𝑨 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆

𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 11

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NNENNA'S POV

Groaning in despair when the alarm went off for 5 O'clock this morning, realizing it was time to start getting my siblings ready for school.
On some days, I would wake up wishing that everything that happened over the last month was a dream. Mom's death, the wake, and burial were the most agonizing days of my life.

Mom has one elder brother and he was married to a northerner, they have two girls only. Her brother, uncle Ikemefula and some other relatives had decided that her burial would be done without wasting a lot of time so that everyone can move on with their lives. They were worried about moving forward with their lives, what about me and my siblings?

Will we ever move on from this?

Aunt Zainab has been staying with us since the day news got out that mom was dead. She flew in with her husband, but uncle left as soon as the final respect to mom was made. He decided to go back to Kano and stay with his children until his wife came back. Someone had to stay to look after their little kids.

I wanted to break down, I was tired of everything. It seemed like I was breathing everyday but not living, that feeling of joy has become strange to me. But whenever I remembered what my mother said, I knew I have a reason to keep fighting.
I headed to my siblings room, I have to get their uniforms and footwears in place then repack their books before I got set on breakfast. After breakfast, they would have their bath and viola! They were ready to go.

This has been the routine for the past few weeks.

I must admit aunt Zainab was helpful in these times. She stayed behind after the burial of my mom and has been filling the gap mother left behind. She made sure food was available at anytime, Tochi and Stephanie's clothes were washed and ironed, and we were not harassed by anybody.

As I got closer to their room, I heard Tochi screaming.
‘Not again!’

I was tired of dealing with that. He has been throwing tantrums regularly, especially after mom's demise. He would insist on seeing mom before he left for school in the mornings, then in the evening after he came back, he continued from where he stopped. The regular wailing and crying has given him a headache and night fever, yet he would not give up.

Stephanie on one hand, understood that she would never see mom again as she was now in Heaven. However, she has been acting indifferent lately, always keeping to herself and saying very little words. I wished she would open up or at least be the cheerful little girl she used to be, I missed her old self.

I huffed bitterly as tears rolled down my cheeks. Who was I kidding?
I missed my old self as well. I do not know how I would overcome this difficult times, I never prepared for this.
Never in my life did I think we would become orphans this early in life. Every time I thought about the future, I saw my mother in it, now I was to imagine a future where she would not be present.

I wiped the tears away before aunt Zainab saw me.

“Good morning, aunt”

“Morning my dear, how are you this morning?”

“I'm fine,” I responded.

“Nne, I don't think Tochi can go to school today. You've seen the way he's behaving,” she announced.

“But they're writing exams...” I informed her.

“Oh? How are we to do this?” she said to one in particular. “Okay, I think I'll take them to school this morning and stay around until he's done with his exams. Perhaps his teacher would let him write ahead of the rest so he can begin treatment fully,”