The Second Path

Chapter 5

NOTE: The town name has been changed from 'Barnawa' to Mansur.

Chapter 5

I woke up to the sound of something moving in front of me. It was unusual because I always wake up to only my dog's morning barking. My eyes flung open immediately and I sat up on the couch. I looked around but there was nothing.

Before I could put my legs on the ground, I found Kauna lying on the floor in front of the couch. She was sleeping.

"Kauna?" I furrowed me eyebrows, moving closer to her and patted her shoulders.

She opened her eyes tirelessly and looked at me.

"Did you sleep here all night?" I asked.

She nodded.

I was shook by this. If I had known I wouldn't have let her sleep on the floor with no pillow nor blanket. Or even anything.

"What happened to the bed?"

"I is scared of sleeping in the room alone." She replied.

I looked at her not knowing what to say. I think from this time on I may have to be sleeping on the same bed with Kauna.
This whole situation with Kauna doesn't seem to be getting any better at all.

"Get up." I said while trying to lift her up, "let's go to the room."

*****

Afternoon came very fast and we were already eating lunch. And yes I was still feeding Kauna. This time i got used to it and it looks like I'm going to have to keep doing this till her mother comes back. Maybe.

Tuwo semovita with miyan kuka was served for lunch. We barely ate lunch in our house but since there was no school, I had time to cook. Kauna and I shared the food on the big tray in between us.

The feeding was not easy this time. I had to use my hand to feed Kauna. And it got greasy with each scoop of tuwo I gave her because her mouth takes over my fingers and ends up leaving her baby saliva on them.

"We're going to Zainab's house." I told her while putting another handful of tuwo into her mouth. "Today is Halimat's birthday. The first child in the house."

She nodded without any further response after she had the food into her mouth.

"Why doesn't your mother let you eat with your hand?" I asked the question that has been bothering me since.

"We eat only once a day and she don't want me to be like other hungry children in the street." She said, "she think if I eat with my hand, I will be eating food from dustbin like the other children and she don't want me to got sick. She want me to be very hungry than fall sick from waste food."

"But at least if you fall sick, you'll get free food from the hospital." I added, sounding more like a suggestion.

She shook her head. "I can never go to the hospital. Mallam Audu won't be able to pay."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What of all the money he makes from being a teacher?"

She shrugged. Then I asked the question that I was curious about.