ANITA’S PAINFUL LOVE

Chapter 2:The Price

The rain began to pour softly at first, then heavily against the dry zinc roof. The water slapped the roof like small stones, and the cold wind blew through the cracks in the wooden window.

Anita’s heart was beating very fast, almost jumping out of her chest. She stood frozen beside her father’s creaky wooden bed, holding her breath.

"Papa, who could be knocking at this time of the night?" Anita whispered, her voice shaking with fear. "It is past two in the morning." She said, frowning her face.

Michael tried to lift himself up, but a sharp pain shot through his lower back. He gasped and fell back onto his thin mattress. "Anita, do not go near that door. Stay right here beside me."

They both waited in complete silence, listening closely. Outside, the rain roared louder, and the wind whistled through the trees around their small hut.

After a few long seconds, Anita tiptoed carefully toward the small window. She placed her bare feet softly on the cold dirt floor, making sure not to make any sound. She slowly pulled back a small corner of the old curtain and looked outside into the dark night.

The heavy rain was falling fast, blurring her sight. The small yard was completely empty. The wooden gate was swinging gently in the wind, but there was nobody standing by the door. No shadows, no footsteps, nothing.

"Is anyone there, my child?" Michael asked from the bed, his eyes wide with worry.

Anita let the curtain drop and walked quickly back to her father's side. "Nobody is there, Papa. It was just the wind pushing a loose piece of wood against the door."

Michael let out a long breath of relief, resting his head back on his old pillow. "Thank God. In these hard times, one has to be very careful," he said softly.

Anita sat on the edge of the bed and gently pulled the thin blanket back over her father’s legs. She closed her eyes for a moment, bowed her head, and said a sweet, silent prayer in her heart. "Dear God, please protect my father. Please heal his broken back and take away his pain. Give him a long life so he can see me succeed. Amen." Anita prayed with pain in her heart.

When she opened her eyes, she saw her father looking at her with a gentle smile.

"Anita," Michael said softly, reaching out to touch her hand. "Do not worry so much about me. God, who brought us this far, will not abandon us now. My back may hurt, but my spirit is strong because I have you," he said with a smile.

"I just want you to get better, Papa," Anita said, wiping a small tear from her cheek. "I want you to be healthy again."

"I will be fine, my daughter," Michael assured her, smiling warmly. "Now tell me how your preparations are going for your WAEC and JAMB examinations? Are you ready to face the papers?"

Anita’s face lit up with a little spark of excitement despite her tiredness. "Yes, Papa! I read every day. I want to pass all my subjects with straight A's. I want to score very high in JAMB so I can get admission into the university."

"That is my girl," Michael said, his eyes shining with pride. "And what do you want to study at the university?"

"I want to study Medicine and become a medical doctor, Papa," Anita declared, her voice full of determination. "I want to wear a clean white coat, a stethoscope around my neck, and treat sick people. I want to treat people with back pain like yours so they can walk again without hurting. And I want to make sure no mother dies while giving birth to her baby," she said with a sad smile.

Michael’s heart was touched deeply by her words. He squeezed her small hand tightly. "You will become a great doctor, Anita. I believe in you with all my heart. You will sit in big offices and save many lives."

"But Papa," Anita said, looking down at her hands, "the registration fees for WAEC and JAMB are very expensive. We need a lot of money before the registration deadline closes next month."

"Do not worry about the money, my child," Michael said firmly. "God will provide a way. You just focus on your books and leave the rest to me," he assured her.

"No, Papa, I will help," Anita replied strongly. "I am young and strong. I will do everything I can to raise the money," she said, smiling.

The next morning, the heavy rain had stopped, leaving the ground wet and muddy. The sun rose brightly in the sky, signaling the start of another long day.

At 4:00 AM, while the morning air was still very chilly, Anita woke up. She swept the wet compound, fetched heavy buckets of water from the village pump, and prepared a warm bowl of corn porridge for her father. She placed his wooden cane beside his bed, kissed his forehead, and ran off to school.

After school ended in the afternoon, Anita did not go home to rest. She walked quickly to the big restaurant located near the busy motor park. The restaurant was owned by a strict, wealthy woman named Madam Rose.

The back of the restaurant was filled with massive stacks of dirty plates, greasy pots, and oily spoons from hundreds of customers who had eaten during the lunch rush.

Anita tied an old apron around her waist, knelt on the damp concrete floor, and began scrubbing the dishes with a hard brush and soap. The hot water burned her sore fingers, and the smell of leftover food filled her nose, but she did not stop. She scrubbed plate after plate, bowl after bowl, working as fast as her hands could move.

Hours passed. Her back began to ache terribly, and her arms felt heavy like lead, but every time she felt like slowing down, she pictured the WAEC registration form in her mind. "I must buy my forms," she kept telling herself. "I must become a doctor." She would always say to herself.

By 7:00 PM, when the last mountain of dishes was finally clean and stacked neatly on the shelves, Madam Rose walked to the back kitchen. She checked the sparkling clean plates and handed Anita a small role of crumpled banknotes.

"Here is your pay for today, Anita," Madam Rose said, looking at the hardworking girl. "You worked very hard today."

"Thank you so much, Ma!" Anita said, bowing her head in respect as she collected the money with both hands.

Her work for the day was not even over yet. After leaving the restaurant, Anita walked to the local night market. She met a woman who sold roasted corn and plantains by the roadside. Anita helped the woman carry heavy bags of charcoal and push her wooden display cart to the roadside spot. In return, the woman gave Anita extra money and two pieces of warm roasted plantain wrapped in paper.

It was nearly 9:30 PM by the time Anita finally trekked back to their small hut, her feet covered in brown mud and her body exhausted to the bone.

She walked into the room softly. Michael was sitting on the bed, waiting for her nervously.

"Anita, you are back," Michael said, a look of deep relief washing over his tired face. "I was getting so worried about you." He said with a frowning face.

Anita walked over to his bed with a big, bright smile on her face. She reached into her deep skirt pocket, pulled out all the money she had earned from washing plates and carrying loads, and laid the cash neatly on her father's lap.

"Look, Papa!" Anita said happily, her eyes glowing with joy. "I earned money today! If I work like this every day after school for three weeks, we will have enough money to pay for my WAEC and JAMB forms!"

Michael looked at the crumpled notes on his lap, then looked up at his young daughter’s dirty, tired face and worn out shoes. Tears filled his eyes, rolling slowly into his gray beard.

He held her hand tightly against his face and wept softly. "My light... my brave, wonderful daughter. You suffer so much for us."

"It is not suffering, Papa," Anita said, using her sleeve to dry his tears with a smile. "It is the price for our bright future." She said as she brought out the two roasted corn she was given and gave one to her father as they ate.

Don't you think Anita’s busy schedule will affect her studies?

To be continued