Packaging Osas

🔺 Chapter 1🔻

°° Chapter 1 °°

Unedited

Osas watched her brother, Osato eat hot noodles she prepared as though he had freezer in his mouth. He looked pathetic and really hungry. She waited till he ate the last spoon and then he drank water from a blue plastic cup on the stool.

"Thank you" he said immediately after eating.

"You belle full at all?"

"Yes Ma"

"Which time you chop last?" She asked and he felt uncomfortable, "I....I.." he stammered and she ran her hands through her natural hair.
"Mama marry again?"

"Yes"

"How many children she con get?"

"Two, me and my brother Zuwa."

"Where your brother?"

"I give one neighbor make him help me take care of am"

"Him don chop?" She asked and he shrugged.

Osas shut her eyes, she was beginning to entertain thoughts of having to look after them. This wasn't what she needed at this time of her life!

"How Mama take die?" She asked and her eyes became heavy with tears. "She carry another belle again, Na mistake, she no being expect am. You know say she dey like born her pikin herself? The matter con get as e be"

"Why dem no rush her go hospital?"

"By the time people come, e being dey late. Mama body still dey inside house"

Osas gasped, "Why? Nobody carry her go motuary? What about your Papa?"  "Him don run" he replied and Osas rolled her eyes, story of her mother's life! How can one woman have so much ill luck with men!

"Wetin you want make I do now?"

"Aunty Imade tell us say she don inform you say Mama don die but we don't wait, we no see you so she give me your house address, she say make I come meet you" The boy knelt down, "Abeg, we no get anybody else except you. Help us bury Mama, if na the only thing you go do be that"

Osas packed her things and Omo batted her eyes at her. "You're not seriously considering going there to bury your mother, are you?" She asked and Osas kept quiet still putting her clothes in a bag.

"Do you still want me to remind you everything that woman has caused? She abandoned you! She left you to a cruel hand, Osas, you suffered, it was through that suffering you got raped!" She snapped busting into Bini, "Do you still want me to remind you, you got raped Osas!  She doesn't deserve your love."

"I know! But I get choice? She be my mama! My mama! And I be her first pikin!"

"So now, you go use your savings hold burial for that woman"

"Like I say, I no get choice"

"What about your brothers? You go carry them come too?" Omo asked sarcastically then she noticed Osas' hesistation. "Jesus! Inside this small one room wey we dey manage? Haba, you for get mind oh"

"Na beg I dey use beg you Omo, them go stay small until I find another place. Abeg"

After Mama Osas was buried in a cementry, Osas sat in a small room crying with the picture of her mother in her hands. She wished her mother was buried somewhere else and not in a cemetery where she'll be dug up some time soon only to be replaced by another corpse... Or so has she heard!