SURROUNDED
EPISODE 3
I gained admission to study Accounting. Papa will never send me money and so did my siblings. My sisters will only give somebody money to buy me food stuff but won’t give me money. Mama will.send the money to another person’s account to give to me secretly. My father must not know about it.
The way I’m treated saddens my mother so much. I don’t know how my father got to know mama sends me money. He ban my mother from going to all his establishments and stopped giving her money too. Mama had this land she bought. She sold it and divided the money into two. She gave me half and used half to start block business. It was going well for her until mama fell sick.
I thought it was mere sickness. I was in school so i never knew how serious it was. I was in the dream one afternoon when mama came to visiting. She brought alot of stuff for me and said “OGUGUA, my son. Stay strong o. I’m going. No time again. I will come back and visit you when i have the chance”. She started crying. I was like, “mama, why are you crying na? I will cry my own now o”. Mama started wiping her eyes. “No my son, please don’t cry. I’m no longer crying. Mana, ha gbalu gi okirikiri(but You are surrounded) ma n’iru, ma n’azu(both front and back) ogugua, enter church. I can’t stop them. They are even after me. Look for church Ogugua, church oooo” i woke up.
I could not place it. I just waved it. My father doesn’t go to church. Going to church for me is as difficult as dictating a virgin fowl. Why is mama advising me to start going to church? I waved it. It’s just a dream i said.
There was a little break so i decided to go home. I didn’t tell anyone i was coming. I just wanted to surprise my dear mother. I was looking forward to working in her block industry to earn some money for myself. I got home and met the shock of my life.
My mother was lying down. She was looking like bread soaked in water. Mama was swollen. I dropped my bag. I almost dropped my heart. What is this???? I shouted? What is going on???? Mama!!mama!!! What happened !!!! I kept shouting and crying (as he narrated in broke into tears) mama stretched forth her swollen hands to reach me. I held her hands to my chest. She said, “ogugua, oguguam obi, ogugua nwa m, Ogugua”, she was shedding tears as she called me. She tried to feel my face. She wiped my tears and her hands dropped. Mama died in my hands. I dropped the hand and ran outside with my hands on my head, i shouted. I’M FINISHED OOOOOO, I’M FINISHED!!!! What did i do oooo, who did i offend oooo, mama m oooooo, . My brothers were holding me. My sisters too.
My father spent money on my mother’s burial. All i did was cry. My only helper. The only one who stood before me. I begged death to take me too. Death was deaf to my request.
After my mother’s burial, i had to return to school. My father actually followed me to school. He paid every payable and bid me farewell. He did not give me a dim. I didn’t even ask from him because that’s his way. Mama wrote a letter and gave to her very good friend aunty Eunice. Aunty eunice gave me the letter after mama’s burial. Mama told me of 700k she kept under the foam in her room. Another 200k is with one mazi ugo. She told him i will come and collect it. I paid in all the money into my account. The money will last for 10yrs. So i thought.
After mama’s death, my father’s hostility increased. He even stopped paying my fees, he no longer cared about anything that concerns me. I started using that money to sort myself out in school.
My father and siblings abandoned me. I will cry every night and day. I tried not to allow it affect my studies because i had no one helping. It was all on me. I kept wondering why my father and my siblings hate me so much. One night a friend of mine named OTUKPO called me. He said to me….
“dan, join us. Join the rainbows. Your popsi go bend if you join us. Wetin sef???? Why your popsi go heartless like that? If you join us, your old man go arrange”.
As good as the offer was, i don’t want to let my mother down. So i declined. Tragedy struck when i was about writing my final exams. Onyema gave me his bag to keep. He was my friend, i thought i knew him too well. At about 8:15pm, i was in my room reading, policemen stormed our lodge and asked for Daniel okoroala. I stepped out. They said they have warrant to search my room. I asked for what? I asked to see the warrant and identity cards. What i saw was valid. Then i allowed them in. They brought out guns, hard drugs, phones, sim cards. They were like who owns these. I don’t know i answered. One of the officers landed a heavy slap on me, CRIMINAL, we found all these in your bag.what bag? I asked.They held up onyema’s bag. “It’s not my bag” i shouted. It was falling on deaf ears. I was cuffed and arrested once again, FOR A CRIME I DID NOT COMMIT.
Who will save me!!!!!
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