Everyone was dressed in black.... except me,I was dressed in white flowery dress.There was a coffin outside,but I never thought to ask who was inside.i was having the time of my life playing with my cousins.
After a week of visit mother in the hospital, Auntie kemi told me we had to travel back to osun...to my maternal village.
"is momma coming with us?" I had asked....
she nodded and said she was already there waiting for us,I remember packing enthusiastically....I was filled with vigor.I never complained thorough out our travel to the village.i just wanted to see my momma healthy and happy again.
I still remember our last discussion before i left for home,the last time we visit her at the hospital.she had asked auntie kemi to go and get her somethings from the hospitals pharmacy that night before we go .
"Mami,come and lay with me"she gestured for me to come and share her little bed space with her..
I happily obliged....lying down comfortable beside mother,facing her...contented with this little privacy we are sharing since we hardly had none since she got very sick and moved to the hospital .
"Do you like Auntie kemi?...."I nodded...."does she treat you well?".....I nodded again.
"be good to her okay?"I nodded again
"when I come back am going to make Ewedu for you"she promised.....I smiled.
I loved it when ever mother made that soup,it was my favorite native food.
"momma,I miss you"I cried and hugged her now lean waist...."come back with us". "I will always do my homework when ever you ask me,I just want you back..."I kept wailing
"Mami....stop crying.your mother wants to come home too,but am weak,I can't care for you like this,I need to get better"mother consoled me
"I can take care of my self now....I even wash my singlets now,ask auntie kemi.you don't need to take care of me"mother smiled at my words but didn't reply it .
"mami,I know you're young and won't understand what is happening now,but you will later in the future.when you're older like auntie kemi."mother looked through my eyes as if she was writing the words in my soul
"I want you to live a happy life.i want you to grow up and enjoy the things I never did,I want you to appreciate the little things of life.Never be bitter towards life...it will tire you soul.life is only one for every living soul on earth and there a lot of things we might want to do but couldn't because we didn't have enough time.so you must never waste any precious minute of your life crying over your looses or mourning over your mistakes ...do what you can,be the best you can .....always try not hurt people around you by your actions and lead a happy life.Dont waste your life chasing over big houses and big cars.... enjoy the ones you have and only take what is yours.i think a happy life is a fulfilled life.....now you must promise me you will live a happy life"momma said
"I promised I will live a happy life"I replied smiling, enjoying this heart to heart talk with mother... though I never understood what it meant then
"oya,take"....momma handed me the bible on her pillow case"Read it when ever you need comfort or feel lonely"
I collected the bible from her,it was worn out .. the leather back was already washed but I loved it.... though I don't know how to read well then.i was only five..
"you must write to me and tell me how happy your life has been"mother said again
I nodded,do I even know what letter writing means then? .
After our talk,shortly auntie kemi came ,I had a feeling she had been standing at the door for a long time because there were tear stains on her face,if I could recall correctly before we both left after kissing momma Good night and promising to visit next week....which we never did.
"kiki !....kiki !,move away from that grave"my mom's older brother scolded me back to reality.
I then realized I had been running towards the grave that was dug by some men this morning....Tunde was my uncle,my mother's older brother.He had lived in the village all his life with his wife and seven children.I have never seen my uncle smile for the past five years of my life,not that I have always been seeing him.
But most of the holidays,when momma and I travel back to village to spend the vacation with my granny and her brothers family he was always looking grumpy, he's eithershouting at his wife for not giving him two meats in his soup,or yelling that the children were making alot of noise playing.
"papa are,leave the poor girl alone....you mustn't shout at her like that"his wife tried to ask him to go soft on me
"Tola....don't let me vent my anger in you....do you know how much it cost to dig that grave?? ....you want me to let her spoil it with her unnecessary playing?"Tunde complained of the expenses.
"uncle you were not the only one who contributed oh....we are all mourning her and all you could do is complain of the change you contributed"Auntie kemi chastised Tunde.
*. * * *. * * * *
"I won't add her to the mouths am already struggling to feed"Uncle Tunde's voice thundered through the two bed wretchered house we were staying in . waking me up from my slumber .
it has been a week since we came back to the village,and momma was no where to be found.Each time I asked, people either start crying or ask me to go and play.
