I couldn't stop but think that the are a lot of differences between a city life and a small rural life in the village. I started making fancy but irrevocable imagination of the life they lived those years. The shivering cold of the stream water, the stings from insects and mosquito bites, the only source of light from a lantern buffing out with heavy smokes. Their life was certainly fascinating but living in a city is easy and simple but hazardous.
The warm welcome I felt when I arrived made me feel special, causing everyone in the compound to rush for a peek. But in Lagos!, everyone minds their business and don't care if you exist, I finally put myself to sleep after long lost thoughts and stings from hungry mosquito looking for blood to feed on.
The harmattan season was alarming, the morning breeze swept across my face as I stepped out in the morning, I gladly ran in again to put on a sweater. The weather was chilling like snow falls at winter and the fog cover up the beauty of my world. The morning dew slided down drops after drops from the tall cassave leafs. I couldn't believe my eyes, grandma was feeding Priscilla again this early, "oh my goodness, she brought her character alongside her suitcase" I thought
"Good morning grandma" I greeted,
"Morning" she replied. Looking around, the strokes from the broom made traces of the sweeping pattern, i can't believe I slept late on the first day I arrived. I took a long stare at Priscilla who was trying to gulps down her breakfast.
"I brushed my teeth" she smiled flaunting her white milk set of teeth, she actually figures out what the look meant.
"Grandma can I go outside?" I asked politely I just got here last night, I really wanted to see other people aside grandma and grandpa. She didn't hesistate to grant the permission. A lot of kids were jumping around outside, while most of them were sweeping, causing a stire of dust. I asked for a broom to join but they blindly refused the help. A short dark girl with brown cute eyes smiled at me
"Ku namb" she said and kept on sweeping, they were giving me a Queen's treatment instead of that of a grand child.
We tour the small town of ekpene, the plants I mostly saw were tall plam trees, cassava and palm wine plantations. The worst part of the fun was when we made a visit to an old lady's pig farm, it was disgusting and dirty. I pondered over how people will certainly open their mouth to chew an animal like that after buying it from street vendors who probably never washed it thoroughly. The occupation here was mostly farming and nothing more, when we went to the market, I couldn't believe my eyes at the sight of the market population. I could make the total head count in a minute unlike Lagos markets that will be hard for one to pull through or the best place to get lost and trapped in. Living here was fun, the children were welcoming and friendly and Priscilla had the time of her life from grandmother's care.
Days turned into weeks, we have spent two weeks here already and this was the week of fun "Christmas time". The thoughts about dad never crossed my mind, grandma never asked questions and I didn't care much.
During a moonlight story telling, I felt my head spinning like a spindle and the excess vibrations from what seems like a collision of a pestle and mortar. I couldn't complain to anyone, I was feeling sick, my temperature was slowly rising, i took an excuse and left for my room. No one noticed this till the next morning, I had severe stomach ache, I vomited several and my health was slowly collapsing. Grandma couldn't stop praying, she was fierce and serious when praying but none seems to work.
" eyeh owo inam ayeyen ami ntop" she cried, she was pointing accusing fingers unknowingly and blamed someone for my sickness. Grandpa suggested a hospital but grandma refused and kept on changing cold towels placed to my face.
"Sorry" priscilla kept on whispering each time I looked at her. I felt thirsty every five minutes or less, my throat felt dry and aching. Daddy finally called to inform us he would be coming, when he heard about my ailment, I can't really tell how he reacted but what he said made grandma accept to take me to a hospital that was worst than I could ever imagine. The scent that cause me nausea any time I think about it, I got admitted as a patient, crying all day from the pains of the syringe that pierce through my veins and the sour drugs that makes me feel like vomiting, but the medications wasn't helping me get any better.
After sleeping under the intoxication of a sleeping medicine, I woke up in my room at grandmother's house, this came like a surprise because last time I can remembered, I was at a hospital. My hand was connected to a drip hanged to a nail on the world, no one was in the room except for a lady seating on the floor with her head down on the bed. I reached out my hand to tap her, she slowly lifted up her face "oh my God!" I exclaimed in shock, (in my mind) its my stepmother.
She reached out and touched my neck, the touch of her skin was cold on mine,
My temperature was down.
"Are you surprise to see me?" She asked speaking like she was talking to one of her patients, "when your dad told me you were ill, I decided to join him and come over to help you" she narrated
"It was malaria and the change in environment, your sister is sleeping in the other room with your dad so I decide to sleep here" she kept on talking. I couldn't utter a word, am sure dad is really mad at me for leaving home and also falling sick putting everyone to jeopardy
"Am sorry about the letter" i apologized.
"Its fine with me" she said, "I once took my mom's money when she refused to give me. So I understand but you just risked your life, thank God this wasn't your sister but you, am sure your dad would have been angered to the core" she said. She was actually behaving like a doctor or possibly a mother.
"Sleep still your drips finish, till tomorrow" she said and laid next to me.
Dad easily accepted my apology the next day and we all settled our differences. My sickness melted his heart, although he looked difficult, he is a wonderful dad and he was ready to make up for lost times. We spent our Christmas at Akwa Ibom happily together as a family.
And thats all I wished for.....
THE END...
No comments:
Post a Comment