later, everyone looked completely transformed.
The children wore their newly bought Christmas outfits proudly.
Mr. and Mrs. Toyin appeared in matching guinea attire that gave them a royal presence.
Mr. and Mrs. Ireti wore colorful Ankara outfits carefully tailored for the occasion.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred appeared in elegant English wear, while Mr. and Mrs. Joe stepped out beautifully dressed in lace materials.
Outside the compound, the cars waited patiently.
Mr. Toyin owned a Peugeot 504 and a Peugeot 505.
Mr. Fred drove a Volkswagen Beetle.
Mr. Joe arrived with his Volvo 240, while Mr. Ireti came with his Volvo 244.
One after another, engines roared to life.
Children waved excitedly from windows while Christmas music played softly from one of the cars. Soon, the convoy slowly moved out of the compound heading toward the June 12 Cultural Centre in Kuto, beside the MKO Abiola Stadium.
The roads were alive with celebration.
Different families dressed in colorful Christmas clothes filled the streets. Roadside sellers displayed fireworks, balloons, grilled meat, and drinks while churches blasted joyful Christmas songs from loudspeakers.
Inside the cars, laughter and conversation continued freely.
And among all the children laughing happily that morning, little Bimbo had no idea that life was slowly preparing her for a journey that would change her forever.
