(...continued...)
Mabel thought she had overcome the pain of the heartbreak but that night, it surfaced again. She had a bad night. She kept
turning from side to side and muttering. When Cynthia was done with the light,
she put off the generator, opened the curtains and lay beside Mabel
“Oohm.
These mosquitoes,” she said and hit her neck. She got up and confirmed that the
window net was properly aligned to the window space. Then she lay down again.
Their mother could not sleep. She
kept coming into the room to check on Mabel. At times she would just stand by
the door and flash her torch light. At other times, she would come close and
touch Mabel. Cynthia got irritated.
“Don’t
worry,” Cynthia told her after coming for a while. “She will be fine. I am here
with her.”
“Are you
sure?”
“Yes, go.”
Mabel kept turning and tossing. At
a point, Cynthia had to cuddle Mabel. Tears rolled down her eyes as she looked
at her only sister in pains. After a while, she slept off.
Around 3 am, when everyone was
asleep and everywhere was quiet, Mabel shouted “Noooo” and woke up. Her mother
ran into the room with her torch light.
“What is
it?” she asked.
“I had a
bad dream.”
Her mother held her shoulder.
“What did you see?” she asked.
“I kept
seeing Segun and that little brat.”
“Don’t
bother yourself about them. Come and stay with me in my room.”
“Mummy
don’t worry I will be fine.”
Cynthia
stirred and woke up.
“What
happened?”
“I thought
you said you will take care of your sister?”
“Any
problem? It has not been long I slept. Did anything happen?”
“No. Just a
nightmare.”
“Come to my
room,” her mother said.
Mabel
hesitated. Her mother held her hand and pulled her up.
“Come and
stay where I will keep my eyes on you.”
Mabel got up and followed her.
“So you
want to leave only me here?” Cynthia said. “It will not work.”
She
got up and followed them also. Mabel and cynthia lay on their mum’s bed while
their mum opted to lie on the couch in her room.
“Are you
sure you can sleep there?” Mabel asked her mum.
“Don’t
worry about me.”
“I would have stayed in the other room. I will
be fine.”
“Go to
sleep my dear. You are not going anywhere.”
Mabel
and Cynthia soon fell asleep. Their mum opened her bible and read as she made
some silent prayers. Soon she fell asleep.
In
the morning, she was woken up by some shouting in the compound, she opened her
eye and saw only Cynthia on the bed. Mabel was not there. She jumped up.
“Mabel
Mabel,” she kept calling and ran out of her room.
(...to be continued...)
-Chinedu Isaac
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