MY ORDEAL✊✊
Episode 2.
Going back home from the market I remembered my brothers hasn’t eaten anything yet, with that thought I hurried with my steps and saw them asleep on the couch. I heaved tou-ching them slowly and left to my mom room and saw her asleep.
That was a relief when I also saw she drank the medicine I kept for her in the glas-s, and I was happy uncle Manfred medicine actually did the magic.
With the money I got from the market, I hurriedly prepared something for everyone to eat and woke my brothers up when I was done.
“Wake up Sam, Edward wake up and eat, I said patting them when they were reluctant to wake up.
“I’m hungry, Edward said.
“I know, I’ve prepared something, I said raising him up to sit.
“What are we eating? Samuel asked.
“Rice, I replied him and left to bring their water.
I c@m£ back with a jug and 2 cu-ps and saw they started eating alre-ady.
“Okay take it slow let me go check on mommy, I said dropping the jug and cu-p and left to my mom room.
Immediately I entered I heard her cough and she slowly opened her eyes,
“Have the children eaten Dorathy? She asked and I sat down beside her.
“They are doing that now, how are you feeling mom? I asked back and she coughed again.
“Better than before, who gave you that medicine again? She asked.
“Uncle Manfred and he said he’ll come to see you this evening, I replied and she nodded..
“Has it finished? She asked.
“No should I warm it again for you? I asked back..
“Yes plea-se I really nee-d to get well tomorrow so I can go to the market, she replied and I rolled my eyes knowing my mother does not pl@ywith her trading business and there’s nothing I will say that will st©p her from going tomorrow.
I quietly stood up and left to bring her another warm glas-s of the medicine.
Minutes later I was almost done eating after the stress and I heard my uncle voice outside talking to my brothers.
I quic-kly covered the pot and hurried out to meet him, at least to thank him for the medicine he gave that relieved my mom so well.
“Welcome uncle, I greeted.
“Eh Dorothy, is your mommy awake? He asked.
“Yes uncle come in, I replied leading him in but surprisingly I saw my mom slowly coming out from her room to the sitting room when I was thinking of taking my uncle to meet her in the room.
“Welcome, my mom said to him and sat down while he looked at her for a while and sat down too.
“Dorothy told me you were on fire, he said.
“Well at least I didn’t burn, my mom said and I slowly left to continue my food in the kitchen.
I know my mom and uncle Manfred conversation is not always cool, because they fight and disagree a lot. But is so obvious uncle Manfred likes my mom and even wanted her to marry him after the death of his brother, my father, which made my mom disliked him a lot and didn’t want to have anything to do with him.
I sat in the kitchen and heard them discussed and shook my head when they were not shouting at each other head as usual, maybe because my mom is sick, just maybe.
Soon I heard uncle Manfred called my name and I hurried with the water I was drinking and appeared in front of him,
“Uncle, i replied him.
“Dorothy come take some of those leaves again for your mommy, he said getting up and I looked at my mom face to get the go ahead look from her, which she gave it to me.
“Okay uncle let me get the bag, I said and hurried in.
Strolling slowing and flinging the bag of leaves in my hand like I just got employed to be the as-sistant native doctor in my village, I met with Benson coming.
With the sight of him the little happiness that was in me faded just like that, and i wondered why its always so.
I gave a frown and wanted pas-sing him but he st©pped me,
“St©p squee-zing the face that is not even fine, you look more uglier than before, he said and I angrily looked at him. Benson is one person who constantly steps on my toes and I do wonder what he’s problem really is,
“I can see your name is really tormenting you, people who smokes Benson doesn’t have s-en-se at all and you just proved it, nons-en-se, I blurred back and he Hurst out laughing.
“Why are you walking with leaves like a mad person? He asked when i wanted walking away from him.
“And how is that your business? I asked back.
‘Why should a mad person thing be my business anyway? He asked and left first while I heaved loudly and continued going my way.
I got home and met my mom complaining about her legs,
‘Is the leg this time on fire? I asked tou-ching her legs.
“Hmmmm Dorathy I can’t feel my legs anymore, I even had to ru-b that substance on my legs after you left but is of no use, she said.
“So mommy what should I do now? I asked.
“Get money from my purse buy me anything h0t to mas-sage my legs with, maybe it will help, she replied.
“You mean Aboniki? I asked.
“Yes yes aboniki hurry up, she said and i took her purse, picked a note and ran off to the pharmacy again.
Aunty Magdalene who was attending to a wounded lady saw the way I was so impatient but she had to concentrate on what she was doing.
