IN THE DARK EPISODE 9
The D-day was saturday, the day my mom was
buried. I woke up sad but i gathered all my
strength and i tried to stay strong. I was able to
hide my tears as we all left our compound dressed
in white, heading to the cemetery to burry my
world. I thought i was strong,i thought i gathered
enough strength until when my mom’s coffin was
brought out of the ambulance, i wanted to go
crazy. I released myself from jordan’s grip and ran
to the coffin, i screamed,requesting to see my
mom’s lifeless body but nobody listened to me, i
cried my eyes out, if only mom was there, she
would have listen to me, she always listen to me!! I
shouted. Kelvin carried me away from the coffin
and consoled me. I was calm for a while and when
the coffin was taken away, i became more calm.
We got to the space provided for my mom to be
buried and the coffin was brought out again. My
mom was lowered to the ground as the priest
ended his sermon with “From dust we were made
and to dust we will return”. I was called upon to
pour sand on her coffin and i could not bear it any
longer. It was so difficult, so difficult for me to see
my mom,my world, my present and my future been
buried while i stay put. I wanted to jump into her
grave but kelvin and jordan were too strong for me
to escape their grip. what wil be my reason for
staying behind when the reason for my existence
was been buried? Just like yesterday, dad was
been buried but mom was here for me and she
gave me a shoulder for me to cry on, now that she
is gone, on whose shoulder will i cry on? My mom
the most loving Mrs.williams was covered up with
sand and that was the last i saw of her.
After the burial, a flamboyant ceremony was
organised, people ate and drank as if mom’s death
was been celebrated. I stayed in her room
throughout the ceremonial period. Khole,kelvin,au
nty oyinkan,jordan and nelly took turn to visit me
but none of them could feel what i felt,i lost a
mother while they lost a family friend.
By the third week of my mom’s death,most of the
visitors left and the house was empty. I was left
with kelvin and the other workers. Kelvin did alot
for me and he tried all his possible best to console
me but my mom is irreplaceable.
On monday afternoon of the fourth week My uncle
seek to meet with the workers and myself. We all
settled down in the living room and my uncle said ”
I greet you all for honouring my invite and am
greatful for your support during my late sister’s
burial. Without beating about the bush, My reason
for calling this meeting is to inform u all that your
appointment with this family has been terminated,
you all have been relived of your duties. The sum
of a hundred thousand will given to all of you now
and you are to vacate this premises latest
tomorrow evening. Ones again Goodafternoon”. My
uncle ended his speech and he left. I looked at
kelvin and he looked back at me, i did not know
what to feel anymore as tears rushed down my
cheek. I met with my uncle and pleaded with him
to allow kelvin stay but he refused and said,this is
now his house and his bussiness. He is the only
determinant of who leaves and who stays. I left in
tears and rushed to mom’s room.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and i looked up, kelvin
was infront of me. He smilled at me and asked if i
was crying because i wont find a great cook like
him. I forced a smille and he sat beside me. Kelvin
took my hands and said “Nancy, i want to offer
you my penny, please listen attentively. You need
to be strong but you should not fight for yourself
Nancy. Look around you, everybody is hungry for
you mom’s wealth, if you play hard, they will end
up using you as a stepping stone. Sometimes you
have to play the fool to win the world. Now is not
the time to fight for yourself, just watch, play along
and learn…” kelvin ended his piece of advice and i
went into his arm. He released himself from my
grip and i offered to help him pack his bag.
Early tuesday morning, kelvin and all the workers
were ready to leave, they all offered their
condolences and promised to check on me. Kelvin
was the last person to leave and before he left he
took my hand and dropped some naira note and
said “this is fifty thousand naira,you will need it,
remember be strong and i will keep intouch”. I
could not hold back my tears when kelvin left, the
sacrifice he made got me emotional. Even though
he was brooke,he gave me half of his pay off.
As soon as the workers were sent away,new
workers were employed by aunty Nike(uncle
mike’s wife). The first day she came, she respond
casually to my greeting and she parade the
compound,showing each of the workers their duty
post as if the house belong to her. I watched her
through the window from my mom’s room,i could
not help but remember my mom,she would not
have been doing all this if mom were to be here.
