Jonathan and Other Weird Stories

That Sunday (two)

Mama said rice and ofeakwu was her favourite meal—she said it is like eating rice and drinking juice at the same time, and each time she swallowed a spoonful, she smiled like she just tasted heaven. All Mama wanted that Sunday was a plate of rice, but I had no idea why she entrusted me to cook.

I knew nothing about cooking. All I did in the kitchen was boil water to make eba, and even that always came out too soft. Almost muddy. But Mama would eat it like that, after scolding me, then send her thanks to God, raising her arms high above her head. With time, Mama stopped raising her arms so high, and even when she did, her arms would tremble. She still fed her chickens every evening, but she no longer took her time to ensure each one of the birds had eaten enough. She just led them to their cage, dragging her feet so slowly; the chickens soon learnt to walk ahead of her and find their own way.

Mama said she would feel better soon, because she was receiving herbal treatment. Still, she depended on me more often and no longer drew her own water from the well. I would sweep, cook and grind all day, until pain ate through my back and I couldn't bend anymore. Then Mama would give me aboniki balm for the pain, and on days when she was stronger, she would rub the balm on my back herself—her palms were rough like old wood and her fingers were almost scrawny, but I never complained.

That Sunday, Mama didn't go to church. It was the first time, since my memories began to collect, that Mama stayed home on a Sunday morning. It was a rare thing, like that time the Sun did not come out during the day and Pastor Ejiro said we all should repent because the world was coming to an end, even though our science teacher said it was only a solar eclipse.

Still, I enjoyed attending Pastor Ejiro's teachings.

Mama said she could not go to church because she was tired. She laid on her bamboo bed all morning and did not even get up to bathe. She gave me some money to buy rice from the market. I obeyed, but I did not return with Mama's food until late in the afternoon because I had spent the day with Dorcas, Pastor Ejiro's granddaughter. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe because he wanted to marry her, but there was no one Mama despised more than Pastor Ejiro.