After dressing the Lady wound, she gave her an injection against tetan-us and I was still waiting feeling like she’s taking forever.
“Dora what’s the matter again? She asked when she was done with the lady.
“Aunty i nee-d aboniki, that very h0t robb, i replied her.
“What do you nee-d it for? She asked.
“Ermmm, I want to use it to mas-sage my mom b©dy, I replied her while she kept looking at me.
“You can’t use something h0t like that if your mother has high fever, she said.
“Aunty she’s asking for it, do you have any one? I asked.
“Okay o, she said going to a counter and picked one for me,
“But i should warn you, its very very h0t, she said and I nodded giving her the money.
I got my balance and i vanished from there before aunty Magdalene could say another thing.
I arrived home and saw my mom so mad at me,
“Why didn’t you sleep there Dorothy! She shouted.
“Sorry mommy she was……. “Give it to me! She shouted snatching it from my hand, took a large amount of the substance that made my eyes bulged out knowing how seriously h0t it is and It was affecting my eyes.
I saw her applying it on her legs and mas-saged it fiercely, yet she wasn’t feeling anything.
“Mommy should we go to the hospital? I asked after some minutes watching my mom looking so restless.
“Dorothy plea-se just leave me alone, will you go to the hospital with water from the stream to pay the bills huh? my mom replied and I heaved not knowing what next to do.
That night was a busy one for me, that i didn’t know when i eventually sle-pt off, but i was woken up with a loud scream from my mom.
I jumped up from the wall I leaned my head and dozed off, and took off to my mom room to see what the matter is, but what i saw shocked me.
“Jesus mommy! Mommy what’s this? I mean how did this happen! I shouted not believing my eyes.
“Dorothy plea-se get me help, Dorothy plea-se get me help I’m dying! My mom shouted crying and I ran out as fast my legs could carry me………
MY ORDEAL✊✊
Episode 3.
I arrived in my uncle compound and met him coming out with a long chewing stick in his mouth, when he saw me running in again like yesterday, he attem-pted to run in back but I shouted on him not to.
“Nna what is wrong with you with this excessive race you are taking into my compound, he said looking at him..
“Uncle, uncle, uncle…. I kept saying tou-ching my che-st breathing ha-rd .
“Uncle yes, uncle yes, what happened! He shouted.
“Uncle you nee-d to see mommy legs, it is 5 times bigger than her real legs, I have never seen anything like that before, I said and bur-st out crying while he ran in to wear his clothes.
He c@m£ out later and we hurried down home but met people gathered in our compound alre-ady, my heart skipped and I bashed in to see if my mom has pas-sed out but I got relieved when I met her shouting like someone was using a sharp cutlas-s on her.
“Bia Grace, what is this one again? What is this? Uncle Manfred asked not believing his eyes.
“Dorothy when did this happen? A woman who lived nearby asked me.
“Aunty I don’t know o, I woke up to see her like this I don’t know what to do again, I said with myl-ips shivering.
“Tell them to kill me o, what are they waiting for o, I heard my mom said and my head was as if it wanted to bur-st.
“Kill you to where Grace? Don’t say that again I’ll find a way to solve this problem, Uncle Manfred said.
“But this is not a hospital case, its obvious she matched on a poison, a Woman said who is also a trader and stays not too far from us.
“That’s what I’m seeing, and something must be done very fast, Uncle Manfred said.
“Sorry Grace, you’ll be fine, she said and people began leaving one after the other after sympathizing with my mom, and it was left with me, my siblings, my uncle and my mom.
“Uncle what are we going to do now? I asked.
“Dorothy your mom matched a poison and she nee-ds to be treated, this is not a case of oyibo medicine, he replied.
“Uncle I hope you are not bringing native doctor? I asked and he looked at me with an angry look.
“So if the native doctor comes what will happen? Okay carry that your Jesus cross and tie it on her legs so it will come back to normal, nons-en-se, he snapped and I swallowed. The last thing i will want now is to make my uncle Angry, as he was the only hope I have to safe my mom.
“Okay uncle let’s go get him nau, mommy is in pains o, i said.
“The man I have in mind now is very costly, do you have money? He asked me and I looked at him to be very sure he asked me such a question.
“Uncle come again, I said.
“How much money do you have so that i can arrange with him here? He asked this time in a more stern mode.
“Uncle there is no money o, I replied him and he smiled shaking his head.
“See eh, when your mother is calm for a while discuss this with her and get me the reply, as you can see time na money and I have a lot of things to do this morning. Tell your mother to relax that she will be fine oh, let me start going, Uncle Manfred said and began to leave while I stood looking at him thinking he was only joking.
