“It was a rat, I am sure of it”. Nneka tip toes slowly across the room, navigating her way through the rubble of clothing and shoes pouring out of the baskets and the cupboard which had been unprofessionally nailed to the wall by Musa.
The lamp at the door supplied a subtle illumination to the room and acted as a wedge for the door. She tightened her wrapper across her breasts, clutching the wooden handle of a mop as a weapon. Her eyes searched the room, suddenly she sees it again. It is dark, like a shadow running on the floor that also had a shadow on the wall. Instinctively, she leaps on the stool and hurls the stick at the rat. The rat wriggles in pain and scurries through the gap provided by the lamp but not without upturning the lamp. The kerosene spews over the curtain carrying with it portions of flame.
It occurred so fast, the curtain and door are enveloped in flames, and it starts to creep up the wire running up to the roof from the power switch below. “JESUS!” She turns reaching for the window, and throws it wide open, “Musa, Musa!” She yells, shaking the burglary protector across the window, “biko, help me!” The terror in her voice becomes evident as the smoke barrages the very window she clings to. Her throat and nostrils begin to hurt, “Madam, Madam OH!” She screams louder but she can’t hear her own voice, the room grows darker and for a moment she feels like she is floating, “what is happening”, BLACK OUT.
The ground is spinning, and she can hear people running and shouting but all she can see is the ground and the feet of someone, “why are you carrying me?” But she receives no response “I hope this Musa boy is not up to one of those his pranks. I am not in the mood. Wait, my room is on fire, stop carrying me go and call Madam”, but he still doesn’t reply. Her head feels light and the last thing she sees are the feet of another person standing beside the man that carried her. “This girl is a witch; she will not kill me. Chineke mei! See what she has done!”
The black walls and ashes greeted her as she walked into the Boys-Quarters. Her room was the only place that was affected as Musa the Security-Man had heard her screams and was able to quell the flames with a mix of water and Omo. All she owned was in this room but now they were all ash. Except for the cloth wrapped around her; she owned nothing.
The tears flowed freely down her cheeks. The pain began to swell and like a volcano she erupted; she cried, her soft voice echoing across the hall. “Why?” She mutters and continues sobbing. The tapping on the door startles her and she quickly tries to wipe her face with the hem of her wrapper but the door knob turns without waiting for permission. “Aunty Nne” The head of a little girl pops in, “My Baby, what is the matter?” The girl stands at the door, worried and afraid at the same time. “Aunty, are you crying? Is it because mummy said you should go?” SILENCE. The little girl runs and grabs hold of Nneka, “ Aunty, please don’t go, please, I will tell my daddy to talk to mummy” Nneka, tries to fight back the tears but they are too hot, they spill out of her eyes and she moans as she holds the little girl tightly.
“Bastard” the little girl is yanked out of her grasp and something hits her face right across her cheeks and nose. She didn’t see what hit her but the pain, rushed through every muscle in her face. Her nose burns and she feels fluid trickling from her nose; she uses her palms to clean off the fluid and looking at her palm it is smeared with blood.
TO BE CONTINUED...
No comments:
Post a Comment