They waited for Mama Risi much longer than they expected. Mama Risi
was taking time to come.
“What is holding Mama Risi?”
Cynthia whined.
“I hope she did not forget.
Let me go and check her in her house.”
Mabel left for
Mama Risi’s house. She knocked and Risi answered the door.
“Where is your mum?” Mabel
asked her.
“She went to the chemist.”
“Oh ok. Do you know which one
she went to?”
“No aunty.”
“Did she go with her phone?”
“No. Her phone is here.”
Mabel stood for a
while wondering what to do.
“My mummy said Aunty Cynthia
is not feeling fine.”
“Yes but she is getting
better.”
“Can I go and see her?”
“Yes you can. But who will
stay in your house?”
“I will not waste time. Let me
just tell her sorry.”
“Ok. Lock your door.”
Mabel went
downstairs to see if she would meet Mama Risi, while Risi went upstairs to see
Cynthia. Mabel got to the road and stood for a while, not knowing whether to go
left or right. She wondered which of the pharmacies mama Risi must have gone
to. After standing for a while, she looked leftward and saw mama Risi walking
briskly towards her from an adjoining street. When she saw Mabel standing on
the road, she started jogging.
“Mama Risi please stop
running,” Mabel shouted to her and gave her hand-signal to slow down.
She stopped
running but still walked fast.
“What happened?” she asked
Mabel when she got close. She held her waist, panting.
“Nothing happened,” Mabel
replied. “I didn’t know you went to the chemist. I thought you said you were
going to your house to get it.”
“There was none left in my
house.”
“You would have told me so I
would go and buy it myself.”
“Then who will stay with
Cynthia?”
“She would have been fine for
some minutes without me.”
“Anyway, I thought the chemist
down the road will have the drug and the balm.”
“They didn’t?”
“No they didn’t. I had to get
to the express road.”
“That far?”
“Yes o. I ran half way.”
“Eiyaa. So sorry.”
They went into
the compound. Some of the other tenants who were around saw them and they
exchanged pleasantries and moved on. As they were climbing the staircase, they
met Risi running down the staircase, crying and shouting “Mummy mummy”.
“What is it?” her mother
asked.
“What happened?” Mabel asked
almost immediately.
“It’s Aunty Cynthia,” Risi
replied.
“What happened to her?”
Mabel didn’t wait
to get a reply and she ran up the staircase. When she opened the door, she saw
Cynthia on the floor.
(...to be continued...)
-Chinedu Isaac
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