Her Tears

AISHA'S POV  My parents died when I was 6 years old in a terrible car accident. I had no one to take care of me except my Aunty, Mrs. Tolu who offered to raise me as her child. She has 3 children, 2 girls and a boy, all who are seniors to me by two years except the last born, Bella, who is a junior to me. I have lived with her from then till now. At first, everything was smooth and lovely. She treated me like her only child and gave me good every day with kindness and love in her heart. I felt the happiness of having someone like her until last year as a beast. Her children (Bella, Dave and Leny) treated me like their own sister until their mother started hating me as if I was her problem, or as if I killed her husband. The moment all her children turned against me, just like their mother, it was only Dave who stood by me. He sometimes stole his mother's food and fed me with his own hands. He treated me so nicely and I grew to love him. Mrs. Tolu promised to put me in secondary school as I only attended a primary school, but she never kept her promise again. She made me hawk on the streets and sold things for her. Sometimes she would wake me up as early as 5 AM, and ask me to go to the streets to sell her fruits to her regular customers. I wept that I had to live without a mom and dad. If only they were alive, I wouldn't have suffered like this. MRS TOLU'S POV Where is this girl of a thing? I thought you woke up early enough today, so why are you still in this house? Take the goods and move over to the streets and start selling them. You know most of my customers like eating fruit this morning, so please hurry up. But MA, please I wanted to tell you something, Aisha said and knelt down before me. Ohhh, this one you are kneeling down, see I don't have money for you ooo, because you are planning to beg me FOR money, I said and kept listening to her. Aunty, please promise to put me in secondary school with your children, but, but now I haven't started secondary school yet, please, MA, I would like to attend secondary school, she said" and was to stand up when I held her hand. Ohh, so this is why you didn't go to the streets to sell my fruits, right?? Now let me tell you, school is not for you, Aisha. Hope you have heard from me. Now get out and go sell my fruit, get up from here, nonsense. Hey mom, we are living", Bella and her sister said as they came to get money from me for their lunch in school. Hey mom, what is she doing here at this time? I thought she was supposed to be at the market square by this time selling our fruits, Leny asked as she saw Aisha standing before me. . She left her, she came and asked me to sponsor her education in secondary school. I replied. As if you are her mother, Leny said, looking at her. Ohh my dear Leny, thanks for that. As if I was her mother, I replied. But mom, she deserves education too, like us, Dave said, coming down from his room. If you don't have anything to say, just keep quiet, I said, and slapped his face. WISDOM'S POV I'm leaving mom, my driver is here. Okay my son, just remember to get me some fruit when you are back from school, mom said and hugged me. By the way, where you normally get those fruits, they are always so sweet and neatly packaged. Well, it's just from a beautiful girl. I do buy fruit from her, and she is a nice and beautiful girl too, I replied. I didn't ask you if she is a nice or beautiful girl, I was just asking you where you buy those fruits. Mom teased. Ah ah mom, I mean you would even love to meet this girl. She is a very respectful girl, although I haven't had a word or conversation with her yet, I replied. I should be leaving now mom, see you later, I said, and kissed her cheek. Bye son, remember the fruits please, mom said and waved. That day I wanted to check if the girl had come to the market square yet. Since our school is located near the market square, I will have the chance to check if she has actually come to the market. I kept looking at the road to check if she had come to the market, but unlike her, she wasn't there. Hope everything is alright. She is always very early to come to the market, so what happens today?? Anyway, when I am going home, I just hope she will be available so I can get some go home. I must not forget to ask her name today, I muttered and lay down on the car seat.