“Dorothy! My mom shouted cutting me out from my thoughts and I ran in to meet her.
“Get me water to drink, she said and I quic-kly c@m£ in with a glas-s of water and gave it to her myself.
“Mommy they said you matched poison and only a native doctor can help you, but there’s no money to bring him here, I said to her but she shook her head.
“Bring my purse for me, she said and i handed it to her.
“In the market, on the ground just where I do stuck my things there is hole there I safe my money where I do use in purchasing more foodstuffs. Dorothy I didn’t say you should use my sweat to give to native doctor, go and bring my money so that we will have food to eat in this house till I get better, my mom said.
“Okay but mommy what about your treatment? This is serious o and I don’t even know what this is called, I said.
“Dorothy prepare the kids for school if you are not going, don’t disturb me I nee-d to rest, my mom said and la-id down as if her treatment was not important or its not bothering her the way it was to me.
I just kept looking at her legs and wondered the kind of wrong my mom has done to anyb©dy to do her such wickedness.
“Sister, my brother called me and I left to attend to them.
On my way back from my brother school i met with Benson again but i was not In the mood for our normal fight which he noticed it,
“Hey what’s wrong? He st©pped asking me but I only ignored and continued going.
“Hey Dorothy your face doesn’t look good at all, he said.
“Has my face always been good? I asked.
“Of course not, just that this time you are not that ugly, he replied me and I shook my head.
“So will you now tell me what the problem is? he asked and I hissed.
“I’ll rather tell it to a mad man, I replied and walked away from him before he could say anything.
“Suit yourself, like i care! He shouted but I didn’t care either because i had more bigger problems to worry about.
I t©uçhed my n£¢k and noticed my temperature wasn’t normal as i began to feel headache with dizziness.
“Not now plea-se I beg you, I nee-d to be strong and healthy more than ever, I said to my self and got home.
I settled on the couch first closing my eyes as my head was spinning in circles,
“Dorothy is that you? I heard my mom ask when she noticed someone got in.
“Yes mommy, let Me go bring your food for you, I replied and got up to the kitchen to scoop the food I was able to prepare.
There was no appetite but I made her eat a little, and in the process i saw the drugs I bought with aunty Magdalene yesterday for my mom. I took the drugs and swallowed it hoping it will relief me from whatever sickness that is giving me some headlights.
“Dorothy plea-se go to the market, don’t let them notice I’m not feeling too well plea-se, I heard my mom said.
“Mommy I’m sure that aunty will circulate the news when she reaches the market, I wonder who invited her to the compound or was it your cries? I asked my mom.
“My cries? How loud was it that can extend to 5 or 6 houses away? My mom asked back.
“Ahh I don’t know o, but if i go to the market what about you? Who will stay with you? I asked.
“I’ll take care of myself, and don’t forget to bring the money i told you about home, my mom replied.
I looked at my mom and wondered how she will take Care of herself as she claimed, but i had no choice even if i didn’t want to but i had to do as i was told.
I raised some stuffs off from the floor and saw the hole my mom talked about in her shop, I unwra-pped it and saw 50,000 naira in cash. I didn’t know if I should be excited with such a money, but then i looked around and saw the money was meant to purchase more stuffs and that was how my happiness quenched.
I decided to stay back to sell for a while abs£nt mindedly as my whole mind and b©dy was at home, and the headache wasn’t helping matters at all.
“Hey you don’t want to sell or not? A guy angrily asked when i didn’t know when my mind travelled out of my village entirely.
I quic-kly got up apologizing to him and asked what he wanted to buy,
“I nee-d 10 cu-ps of groundnut, he replied and i rushed In get it from the bag of groundnut inside.
After selling for him I sat down again covering my head on the table while my head kept pla-ying drums as if it was a festival going on in it.
At a point i couldn’t help it again and i got up parking the foodstuffs inside done for the day, but just when I was about to lock the gate I remembered something very important and rushed in to check it out, but to my surprise i couldn’t find it.
I stood there looking at the bags trying to remember where i kept the money i got earlier, then i remembered I brou-ght it out to take some change from it to give it to a customer.
I couldn’t go back in to return it, so i decided to be with it before the guy who c@m£ to buy groundnut c@m£.
“Wait! The money must have dropped when i got up I shock to attend to him when he shouted on me. Jesus i am finished! I screamed and ran out to check properly but i couldn’t find it neither was i able to see the guy………….
TBC