Tears of a child - S01 E16

3 years ago

Tears of a child - S01 E16

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 16

I was outside shedding tears when i heard a sound from inside the sitting room . The sound reverberated in my ears as fear grabbed me from cloud nine .

I stood up and wiped my tears off and ran back inside . It was chioma and her younger sister Ada . They fought so seriously to the extent they both tore their clothes ,giving themselves a wound mark.

I was only a child and the youngest among them . Who am I to talk to them that they will listen to.

” Chioma, you are heartless and wicked . Why would you tell mother that I gave Ben food ? Something that happened last night you have gone to tell her . Even if I give him food to eat so what ? ” Ada sparked wrathfully.

I closed my eyes and remembered when I was in the village. When I went to see grandma’s friend and how she treated me like their own son . I really felt at home not like Aunty Amara’s home .

I was touched and in thought because grandma had told me that aunty Amara is my mother’s sister . Meaning she is more to my mother. I thought with my eyes wet.

“You can ask Mom that question when she comes back ” chioma replied clapping her hands to the air.

I didn’t utter a word to them. I quietly walked in to my room .

Two days later. We were both seated in the sitting room when we heard a car horn at the gate .

” Mommy and Daddy are back ” emeka jumped and shouted in excitement.

” Oh, God not again . Aunty Amara is back . Please lord, I commit my body and soul on to your hands ” I prayed silently as my heart beat kept pounding for fear .

Chioma rushed and opened the gate . I came out but hide myself behind the flowers that were planted in the compound. I peeped as they both stepped out of the car .

Uncle Mike’s head was tired with a bondage . He slowly stepped out of the car hugging his children. He looked around but couldn’t find me.

” Where is Ben ?” He asked . That was the first word that came out from his mouth the moment his stepped out of the car .

Where I hide myself , I sighted the look aunty Amara gave at him .

” You should be asking after your children not after a bastard child .” Aunty Amara replied in disrespectful manner . Uncle Mike became angry and landed aunty Amara a slap on her face .

” Daddy , is ok not again ” Ada spoke wrathfully at uncle mike .

” Am i really the cause of this family problem? . At the mentioned of my name results to fight in this house. Lord please, help your son bring peace in to Uncle Mike’s home . If really I am the cause of this family problem Lord, I do not need any helper in this house .” I prayed silently with my eyes wet .

” Your mother is evil Ada . When i married her she wasn’t like this . What an evil woman she is .” Uncle Mike thundered at her.

” Oh, you now call me evil simply because of that … That.. anyways ” she angrily kept quiet as tears rolled down her face .

” You can cry I don’t car . God knows I am only telling you the truth. If telling you the truth will always make you cry I don’t care. for I will keep on telling you Amara the truth” uncle mike thundered at her, As he called her by name .

” Where is Ben? Emeka ” Uncle Mike asked. ” I think he should be inside the house ” He replied.

” Didn’t he see me ? What is he doing inside the house all alone by himself ?” When I heard that uncle mike was looking for me . I came out from where I hide myself and ran towards him. I jumped on his body like he is my father. I jumped on his body just the way I used to jump on Grandpa’s body when ever he returns home .

Jumping on Mike’s body also made me remembered my father . For grandpa has ones told me that I used to jump on my father’s body when ever he returns home . But as a child , I didn’t figure out nor remembered the face of my father.

I was in thought when uncle mike lifted me up , throwing me up to the sky like a baby .

” Daddy carry me up too ” emeka pleaded to his father.

” Hahaha” uncle mike laughed. ” You are no more longer a baby ” uncle Mike spoke with a smile on his face. He dropped me to the ground and lifted emeka up which after he dropped him down and walked inside the house holding Ada and Chioma’s hands .

I was outside with emeka about to follow uncle mike inside when emeka blocked me .

” Go and look for your own parents . Most especially your father. And stop jumping on my dad’s body . That’s if you really have one” emeka laughed and ran in to the house .

His words triggered my heart . His words hurt me deep inside like a shot of hot drink in to the mouth. .

” I am not going to cry ” I said to myself. I struggled to make sure tears didn’t drop from my eyes . I tried all I could but my eyes were wet. I tried looking up to the sky and tears poured out from my eyes . I wiped them off. But they didn’t stopped puring on my face .

I stood outside for some hours when I heard emeka screamed my name .

I wiped off my tears immediately and went inside the house . Getting there, uncle mike was sitting on the dining table. Beside him was Ada, chioma and emeka .

” Come and have a seat ” he said .

Aunty Amara was not at the dinning table . ” She must be in the kitchen ” I thought to myself . As I walked to the dinning table and sat down with my eyes wet .

“Why are you crying ? He asked .

I gazed at him in confusion . ” I am not crying ” I replied . He was about asking further when Aunty Amara brought out a cooler from the kitchen and dropped it on the dining table .

I was amazed that aunty Amara didn’t get mad at me when she saw me seating at the dinning table . But still yet. my heart wasn’t fully at rest .

She uncovered the cooler and everywhere was stew . ” Your food smells nice today” her husband spoke with a smile on his face.

Aunty Amara smiled and dished a plate of rice with chicken to everyone seated in the dining table including I myself .

I gazed at aunty Amara and also at uncle mike. My heart was filled with joy as I pushed a spoon of rice to my mouth with so much excitement.

” Am I dreaming ? ” I thought to myself.

” If you need more food let me know ” aunty Amara said to me .

I ate half of my food. aunty Amara didn’t allowed me to finish the one on my plate as she dished more rice and chicken to my plate.

” Thank you so much aunty Amara . You are the best aunty in the world .” I spoke in a stammering voice .

“When I was in the hospital . The only thing that was on my mind was to divorce your mother . But I am not going to do that . Only if she will take Ben as her son. And if only you my children will also take him as one of your own ” Grandpa spoke seriously at them .

That night, I ate with Uncle Mike’s family like we were truly one family. This has been going on for years ever since uncle Mike returned from the hospital. He had eyes on aunty Amara towards me .

I was sent to a public school with the helped of uncle mike. I finished my primary school and was sent to secondary school .

We were all seated at the compound taking orange and laughing . But I was truly scared of aunty Amara. I avoid anything that I know will get her angry.

” I will be traveling back to kaduna tomorrow. But I will be visiting time to time to find out how you all are doing ” uncle mike spoke.

My heart cut as fear grabbed me.

” I am finish with aunty Amara if uncle mike finally travel back to kaduna” I thought to myself with my eyes wet .

The next day , uncle mike dressed up and prepared to leave to kaduna . He gave us each a five hundred naira note and drove off to kaduna.

Immediately he drove off , I angrily stormed out of the house and went to a quiet place to think how my life will be without uncle mike .

” Ben , mommy is calling you ” emeka spoke, and left .

My heart began beating . My body was shaking as I walked in to the house to answer to Aunty Amara.

To be continued….

Episode 17

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