MY ORDEAL✊✊
Episode 12.
I arrived at the market, and to my greatest surprise I saw the owner just sitting outside.
“What is this one again na? I asked myself as I drew close to her and greeted her..
“Dorothy, so you are not even opening the shop? Is this how you will pay my rent every month? She asked ignoring the greetings.
“But aunty I’m schooling na and I’m still ma-king my sales, I replied.
“You are still ma-king sales for how many hours will you stay here to sell? Will you sell this kobo kobo things and gather enough to feed yourself and pay my rent? My friend you better leave my shop let me put a serious person here o, she said.
I just ignored her and brou-ght out the money for the rent but she just laughed cl@pping her hands at me while I stood wondering what was ma-king her laugh.
“Aunty you don’t want the rent again? I asked her still stretching the money to her.
“I heard you are schooling in the best secondary school in this village ba? But this simple English I just manage to speak now didn’t clear you ba? I said get re-ady to leave the shop, I have someone serious to put here, someone i can be sure of my rent at the end of the month. After all your mother always complained that the rent is expensive and she owed me for 2 months, go elsewhere o I don’t want trouble at all, she said and I sighed and returned the money back to my bag.
“Its like you don’t want this money aunty, is it not the money she owed you I just showed you now and you rejected it, let me sell my things in peace plea-se, I said and opened up the gate ignoring whatever she was spilling out, to me it wasn’t important and she was only joking.
Just like yesterday Chinwe c@m£ by with my brothers,
“Where’s Benson? I asked her.
“Your b©yfri£nd? he has gone na, Chinwe replied me and I sm-irked.
“My b©yfri£nd? Is like you like that guy o, I saw the way you were looking at him yesterday but he’s just my friend, I said to her.
“You are not feeling fine, how was I looking at him yesterday? She asked me and I laughed.
“Eh eh Chinwe, I forgot to discuss this with you in school. I don’t think I will be going to school tomorrow, I said.
“Why? Chinwe asked.
“I nee-d to stock up, the sto-re is almost empty, I replied and she nodded looking inside the shop.
“Do you know the cost of everything and did you write them down? She asked and nodded.
“It entered exactly 30,000 naira and I’ll use the remaining one for transport and keep the rest for the shop rent.
“That’s 50,000 naira? That’s serious as if your mom knew what you will use it foe, Chinwe said.
“Yea I guess she kept that money for the same purpose. So plea-se I’ll be leaving my brothers in your care, I’ll drop them off in school before I hurry off, I said.
“No problem then, but plea-se make sure you cook o you know I can’t do that aspect, Chinwe said.
“Yea I will, thank you and plea-se in case Benson drops by help me tell him the Same thing. He doesn’t know about it, I said and she only smiled at me.
“But bring something for me o, she said.
“Sister me too, my brothers added and i only laughed…………..
I arrived home in the evening with my brothers and I was too tired to go out, despite I remembered I was to check on my mom. But then I remembered Mabel was there, I decided to rest my head for my journey tomorrow.
The next day I took my brothers to school and met my uncle on my way back home.
I just greeted him and prayed in my heart he shouldn’t stir up any annoying talk,
“Aren’t you going to school today? He asked when he saw I was not on my uniform.
“I won’t be going today, I nee-d to stock the shop up, I replied him.
“You mean to stock up the shop in the market? He asked and I nodded.
“Hmmmm that’s good, he said and left saying nothing else and I left too wondering why his talk was that brief today.
I got home, took my bag and locked the door knowing I gave Edward a spare key in case Benson or Chinwe picks them up from school.
It wasn’t difficult to get what i wanted because I do follow my mom there sometimes to purchase all of it.
They got to know my mom was no more and they shared their condolences with me and sold most of the things cheap for me.
I was happy with that and decided to upgrade the shop more with the money that was left in my hand, I bought different sachet beverages and quic-kly headed back home with my fellow traders.
I arrived the market in the afternoon and offloaded all what I bought to the shop.
I didn’t rush in selling anything as I was busy arranging the shop and seeing everything was in order.
Then I noticed my monthly visitor arrived, I just hissed knowing i didn’t carry anything to hold myself and the abdominal pains I was feeling was more than extra.