Mom where are you? I need you now more than
before. Death why my mom? I wept.
The following sunday, uncle mike moved in with his
family. I came back from church (i realised i need
God now than ever) and met a full house. Uncle
mike was in the living room, i greeted him and
headed to my mom’s room. I was about opening
the door when i heard someone say “where do you
think you are going?”. I turned back and saw aunty
Nike,i greeted and told her i wanted to stay in my
mom’s room. She laughed and said “which room?
You this spoilt rat, dont you know that this is the
master bedroom? All your late mom’s leftover have
been taken care of. This room now belong to my
husband and i, in you miserable life dont you ever
step your foot in that room” she ended her speech
and walked away. Aunty Nike’s words were so
painful and unbelievable. They did not allow me to
see the last of my mom, how can they deny my
seeing the last of her personal belongings? Those
things are suppose to be my last hope! I could not
bear not seeing my mom’s belongings,the scent
from her clothes brings me to believe she is still
around,even if its one i need to get her dress. I
made to open the door to mom’s room without
realizing that Aunty Nike was still watching me
from behind. She rushed towards me with full
speed and landed a slap on my cheek. I saw
stars,my eyes turned red blood, i was yet to
recover from the shock when she pulled me by my
hair and she dragged me to the living room. “Mike
come and see this stupid girl o,she want to enter
the master bedroom,our room! for relaxation” aunty
nike shouted. Uncle mike stood up and asked if his
wife already told me that my mom’s stuffs were no
longer there. She replied yes and he said “So after
telling you that your mother belongings were burnt,
you still have the mind to go into my room? The
next time you disobey my wife you will starve to
death,ok?” uncle mike thundered. I noded and he
left with his wife. I fell to the ground and for the
first time i did not weep for mom, i wept for
myself. I wept for the sweet days have had and for
the awful days am about to start,all i could say
was “why me God?” I questioned my creator.
I was still crying when i felt a tap on my shoulder,i
looked up me and it was Lizzy,uncle mike’s
daughter. She pulled me up and led me to my
room. She laid me on my bed and left. After her
departure, I stopped to cry and gathered enough
strength to get my phone and i dialed Kelvin’s line.
He picked immediately and he asked if i was ok
and making use of his advice. I brooke into fresh
tears and told him about the afternoon’s incidence.
He consoled me over the phone and told me to
forget getting mom’s personal belongings. He said
my lock chain is available when ever i miss my
parent. Kelvin told me to resume my jamb
coaching the following day and make a beautiful
future out of my life. We talked for a while before i
ended the call. I gathered enough strength to get
food,since nobody cares if i have eaten or not, i
eat whenever i do not have the strength to cry
anymore.
The following monday,i woke up early and dressed
for school. I was fully dressed by 7:00am,so i went
to the dinning room to get breakfast. Aunty Nike
came out of the kitchen and asked me to follow
her. She went into the kitchen and pointed at a big
bowl filled with dirty plate and asked me to do the
washing. I almost cried and complained of been
late. She slapped me, saying i should never defile
her orders. With tears i started to wash the dirty
plates and minutes later i noticed someone beside
me, she took the plates and started to help. Again
it was lizzy.
It was 8:30am when i finished with the plates with
lizzy. I hurried to the living room where my uncle
was sitted,greeted him and asked for a driver to
take me to school,he laughed wickedly and said
“young lady i did not employ a driver for you,from
now onward,you have to trek to school” i could
not believe my ears,i explained to him that my
school was a thirty minutes drive from home
talkless of walking. He frown and shouted “do not
disturb me! Am not forcing you to go,if you cant
trek, go and help my wife at the super market.
Now get out of my sight!” I picked up my bag and
went into my room and wept for my life again. I
remembered kelvin’s words and brought out my
chain lock, i looked at our family picture and i
summon the strength to make my parents
proud,where ever they are. I took from the money
kelvin gave to me and hurried to school with a
heart filled with determination to succeed.
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I took a public transport to school, it was a
strange experience but not really a bad one. The
only bad side of it was the driver stopping almost
every five minutes for a passanger to highlight or
to pick up a passanger,that made the journey slow.
