MAMLEY

MORNING DEW

"Ayiku, come and say hello to your Auntie" Rita called out to her then five year old who was running around the garden where she was seated and entertaining her sister-in-law, Sheila. Sheila was her husband's younger sister who lived in Kumasi and had come to visit the family over the weekend. Rita always made sure she gave anybody who walked through their gates the warmest welcome she could possibly give, especially family. Rita had been married to Daniel for the past 13 years and they had been blessed with three wonderful children; Mamley who was 12, Nene who was 7 and Ayiku who was 5.
Ayiku run to his mother's side and shyly smiled. Sheila smiled back and asked how he was doing. The little boy simply nodded in reply then quickly run to the gate when he heard it open noisily. He knew it was his sister Mamley, and his brother Nene. Mamley hugged him tightly while Nene tickled him in their normal way of saying hello. As he laughed heartily, he snorted rather loudly which made his older siblings burst out in laughter too. They soon made their way to where the two older women sat and greeted them. Nene looked excited as he greeted Auntie sheila, expecting a gift of edibles from her which she always brought for the trio whenever she visited. It's as if Auntie Sheila had read his mind.
"I brought you some goodies" she said rummaging through her bright red bag.  Nene squealed in excitement and was already thanking her. She gave each of them a bottle of soda and a pack of chocolate chip cookies each. Mamley calmly thanked her and carried Ayiku into the house while Nene had already torn open his pack of cookies and was nimbling at it like a refugee who hadn't eaten for months.

That evening, Auntie Sheila stayed for supper and Mamley felt uneasy about it. Mamley looked at the bowl of rice ball and ground nut soup in front of her and soon got lost in thought. Why was Auntie Sheila really there this late? Was she going to spend the night there? Mamley had always been an intuitive but reserved young girl who spent most  of her time in her own head. Some people had attributed that trait in her to her father who was a man of few words  and some even said she should have rather comes as a boy. As a child, it used to bother her but lately, it no longer tickled her in the least. All that mattered was that her father accepted her and loved her, regardless of whether she was a boy or a girl. She turned and saw Ayiku walk towards her chair with his small bowl. Mamley knew that he wanted her to feed him so she set her food on the nearest coffee table and smiled at her little brother. Last bébé, as he was affectionately called, was simply a happy child who saw beauty in everything. Mamley loved how purely he loved and the innocence that was constantly glistening in his eyes.

That night Mamley was jolted from sleep by some sobs coming from the next room and she wondered what the problem was. She leaned against the wall and put her ears to wall to see if she could hear anything at all from the guest room. She soon heard her mum's voice but could not make out what was being said. Her *kokonsah* (gossip) ears were itching to hear what could cause a fully grown woman to cry like that. She slowly took the covers of her and carefully got down from her bed, then slid her petite feet into her black *chalewote* (flip flops). She slipped out of her dark room into the dimly light corridor. Luckily, the door leading to the guestroom was slightly opened but she knew better than to stand there and eavesdrop. If caught, she would be in serious trouble so she walked to the washroom at the end of the corridor. She entered but didn't fully close the door. She somehow heard her mum assure Auntie Sheila that she would make the money available to her. She soon heard her father console Auntie Sheila and this meant it was a serious case. Mamley had heard enough so she quietly made it back to her room and laid in her bed.

Daniel had always loved his wife and children but he was especially drawn to his daughter. She was a carbon copy of him in both looks and character. He always felt more comfortable sharing his thoughts and plans with her than even his wife and Mamley always had a matured point of view though she was young. He was proud of her and could not have asked for a better first born. He was a hardworking investment banker in the largest bank in the country. He earned enough to open a big supermarket for his wife and a beauty saloon for her as a side business. He had also built a hostel close to the city's biggest University and that served as another source of income for the family. They were more than comfortable financially and frequently took occasional trips around the world and enjoyed some luxuries that life had to offer. Mamley, Nene and Ayiku went to the best schools, in the country and they did well academically. What more could he have asked for? He eventually became the bread winner of his extended family and he did his best to support them in any way that he could. He believed in family and all that came with it.