Tears
Of A
Child
Episode 1 & 2
When I was four, aunty Amara s£nt me to a public school as a child, I started schooling like any other child out there that’s of my age . My first day at school everything was strange to me as I began to study the kind of people in my clas-s and the school entirely.
I grew up in the village with my grandparents even when I never had that chance to experience parental love . The little love and care I got from Grandpa and Grandma made me forgot about my really parents.
But as a child I had no choice than to keep watching and hopping that one day I might get to know my biological parents.
Other children I have seen are with their parents I wonder why I am with my grandparents . This kept me thinking but I was only four years old that couldn’t asked questions, the last time I did asked a question, the reaction given to me got me scared to asked no more ..
My grandparents couldn’t afford my fees so they took me to the city to stay with aunty Amara .
Aunty Amara they said was my Mom younger sister. But before my dad got married to my mom , I heard mama choima telling grandpa some weeks back that daddy was having an affair with aunty Amara before he married my mother whom I never got to meet.
Mama Chioma is an old woman that once lived in the city before coming to the village to live her life after she had lost her husband and her two children in a motor accident.
We landed at the city . My eyes were everywhere in the city . I saw the street light shining cause we landed at night . The city breeze and the village breeze can’t be compared to me because the city breeze is wormer to the village breeze as I experienced.
“Grandma , I don’t want to stay with any other person aside you and Grandpa , you have shown me love and I don’t think I could find such love anywhere else in this world ” I said to grandma.
” You will find love here with aunty Amara she is rich and could take good care of you . She will s£nd you to school and you will grow up to become someb©dy someday ” grandma replied, giving me a strong as-surance just as Davido gave Chioma.
My first day at aunty Amara’s house , I was filled with joy as grandma had said aunty Amara will take good care of me .
Aunty Amara’s house was well furnished everywhere was kept clean and well arrange . Ac, everywhere . I could see her big flat screen television that was hanged on the wall .
” I think I will love it here ” I whispered to Grandma .
” I told you , you will ” she whispered back , before aunty Amara walked in.
” Haah, Mama you are welcome ” she spoke in a respectful manner going down to her knees .
” Thank you my daughter . You have changed like seriously ” grandma replied .
As a child I was shy cause I have never visited a big house in my life and haven’t gotten used to people yet.
” Greet your Aunty Amara ” grandma whispered aloud to my ears .
“Good evening aunty Amara ” I greeted her stammering.
“Oh, sweet boy , good evening” she replied as she pla-yed with my hands giving me a smiles look.
” He is a shy kid ” grandma added .
” What’s his name ” aunty Amara asked grandma.
” His is old enough ask him his name he will tell you ” Grandma replied .
Aunty Amara laughed . I bec@m£ uncomfortable as my stomach started ma-king those thun-derious sound ” chroo, chroo” they sound .
” What’s your name ? ” Aunty Amara asked gazing straight to my eyes .
” My name is Bernard Patrick ” I replied with shyness in my eyes .
” Nice name you got , you took your father’s name ” she spoke and asked us to go and take our bath then come over for dinner.
I went in to the bathroom oh, my God it was a shower. I have never in my life taken a bath with a shower before , as a child, I cherished every new thing in my life , so that evening I spent hours taking my bath like never before on a shower.
” Bathroom will soon become my best friend in this house ” I thought to myself in excitement.
After I had taken my shower, aunty Amara called us to dinner room and served us food . That night , I ate like never before .
” Grandma this is delicious ” I whispered to her ears, with excitement.
Grandma gazed at me and smiled , she smiles just like my school teacher back in the village we call aunty grace .
Aunty grace was my best teacher in school back in the village. she thought me how to write my name. At four, I can’t even spell my name but she kept teaching me until I catch up.
“I told you, you will love it here. Am sure this is just the beginning. You will eat and eat till you get tired of eating . No more garri every afternoon when you return from school ” grandma whispered back with smiles on her face.
