Handling Grief

Chapter Six

Maybe I was wrong. Being here isn't a bad idea after all.

It was the fifth week of my stay at Aunty Chichi's place. She lived at Omole Estate. I wasn't having a total bad time as I thought I would. It seemed Aunty Chichi was recovering or had recovered.

She continued to let me go out to see my mom on Saturdays as we had agreed. My mom and Doctor Richard usually had so much great time every week, she didn't miss me any longer.

I was more like a fun bonus for her weekends. There was something about Doctor Richard that nine year old Janet liked. Who am I kidding? Even fourteen year old Mirabel / Miracle liked him.

One day, we nestled at Dominoes pizza. My mom was playing with her plate of pizza while Doctor Richard and I were chatting with her.

Then Doctor Richard popped the question.

"Janet, you know your sister Miracle is dead right?"

She stopped butchering her pizza slice and looked at her doctor.

She chuckled, "Uncle Richard, you are very funny. See Miracle next to you now!" she squeaked and pointed at me then she resumed her butchering.

Myself and Doctor Richard exchanged a quick glance. I bit my lip while he patted my shoulder.

"Wow!" I exclaimed but in a whisper.

"What is the matter?" he asked, looking concerned.

"My dad used to give me those taps on the shoulder" I told him.

"Really?" he asked, turning to face me properly, "When does he do that?" came his question, along with one of those very warm and friendly smiles of his.

"Sometimes I give him my assignments to help me out. He doesn't do them for me" I chuckled softly.

"He would take his time..." I paused to look at my friend, "...He wasn't ever busy..." I told him.

"Hmm! That's a nice dad you got there"

"I know right. So he would teach me my assignments in the simplest way possible. Then, he would watch me do the assignments on my own. When I did it and got some answers wrong, I'd sigh, disappointed in myself. But then he'd tap me the same way you just did. It meant try again"

He didn't say anything. He just reached for my face and wiped the tears I had no idea was flowing.

"How do you feel now?" he finally asked.

"Stronger than before, I guess. I don't think I would have been able to do any of this without you, Doctor Richard. Thank you so much"

"You're welcome"

"Uncle Richard!" my mom called. We turned to her to meet that she had gotten bored with butchering pizza slice.

"Yes, Janet" he answered.

"Don't ever take me to Dominion Plaza again!" she told him.

Both of us blinked first before bursting into a hearty laughter which my mom joined in, though clueless.

***

At school, people actually proved to be very caring. That is, a few people. Chidera Samuel, Favour Sunday and Emmanuela Ogbonna were my nemesis since we started Cayley college.

Tolani, my friend in class, assured me all the time that they were jealous of me. She told me they felt I had too much. I considered them silly. Three of them had first class parents. They were rich and lacked nothing. They even had boyfriends. I still find myself wondering what I had that they didn't.