Chronicles of Chidera

CHRONICLES OF CHIDERA 3

Episode 3

I was having a series of dreams, some of which were beautiful and the rest, terrible.

I opened my eyes to behold everything blue and blurry. I couldn't make out where I was until I saw a silhouette of a feminine figure caressing my palm. Yet, everywhere was still blurry, then the person noticed I was awake and ran out shouting 'doctor! Doctor!!'

My lips were parted with a pipe, I tried to rise but some part of my body wouldn't move.

Shortly, the person returned with a man in a white overall. He examined me and wiped some gummy fluid off my eyes. Then I opened my eyes to behold Anty Esther. Do you remember her? My favorite aunt, my mom's younger sister.

She was in tears but happily waving her hands in thanksgiven to God.

The doctor gave me a few injections and then sat beside me, holding my hands, he smiled.

"you are in the hospital, you were in an accident. Do you remember? "

I tried to speak but my voice has long traveled, I tried to nod but my neck area was numb so, he let me be with a firm promise that I will be fine in no time.

He beckoned on my aunt, they spoke inaudibly for a while then he left.

I began to recollect things, I remembered my name, my parents, my friends, the interior of our mansion, my toys, my room, my school, and that I was on my way to see my little friend who had just come from heaven to see me... Then, I remembered the accident, the coalition of our car into the big tree and I quickly jacked up... My aunt rushed to me and called the doctor.

It's been a few days since I first woke up and today is the first day I would speak.

"anty where is my mom and dad?"

For a few minutes, she was lost, as if trying to find the answer on the wall. She cleared her throat several times as though a lump was building up there.

"they traveled. They went to London, they left instructions that I bring you once you recover. So, my darling, focus on recovering fast so that we can go already. They've been calling, they can't wait to see you either"

She threw her face west, away from me.

"what about the baby?"

Her voice became shaky and rusty. She was obviously hiding her face from me.

"Oh, the baby? He went with them, he too will be excited to see you"

"anty, I and my dad had an accident together, how come he left for London first without me?"

She fell quiet, heavily quiet, trying to be strong. She must have rehearsed well for the previous questions but, she didn't think I'd ask her a strategic question. So, she belled on me.

"oh, it's time for your tea, let me go and fetch hot water from the kitchen"

She left hastily with her face buried in her palms.

I had begun to walk and talk well. all these while, I was bandaged almost head to foot, but most of the bandages had been removed. Only the one on my head, thigh, and neck was remaining. I woke up to play cards plastered all over the room, a very mighty cake, toys, and gifts of all kinds. Looks like this deco was done while men slept. I sat up and the nurses and doctors and my aunts (all of my mom's sisters), my father's immediate younger brother, and two of my father's sisters began to sing a happy birthday song for me. Most were in tears, they hugged me severally and gave me their gifts in turns.

I was just surprised and confused. How can they be celebrating my birthday on a wrong day?

"Today is not my birthday, I wasn't born in March, I was born July 9th"

They fell dumb as they glared at each other. Anty Comfort their eldest sister approached me and spoke up.

"Well honey, you see, you've been here for quite some time now. You are right sweetie, your birthday is July 9 and today is July 9"

What? How can I have been here from March to July?

God!

"Where are my parents? I want to see my mommy"

I wailed bitterly.

They consoled me all they could, yet, I wouldn't stop crying and asking to see my parents until the doctor came and gave me an injection and... I passed out.

One month after the day I first woke up.

All bandages have been loosed, my body was filled with marks of different kinds and shapes. deep, shallow, and scary marks are all I see when I look at my body. I noticed something strange, if I go out in the morning for my exercise in the hospital field, not many kids like to play with me, they avoided me like plague, some run from me, and some of the little ones cry when they see me, some point fingers from far and laugh at me. I kept wondering why and whenever I ask my aunt why she will always tell me that the other kids have never seen a child as wonderful and special as I am and that's why they run.

"but anty, it seems something is wrong with my face, whenever I touch it, I feel there's a big scar there"

"the scar is very little and will go away in no time, it's not as big as your hand makes you believe it is"

she will always say.

But, I know that there's a huge scar there and I always touch it, though I don't feel any pain there but it seems huge.

"anty, why has grandma not visited us, why did everyone peace you to cater for me? "

I would always ask because I knew I had a close relationship with my grandma, my father's mom. my mom's parents had passed away a long time so I never met them. I wondered why grandma, who loved me a lot, never came to visit us, even on my birthday, she didn't come.

"well Dera, grandma is busy taking care of our new baby in London. That's what mothers do, they go for Omugwo when their children put to bed"

Finally, they discharged us and I was looking forward to seeing my parents or even going to our mansion.

The taxi pulled up in front of a small compound with different people coming out from it, the place was dirty and unkept, I'd never seen that kind of people before, dirty looking children running up and down, people selling things in every corner, men pushing barrow with loads in it and so many strange things I never knew existed.

Anty Esther led me to a small apartment and opened its door, twas a one-room apartment, scarcely furnished. As we were entering the compound very few people greeted us and almost all who saw us looked at me with disdain and disgust, most quickly moved away from me as if I was a terrible disease and I wondered why.

"But, anty where is this? Take me home"

"This is your new home, this is where you will be staying until our papers are ready, then we leave for London to go and meet your parents "

"no anty, please take me home, can't we wait for the papers in our mansion? I don't like it here"

As if irritated she shouted

"look here young lady, the earlier you accept here as your new home, the better for you. You don't have to like it here, I detest this place, but I have no choice. So, quit stressing me with your bullshit "

I started crying and she left almost immediately to bring in some of our bags left in the taxi boot. I quickly looked around for a mirror, I didn't see any, but I saw a DVD plate, I quickly grabbed it and turned the shiny mirror-like part to see my face, to see why people run from me, and Lo and behold what I saw shocked me to my bone marrow.

Half of my face was damaged, completely damaged... The plate fell from my hand because my face was too scary to behold. With shaky hands, I picked the plate up again and looked, at the skin on my face, folded into different lumps, very dark and unpleasant. There was a very big deep cut, an irreparable one covering from my nose to my left ear. I let out a very loud scream, louder than the one I screamed shortly before our car collided with the tree... And my aunt ran in to see me with the plate, sitting on the floor crying... She held me and we cried together.

She began to sing

because he lives... You can face tomorrow... Because God lives... All fear is gone... Because I know o o o he has your future... Your life is worth a living just because he lives...

And oh yes! We cried, but within me, I had hope, my hope was; everything will be alright once I see my parents.