Against All Odds

Chapter Fourteen: Crying with The Skies

As Obi sieved the corn paste into the bowl which had been carved out for the sole purpose of pap making, she thought of the last time her father had visited them. Her left hand drew water from the pail and ran it over the paste while her right hand spread the pasted over the sieve to cover more surface area and aid the process.

The chaff that refused to pass through the tiny openings while the pap was allowed to settle in the bowl. Akamu was the least favorite food of Obi, it made her drowsy every time she happened to take it. Her mother had gotten the idea of supplying Akamu to the traders in their local market and Obi was the one left to do it. She had tried to coerce her brother into helping her and he refused, when she yelled at him he told her that he was "maniacally bewildered at her sudden outrageous outburst"

Stunned by his words which seemed too complex for a child his age, Obi walked out and tasked him to do another thing.
She knew her brother had taken a keen interest to searching for words in the dictionary "the Oxford dictionary" her father had bought her when their English teacher insisted that every student must have one.

Tobe and the girls didn't know about the new development with their father and Obi often wondered how they'd take the news.

Obi remembered how her father had run his hand through her hair and she giggled like a child, the last time he visited. " ịdị ka onye ara" you look like a mad person) he often teased her about her full afro and would give her money to make the hair because he claimed that it scared him.

Her father liked telling stories like mma and he would instruct Obi to scratch his back or massage his back when he told her tales of his adventure.

"You have a tiny toe just like me"

Obi had beamed when she discovered one feature she had claimed from her father as he spoke about his job.

Her father looked down at her feet and shook his head "The apple does not really far too far from the tree"

Obi noticed that his countenance had changed all of a sudden. "o wughi mgbe e gburu osisi ka ọ n'akponwu" a tree does not die immediately after it is cut down. Obi didn't understand the proverb but she had a feeling it had to do with his sudden somber mood. Was there something he regretted? Something that he had brought upon himself. Obi remembered being so concerned but as he left the next day the concerns left her mind. He promised her so many things if she passed her entrance examination and Obi couldn't wait for the time to come.

She was in a new class and her father didn't seem to be around. After sieving the corn Obi washed her hands and kept the bowl in the kitchen where it'll be undisturbed and set out to prepare for school.

Their mother had gone to the market and would be coming back in two days time. Obi had so many things on her mind and she only read for about two hours for her literature test before exhaustion drove her to sleep on a bare stomach.

"Hapụ m! Leave me!" Oluebube yelled
Her scream drew Obi's attention and she rushed to check on them.

"What happened?"

She doesn't want to me brush her teeth, she wants to do it herself. Her mouth will smell. Ogbasakwara nụ m" Tobe clearly annoyed spoke

Obi tried to reason with her little sister who opted that she did the brushing herself. "ọ na emerụ m ahụ" He's been giving me wounds. Tobe was not subtle when it came to dealing with the girls.

Tobe glared at the little girl hissed and called her a nuisance before walking out.

Obi didn't even have the strength to deal with her brother's grammar, she managed to prepare them and walk them to school before going to her own school.