I angrily locked the shop and headed back home to attend to myself.
I saw my brothers and Chinwe in the sitting room, the shout of my brothers when they saw me made the slee-ping Chinwe to wake up.
“Sorry they woke you up, i said to her.
“Its okay, you’re back? She asked.
“Yes o, and everything is inn the shop, i even got extra, i replied.
“Like what? She asked.
“Sachet beverages, i replied.
“Sister what about sweets, biscuits and noodles? Samuel Asked.
“No i didn’t get that, because I know you’ll personally finish it, I replied him.
“No nau sister, Samuel said drawing my hand.
“Sam plea-se st©p I’m tired. Check in the bag you’ll see biscuits take it with your brother, I said and gave Chinwe the meat pie I bought for her as i was coming back.
“Awnnn thank you baby, you’re a sweetheart, Chinwe happily said and i just f0rç£d a smile and left to my room.
Chinwe noticed it and met me in the room,
“What’s up with you? Why your face this way? She asked.
“Nothing, its just our visitor, I replied and she hissed.
“I thought it was something important, just take your bath, eat and rest you’ll be fine. Is it not you that wanted to be a girl? She asked and I just smiled.
“Are you not a girl too? And where’s Benson? He didn’t come today? I asked.
“Ermmm good news is Benson did, but the bad news is he travelled, she replied and i sat up seriously looking at her.
“He did what? I asked.
“Hey calm down, to him he said His uncle just s£nt for him to come to the city immediately. He couldn’t resist it and he waited to see you in the afternoon so he can tell you, but i told him your own p@rt of the story. But don’t worry too much, he said he will be back soon, Chinwe replied and I nodded.
“Hiannnn I thought you said he was only a friend, or is there more? Chinwe asked looking at me very seriously.
“Chinwe he’s a friend and good one, truth is i will miss him, i replied her and Chinwe frowned.
“So what about me? Is okay na because I’m not a guy na? No problem suffer your cramps alone nons-en-se girl, Chinwe said throwing my pillow on me and left the room………….
MY ORDEAL✊✊
Episode 13.
Even though I just bec@m£ friends with Benson just recently, I couldn’t help myself because I kept missing him.
Days has pas-sed alre-ady and its the eve of my mother burial, I saw when a taxi pas-sed with a coffin going to the path of my uncle, and I knew that will be my mom own.
There was no arrangements of vigil night whatever and I looked around and saw no grave was dug in the compound for her to be buried.
“What’s going on? And where exactly are this people planning to bury my mother? I asked myself and decided to go to my uncle house.
Just as I thought, I saw the taxi which carried the coffin in his compound when I walked in and met him discussing with the driver I presume.
I just greeted them which the driver replied me and my uncle ignored and continued with the discussion he was having with him.
I just left them where they stood and sat down somewhere waiting for them. Soon the driver got into his taxi and drove off and I stood up and met with my uncle,
“What is it? He asked.
“Uncle I want to know where my mother will be buried, the grave is not dug yet, I replied and he looked at me, then looked at the sky shaking his head.
“Chai Manfred you have suffered, he said and looked at me again.
“Uncle is that a bad question? The burial is tomorrow and I’m not wrong to ask na, I said.
“Your mother can be buried anywhere, and why are you asking me this? Because she’s my late brother wife does it mean I should kill myself? He asked.
“Uncle I don’t un-derstand the p@rt of anywhere, you mean she wont be buried in my father compound beside her husband? Then where are you planning to dump her this time around? I asked.
“Thun-der slice that dirty mouth of yours into pieces you fool, which father compound? Common get out of my house before i feed you with the sands here, get out! My uncle shouted so fiercely and pushed me down..
“Uncle what have we ever done to you? plea-se tell me where my mother will be buried, don’t I have the right to know? I asked getting up.
“What right do you have to know and what amount did you put to support in this? Do you know much I bought that coffin over there that you’re talking trash, and you’re here talking about right, my uncle said and I sniffed looking at him not knowing what else to say.
“Let me not come out and see you here o, just imagine the nons-en-se, my uncle said and got in.
I just cleaned my nose and stood so confused in my whole life, my world was so chattered and I didn’t know where else to go.
