"Get out of bed, it's time for school" I heard my mother shouting in my sleep. It was Monday morning and time for school. I always wake at 5:30am and readied myself for school by 7:30. I lazily rolled out of bed, stretched and yawned. "Do I have to go to school? I am so tired after being up all night studying for exam" I asked myself.
I hurriedly went to shower outside as we didn't have an inside bathroom. My mother had already made breakfast and ironed my uniform by the time I was finished. As I was about to leave the house, my mother's phone rang; "hello" she said. With a sight of panic on her face I knew instantly something wasn't right. "Who told you?, Was he ill?, What time did it happen" she asked, "okay I'll stop by after dropping Kaydian at school". She hung up the phone and beckoned to me that we needed to leave now, school was about to call and we had to walk hastily there.
By the time we reached the school gate it was 7:25am and all my friends were at the school gate waiting to go inside. I kissed my mother later and my friends and I walked inside together.
After school I later learnt that my grandfather had died, he fell ill in the night and had went to the hospital for treatment. The doctors said there was nothing to be done as he had stage four cancer that had already taken over all his organs. That month was a slumber one for my family.
Grandpa Alfred was buried under the East Indian Mango tree at his yard, as that was his favorite spot to rest everyday.
It was already summer and mommy decided to send me in the town to stay with my father's sister who would be my aunt. It would have been my second time meeting her and her twin daughters, namely Hyacinth and Gretel. I was the youngest of all.
One night while sleeping I heard a great commotion outside. I hurriedly jumped up and as I was about to look through the window; Gretel pulled me and said "No, are you crazy?, they stabbed and killed someone outside there."
I was extremely scared and asked that they send me back to my mother as we didn't have incidents of said nature where I'm from.
Police sirens were heard in the distance and I could not sleep for the remainder of the night, so I stayed up and read a book titled "Use your Imagination". My aunt came in the room to check on us and realized I wasn't asleep, she asked "what's wrong Kaydian? Why are you still up?". I explained to her that after all the commotion outside I was feeling rather scared, not being used to that environment just is not comfortable for me to sleep so I would rather stay up and read. She said "okay" and assured me that she was right next door, she told me all would be well and if anything should happen, I should go on the floor. This further heightened the sense of fear that I was feeling. She went to her bed and I continued reading.
I woke 8:30am in the morning and asked Aunt Merle if she could please send me back home.
She put me on the 12:00noon bus heading back to the country side.
I told my mother of the happenings while visiting Aunt Merle, and begged her never to send me back, because I do not enjoy being there. I would rather be in the country where I was able to sleep peaceful at nights, the loudest noises are that of toads or crickets. I was able to walk freely on the road way without being in fear of shootings starting just about any second and getting hurt. Quarrels were settled and dealt with on spot and not end in one person dead and the next person on the run from the law.
I love being a country girl.