” I will be leaving to the village first thing tomorrow morning and I will be leaving Ben with you just as we agreed” grandma said to aunty Amara.
Aunty Amara smiled and said;
” Mama, you have nothing to worry about . For I will take good care of him as my son” she spoke in a cool voice .
I was led to my room , it was well furnished like a h0tel room .
The next morning grandma dressed up and was re-ady to leave to the village .
” Make sure when you go to school you re-ad ha-rd Ben and also respect your Aunty ” grandma spoke in a cool manner and left to the city.
I shade my first tears as aunty Amara drove off with Grandma to the park. I was only four and wasn’t used to staying with any other person aside my grandparents.
Later that morning Aunty Amara drove in with her Jeep.
” You are still here crying ? Have you washed those dishes ? ” She asked wrathfully.
I quic-kly and quietly walked in to the kitchen to wash the plates.
“I was told that aunty Amara has grown up children , wher are they ? ” I thought to myself in confusion.
I was washing the plate when a glas-s cu-p fell from my hand to the floor and broke ma-king a sound . I was worried and confused when I heard aunty Amara shouted from inside ;
” This boy won’t kill me , what have you broken?” She asked rushing to the kitchen.
*****************
Episode 2
Aunty Amara rushed in and found me gathering the broken glas-ses on the floor .
” Jesus !! ” She clamored, and landed a h0t sl@p on my face . I went to the ground with my face on the broken glas-ses, I also stepped on the glas-ses in the process of getting to my feet .
Fear gr@bb£d me from cloud nine as my b©dy began shaking. I was only a child of four whose parents were no where to be found .
” What kind of a carless child are you ? Common to wash the dishes you broke my expensive glas-s cu-p to your carelessness . Do you know how much glas-s cu-p is cost in the market? ” She asked wrathfully.
” Am sorry aunty Amara ” I replied her as tears continue to dr!pp£dfrom my eyes .
” Sorry for yourself. The next time you try such a thing I will make sure I lock you up in a police cell ” she spoke angrily and left to the sitting room.
My feet h0t as I took a look to see blood flowing out . It was rushing none st©p and h0t like hell.
” Should I tell Aunty Amara ? ” I thought to myself in pains .
The blood was still rushing out when I thought of the very day I stepped on a nail at school back in the village.
I showed grandma which she boiled h0t water and pressed it on my wounded feet . The way Grandma sometimes handles me made me think she was my biological mother .
Some people used to think my grandma is my biological mom because of her motherly love and cares towards me .
I decided to summoned courage and walked to aunty Amara to show her my wounded feet .
” Aunty Amara, plea-se help me st©p the blood flow from my feet , it h0t alot and I really nee-d your help ” I spoke emotionally.
Aunty Amara was ma-king her nails when she st©pped and gazed at me . Her looks got me scared as I turned to walk away when she called me back .
” You this boy, you must be stupid . Do you think I am your mother or your slave ? Come here !!” She shouted.
I took a step forward to where she was when she landed me another h0t sl@p on my face .
” You can tell that to your mother in hell not me ” she sparked like electric light.
I quic-kly and quietly walked away from her holding my face to myself as tears continues to drip down my chin. I cried like a homeless child, I cried in pains , I cried in regret.
” I thought grandma said aunty Amara will be nice to me . Why then is she treating me like a slave ? If truly she is my mom sister why all this ? ” I thought to myself in tears .
I sle-pt that night without dinner. The first time in my life I experienced hunger . When I was in the village with Grandma even there was nothing to eat she make sure I never go to be-d hungry .
The next Morning, I woke up very hungry and early cause of aunty Amara trouble . I was standing by the door when she walked out from her , when she saw me standing she c@m£ towards me and said ;
” Why are you standing there doing nothing ? Don’t you have water to fetch and clothes to wash ? ” She asked in an angry manner.
I was about going to fetch water when she asked me to wash her car.
