Trickles of Life

TRUE LOVE

I felt numb as I dragged myself across the hard stony ground in front of the mostly completed bungalow I called home.

I still could not believe it. Dare was dead. The reality kept evading me, leaving me this numb shell.

It couldn't be. Maybe if I went to my room and slept, I would wake up and realize it was all a bad dream. Yes, that was what this had to be, a terrifying nightmare.

The image of him foaming at the mouth in my arms wiggled its way into my head.

You killed him.

I fought against the thought. No, this wasn't real. It couldn't be…

“Gift!” My mother's voice rang long and shrill through the silence of the night. I was pretty sure she scared all the crickets away. I could never understand why she had named me ‘Gift’, especially since she didn't treat me like one.

I looked up slowly at my mother standing at the door. Her hair was plaited in rough cornrows, a wrapper tied loosely over her chest.

" You this girl! You will not kill me! Do you know what the time is?” she yelled in rapid Yoruba. I simply stared at her. "Are you not the one I’m talking to?!” she fired

As if her words were a trigger, I burst into tears. I couldn't hold it in anymore. The raw pain of Dare’s death hit me right at the center of my heart.

Mummy eyed me warily like one would eye a passing viper.

"Mummy. Dare is dead,” I sobbed.

Her eyebrows shot up.

"Who is Dare?”

I looked up at her sharply. Silly me! Of course my mum didn't know about my secret boyfriend.

I wiped my tears with the arm of my sleeve, struggling to force back heart wrenching sobs.

“Nobody, ma," I replied.

My mother only looked more suspicious, leaning forward as if scared she would be overhead.

“Did you kill someone?" she asked , again in Yoruba.

“No oo!" I shouted defensively, heart thudding in my chest.

“Good," she straightened.  “Mama Sarah brought the cassava her husband harvested. You’ll wake up early and start the processing."

She adjusted her wrapper and turned, heading back into the house.

I collapsed to the ground, letting my sobs overwhelm me. Dare was dead, and it was my fault. Why had I introduced him to Kemi? Ah! Kemi! That witch in human skin. Who knew her boyfriend had been dealing drugs?!

Couldn't they have kept their nonsense to themselves and left my Dare alone.

I wept more.

Dare had been my quintessential prince charming, offering me the one thing I desired the most - Love. And now he was gone, a victim of a drug overdose. I was back to this hellhole life, carrying with me the guilt of his death.

I had run away as soon as he went still in my arms. If the police had found me there, I would've been dead meat. I was a coward, and I had claimed to love Dare!

I don't know how long I lay there, sobbing my heart out. Mummy didn't show up again.

***
The next three days was torture. I got into several fights with mummy who wanted her processed garri and got hit several times by my drunk stepfather for the most trivial things.

My health declined every minute. I barely ate anything, partly because I had no appetite and partly because that was my punishment for not getting any work done in the house.