I got to school lately and literature class was on
already. I greeted Miss.esther and settled down in
an empty sit.The class ended shortly after my
arrival and miss.esther said i should see her during
lunch before she left.Most of my class mate
offered their condolence and few of them tried to
cheer me up. Nelly came for me during lunch,i did
not go to the cafeteria so she came to my
department. Nelly hugged me for a while and i felt
love, she looked into my eyes with tears and
concern and said “Twinny, how have you been?
You look lean,what happened” i could not give
nelly a respond, as tears started to roll down my
cheek,she also started to cry. She engulfed me in a
warm embrace as we both cried.
Nelly brooke the embrace and took my hands,she
promised to stay with me and i felt love again.I
went to the cafeteria with nelly and had lunch
which she paid for before i went to miss.esther’s
office. Immediately she saw me, she covered the
transparent container she was eating from and
asked me to take a sit. Miss.esther moved closer
to me and said “Nancy am sorry about your mom,
please be strong.I noticed you were extremely late
today, did you wake up late? Or were too sad to
dress up? Please be strong and make yourself
proud. You are a bright girl, that is why am been
concerned” i could not answer miss. Esther’s
questions, i just looked down at my feet as if it will
produce answers. I gusse Miss. Esther noticed i
was not willing to talk, she hugged me before i left
her office for the general class.
The general class ended and it was time to go
back to hell, a place i once call home. While
packing my bag Nelly came to me and said she
informed her mom about my mood, and she want
me over for lunch.I did not want to go with her at
first but she pleaded and i agreed. We left together
in her car after packing my bag.
Immediately we got to Nelly’s house, her mom
rushed out and hugged me very tight, later She
brooke the hug and looked into my eyes and said
“How are you my child?” i could see the love and
concern in her eyes, i told her i will be fine and she
hugged me again. Mr.stanley was absent so i had
lunch with Nelly and her mom. After lunch i went
to nelly’s room and she involved me in different
activities to cheer me up.We were stil swimming
when my phone started to ring at the pool side, i
checked the caller I.D and it was Jordan. I
accepted his call and he went on and on to tell me
how bussy he was, which is the reason he could
not keep in touch, he apologised and i accepted his
apology. Jordan promised to check on me and call
me often. It was when i ended the call with Jordan
that i checked the time on my phone, the time was
5:00pm. Nelly followed me as i rushed out of the
pool and changed into my dress, i hurriedly said
my goodbye and Mrs.Stanley ordered Nellys’ driver
to take me home.
I got home 5:45pm and rushed into the main
building, i was about going into my room when
aunty Nike shouted” where are you coming from?”
i turned back,greeted her and told her i went to
school. ” is your school not suppose to close by
2:00pm?” aunty nike said. I do not know where
this question and answer will lead to but i was
hoping not to get a slap again. ” After school i
went to a friends’….” i was yet to finish the
sentence when a slap landed on my left cheek. I
held my cheek as hot tears rushed out of my eyes.
Aunty Nike dragged me to my room and she
started to search everywhere. She opened my bag
and took my A.T.M card, she then searched my
wardrobe, where i kept the money kelvin gave to
me, immediately she saw the money she started
shouting ” O.M.G so you have started stealing, i
know you are spoilt i never knew you are a thief as
well. Mike must hear this” she ended her
rantingand left. I sat on my bed depressed but i
could not cry anymore.
Uncle mike arrived home 9:00PM, immediately i
came out to greet him, aunty nike rushed at him
and said ” Mike can you believe that nancy got
home 8:00pm, she said she went to hangout with
friends, and she stole my money, look at the fourty
eight thousand i saw in her wardrobe”. Uncle mike
was boiling with anger, he looked at me and said ”
young lady,where did you get that money from? So
you stole from my wife?” i was yet to answer his
question when a hot slap landed on my cheek
again. I was yet to recover from the slap, when
uncle mike dragged me outside the house and said
” you have the guts to hangout with friends? You
think you can go out and come back anytime you
like? Tonight! you will hangout with the
mosquitoes. You idiot!”
Uncle mike left me outside and locked the door. I
was left outside, in the dark alone with my fate.
.
Click 4 below to read episode 10
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