” My hands can’t reach to the roof of the car, how does she expect me to wash her car? ” I thought to myself, as I flashed back what grandpa once told me when I said I want to wash his car. He said ;
” Ben, you are still a child and can’t wash my car at your age . I will allow you wash my car when you turn ten, for you are just four and a still a child”
I was still in thought when aunty Amara c@m£ and saw me standing by the car with a bucket of water and a rag.
” What are you still doing standing there ? Will you wash that car and st©p standing like a zombie ” She sparked..
I hurriedly used my little experience and washed the car that morning . I was in my room that morning when i started perceiving aroma of food coming out from the kitchen .
I was used to helping grandma in the village when ever she wants to cook or prepare something .
I could remember very carefully what grandma had told me . She said I should always be around her whenever she wants to cook cause most times I help her in pounding the pepper and in washing of the plates.
So I took the habit of helping hands from the village to the city cause it has always been in my blood to help while cooking as grandma had thought me .
So I hurriedly rushed to the kitchen to be of help to aunty Amara.
” Aunty amara do you nee-d any help ?” I asked just as I used to ask Grandma while cooking.
She gazed at me and said ; ” if you are expecting to eat from this pot, zero your mind to it because this rice and chicken am cooking is mainly meant for my children that are coming for holidays. As for you , I have prepared garri and sugar for you . You can go and take it cause is right in the table waiting for you ” she spoke, and continue with her cooking . We walked to my room angrily as a child.
After she had finished cooking she took her bath , dressed up and drove off to pick her children from God knows where …
I went in to the kitchen and uncovered what she had prepared, everywhere was stew , I was badly hungry that I couldn’t resist the temptation of picking a peace of meat from the pot .
The b©dy was desperate but the spirit was weak .
I c@m£ from a Christian family which am not used to taking what was not given to me .
I covered her pot for her and went to the dining table drinking my garri . As I was drinking I thought of what grandma had said . She said ;
” Aunty Amara is rich and will take good care of you , you will no more drink garri when ever you return from school , for you will eat and eat till you get tired of eating ”
I flashed back and went down in tears . ” Mama, papa , wherever you are , that’s if you are still alive out there, plea-se come and take your son ” i spoke aloud.
I was still drinking my garri when aunty Amara drove in with her three children , two girls and a girl . I have never seen them though I have been hearing about them until that day which I set my eyes on them.
They walked in when the children saw me , they asked their mom aunty Amara if they have gotten a new house boy .
I didn’t know what she told them as they all went to take their bath , after they had taking their bath they went to the dining table and their mom aunty Amara served them rice and chicken .
” Come and join us ” her son called on me .
” Shut up your mouth emeka ” his mother shouted at him and walked to her room .
I was in the sitting room sitting down when emeka her son brou-ght meat to me to eat .
” Take this meat , is chicken l@ps and I know you will love it” he spoke ,handing the piece of meat to me .
” What is your name and how old are you ? Emeka her son asked . Cause I overheard his mom called him emeka.
” My name Ben and I am four yes old. Ending of this month I will be five years ” I replied chewing the chicken l@ps.
” You are four ? I am seven years old , and my sister Ada is thirteen while Chioma our elder is fitfteen ” he spoke aloud.
I was enjoying his company when Aunty Amara walked in to the sitting room and found me eating meat, she quic-kly snatched the meat from me and landed a sl@p on my face .
” If you ever collect his meat again I will skin you alive you useless thing. will you go and wash those dishes?” She sparked .
I went in to the kitchen crying when I overheard her telling emeka never to near me or give me anything again .
I was washing the plates when emeka c@m£ and insist to help me wash. I asked him to leave but he refused . I had no choice than to allow him wash .
As he was washing he mistakenly pushed the glas-s plates on the floor and about nine of them broke on the ground.
I heard aunty Amara rushing to the kitchen , she was confused when she sqw nine of her broken plates on the floor .
I started crying begging her cause I know the blame will be all on me .
TBC…