Greenfield

As the rain poured heavily on her little old house whose roof top has been filled with cracks screaming for a change and some holes where drop of water spills through the ceiling to the ground where she lay, she watched keenly as the bowl she placed on the floor to obstruct the water from soaking her tiny bed gets filled up in a minute. Listra has come to enjoying her dreamy personality. One that serves as an escape from her reality. When she drifts into the oblivion, she enjoys the luxury it serves; sweet, compelling,too real to be true and relaxing. Sometimes she wishes she could transport those dreams of hers into reality. But listra is actually one whose dream is just one step closer to actualization because once she thinks of something, her next step favors her imaginations; she must put them in action. Her mother lay in her wooden bamboo bed with the lantern lowered so that the shimmer of light is radiating through the wooden plank that was placed to shield it from the heavy wind.she has long doze off after the days hectic activities. Not only did they finish peeling the breadfruit seed which will be sold in the next market day, but she had to extract the palm kernel seed from its bunch in order to allow it soften and ready for processing. Listra as a teenager had always dreamt of the best for herself and family. Whenever she remembers the condition of things at home she only drift into her imaginative state where they are living a luxurious life and how she is the center of attraction in her community. She lay there motionless, listening to the sound of the heavy thunder. This only makes her heart skip every second alongside the rhythm of the rain. “I must build a house for my mum”;she said to herself. As she thinks of this, she has already envisioned how it will look like; a beautiful cottage with garden filled with all kinds of flowery plant, a pavement where they can always sit in the night and tell stories of the days event and also a little charcoal pot where her mother can always prepare meal without having to search the whole bush in her neighborhood just to get a dry firewood to prepare meal for the family. Thinking of that, this has always been her worst nightmare; preparing meal with a soaked firewood that has no atom of dryness in it which brings out more smoke than fire. Whenever she is faced with this situation, tears ignited by the smoke gushes out from her eyes with her breath ceasing and running nose rushing out from her like a fountain.Yes I must also buy a charcoal pot where we can only pour coal and lit the fire without having to bend and blow out smoke. She didn’t know when she slept off to awake a new day still filled with the dentation of the previous rainy day. As she twist and stretched, she glanced at her mother’s bed realizing she is no longer there. “Hardworking woman”; she murmured and stood up to arrange her night pack. Her beddings are always stack at a side once she wakes up in the morning only to be retrieved and arranged while retiring to bed at night.These has been her daily routine. Listra , a very imaginative girl and a bright dazzling star seem to have life at its fullest even though her surroundings scream otherwise. She is sharp, intelligent and beautiful . Her skin is like the earth itself, brown and glowing with moisture. She has a dark small eyes covered with nice set of hairy eyebrows. When she stares at you, one would be lost in her eyes . They are like deep ocean; sharp and sensitive. She has a very good legs which perfectly fit her slim curvy body. Her curves seems to have emanated having clocked fifteen. Her features is a typical example of an African black queen. Listra’s school which is a few yards away from her house has been one which she achieved by herself alone. She takes care of her academics using the money she fetches from picking cracked palm kernel , selling snails which she picks at night with her mates in the neighborhood (a tradition seen during the rainy season). Snail hunting has been a ritual in the community which every young lad look up to. It Is where those who cannot afford a well prepared snail meal gets the opportunity to fulfil their cravings after having the opportunity to catch them during hunting and also on a very high market demand. Listra as an active lady was thought hunting mechanism by her mother. She does not come back the next morning with an empty container. The snails come out of their holes from twelve midnight and that is the time everyone dashes to the bush in search of them. At school she maintained a good personality. Though she is not good with mathematics, biology and economics at the earlier stage, yet she was bent on getting good grades. Her life in senior secondary has been a dreamy one. She wish she could fly high to the sky just to get the type of life she wants for herself and family. Having born as the first child with just one young boy as her junior, she was accustomed to caring for herself and sibling. When her mates at school were after having a short printed gown as school uniform, having the latest reigning sandals or plaiting the best style of hair, her mature mind is already thinking of life after their final examination. She wants the best for herself,she wants to go to higher institution, she wants to be seen, heard and recognized. She wants to be a philanthropist, a helper of her community. Above all she wants to be respected.