It was alre-ady past 5pm and I left the market with Chinwe and my brothers to prepare dinner for the kids.
Chinwe offered to bring them back home and it was on my way home I saw the taxi and quic-kly remembered that there’s no work in the compound like a grave is going to be dug.
I saw myself going to where my mother was dumped and I got another surprise; Mabel was no longer there.
At least I saw her yesterday when I c@m£ and she never mentioned that she will be leaving.
Probably she got scared anyone can bash in there because its the eve of my mother burial that’s why she left.
But that was not my problem anyway, I gently opened the fallen door and went close to my mom. I saw few flies gathering around her legs and I drove them off and saw my mom b©dy really nee-d to be checked on,
“but who will? I asked myself and sniffed covering the mat properly on her legs.
“Mommy I don’t know what to say to you now, but it was a very big mistake for you to give up now. Can you see what’s going on? I don’t even know where you’ll be buried, you’ll be dumped again in a lonely place where you wont get to hear your children voice anymore. Mom I which I can fight for you, but what can I do? You shouldn’t have left us no you shouldn’t have! I cried sitting down on the ground there facing her.
My heart was so heavy that I la-id down on the cold floor there determined to keep a vigil for my mother………
I heard the ch!pping of the birds and the day was breaking, I still la-id there with my heavy eyes and with this sad thought of I won’t see my mom anymore after today.
The thought of that made me cry again and I heard voices,
“Who can that be this early? I asked myself and c@m£ out to see my uncle, a native doctor and few men there in the village I recognized.
They were so surprised to see me and I didn’t bother to greet them either as I was also wondering what they want here this very early in the morning,
“Dorothy what are you doing here? My uncle asked me.
“I sle-pt here with my mother, and what are you all doing here this early? I asked back..
“Is today not your mother burial? One of the men asked me back.
“Yes, and should you all be here this early? And besides what’s a native doctor doing here with a chicken? I asked.
“Bia if you don’t know anything just keep your mouth shut, are some things not too big for you! My uncle c@m£ in.
“But she is my mother and i nee-d to know what you want to do on her, I said.
“Who is struggling a dead person with you? Your mother nee-d to be sanctified before she gets into the coffin and if we don’t do it now when will we do it? Instead of you to go help out there in the compound you are here doing ru-bbish, my uncle said.
“What is going on in the compound? I asked.
“Don’t waste my time here asking me nons-en-se, go see for yourself, my uncle replied and they all walked away from me while I stood there looking at them for a while and slowly left.
On My way going home i knew Chinwe and my brothers will be so worried i didn’t come back home yesterday.
At a point I got scared wondering if Chinwe left my brothers all alone last night, but I waved it off and prayed they should be alright even if she did.
I got into the compound and saw nothing and I shook my head knowing my uncle just said that to make me curious.
I knocked on the door twice and tried the handle and saw it was locked,
“Dorothy? I heard Chinwe voice inside and I was so happy.
“Chinwe its me, I replied.
“Oh my God! She exclaimed inside and quic-kly opened up for me.
“Where did you go to? You got us very scared and your brothers were awake all night because of you, Chinwe said and i only nodded and sat down closing my eyes.
“Tell me nau Dora where did you go? Chinwe asked sitting beside me after locking the door after i walked in.
“I… I eemmm…. I sle-pt with my mom today, I thought I should do a vigil for her. I wanted her to feel my pres£nce for the last time before she get covered In few hours time, I replied and Chinwe shook her head and hvgged me.
“Its okay friend, its okay, Chinwe kept saying while i just closed my eyes ti-ght.
“Thank you so much for being with them, you’re such a good Friend, I said.
“Its nothing, I simply told my aunt I will sleep over at your place to help you during the burial today. But wait, how is the burial going to be? No canopy, no food, no drinks and no grave, Chinwe said and i just covered my face on my palms..
My head was beating so fast and I got up while Chinwe weakly looked at me,
“Girlfriend you know what you’ll do for me now? Just take your bath and settle down to sleep. Its past 5a.m at least rest your head before you’ll break down plea-se, Chinwe said getting up and i nodded.
“Thank you, I said.
“Don’t mention, She said and i left to take my bath…………
TBC