𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝙽𝚒𝚗𝚎
It's going to be Nnenna's POV onwards, as I decided that she'll be the only main character.
Other POV(s) shall be indicated when the need for it arises.
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NNENNA'S POV
My stomach rumbled loudly— I badly needed to use the toilet this minute. This was only a consequence of all the food I have been consuming for the past three days since I came home. I missed mother's cooking so much that I ate without caution, now my stomach was making sure I paid for that mishap.
This would be the fourth time I was using the toilet in less than five hours. My stomach was light and empty already.
Tochi and Stephanie went to school today. Both were in the last days of their academic sessions—the last week before revision week that will herald their examinations. I had just a week and three days to stay at home until classes began for the new semester. I was already missing the hostel including Helen and her troubles, I could hardly wait for lectures to start but I wanted to continue enjoying the lecture-free days and mom's food. Besides, I had two new books I bought that were keeping me company.
I started reading One Day With Him the next day after my return, only five chapters were left before I completed the book. I have not had the chance to read it at a stretch, so I had to read in-between my free time in the days and at night before I nodded off. So far, I enjoyed the chapters I have read.
Just when I was about to conclude the laundry for today, Gold walked up to me.
“Hi,” she said.
I acknowledged her greeting with a smile, “How far?” I asked.
“I'm good. You can see for yourself how much WAEC is stressing us,” she stated.
“Hmm... Has WAEC started?”
She stared at me in disbelief, “Are you sure you're in this country? Oh! I forgot sef, you're now in the higher institution so whatever happening besides that is not your business” she remarked.
I scoffed at her statement and rolled my eyes at her.
“Why...are you jealous? Don't worry, study hard and write your exams so by the ending of this year you can join us” I told her.
Did she think University life was easier? Well, she was not to be blamed, I thought the same thing once until I got to experience it for myself.
She laughed at my comment, “My sister, I can't wait”
In my mind I was amused by her fantasy. I changed the water I was using to wash and disposed the dirty one.
“Let me help you,” she offered and started squeezing the water out of the clothes before hanging them on the clothesline.
“Thank you,” I told her after we were done. We trudged towards my house and I took the buckets inside while she waited outside.
I came out again with a plate containing four oranges, I did not like citrus flavours but I could manage a few oranges once in a long while.
“Care for an orange?”
“Okay, thank you” she took one and we sat down by the long bench provided just outside the building.
We exchanged a few stories of how different we were surviving the academic year. She talked about how hard it was to cope with her house chores and find time to study for her next examination. I felt bad for her but it was a period every student must pass through, at least for the ones who did chores.
Once it was five minutes to three O'clock, I started my journey to my siblings school. Since I was on break and not doing anything for the meantime, I offered to help mother pick Tochi and Stephanie from their school. I was also fully aware that they could find their way home but I needed the time away from the too quiet compound. Somehow, staying in the hostel has taught me to see life from a different perspective.
I was hardly the person who stayed at home alone all day and never bothered to set aside a few minutes to talk with others. When I was still a new tenant in the hostel, I hardly came outside the room except during the times I needed to wash and cook. Because of my introvert nature, a lot of people did not associate with me at first, they felt I was a snub and it continued like that until Helen talked to me. She advised that I try to come out of my shell at least once a while or I was going to miss out on the opportunity to know and make friends with good people.
Her advice was a bit hard to put into practice until she left the hostel to stay at a friend's place for one week. At a point, I saw reasons to mix up and tried getting along with my neighbours.
Slowly, I was enjoying interacting with people but just to a point. I was neither worried nor felt scared when I had to meet and talk to strangers, I simply sounded welcoming and tried to keep the conversation flowing for as long as I could.
As expected, I had to wait for my siblings until the closing formalities of their school was concluded and I detest having to wait which was why I took my sweet time slowly trekking from my house. However, to my dismay, the headmaster seemed to have a lot to tell them today and that took longer than I wanted.
The two of them were excited when they saw me.
