Living In The Ghetto - Episode 36

 

Adanne's life changed instantly when Mr. John arrived. Mr. John made her to resume school again. When she finally did, she segregated herself from her friends and wouldn't talk to anyone. She gave monotonous replies when anyone initiates a conversation with her. Mrs. Abayomi, their class teacher was delighted when she entered the class to call attendance and saw her walking in. "I am so happy you resumed back to school, Adanne . I am sorry for your lost. Be strong" she said. Adanne nodded but tried hard not to let tears walk down her cheeks. She always cried when someone consoled her. "But you cost us a medal that should have been rightfully ours," Mrs. Abayomi said.

Adanne continued staring at her without muttering a word. Some students murmured and giggled. She wanted to smile in order not to irk her teacher but it wasn't forthcoming, rather the smile looked forced. Mrs. Abayomi not taking cognizance of her forced smiles, continued to speak. "We participated in a junior secondary school competition but finished 9th and 21st respectively out of 30th students. You were really missed," she said.

Adanne nodded at every words Mrs. Abayomi said. She walked back to her seat and sat down while Mrs. Abayomi kept calling the names

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. Everybody in the class talked and played happily while she sat looking segregated. She would sleep, wake up, listen to any teacher in class, flip through her books and walk back home.

Simi had implicated Amaka and Amina. They were finally taken to a prison. The men falsified their ages for them to serve punishments. Simi was said to be twenty two and Amaka and Amina were said to be nineteen. Amina and Amaka couldn't prove their innocence because the two men saw them took to their heels.

Adanne few days back in school was better than the rest of the days she spent without her brother in the school. She walked freely and didn't see anybody that threatened her but she was hurt in the inside. Anytime she was back from school, she would have Mr. John to console her. She came back from school one day, and noticed Mr. John had packed most of his loads. Puzzled, she walked to where Mr. John stood and turned, while he turned the inside of the pot with a spoon. The one room apartment looked scanty. Only his luggage stood at the edge of the wall. At the other end was Adanne's bag.

"Good afternoon, Uncle John," she said.

That was the first time she was calling him Uncle John. He had told her to call him either, "John or Uncle John," and she chose Uncle John.

Mr. John turned immediately. "Oh, Good afternoon to you too, Ada," he said.

Adanne twisted her hands. "Err... Mr. John, are we moving out of the house?" she asked.

Uncle John shook his head and nodded. "Yes."

"With me?" 

Uncle John's eyeballs lit up. He zoned out for some seconds before he stuttered, "Yes... You. Are. Going. With. Me."

Adanne smiled. "But, I need your help, Uncle," she said.

Mr. John turned facing the pot of food he was cooking while he opened the Maggi cube, softened it with his fingers and splattered it into the food. "Go on, I am all ears," he said.

"Uhmm, I want to buy two work books, sir," she said in a fainted voice.

"How much are they?" he said, turning towards her, while stream of sweats rolled down his face and he used the back of his hand to wipe it off.

"Two hundred naira each."

"Remind me of this tomorrow."

Adanne changed her clothes and hung her uniform in a hanger, then did the assignments she was given. She ate the food on a stainless plate which Mr. John told her to eat when she was done. After she was done, she asked Mr. John if she could help him to do anything but Mr. John told her to rest that he had done everything. She felt relieved, and picked up her books scrolling from pages to pages. When she was done, she walked out of the house, to stroll outside in order to stare at the sun simmer down on earth. It was evening, and the environment was rather cool. The birds perched from trees to trees while little children ran around with only their pants that had developed holes from the sides of it.

Iyawo passed immediately and Adanne greeted her but she didn't respond. She bit her fingers while she walked without looking by her side.

Read " The Thorny Path " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. She had been nurturing the plan to get Chimaobim's number, then break the news to him and make him to come back in order to derail his academic excellence.

"God really wants my plan of making my son the first graduate from this house a dream come true. I can't let this opportunity pass me by," she said and smiled.

Iyawo was glad when she encountered where Chimaobim wrote his number on the wall. She didn't know who wrote it but she saw, "Chimaobim 09083628584" written with a chalk on the wall and she saved it, in a hope that it will be his number.

That night, Adanne slept and had a dream where she saw her mother trying to drag her to a dark cave while she wept and cried. Her cry was loud and shrill, but Adanne stood stagnant without uttering a word. Adanne stood calm and her leg couldn't move while she kept dragging her, crying. Adanne screamed immediately she succeeded and almost dragged her into the cave. She woke up with sweats all over his face. The breeze slithered through the window and the sun was so bright; the rays peered through the curtain. She wanted to stand but her leg hurt badly. Her pant was wet and she thought she had bed wet. Staring on the mat she had slept on, blood gushing down from her private part freaked her out.