Hope after lost

Ajoke had just turned 18 years old yesterday and wished her parents were around to celebrate her birthday with her. She was sitting on her bucket at the borehole whilst waiting for Kara her best friend since childhood. Ajoke didn’t understand exactly what caused her parent’s death. She had come back from school when she saw lot of people at her house. Her parents had died, just like that. None of the elders told her the truth but she promised to find out what happened to her parents. ‘I am sorry I am late,’ said Kara as she was trying to catch a breath. ‘You are always late. What’s your story today?’ ‘My mother is always my story. My mother is lazy you know, she just expects me to do everything for her.’ Ajoke laughed remembering her own mother. Whenever Ajoke wanted to help her out with the household chores, she would tell her to go and study. Living at the village for 18 years and never visited town, Ajoke wished to travel with her parents but now that they were gone she didn’t have any plan of leaving the village life. ‘Hey, are you okay?’ asked Ajoke after seeing the sad look on her friend’s face. ‘I am okay. I just miss my parents.’ ‘Ncoo I am sorry,’ she said hugging her, ‘you know my mother treats you like her own and we are like sisters.’ Kara actually had some news for Ajoke but she didn’t know how to break the news for her. The two girls were supposed to start varsity after having passed their Advanced Level and Ajoke was the top from their class followed by Kara. Kara had been called by her uncle in America to come and do her degree in medicine. She was happy but she could have been happier if she was leaving with Ajoke but it was hard to ask her uncle if she could tag along. They fetched their water and carried the buckets on their heads. Ajoke was staying alone since her parents died. ‘I have to tell you something,’ said Kara as they were walking to their huts. ‘What is it?’ ‘I am leaving the village,’ she said. ‘Well that’s good, I always wished to leave but now I don’t think that I want to since I won’t have anywhere to stay. You know my Auntie hated my mother and she hates me too. She won’t welcome me with open arms. Where are you going?’ ‘America.’ Ajoke stopped in her tracks. ‘What!’ she exclaimed. She had thought maybe Kara was moving to one of the cities which will be easier for her to pay her a visit once in a while. If she was going to America then that simple means that she wasn’t going to see her, like never again. ‘That’s very far Kara,’ she said almost breaking. Kara although she acted strong when it comes to people that she deeply love, she was too emotional. Losing Kara will be too hard for her. Ever since her parents died, Kara had been nothing but a good friend to her. She was going to miss her very much. ‘I know friend but I promise to keep in touch. You will be leaving soon Ajoke. You got a scholarship to choose any university of your choice. You can go to Obafemi and be a res instead of going to live with your Auntie. Your parents left you plenty of cows; you can sell 2 and get money to buy yourself some clothes, stuff you might need.’ ‘You are making a good point but I would have loved to go there if you were coming along. I am going to miss you Kara. America is very far.’ The two separated ways just by the corner to Kara’s house. Ajoke hardly slept that night thinking about Kara. She was scared to lose her friend. When the day finally arrived for Kara to leave, she was accompanied by Ajoke and her mother. Kara was supposed to go to Ilawo first to buy her plane ticket and then leave for America the following day. She had given Ajoke her smart phone and promised her that she will be in touch. They said their goodbyes and the two best friends couldn’t stop crying, Kara didn’t want to leave her friend all alone but she promised her that she will come back for her. Ajoke walked back home with Kara’s mother just after Kara had board the bus. She tried sleeping that night but she couldn’t or failed to get any eye shut, memories of her and Kara tormenting her resulting in insomnia disease. She actually sat on her mat and watched the videos they had taken using Kara’s phone. She laughed and cried at the same time. When it was finally morning and she had to go at the borehole alone, her eyes were red from the crying. She walked to the borehole all alone and just smiled. Every time she went to the borehole, she had to make sure to call Kara first, even looking for firewood, she went along with her. It was going to be very hard for her to finally get used to being alone. She fetched her water and went back home only to find a