Episode 5
TOO HARD TO LET GO
“What are you doing here, Charity?”. I asked as soon as I recognized who it was.
“Good evening, brother, I have been here since 3pm”. She said, dragging herself up.
“Yes, good evening. I asked a question”. I repeated, impatiently.
“I’m here to see you”. She replied.
“You’re here to see me and you didn’t see the need to contact me before coming?”. I quarrelled.
“That is the problem, they stole my phone”. She lamented.
I paused for a while, then proceeded to unlocking the door.
“When did this happen?”. I asked as I put the light on.
“Yesterday night. She replied.
….while I was at a night class”. She added immediately, because I was ready to fight her for staying out so late.
“It’s a pity”. I said.
“Brother, where is your wife?”. She asked as soon as she got in.
“Hmmm, my wife?”. I repeated, looking around the living like she was supposed to be there.
“Yes, your wife, what time does she come now back too?”. She asked.
“The thing is, my wife travelled this morning for a very important occasion”. I lied.
She just nodded and went off to the visitor’s room.
I sat in the living room thinking of how I was going to defend myself
“Brother, I’m so famished”. She announced immediately she came out. Before I could say a word, she was already opening the refrigerator.
“There’s nothing in the fridge”. She murmured before going into the kitchen.
Then I heard a loud scream from the kitchen.
I threw my phone and ran out, calling out her name.
“Charity, are you okay?”. I asked as I dashed into the kitchen.
“Look, when I entered here and turned the lights on, a lot of cockroaches and rodents ran off, with some, running above my feet”. She cried.
“You’re crying for just cockroach and rats?”.I quarrelled.
“No, brother, there were many of them, you needed to see.. and by the way, why is the kitchen in a mess?, and no food in the fridge” She said.
I looked around the kitchen and that was when it occurred to me that I haven’t been in there for ages.
“Yes, the kitchen is in such a mess. You know I have been too busy with work and my wife travelled as I told you…”. I began, but she interrupted me.
“Has it been long she travelled, you said it was this morning?”. She had to remind me.
Oh!, did I say that?. I shook my head and went back to the living room.
She came out minutes later.
“Brother, I’m hungry, there’s no food anywhere in this house, how could your wife travel without keeping something for her husband?”. She quarrelled.
I shook my head.
“It was an emergency, dear, but I’m okay. I have been managing or do I look hungry to you?”. I asked, spreading out my hand for her take a proper look at me.
After staring at me for some seconds, she hummed.
“Honestly, brother you look depressed”. She said.
I looked at myself again and back at her.
“I’m sorry but that is the truth, you ought to be better than this”. She added..
“Will you stop that?!”. I interrupted.
She raised up her hands to me in apology.
I went back to the street in search of something for her to eat, but all the stores have closed for the night.
All I could get from the only store, still open was four packet of biscuit and a bottle of drink. which I had to beg her before she accepted them.
“I will make it up to you”. I promised.
She grumbled as she bites into them.
Later on, I went to bed with a heavy heart. I knew my sister was definitely going to take home an ill report about me…
Typing 6…
ยฉ Joy Ifunanya
