The Rise of Damola

Chapter 30- Tragedy

~BUNMI~

Seven months.

That's how long it has been since I last saw my wonderful ìyá àgbà. Only for me to get a second shot at life but this time without her in it.

I can't believe she's truly gone.

"What did I do to deserve this," I thought.

"I'm so sorry babe," Damola whispered trying to console me.

Oh I said it out loud. But it was the least of my problems right now.

Here I am in front of my dressing mirror, clad in black ready for the funeral. I thought I could put on some makeup to reduce how scary I looked but each time I stared at my reflection, I saw the mole above the right side of my mouth.

Exactly where ìyá àgbà's mole was.

"Babe I'm sorry but we need to leave now," Damola whispered placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Okay I'm ready," I said as I quickly grabbed my bag and followed him to the car.

We got to my father's house in no time and were ambushed by relatives offering their condolences. Then, Damola and I were lead to the elders, to a room that held my wonderful dec-

No! I can't bring myself to say the word.

We greeted the elders then my parents and proceeded to see her. There she lay looking so peaceful as though she was asleep.

"It's time to go!," Big Daddy announced and we all pooled into different cars to the funeral ground.

~~~~~
The whole ordeal went by so fast. It was weird having everyone I've ever known in one place at once.

All my siblings excluding Rachel, Habiba and her family, my cousins, even some people from primary school. They had all shown up to honor ìyá àgbà. It could have been great to have everyone around had it not been for the awful circumstance.

I had dissociated myself  from what was going on at one point, having been separated from Damola since the house. Now, I was stuck to mama's hip. We held each other close, each hoping the other could somehow mend the unending feeling of pain and sorrow.

We got back to the house but this time, without ìyá àgbà. All my siblings had dispersed into the crowd. They all looked like they were taking it better than I was. Shaking hands and smiling.

Looking all rosy or pretending to...

I envied them. I wish I could do that too. Pretend all was well when it wasn't even close. People kept coming up to me; the amount of stories which I've heard and "We are sorry for your loss" was too much to count at this point.

It was becoming too hard to breathe and I needed fresh air.

I decided to go up to my old room which was right after Rachel's.

Oh Rachel! She loved ìyá àgbà just as much. I wonder how she'll take this.

"She is pissing me off!"

Well just look at that! Speak of the devil.

I stopped in front of her door and peered through the tiny gap when I caught a glimpse of her signature gold bracelet. That was definitely Rachel.

"I am going to show her pepper. Just you wait!"

"No Ma, I'll wait for your signal"

"By the time I'm done with her she'll wish she was ten feet under,"