NIYI'S AUTISM DIARY
(PART 2)
DISCLAIMER: Although this is based on a true story, certain elements and scenarios have been fictionalised. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The Olaitans, having ruled out the possibility of genetic causes from Niyi’s disorder, both agreed that there had to be a spiritual undertone to the situation; Niyi’s illness seemed mysterious and could not be put down to anything common or plausible; ‘‘people don’t just go mad without madness first being inherent in them, unless they had come under the influence of some evil forces’’, they thought. It didn’t help that they had started overhearing ‘the most unkind things’ people around them were saying about their son and his condition. Everyone seemed to have a better prognosis of Niyi’s situation and an idea of what Gbenga and his wife should have been doing for their son to get better. The Olaitans took all the negative remarks in their stride; they persevered through the blame game quite gallantly. What totally cranked up the situation for them and pushed them into a frenzy was the fact that even their relatives couldn’t do right by them. Gbenga’s mum had once remarked that she didn’t think Gbenga and Teni were doing nearly enough for her grandson; as far as she was concerned, they were being irresponsible by not seeking traditional or spiritual help.
Gbenga and Teni would not exactly call themselves devout believers in anything, but they believed in the supernatural; in the good and the diabolic, and they tried to be as moral as possible. As far as spirituality goes that was it, they never tried to pass themselves as anything more pious or religious than necessary, but for their son Niyi’s sake, they were going to make an effort.
And so Gbenga and Teni scoured through psychic homes, and tried traditional medicine. They wanted a remedy for Niyi’s ‘malady’, and they were going to get it at all cost – and cost them it did! The search for answers took a toll on the Olaitans’ finances, by the end of the first year, they were literally impoverished! Before this time, they were barely getting by, and now that they had to go from place to place, and pay for Niyi’s treatments, it became increasingly difficult for them to feed and cater to other basic needs. They were down to nothing, but there was no stopping now; the future seemed hinged on the resolution of this matter.