OPHELIA

Chapter 41: Evil Me?!

Except for the roadside vendors who had doubled or even tripled, the market was unchanged from how I remembered it.

It wasn’t a place I fancied. The noise from cars, motorcycles, trucks, grinding mills and people was exasperating as was Pastor Man. He was terrible at buying. The sellers leeched him— he didn’t bargain a single item. Even when he clearly was deceived, he had no clue. I could buy everything he bought at a price lower than what he paid.

“Daddy…let me buy the next item.” I couldn’t stand his rich lord vibe.

“Why? You think you can do it better than me?” He smiled.

I chuckled. “Let me try…” I scanned the tomato sellers and picked one of them with my guts. “How much do we need?” I asked.

“We’ll get a basket.”

“A basket? That’s a lot.”

“We’ll need it, buy it.”

“Daddy you want krika tomatoe?” The seller asked—Krika—the local name given to a basket of tomatoes.

“How much are you selling for?” I interrupted before Pastor Man had the chance to say a word.

“Give five thousand and take it…last market.”

“I have three thousands.”

“No my daughter it can’t go. Tomato is expensive.”

“Mommy help your daughter too… fix us well, we’ll come back to you next time.”

“Na Iron tomato this I no fit lie you?” She said in Cameroon broken English

“Mami you sef lookam the one for under don di soft. We get 3500 for last price.”

She thought a while. “Give the money, take the Krika. Daddy I don fix wena fine.”

“Thank you.” Pastor Man said.

As I handed her the money… “Mami tomato, how for you?” A familiar voice said cheerfully.

“Gina?”

“Mom?” Pastor Man and John called shocked.

Mom. My heart raced as I turned vividly to see her; her face was pale; it seemed she would have taken off running.

She cleared her throat. “John; who are these people?”

“It’s me Terrence…Michael’s brother.”

I wondered why Pastor Man was smiling. She returned not a single iota of the warmth he expressed.

“You’ve met my son…how did you find us?” She asked.

“It’s a long story. How have you been?”

“I’ve been trying ever since your brother died…” She paused. “Ophelia…so you can remember your roots.” She said sarcastically, disgust oozing out of every facial pore.

“I don’t understand.” I said aloofly.

“How can you understand?” She sneered.

In respect of Pastor Man, I quickly carried one of the bags of items we had bought and went to the car. There was no telling what would happen if I had opened my mouth further.

Soon, they all joined me in the car and we went to our family compound. When we arrived, every one left the car but me. I saw the house and a combo of unsettling memories flooded my mind.

Pastor Man looked down into the car. “You have to put yourself together.”

“Please let’s go back home.” I sobbed.