This is it

chapter 3

I had to stay in a small room with three other girls. One girl called Noni wouldn't stop crying because she missed her parents. Then another girl called Indasola sat up and said that we should all sing a song to calm ourselves.

Nobody but me knew any good songs. At first, they all looked around the room for maybe some sign of anyone who knew a song. First they asked Noni, then Indasola, and then, a very small and timid girl called Nkechi who, when asked, shook her head very quickly and disappeared under her blanket.

" W-We could sing this song I know..."  I whispered, but they managed to hear me.

They all turned to face me. Noni pulled the blanket off her feet and leaned back on the wall. Wiping the sweat off her face.

" What song then? Tell us Nemdi." She demanded.

" Well, it's called Fall in love by D'bang. It goes like this..." I began to hum out the tune and soon enough, I sang the lyrics.

" Hey, I know that song too!" Indasola said popping her face up from her book. She snapped her fingers to the beat.

Noni sat put, glaring at the bump coming from underneath. She kept her eyes fixed and then took hold of Indasola's book and threw it at the bump.

Nkechi let out an extremly high pitched whine and sank back down. Noni snorted inwards.

"This is boring. Here, let me tell you a story about my parents. They were very nice but they had to put me in here because I was such a good girl and my dad was such a smart man who needed to focus on his work and with me in the way, poor daddy couldn't concentrate because I was so pretty and that made mum jealous so they sent me here but don't get the wrong idea, my parent love me ever so much and this is only temporary."

She began to drone on and on and we all sighed. She took no notice and kept on spinning stories. I sunk back onto my bed and began to start dreaming, dreaming about myself in a dark mist and my body feeling weightless. I could smell fresh fruit and vegetables and grandpapa's Okra soup. I could literally taste it, the food here was bland. It didn't feel right, like I was already living a completely new life that I wasn't sure if I liked or not.

I was so busy thinking  about all that, that I didn't even notice that Noni was talking to me now.

" Nemdi! For goodness sake,concentrate. I was saying, why are you here?" 

My mouth was refusing to move. As if if two hot, sticky hands had reached form behind me and clamped my mouth shut. My lungs were suddenly tight and all the air came tumbling out of my mouth.

" I-I... My parents, they umm..." I stammered. Noni took a loud and deep breath.

I knew she would tear my head off  soon if I didn't say something. " My parents were.... too busy to have a child on their hands...."

Noni gave me a suspicious look and swiveled round. " So, Nkechi. You've been quiet all this time. Why are you here?"

Nkechi didn't move. Noni jumped down form her bunk bed and walked over to the limp Nkechi. She  shook her shoulder a bit.

Nkechi wrinkled her nose a bit and let out a snore. Noni flew back and let out a huge yell. Indasola and I let out a huge roar of laughter and fell back onto our beds.

Noni looked in our direction and pointed her finger right in our faces. " Y-You... Don't laugh at me! We're all in the same orphanage so be quiet! Stop laughing!" She had tears pouring out her eyes now. She was throwing a tantrum and stomped her feet.

" Calm down Noni.." Said an arouse Nkechi. " Miss Nwaniyinma will hear us. And she'll get mad."

But Noni kept on throwing a fit, kicking her bed and throwing her blanket. I moved for the ladder to try and calm her down but Nkechi and Indasola signaled for me to stay in bed.

I slipped back under my blanket and closed my eyes, only slightly though.Suddebnly, the door swung wide open and in swung a tall, wide women. She wasn't the same lady who had taken me here, no, she was a much scarier women. She strode in and had a torch in her hand and from what I could see, a belt in the other.

She came straight up to Noni and took her by the arm. Swung her around and smacked her her head as she went up the ladder. All the time this was happening, we didn't move a muscle, nor make a sound.

Noni sniffed and cried all through the night, she did this for a very long time. And no-one gave her sympathy. We all kept quiet and listened to the faint sound of the cricket and Noni's whines.

The next day was like any other except, we had a giant meeting. We all sat in a big hall with yellow walls and a few pictures that looked more like scribbles.

"Alright settle down, now, very early in the morning, three families called, they've arrived in Nigeria to collect their new children. Come to the front, these children, Ehiga, Chima and Ikenna. The Monroe family have come to pick all three of you up." She beamed. "Nkechi, the Mitchel family have come for you! And the  last.... at short notice.... Nemdi!"

I shot up and faces turned to me. Eyes of hope, joy and sorrow followed me across the room.

" Now let's clap for these children and end with a prayer."

After the prayer, we were allowed to go back to our assigned rooms. Noni wouldn't stop glaring at me and Nkechi as we began to pack our bags. I shook my head in disbelief. After one day of being here, a family already wanted me?

It made me feel warm inside, the sooner the better that I got away from mama and papa the better.

Indasola, Nkechi, Noni and I all spoke to each other and talked about the boys in the yard for a while or two.

" You're lucky Nemdi." Piped up Noni. " Most people who adopt take a very long time to come and sometimes, they take so long that the baby they thought they adopted is about five and isn't so cute so they adopt another one. It's quite sad really, right Nkechi?"

Nkechi nodded quickly, in her eyes, I could tell that Nkechi couldn't be happier to be leaving soon. Indasola filddled with my hair. I fidgeted but she always pulled at my hair and I satyed still.

" Write back OK Nemdi? I've only just met you and already you are leaving... It's not fair!" I cold hear faint sniffles coming form her behind me, and slowly she stopped doing my hair.

" I-It's all done now. I've done cornrow because it will stay longer. Your other hairstyle was nice but rushed."

 I nodded politely. " Yes well... My mother didn't have time to do my hair all nice..."  Noni shrugged her shoulders like she couldn't care less.

We strode across the courtyard, they showed me everything from top to bottom, The showers with plain brick patterns to the baby area where they rolled around on their backs giggling.

They all turned my way when they saw me. Suddenly, two arms spread around my waist. I moved and fidgeted and noticed, it was a toddler.

" Mommy! Mommy I love you!" The little girl nuzzled her head into my back before she was pulled back by a lady.

" Sorry Nemdi, her mum is on her way here all the way from England. She thinks everybody is her mummy now don't you?"

She said scooping her up into her arms. She gave her a big kiss on the forehead.

" Oh and congrats on being adopted! So fast too!"

I beamed, for the first time in a while, it was a genuine smile.