I did as I was told as there was already alot of children loaning around the company ready to play with who ever gave them attention ,as I waited patiently for momma to come back and cook the Ewedu soup she promised for me
"uncle Tunde,I can't take her back to Abuja.Am still unmarried,and I don't even have a steady job yet."auntie kemi complained"how do you expect me to take care of her....and having her stay with me will be a liability to be getting a good man to marry me"
"just let her stay with you and mama,once I get a steady job and gotten married....I would convince my husband to let her stay with us"Auntie kemi continued with her reasons.
"kemi,from where do you expect me to get the money to take care of her before you're married? you don't even have a steady relationship now,so tell me kemi till when am I supposed to take care of her?"Uncle Tunde asked with anger
"can't you see that there are no clients anymore? ...people prefer buying coffin outside the town then inside....and the villagers don't pay well,I sell my coffins even below production cost to feed my children and buy Mama's medicine.or can't you see my wife is pregnant? ....where will I get the money for all that.kemi she's your responsibility.....carry her whenever or wherever you are going"uncle Tunde finalized..
"papa Ade,kemi cannot really care for this child.she needs a stable family and love....I can ask people to lease their lands to me,I will start farming this planting season....please reconsider your decision,she's only but a girl child, before you know it....she will grow up and we will marry her off....she doesn't even need proper education.when she gets married, she can ever help us train our own children"mama Ade tried to coarse her husband into changing her mind
"sister Tola....no..." auntie kemi was seemingly displeased"Eniola will be turning in her grave by these your words.my sister wants her daughter to be well educated,she wants her to live a happy life... how can you be planning for a five year to get married? is that how you see this situation? you want her to help you guys train your children when she gets married....you didn't think of that when you were having kids like a pig"auntie kemi cursed
"ah! ...ah! ....kemi"..."how dare you talk to my wife like that?"Tunde challenge"were you not the one Eniola spent all my life savings on trying to help you further your education?....were you not the one who contributed to what made Eniola separate with her husband?".....he asked
"you think I have forgotten how you instigated her against me and went ahead to ask her to divorce her rich husband who would her turned things around for this family?"
"Uncle Pete was abusing her....he was cheating on her.if cancer hadn't taken her away from us,she would have died by Pete's hands"Auntie kemi replied
"your head is not correct....do you know how many times I have beaten my wife when she disobeyed me? is she dead now?....is it not Tola that is sitting town here."Uncle Tunde asked pointing at his wife who was now consoling grandma who was weeping profusely from watching her children's verbal fight.Grand was already paralyzed by stroke with all the deadly blows life has dealt her with.out of all her 5 children,kemi and Tunde was the only surving ones.
with her husband dieing so early into their marriage,she has decided not to remarry and take care of the three boys and two daughters God blessed them with.Her first son died at 20, by road accident.The second who managed to make something out of life ....who was the one that built this house we were in today,was poisoned on his traditional wedding day and died a month later.
I suppect that was why uncle Tunde and his wife had so. much children,so that when death will come ...there will still be some that will be left alive to continue the family lineage.
"so this is how you plan to get married soon and take care of kiki....?
do you think any man would want to marry you and this rebellious attitude?"uncle Tunde asked"and so if Pete was cheating?....what was your business? was he your husband? who told you to tell?.... lawyer kemi.... advocate...as if tearing your sister's marriage wasn't enough you advices her to keep kiki a secret from her father abi?....when you know Pete would have given kiki a better life?"
"it was Eniola that decided that on her own oh....I didn't ask her not to tell Pete that he had a daughter"auntie kemi denied the accusations
"Good, problem solved"uncle Tunde declared
"how?"auntie kemi was still confused
"Take kiki to Pete"...."she's his daughter,so let him take care of his child"uncle replied happy with his solution
"but auntie Eniola made me promise never to let Pete take kiki,she wants us to raise her daughter for her.she doesn't trust Pete with her"Auntie kemi was visible not comfortable with the solution
"what nonsense are you sprouting?"....uncle Tunde was angered "talking about promise made to the dead..... Eniola is dead....the promises are dead...if Eniola doesn't trust Pete with kiki...then it's you she trust....so carry her .all I know is that when ever you're leaving,take that girl with you."uncle Tunde declared
"auntie mi....is momma dead?"I asked ....scaring them out of their bones because the didn't know I have been standing on the sitting room door listening to their verbal attacks.
"Mami come....kiki come"my granny stretched her arms towards me and took me into her embrace .
"it is well my daughter....your mother is at peace....."she had said to me