Deep down I knew they missed the times we all used to be together and I stayed at home with them, I missed them a lot too. My family was my whole world. Now, I felt fulfilled hearing them banter and exchange words with each other unlike the past times when I got pissed.
“Sister! Sister!” Tochi was chanting my name from the sitting room while I was preparing dinner in the kitchen.
“What is it?!” I shouted back.
It always annoyed me whenever he screamed for attention.
“Someone is looking for you,” he related.
“I'm coming,” I said to him because I knew that failure to reply meant he was going to scream again.
I dried my hands with a small towel then decided to go and check who would want to see me by this time of the night. It was no secret to me that my friends do not know my house address. David was the only person who came to mind although he has no reason to come see me especially at this time.
Still skeptical about who the visitor was, I smoothed my hair back with my hands and rubbed my lips together. I had no idea why I did that but just in case my suspicion was accurate.
I peeped through the tiny hole first and was disappointed to see Mama Tunde. Nevertheless, I had to know why she was at the door.
“Good evening, ma” I greeted when I opened the door.
“Good evening my daughter, how are you?” she said.
“I'm fine ma. What can I do for you?” I said after seconds of heavy silence.
“Are your siblings awake?” she polled.
“Yes,” I was feeling uneasy with the questions. I just wanted her to hit the nail on the head.
“Okay. Since you're already making dinner, I wanted to see if you people wanted to join us for dinner tonight as your mom told me that she would not be coming home tonight?”
I was perplexed. How come mom did not tell me that piece of information?
“Why?” I asked.
“She went somewhere to take care of something, I saw her earlier in the day and this was what she said to me. She said her phone was off and may not be able to get the information to you in time, that's why you have to take care of the house tonight and see to it that your siblings are ready for school tomorrow. You can do that, can't you?” she informed.
“Uh, yes. It's not a problem,” I stated but their was a strange feeling crawling at the pit of my stomach.
This was the first time mother had stayed away from the house and I worried that something was wrong.
“No problems, just come over to my place tomorrow after you drop your siblings at their school” she instructed.
“Okay ma, thank you”
“Goodnight my dear,” she said then walked out of the door.
I closed the door with shaky hands. I was tensed and nervous. My palms became sweaty as many horrible thoughts crossed my mind about what might have happened. I gasped and shook the dark thoughts out of my mind while trying to control my emotions. Tochi and Stephanie should not see me in this way.
After they retired to sleep, I washed their food flasks and drinking bottles so they would use them tomorrow. There was still electricity power and I used it to our advantage by ironing our clothes.
I could not read before going to sleep because my mind was not at peace, I decided to pray instead. It was one of the things that has never failed me.
I knelt down besides the couch and began medidating silently for my peace to be restored. When I opened my eyes again, it was past 12 am.
I must have nodded off while praying. There was no point in going to the room to disturb my siblings, I crashed on the couch instead.
The next morning as soon as I came back from school run, I went to see Mama Tunde as she instructed.
“She's having her bathe, you'll have to wait” Anita, their house help said to me.
“Okay, let me go and eat first,” I informed her.
I headed to the house to eat my share of the jollof spaghetti I prepared for Tochi and Steph to take to school. Mother's share was in the pot, she would have hers when she returned.
After talking with Helen on video call, I summoned the courage to go back to Mama Tunde's house. What could possibly be the worst thing she has to tell me?
“Welcome dear, please have a seat,” she said.
“Thanks,”
She continued struggling with the dreamcatcher she was trying to tie around her left wrist. She was putting on a very attractive pink and blue-flowered buba with a silver pendant on her neck. She looked like a new bride.
“My dear, I know you must be worried so I'll just go straight to the point... I did not tell you the truth last night because I felt you might not take it well and it might affect your siblings,”
I wanted to ask her what it was she was keeping from me but I feared that my voice would come out wrongly.
“Your mother did not come home last night because she was admitted in the hospital,”
“Why... Which hospital?” I eventually found my voice but it sounded strange.
It sounded defeated.
Heavens why did this happen?
★★★
Thank you for reading.
Between sudden death and slow death which one do you feel hurts more?
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