MY ORDEAL✊✊
Episode 7.
When I saw my mom head bent downwards as she la-id on the be-d, I quic-kly arranged her well but I noticed she didn’t moved or felt like someone t©uçhed her.
“Mommy, mommy, I called her shaking her but she never answered or shook her f!nger.
I kept calling her shaking her this time around as my heart began to beat fast, but she never replied,
“Mommy! No! I screamed out and ran out on the street calling for help.
In seconds people ran out with a torch following me to the compound, and I saw them shaking their head taking me out from her from after they t©uçhed her,
“I’m sorry Dorothy, your mom has sle-pt, a man told me while I shook my head with disbelief.
“She’ll wake up right? Why is she that de-ep in sleep? What can I do to revive her plea-se tell me? I asked but they only shook their head asking me to be strong.
I wonder why those words were that simple for them to say like it was that easy, by this time my brothers were awake with the noise and began to cry when they didn’t know what was going on exactly.
I just hvgged them as we cried together while I watched as they covered my mom with a wra-pper.
“Do you want my mommy to die? Why are you covering her face like that? Samuel asked the man who did that and I slowly took them out from the room.
“Sister what are they doing to mommy? Edward asked.
“Why is mommy not talking to us or opening her eyes? Samuel added.
I looked at them and sniffed, Edward is ba-rely 7years while Samuel is 5years, and they look like they were twins because of the slim space between them.
“Mommy has gone to be With the Lord, I said to them.
“Mommy said the same thing with daddy, but we haven’t seen him yet, Edward said.
“That’s because the Lord has’nt returned him back yet to us, I replied cleaning the tears that kept pouring.
“Did mommy go to tell him that we miss him? Samuel asked and I nodded with myl-ips shivering.
“Yes yes, I said and hvgged them again as I saw my neighbors looking at us pitifully.
I don’t know who informed Uncle Manfred of what happened, I was so surprised seeing him walked in when the daylight was clear and we could see people faces.
I just sniffed and re-moved my eyes from him facing else where as his words of yesterday rang in my ears when he told me I killed my mom.
“What I’m I hearing Dorothy? Where is Grace? He asked when he c@m£ to where I sat.
I wanted replying him in a rude way just the way I was feeling, but then there were people around.
I just stood up and left where I sat saying nothing to him just to resist the urge to pour out my pain on him.
I watched him talking to people outside there shouting how people are wicked to kill a quiet and simple woman like Grace not minding she has kids to take care of and all of that.
I felt like shouting to everyone that he also helped in killing my mom when he refused to help us because I refused him from slee-ping with me.
“But what will my shouting do in this case? And Who will stand with me in Burying my mom if I do such a stupid thing? I asked myself and calmed down, then I saw Benson entered.
He sighted me quic-kly and I cleaned my eyes leaning my back on the wall as I watched him approached me,
“I’m so sorry Dorothy, he said squ-atting besides me and I weakly nodded.
“Its okay, finally she’s gone where she won’t feel any pains anymore, I said and he hvgged me while I tried controlling my tears but I couldn’t.
I got the first comforting hvg I never knew could help ease the pains i was feeling that moment as i cried freely on him while he never st©pped me.
“Bia Dorothy, I want to talk to you, I heard my uncle voice and Benson quic-kly dis£ngaged from me while i reluctantly followed him as i saw him gave a bad eye to Benson before he left.
“plea-se excuse me, I said to Benson cleaning my eyes and stood before my uncle to hear the trash he’s going to spill out.
“So your mother has not even reach the land of the dead and you are shamelessly hvgging that boy in the pres£nce of everyone huh? He asked me.
“Is that your problem? And last i checked you weren’t the gate keeper of the land of the dead, and besides Which is more shameful by the way? slee-ping with my father brother or just having a friendly hvg? I asked and he bite hisl-ips wishing he could sl@p me that instant but i cared less.
“You are a very foolish and careless girl, you killed your mother because you are stupid. If you had given me that amount of money you used in spending with your useless b©yfri£ndwill your mother had died? Anyway, she can’t be buried like that because she didn’t die an ordinary death. There are certain sacrifices that should be done else this curse may befall you or your brothers, he said and i sniffed.
“So in summary you nee-d money? Uncle just say it because I don’t know why you are telling your little niece who is now an orphan this, uncle what do you want me to do? I’m i the one doing the sacrifice? Just tell me, I asked and his eyes bulged out looking at me.
“Wait o, all this insolence you are doing is for who huh? You better swallow up your nons-en-se else I’ll withdraw myself totally from this and you will do It alone. After all your mother ceased from being my late brothers wife after he died, just respect yourself and give me that respect as your uncle! He angrily shouted on me and I said nothing despite there was a lot to say in me.
“In fact what I’m i saying, when you are back to your s-en-ses you know where to meet me so we will talk about your mother burial nons-en-se, he said and walked away while i stood looking at him until he was out of sight and Benson tapped me from behind.
“Why the angry look on your face? He asked when I turned to him.
“Its nothing, I replied and went back to sit where I stood up before.
“Take it easy okay, though to be sincere it won’t be easy, Benson said and i nodded looking at my brothers who was standing with a close neighbour.
“I’m just wondering what tomorrow holds for us, there’s no capital for my mom business and the shop rent will soon expire. How will i combine my school with the business if I’m to continue, I mean I can’t believe I’m now a parent, sister and everything now despite my age. Benson I’m still a child, I also nee-d that care but I won’t be thinking of myself anymore but those children now, I said and he nodded and t©uçhed my shoulder.
“I un-derstand the load now on your feeble shoulders, but I know you can cope, you’re a strong girl Dorothy now don’t let this ware you down. I’ll help in anyway i can and don’t hesitate to ask or tell me anything, he said and i shook my head.
“Everything will be okay, just take it easy, he continued and I heaved not believing today gat to be the worst day of my life……………
Evening c@m£ and my neighbors arranged with themselves and did the sacrifices my uncle talked about while my mother was natively embalmed and said to be buried the next Saturday considering her b©dy is not fit to be kept for long.
I sat in the meeting they invited me to listening to all they said and Waited for the p@rt where I’ll be asked for money, and just as i wanted, i was asked that.
I simply told them we have no farm where my late father left behind, but only a shop my mom was managing before she pas-sed out.
“Right now there is no money and i don’t know where i can get money from to support, i concluded and they all heaved shaking their head while my uncle looked at me with a scornful look but i didn’t care.
“Her burial will be simple, besides this is not a death anyone should celebr@te or except it to be big. We will see how Grace face will be covered, an elderly man said and Uncle Manfred coughed.
“Its a pity this c@m£ so sudden and i really don’t have much, but anyhow I will try to get her a coffin before the burial, he said and the men were happy.
“You took the most important p@rt of it, thank you so much, everyone there said while in my heart i hissed………….
That night I couldn’t eat after ma-king my brothers sleep, my mother b©dy was taken and i felt like seeing her so badly.
I closed my eyes ti-ghtly seeing her face in my head,
“Just once mommy, plea-se let me hear your voice. plea-se tell Me its a bad dream and wake me up from it, mommy plea-se tell me you’re not gone, i Cried……….
Tbc