missed call from Kara. When Kara called her back, she had wanted to hear her voice and told her that she had safely arrived in Ilawo and did buy her ticket. Ajoke was happy for her friend. They talked for a while until Ajoke had to hang up when she watched a car drive in her yard. She didn’t know who it belonged to. She placed her phone in her pocket and waited for the person in the car wearing sunglasses to come out of it. She took her masks and covered her mouth and nose with it. She hated the bad smelling at the village. It was different from that in town. Her mother had told her to go over and take Ajoke since both of her parents had deceased. When Ajoke realized that it was her Auntie Bunmi. She ran to her but she pushed her aside just before she could touch her. She took her sanitizer and made her clean her hands. ‘Auntie, you are welcome,’ said Ajoke as she knelt down on the ground. ‘Have you packed your clothes?’ she asked ignoring her greetings. ‘Pardon.’ Bunmi was little sister to Ajoke’s late mother. The two didn’t quiet get along because Rhoda had chosen the rural live when she married Ajoke’s father. She could have been staying in town but chose to run away with the garden boy (Ajoke’s father) disgracing her family. ‘You are leaving with me. Your grandmother said that I should come and take you.’ Ajoke would have been happy or over excited but she was nervous about moving to a new place. This was town and the city; she had never been there before. Her mother had always wanted her to go and meet her grandmother but Ajoke's father had refused, he didn’t know what Bunmi might do to their daughter. But now it was too late, she was taking her. ‘What about my cows and goats?’ Bunmi laughed out so loud. ‘You think they will fit in my car? Young lady, stop wasting my time. Go and pack your clothes we need to leave now.’ Ajoke knew that she couldn’t just leave. She needed to take care of the things her parents had left for her. Instead she decided to call her uncle from her father’s side who came over to the house when Ajoke was about to finish off packing. Bunmi was sitting in her car applying makeup. Ajoke’s uncle just walked to the door and knocked. Ajoke came out. ‘Auntie Bunmi came to take me with her. I am leaving.’ ‘On such a short notice.’ ‘Yes and I don’t know what to do with the cows and goats my parents left me.’ ‘I promise to take care of everything for her,’ and he meant it. He was actually worried that she was leaving. His brother wouldn’t be pleased to know that Bunmi was going to take care of Ajoke, in fact her uncle feared for her life. They all know Bunmi and her performance at the burial when she accused them for killing her sister. She hated Ajoke and that was a fact. Bunmi's mother had gone back to Uganda where she had been staying. She only came back when she heard that Rhoda had passed away. After the funeral she went back to Uganda and moved on with her life like nothing happened. She wasn’t hurt that much when Rhoda died, which shocked everyone when she didn’t even shed a tear at her daughter’s funeral. Bunmi might have shed few tears but she was a drama queen at the funeral. Their father died in a car accident. So Bunmi’s mother needed Ajoke to be well taken care of. She had something in mind for her. Bunmi didn’t know where her mother got all the money she sent her. She just received it and asked nothing. Bunmi was 30 years old and yet still she was not married yet and had no kid. The other thing that made Bunmi hate Ajoke was that she looked exactly like her mother. Rhoda was more beautiful than Bunmi and the reason why she had grown to dislike her sister was that every boy wanted her but never for once did they ask Bunmi out. Ajoke couldn’t even say goodbye to Kara’s mother and some of her family members. She was sitting at the back when Bunmi was driving the car. She wiped off the tears that had escaped from her eyes. She was going to miss the place and had no idea what awaited her in the city. She would have been happy to go and start her degree but she didn’t know if Bunmi was going to allow her to go to school. Bunmi’s mother had told her to send her to school for the meantime. Ajoke closed her eyes and inhaled deeply while Bunmi had increased her volume from the music she had been playing. It was going to be a long drive and she couldn’t wait to get home and have a cold bath. She felt pissed off that she had to share her house with her late sister’s child. She only agreed to take in Ajoke because her mother had said so but if it wasn’t for her then Ajoke wouldn’t have done it. She hated Ajoke and she sure was going to make her suffer.