22
720 Words
Chapter 22.
Two days after, the crowd had reduced but the painstill seemed so fresh as our heartache intensified.
The ridiculous way my mum died seemed so unusual.
As I was told, mom was not even sick, she was hale and healthy. She was even all smiles that faithful morning and was preparing to go to shop, sister Tomiwa was not around, she had taken Pamilerin to school.
Then she slipped on the tile floor and just died immediately, just like that. Dad was the one who witnessed it since he was seated on the dinning table eating when she fell.
The fall was normal and not even that hard that dad said he didn't even stand up to tend to her at first but when he noticed that she wasn't getting up, he then rushed to her side only to find out that she wasn't breathing anymore.
Even little Pamilerin joined me in not eating for days.
Aunt Enitan who had been checking on us every hour walked into my room and sat on the bed.
I didn't even look at her.
"Tiwalade, you haven't eaten anything since you came back from school and you are looking so pale and lean. Please, dear, eat. I even cooked fried rice which I learnt that you girls love a lot..."
On another occasion, I would have jumped up on hearing fried rice but at that time, the agony I was feeling overshadowed my best food, the appetite just didn't come.
"Sweetheart, I know that you feel like everything is a dream, I can feel your pain..."
I zoned her out looking at the entrance of my room as if expecting mum to just walk in and say something like,
"They said I'm dead, can you imagine that? Tiwa, go and warm the stew jare!"
"Tiwa... Tiwa!" A masculine voice kept repeating sounding like it was from a distance, I looked up to see my brother waving his hands in front of my face as if trying to snap me out of my trance.
How come I didn't notice him walk in?
"Brother!" I screamed both in excitement and sadness.
Excitement because it had long since I saw him and sadness because our mum's death was what brought him home.
Brother Jide hugged me as I weeped on his shoulder, he had always been my bestfriend in this house before university and youth service took him away from me.
"Ssh...ssh, its okay, baby, its okay" He consoled patting my back trying to act like he wasn't affected too but then I could see through the mask.
Pamilerin and Sister Tomiwa walked into my room and joined in the hug, Aunt Enitan left the room giving us some siblings moment.
Turned out to be what we needed!
Fifteen minutes later, I broke the comfortable silence,
"How has service been, bro?"
"Stressful and damn boring. I can't wait to get it over with!" He complained while I chuckled.
"And then you go into the real world you don't even know anything about which is even more stressful!" Sister Tomiwa snapped.
Really? Is she supposed to start a fight right now?
"What do you know about the real world, Tomiwa?" Brother Jide questioned in an irritated tone.
"I know more than you do, a lot if I might add. I work and earn money too, you know" Sister Tomiwa bragged while I rolled my eyes.
Talk about the black sheep!
"By w*****g around? Do you know how many of my area friends have testified to having their way with you for a cheap amount at that? Calling you my sister is so embarrassing!" Brother Jide siad bitterly.
My brother and older sister never got along, they just never did. They acted like Tom and Jerry everytime they were within the same vicinity. Couldn't they even put that aside for a while?
"Then don't call me your sister! I don't want to be a looser's sister anyways" Sister Tomiwa snapped angrilly as she left the room.
Had mom's death affected her brain?
"I have to make sure that girl doesn't corrupt my two babies. Promise me you won't follow her footsteps, okay? Please" He said to Pamilerin and I and we both nodded.
I was so happy to have my favourite sibling around despite the sad occurrence.
- Writer
