I don't know where the idea came the next day but I thanked God for it. I got up from bed and began to get prepared for school. I went to the kitchen to make some tea for myself and my mom. Then I woke her up from sleep.
"Janet" I called, tapping her. I didn't want to call her that but I was scared she might hurt me.
"Mm hm!" she responded softly, rubbing her eyes and tilting her head away from my face.
"Wake up jor!" I playfully commanded, "I need to go to school"
She opened her eyes, turned her face to me, scanned my body, shone her eyes even wider and jolted.
"School?"
"Yes, dear. School"
Her face looked scared and concerned.
"But...but...but..." she stuttered, turning her head left and right
"Janet, don't worry. I may be gone long but I'll surely be back. I'll buy you meshai, okay?"
She smiled and nodded.
Wow! This was easy than I thought!
"Good girl. Oya, come let's have breakfast"
***
"Where is your mother, Mirabel?"
Ugh! Can't this day get any better?
School was a bad idea. It came out of my inability to think critically. I got embarrassed in class that day.
"Class stand!" the class monitor announced.
I didn't hear that clearly.
"Greet!" he added.
I still didn't hear clearly.
"Good morning, Miss Ifeoma. You are welcome to SS1. How has your day been?" the class chorused.
I wasn't sure if it was a dream.
"My day has been great by Go...Mirabel!"
I heard that one!
I jolted, "Ma" I answered, standing up. Small giggles and jeering filled the classroom.
"Were you dozing in my class?" came the question.
"Dozie! Dozie!" my classmates mocked.
"Will you guys shut it?" Miss Ifeoma hushed them, "And not only were you dozing, Mirabel. You were snoring. Like a starving pig"
"Jesus is Lord!" came the class jester and everyone except Miss Ifeoma laughed.
"That was so embarrassing, Mirabel"
Embarrassing for who exactly?
"And take a look at your shirt. You were drooling upon everything. What were you doing last night? If one WhatsApp boy is depriving you of your sleep with romantic texts and dick pics, you better..."
"What the fuck does my sleeping in class have to do with some boy? Is that the only thing a girl does late at night? Or maybe that's what you used to do but you know what, it doesn't matter. Please ma, my head is very hot so don't come and add salt to my wounds"
YOU ARE READING
Handling Grief
Teen Fiction"Leave me alone, Dianne!" I protested, shaking my cousin's hand off my shoulder. "Mirabel, I'm only trying to help. Think about it na. Your dad is dead and your mother is insane...!" "...my mother is not insane...!" I screamed at her, raising my pre...
