Thought it was Khayr✅

Chapter 53: The day She left

*Throwback*

Sul's POV

"Ugh" I groaned quietly as I dipped a finger into the back of my shoe to take it off. After I took my canvasses off, I stretched my sore toes, cracking them. Wearing a canvass was compulsory in the school I attended. Mama had gotten me new ones after I began ss1, but never again. I've been using them ever since, and I'm in ss2 now. Since I'm growing like every other teenager out there, my feet got longer. So my shoes slowly became too small for my feet. I have to squish my toes everytime I wear them. It's so painful especially that I went to school mostly on foot. I couldn't work like my sister and earn money, so I didn't have a lot of luxury. Like changing new shoes or affording transport.

Sometimes though, if Mama is feeling a tad bit merciful, I do get some change from her.

We aren't even financially privileged, therefore studying in one of the best schools in Sokoto was definitely uncomfortable. Mama should've just let us continue in the government school we was before transferring here.

Here one has to go with clean, ironed uniform, black canvass.. one just needs to look smart overall or else be subject of bullying to students and a bad example to use for the teachers. I despise that school so much but I have to like it for Mama's sake. She already has to deal with the hefty school fees so the least we can do is to pay her back by bringing back colorful results at the end of each term. Too bad I'm the only one who has the brains to think like that, since I'm the only one making the most effort, bringing home an A-flat result paper. Not my ardent minded sister.
I hear yelling coming from inside of the house and shake my head.

Aisha is starting WAEC very soon. Instead of her to be at least reasonable for once in her life and be serious for the sake of her SSCE exams, she's more focused on making Mama terribly worked up. Sure they do argue, but these days they've been arguing more than usual. And I'm sure it's because of Aisha's dogged behaviors. She knows more than anyone what's the side effects of Mama's anger. She can maneuver her way and escape the soul drenching insults and thrashing, but not me. In short, I'm always the one who suffers for an offence she commits.

We're equally aware of Mama's temper which apparently is hotter than a bullet. And i believe that this is Qadr. This is what Allah destined us with, as her kids. No matter what, we have to accept her for who she is and pray for her. As the only two kids she has in this world, we're supposed to tolerate her more than anyone. What's expected of us is to try our best to do things which would make her happy, not get her more provoked. Especially since we're always the ones who face the consequences. A very simple logic to grasp, isn't it? Too bad Aisha is not only stubborn, but stupid too. Too fish brained to comprehend simple logic. I feel really regretful to have such a horrible person like her as my sister. It would've been understandable if I was the one older. Sadly again, she's older than me by two years. Older by age, but not by sense. Everyday, she does nothing but add more trouble to our already troubled life.

I removed my backpack and held my shoes with two fingers of my other hand, walking on my smelly white socks towards the door to our tiny one bedroom apartment. It was the common apartment that existed in the much denser part of town, or 'ghetto' as people in bigger cities call it. With the single room and sitting room indoors and the small kitchen and bathroom located in the small compound. Mama and Aisha slept together in the bedroom, while I slept in the sitting room. When it was heat season though, the time when it'd be terrifically hot, with us going days without seeing a spark of electricity, I sleep outside while they sleep in the sitting room.

It's safe to say I don't know how it feels like to sleep on a mattress or a bed. I always sleep on this lone couch in our sitting room or on an old rugged blanket; if I was sleeping on the ground. Almost all of the upholstery on the couch is gone, leaving a rock-hard feel and the blanket isn't less worse since it has lost all of its softness.