Chapter 4: Rain and Loss

Halfway reach, rain start to fall.

The sky just dark, everywhere just change. People dey run, dey use nylon cover head. Rain dey slap my face, the cold dey enter my bone, but I just dey waka, dey sob inside the downpour.

People dey rush pass, everybody dey run from rain. Na that time I get mind cry, rain and tears just dey mix for my face.

Nobody even notice me as I dey cry. Rain dey help hide my shame. I fit cry anyhow, nobody go know. My body dey shake.

When I reach school, almost everybody don commot.

Na only security dey for gate. The place quiet, the normal noise of pikin don finish. The classroom dey dark, everywhere dey wet.

I put hand inside dirty dustbin.

The smell wey hit me, e be like dead rat and leftover beans. But I no send. My hand dey inside, dey find, dey turn things upside down.

The smell bad well, but I search am again and again, dey find the watch wey I throw away.

Na only that watch fit give me hope say maybe, just maybe, I fit use am do something for my mama. My hand dey inside, my mind dey pray.

I bite my lip, dey vex for myself say I throw am.

I dey curse myself, say why I no just keep the watch, why I allow Seyi and him padi make me vex. If to say I get sense, by now I for fit use am find small money.

Even if I sell am, I fit get like few hundred naira.

Na so I dey calculate, dey imagine say if person buy am, maybe I go fit add join my savings.

I search for hours, scatter all the dirt, but the watch no dey again.

My finger dey pain me. My cloth dey dirty, black with dustbin juice. But the watch don vanish. I just sit for ground, dey look space.

I waka go house, my mind blank, no hope.

Na like say my leg no get bone again. I dey drag body, head dey heavy. Everything just dey dull.

By that time, street don empty, rain still dey pour, the thing dey pain my body as e touch me.

I dey cold, my teeth dey shake. But the pain for my chest strong pass the one for my skin.

When I reach house, my papa never come back.

The compound dey quiet, nobody dey outside. Even the old generator for neighbour house no dey on. E be like say everybody just hide from the wahala wey dey my body.

The house wey dey warm before, now e cold like harmattan.

My mama wrapper still dey for chair. I look am, I dey remember how she dey use am cover me if mosquito dey worry. But now, everywhere dry.

I wait, wait...

I dey look wall clock, dey pray say maybe dem go come knock gate. My belly dey rumble, but I no fit chop.

Last last, one person rush come, tell me, “Your papa and mama enter river.”

The voice low, almost like whisper. Na our neighbour, Uncle Bala, e face white. E say dem dey try cross old bridge, rain make everywhere slippery, dem fall enter water. My ear buzz, my body just freeze.

That year, I dey SS3. I lose both my papa and mama, I turn orphan.

For days, I no dey hear anything. Na neighbours help carry my things, na church people help do burial. Life just scatter. That year, harmattan cold pass normal.