STOP "Minding your Business"

I never really knew Labake.

All I knew— or was told was that she was clumsy, cried a lot, and was easy to pick on.

As Daniel liked to call her, she was a wuss, Weak, little child. who wasn't qualified to be in a class with Hormonal high school students talk less of University freshers.

She always walked with her head low. her eyes were somehow always filled with tears, it was like she had tanks in there, and whenever I looked at her I felt infuriated.

I felt she was overreacting. Come on, maybe they were picking on her but it was all fun and jokes, right? Besides, if she had a problem with it, she would tell someone right?

For some reason though, her mannerisms felt familiar to me.

Haha.

The painful thing about mental health issues that you can never actually relate till it happens to you. I never knew why my parents moved us from Lagos to Ibadan. That day, Strolling back home, I ignored The tears in Labake's and "minded my business" as I headed back home.

The first thing I saw when I opened the door was the look of horror in my mother's eyes, my heart clenched, she looked at me with so much emotion and pain. My legs wobbled.

”mom, what happened—” She didn't need to answer though, not that she could.

The sight of blood all over my twin brother, specifically his arms, made my knees finally buckle.

“Your brother he—he was bullied my sweetheart and he couldn't take it anymore. He-he slit his wrists”

My heart pounded in my chest louder than I had ever heard. this was my twin brother we attended the same school. there was no way he could have gone through this and not told me. Right? Right?

Suddenly, I remember Labake —The way she would cry when picked on, the way she would scratch on her nails, the longing in her eyes.

       My parents weren't the best parents in the world, but they made sure we are happy and comfortable. Some comforts can't be bought with luxury though

“This was why we moved wasn't it mama?”, I asked in a shaky tone. “why did nobody tell me?” Of course I was annoyed. of course. now it was my problem. now it had happened to me. in my household.

       Now, it all made sense. The reason it felt so familiar. the way my twin brother, Tobi, would always scratch his nails, just like she did. the way his eyes always filled with tears, just like hers did.

    Could it be, that this was the same fate I had been pushing Labake to? Could I be the reason that someone would put a blade to their skin? Now, that it had happened to me, what was the difference between me and the person who drove my brother to this too?

Now that it was me, it wasn't just fun and games.

Now that it was me, it was my business.

Now that it was me, I had to relate.

Truth is, You are all me. every single one of you. Because you only relate when it is too late. when sorry is the only form of comfort you can offer.

The next day, I had to go to school because of exams, When I saw Labake with tears, rolling down her cheeks. I couldn't laugh at her or make jokes.

Because tears were rolling down mine too.

#fiction