Just in Time

The rain dropped heavily on the roof. It made some drumming sounds as they landed drop after drop, accompanied by some mild thunder and breeze, the kind that sways you deep into dreamland after battling with heat. I stood up and squinted my eyes to look at the rickety old clock on my wall assisted by the lightening and it was 2:26am. This kind of rain makes the sleep sweet I said within me as I let the wrapper-curtain down. I went back to my mat, adjusted myself well on it, threw my wrapper above my head and laid there awaiting when sleep will catch up with me again. I heard some noise outside and as I listened properly, I realized it was my mum’s voice and she was trying to keep some buckets outside to collect the rain water. I covered my ears properly, so as not to hear the voice and I adjusted my wrapper well to cover me.          “That nonsense boy is still sleeping inside, has he not heard this rain”? I heard my mum say, and I knew my sleep has come to an end that moment. But as stubborn as I was, I refused to stand up. Next the door to my room opened and in came my mum.          “William, William ooo” she called and shook me hard.          “Mama,” I responded in a soft voice          “Will you stand up from here? Have you not heard that rain” she said in successions. Such questions doesn’t need answers so I didn’t bother answering. I just sluggishly stood up from my mat.          “Nonsense boy, you’ll not stand up to collect water when it rains but you’ll want to bathe four times a day. Go and carry that black basin in the kitchen and collect this rain water to the drum. God has been faithful to us to let it rain today. At least, we will save the money for borehole water today. I stood up and went to the kitchen to carry the basin. Most of the times, I do pray it shouldn’t rain at night, because such nights I barely sleep. ************************************************************* My name is William Henry Edet. I am 16 years old, the first child and only son of my parents. I have two younger sisters, 14 and 12 respectively. I attend the secondary school in my village and I am in senior secondary 2. My dad is a carpenter and my mum is a trader, who trades on foodstuffs and fruits. We’re not that well to do, but we have a shelter above our head, we can afford at least two square meals a day and we have clothes to put on. Those are the three basic needs of man I guess. We have no clean water source in my village. The clean water available is in the neighboring village which is quite a distance from my village. So, I and my sisters wake up as early as 5am to trek to the neighboring village for water and we may go for 3 to 4 times before we prepare for school. Well, I prefer that to waking up at night to fill the drums inside with rain water because, I’ll get soaked in the rain in the process of fetching the rain water and it may take 2-3 hours to finish filling it, and I would still have to mop the droplets of water that followed my basin to the drum on the floor. It’s always tedious and tasking, which makes me prefer trekking to the neighboring village to get water every morning.          “Do fast so you go back to sleep. You know tomorrow is Monday” came my mother’s voice. “Mama why didn’t you wake Beatrice and Joy?” I asked, knowing the answer I’ll be given already. “You know you’re a man, so you have to be strong. Besides, there is no much work here. Just to fill this one drum that you want me to wake the whole house no Na.” “You know this drum is big mama. If you woke them to join me, we would have finished long ago. It’s not fair mama. It’s not fair.” I answered grumpily. “Will you keep quiet and do what you’re doing. Don’t you know you’re a man? You’re almost done so why are you complaining eh. Just finish up my dear. Don’t worry I’ll put your breakfast plenty for you” she said rubbing my head. Nigerian Mothers ehh, they know how to annoy and they equally know how to make happy. I thought within me smiling. I emptied the last basin into the drum. Thereafter I carried the rag to clean the water droplets on the floor.          “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that. Go and sleep. You’ve done well”          “Thank you mama. Goodnight” I said and went back inside my room. I took the oil lantern that was by the door to check the time and it read 4:15am. I have just limited time to catch some sleep. I fell on my mat and I think I dozed off almost immediately.