When I perceived I had prayed enough, I wiped my eyes with the hem of my night gown and climbed upstairs to join my siblings. But sleep was very far from me, I just sat still and watched my siblings while they slept. I sat on my reading chair, with my jaw buried in my hands. Few minutes later, I heard sounds from mum and dad’s room. Their voices were so low that I barely heard what they said but I noticed mum was weeping uncontrollably, amidst her sobs all I managed to hear was “FATHER, WHY?” Her biological father was long dead and so it dawned on me that she was referring to God. I wonder what God had done to my parents that he made them weep this way and even mum questioned him. I opened the door of my room and tip-toed through the stairs to my parents’ room, I eavesdropped and my dad was just screaming “HEY, JESUS”. This made me confused the more, while mum questioned him, dad called out to him as if he was physically present with them. I walked back upstairs to join my siblings in my room. I forced myself to sleep because we would be going to school the next day and I couldn’t afford to sleep in class.
“Zina, wake up it’s time for devotion”
I recognized that voice, it was mum’s. Though it was so faint but I’ve gotten used to her that I could hear the meditations of her heart even while she was mute. We had this connection together, reason being that I’m the eldest child. She’s always told us that she had no favorite amongst the three of us, but my siblings have always doubted her because of how dear she treats me. I quickly woke Casimir and Sarah and we headed for the sitting room. Mum’s eyes were swollen, dad’s eyes were red as though he was bleeding through his eyes. My siblings and I assembled and sat still, they owed us explanations. But instead we just conducted our morning devotion and everybody got prepared for school and work respectively. I opened my mouth to speak after devotion, but found no words. Why have they chosen to keep us in the dark? Don’t they both owe us explanations owing to their behaviors the previous day? I asked no one in particular as I bathed Sarah. our various classes. My siblings and I dressed up for school in silence, we headed for the dining room, had our breakfast and Dad drove us to school in silence. I told my siblings not to look like what they went through the previous night so as not to allow questions from our different teachers. They promised to behave themselves and we left for As I sat in class, the event of the previous day came flashing in my head. From dad’s arrival to mum’s arrival, then to their deep groaning’s at mid-night, and then their feigning ignorance during devotion and their utmost silence during breakfast. I begged God not to allow my parents separate. I’ve heard and seen children living with either of their parents and I knew how tough it was for them. I couldn’t imagine living with my dad without my mum or living with mum while dad was away forever. I begged God to keep them together as I was still tender to experience separation of any kind. I was just 10 and in my last class in primary school. While in class I was absent minded all through, I stared at Aunty Theresa but I heard nothing though her lips were moving. Aunty Theresa happened to be my form teacher and my social studies teacher. On this very day, she had dressed like my mum and the sight of her made my mind travel far and wide. I imagined it was my mum who was taking us on social studies, but when I remembered that Aunty Theresa had once mentioned to another teacher that she was separated from her husband, I began to bind and cast every spirit of separation. By the time I had stopped imagining, Aunty Theresa had cleaned the white board three times and I had nothing on my note! “THE FAMILY” was the day’s topic! In no distant time, we went on break but I just sat on my chair and had lunch. My class-captain, Francis walked up to me to ask what the problem was but I had to lie as mum had warned us not to take our family’s dispute outside the walls of our sitting room. I told him I was pretty much fine and forced a fake smile. I asked him for his social studies note so as to enable me update mine. All through the day, I kept to myself and waited earnestly for school to dismiss. In no distant time, dismissal bell was rung. I hurriedly packed my books into my bag and headed for Casimir’s and Sarah’s class. The three of us headed for the school’s gate and for once in a long time, we were taken home by our driver. My countenance fell again!
Read Episode one
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