Melancholy...

Chapter 22

It had been days since my mother was admitted into the hospital. Each day was filled with pain and uncontrollable tears. Everything was so new to me. I was a child taking care of children and it was just so odd to me.

The struggle for food and stability had increased tremendously. I still went out to hawk , but I left the house late and came back early because in the mornings I had to clean the house and get my sisters ready for school and in the evening,I had to come home early before Sister Owusuwaa closed from work.

We had been talking to a few banks and philanthropists to see if we could get a loan but nothing seemed to work. They required that I bring a biological family member and none of my family members I had contacted were interested enough.

Things were difficult,but manageable until yesterday. Yesterday the hospital called Sister Oeusuwaa(who's number we had used to complete the forms) and told her that my mother would be put off drip and made to sleep outside of the ward if part of the hospital bill was not paid by the end of the week. Her condition had worsened too and she could not do anything on her own know.

Just when I was recovering from the shocking news I had received from the hospital, that crazy landlord came late at night to sack us. He knew very well that to create a scene, he would have to come late at night and he did just that.
Around 11pm,he came banging on the door,disrupting my our sleep as well as that of those nosey tenants. He made a scene,screaming on top of his voice when he clearly didn't have to and banging random objects.

I told you all he belongs to the streets.

After sometime,he finally decided that it was enough for the night after a tenant intervened and pleaded on our behalf. She probably pleaded because they must have been bored of the argument. I just stood there calm and collected as the landlord screamed on top of his voice. Everyone but me went to bed. I stayed awake the whole night thinking about the bastard's proposal.

At the moment, I was hawking on the streets. Since my mother was not around, I took some of the items she used to sell and balanced it with the sachet water. This meant that my fragile body carried more weight, leading to tiredness,headaches and so on.

My thoughts were interrupted when a woman in her moving trotro snapped her fingers loudly and shouted for a sachet water seller. Running after the car as fast as my tired legs could,I balanced the tray of chewing gum and toffees on my left hand and with my right hand,took one of the sachets of water from the basin and gave it to her.

She snatched the sachet of water rudely and threw the 20 pesewa coin at me. I caught it before it fell to the ground and quickly ran out of the road before the other drivers could start blowing their horns. Safely on the pavement,I wiped my forehead with my left index finger and watched as sweat dripped from it. I was tired.

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The long day had come to an end. After hawking on the streets,I went to visit my mother at the hospital with Sister Owusuwaa and my siblings. When Crystal saw her,she just burst out into tears. I was so surprised because Crystal barely cried. She was so much of a positive person that you'd think that her eyes couldn't produce tears.

Sister Owusuwaa tried to hold back her tears and Mia was gently tapping my sleeping mother,trying to wake her up. I stood there in pain. Though I had seen her multiple times,my heart still ached whenever I saw her. After giving her a bath and getting her to eat something,we left the hospital, of course, after I had been reminded of the consequences of unpaid bills.

Right now,we were at home eating dinner. I looked at the plate of yam and stew in front of me and sighed. In the last few days, I had lost a lot of weight that people didn't even recognise me again. I didn't have an appetite. I just played around with the food until I got tired of it. My mind was blank, yet a little voice seemed to penetrate through my mind once in a while like water seeping through a rock.

"The bastard's proposal." It would say continuously. I brushed it off all the time but today, I found myself thinking about it.

I mean it wouldn't be that bad. Stay there for a year and get an insane amount of money. I can do this right? I thought.

My eyes followed the oil disintegrating from the stew on the plate slowly as my mind raced. After minutes of silence,I raised my head slowly. I had made my decision.

I was going to take the proposal.

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Hi everyone! How are you? I miss you all so much. Thank you for sticking around for this weeks update. I do appreciate it.
Today,I didn't answer any question because I have answered all(or so I think). If your question hasn't been answered kindly send them again. You can also send new questions. I'll answer them.

Please note that this is a work of fiction so some situations may differ from that of real life situations.

Please share,like and comment.
Xoxo,
Arianna.