A Drop In The Ocean

Part 1

Kamsi was standing at the sitting room facing towards the sofa and at her back was a console made of glass, a television set was carefully placed on top, below was a video cassette recorder followed by a radio cassette recorder beneath, by the left side was a pile of video cassettes still intact in their covers while the right was piled up with audio cassettes, all was neatly aligned vertically and positioned some inches away from her. She could feel her legs trembling underneath and her head becoming heavier each minute as it was hanging loosely on her neck facing down. She couldn't control the tears streaming down her face at the thought of what he will use on them this time around. She still remembered vividly the pains from the last whip with a fat and thin cane held together and cried more wishing she could disappear for a moment. She raised her head to look at her mother who was sitting on the sofa with the knot of her wrapper slightly loosed at the end, the dark blue colour looking more bright and beautiful probably from the effect of the yellow light emitting from the bulb hanging at the white ceiling above the grey fan that was spinning wildly in a circular motion. Kamsi was sure that the light can be very deceiving just like when she was still in primary school, she was the one to wash her school uniform, stockings and food flask but on that faithful evening she decided to begin with watching television since there was light before doing her homework and others, but before she could get to the washing of her uniform and stockings it's already night and she was feeling tired. She felt like leaving them unwashed and going to bed but couldn't because she knew that she would be punished at school the following day for looking dirty. She sluggishly went and picked her uniform to wash and spread the gown under the yellow light focusing her eyes on the top part and looking for the particular spots that was sullied with oil while taking her lunch at school, but to her greatest surprise she couldn't find any instead it looks more whitish and clean, her stockings also looks manageable. She felt relieved as she has been saved from the ordeal of washing that night and went to bed. The next morning, she couldn't believe her eyes when she was dressing up for school and saw how dirty her uniform was especially the white part which has many stains of red oil, charcoal and others she couldn't describe. She has no choice but to wear them that way since staying at home is not an option for her because her parents won't approve and they won't even listen to her excuse and would eventually flog her for not washing her uniform before sending her to school if they find out, so she covered it with a wrapper whenever she appears before them as she prepares until she left for school. She was severely punished by her teacher later that morning and was nearly sent back home, since then she learnt her lesson.

"If you are the one, this is your chance to talk", her mother repeated looking at each of them and waiting for their response, the three of them looked at each other to know who will admit, but instead there was silence in the room except a sniffing sound made by Kamsi which could be heard from time to time, " I wonder when you will start behaving well", she continues addressing Kamsi and her two elder siblings, Ugochi and Ifechi who were standing beside her with fright.

Kamsi's heart skipped a bit when she saw the door of their father's bedroom across the hallway opened with a creaking sound, he emerges with a black cable roughly folded to many parts and bundled together, he shut the door behind him and calmly walked back to the sofa. She looked at the cable tightly gripped in his hand, it looks very strong and could imagined how painful it would be, she cried bitterly since she was sure that she wasn't the one that tore the fabric on the long sofa and doesn't know who did it either, now she would be flogged for what she doesn't know. She knows their father won't spare her no matter how hard she cried, she felt like fainting when he starts with Ifechi on his back, he always begins with him as he was the eldest.

"Oburom! It's not me!", he cried as their father angrily whipped him with the cable and always reminding him every now and then to turn his back anytime he tries to face him and carefully concentrating on it.

"Ozugonu! It's enough!", their mother pleaded on his behalf but he ignored her.

Ifechi is the only son of their parents but their father never bothered even for once unlike their mother who finds it difficult to raise her hands on him and always complains whenever her husband does. He believed that he is giving him the appropriate training he deserves to be a responsible man in the future, so he doesn't hesitate to deal with him at any slightest offense.

Kamsi realised that it will soon be her turn the moment he starts to flog Ugochi. She was their first daughter and the second to Ifechi. She believed her when she was saying that she doesn't know about the sofa because if she does, she wouldn't have hesitated in calling out the person. She herself is scared of being caned but not as scared as her and that is probably the reason she always reports anything she sees to their parents on time in other to avoid been punished along with them. She is always the first to be called out and asked, "who did it?", whenever an offense has been committed in the house and she always seems to know the answer and never afraid to name the person, whomever she calls out would be flogged even if it's a friend that came to visit any of them that did it then automatically the person that the friend came to see will receive the flogging. Kamsi wondered why she couldn't answer this very one.

"So.... you are.... in... this house..... and.... didn't...know who tore it!", their father said as he flogged her. He didn't whip her for long like ifechi and stopped. For that reason, Kamsi knew that he believed her but only flogged her because he was disappointed as to why she didn't know and for her to be vigilant next time.
He beckoned on Kamsi to come closer, but she seems too afraid to move which made her father to shout on her with a stern look on his face.

"Don't let me get up!", he barked.

She has no choice but to move closer and turned her back to him since she knows what he was capable of if he eventually gets up with anger.
He swung his right hand towards her with the cable landing heavily on her back leaving a painful mark behind.

"I said come back here", he shouted furiously as she ran out of his reach in pain.

She went closer positioning her back for him once again and it hits her in a flash. She screamed in pain on top of her voice as she rushed out with her hand rubbing her back vigorously like she's trying to locate the exact spot but couldn't as the pain radiates through all her back.

"Before i count to two, one...!.", he shouted as kamsi rushed back to him with her back turned ready to receive another lash before he reaches two.

She shuddered and couldn't stand still anymore but at the same time couldn't move as well, she just stood there in delirium and in pains as she receives the strokes on her back, for the moment all she could hear is the whipping sound, she couldn't count how many it was but felt all the pains, her eyes was already dried out as there was no more tears left to cry, all that was left was a ruby colour, as that of a chilled zobo Nonso her friend used to give her at school any day her mum prepared it with a dried roselle (hibiscus sabdariffa) flower. She opened her mouth to cry but couldn't make a sound, her chest heaving rapidly as she tries to catch her breath.

"Get out of my face", he yelled as he called her some names about being useless.

She was gently rubbing her back and slowly moving to the side to join her siblings in the line, this time her fingers were able to locate the purplish swollen marks left at her back, they were sore as she felt them.

"Get out of my sight all of you!!", he shouted and they all walked out in line.

He went to the wooden round table by the side and draw it back to the center, he took the remote from the top and switched on the television, he went back to the sofa and sat down bringing the side stool to his front, he raised his legs to it crossing them as he watches the news.