“She cannot manage the company she is a woman”, Mr Ayo snapped at his wife over breakfast one morning. She tried to make him see reasons with her idea of their daughter being equally as competent as their son. It wasn’t working.
Over hearing their argument, Jennifer the only daughter of business Tycoon Mr Ayobamidele took time befoe walking in. She was light-skinned, taking after her mother skin tone, with a perfect curvy body standing ontwo fine straight legs. She was just about 5.9 feet tall.
With a jawline that was well structured, giving life to her cheek bones which made her look more beautiful when she smiled, and a physique that was very admirable to look upon, she was just a miracle in beauty.
They pretend to stop on seeing her. She greeted them while drawing out a chair for herself to sit down. Reaching for the almost mirror-like little china-kettle in silence, which held hot water that would make her tea.
Mrs Ayo who was quite aged but had all the right resources that made her appear a decade younger. Cutting the silence she asked “where is Jerry”? I haven’t seen him since noon yesterday”
“A lie would just have to suffice, coming clean with the truth was not an option” Jennifer thought
The person they pictured her brother as, was far from the person he was. Jerry had gone for a birthday party in another state and wouldn’t be coming back till next week.
He was tall and slightly broad chested, with a bronzed skin tone that spelt a little from their parents. He was fully aware of his looks, which caused him to walk around with a little aura of pride.
There was so much hopes and plans Mr. Ayo had for him, that she didn’t even want to dash any of them by telling them the truth.
She replied “he travelled on a business trip he’ll be back by next week”. Sipping on her tea while she slightly eyed her parents to see if they took the bait.
Nodding with a smile Mr Ayo said “he’s becoming the man I hoped he would be”.
“Only if he knew, jerry was exactly the opposite” Jennifer thought to herself.
“What will I ever do without you, you’re the best” jerry said hugging his sister, after narrating how she covered for him. She managed to carry his weight because she was tired, having gone for weekend shopping with her mother, buying things the family needed for the month, so they won’t be going down there anytime soon.
“You owe me” Jennifer said, “I owe you” he repeated.
Standing up to leave for his room. His dad walked in, saying “you decided you have a family other than Business”. Jerry smiled as he hugged his dad, “a man has got to do what a man has to do” Jennifer smiled a bit covering the sick feeling she felt inside.
Strolling in one afternoon from work, Jennifer found her favourite chair, a two way winged cushion that could take three adults. She sat down, folding her legs into the cushion in a bid to lay her head.
“I’m sick of all the attention going to my brother”, she murmured, being left with whatever crumbs that was left like she had no usefulness and purpose.
Images flashed through her mind recalling countless times she had helped her brother with the companies workloads, business revenue and ideas.
“He was a block head no offence” she thought to herself, she was practically the brain behind all of his success but only the two of them knew this. For her his happiness was also hers.
“I had to come a bit late because my car broke down”, Jennifer explained apologizing as she came in for a board meeting which everyone had been waiting for her.
Everyone didn’t understand why the meeting could not go on without her, she wondered the same but remembered that jerry couldn’t handle the company without her. The meeting was soon over but her father had taken note of something.
She was competent, enough if not more than her brother, but he didn’t really accept that she was. He secretly told himself that she had properly done her home-work extra, which was why she came a bit late. He was in denial.
Jerry was going to be representing the company in a conference, but he almost made a scene because their father had refused his sister going with him. He was so raged about the whole situation that he didn’t known when he yelled
“I can’t do anything without her, she’s the brain behind everything”
They were all in shock at his outburst, that was when Jerry broke down, narrating how Jennifer had been the one always doing the company’s revenue, and business ventures, she just properly rehearsed it with him before he would come out openly to talk about it.
Jennifer was in shock, she wasn’t expecting him to come clean about her help, but she was a bit grateful that he could admit it out loud. Although she felt quite sad that her father didn’t acknowledge much to her because she was a woman.
NO LIMITS
Regardless of whatever situation or happening you find yourself in always know this you are enough. There’s no limit to your greatness but that which you choose to limit yourself with. You must understand that there’s too much beauty to unfold inside of you. You are you own miracle.
Blossom Obi writes from Owerri, Imo State. For comments and responses, reach her via obiblossom8@gmail.com
