BLEEDING SACRIFICE
CHAPTER SIX
Her breathing had stopped functioning long before Hellen came into the room. It seemed she had suffered before dying.
Hellen dashed out that morning and threw herself on the floor, whirling and screaming. People began rushing to the scene. Mama Miranda dashed towards Hellen. “What has happened, my child?”
Hellen’s screaming increased, and her emotions could not, for any reason, be calmed. She kept violently rolling on the floor, not minding that her bum had been exposed.
“My mama is dead ohh, my mum is gone ohhh, who’s going to tell me all the sweet stories?” she cried out.
Mama Miranda, who had about three loin cloths on her waist, took one off and struggled to cover Hellen’s exposed bum.
“Do you want to follow her, child?” She scolded Hellen. “You still have a long life ahead of you; stop crying.” She sat her down just beside her and dragged her closer, starting to clean her up. Despite everything, Hellen couldn’t control her tears. She kept on crying. Her neighbors came to comfort her; some introduced themselves while crying. This only intensified and worsened Hellen’s sorrow as she sobbed more.
Uncle Linus, who had been assigned to take care of Hellen and the mum, assigned people who came and took her corpse to the mortuary.
Her brother and sister were informed, and they rushed down to the village to see for themselves.
After an autopsy was carried out, the doctor learned that Elonga hadn’t been taking her drugs for a long while and her body could no longer support it.
Indeed they say bad news spreads like wildfire. The news had circulated in the village and everyone began asking questions as to why Elonga had to die.
It didn’t take long for Elonga’s HIV status to be revealed to the population.
“So this girl has AIDS?” Enege, the village gossip questioned.
“Jesus Christ!!! Enege,” Mildred, a friend to Enege exclaimed. “Don’t talk about things you’re not sure of. Stop spreading lies about the death.”
“Mhmm! And so what if she’s dead; she had HIV and AIDS and it’s all her fault.” Enege angrily blurted out
“How do you know, Enege?”
“You remember my cousin Nadine, right?” she asked eagerly
“Your cousin Nadine? I don’t,” Mildred said
“Ahaha!!! The one who’s doing nursing at the general hospital?”
“Oh!! OK, Nah, who doesn’t know her”
“Ehehhh!! She told me.”
“And how exactly did she know that?”
“She’s a nurse; obviously she had access to Elonga’s corpse and also to the information about the cause of her death.”
“Poor Elonga!!”
“Poor who? Hahahaha, this Mamie or ma say girl bi be na strong ajaja”
Mildred and Enege’s discussion was interrupted by a big black Bentley driving into the compound. They both stopped and rushed to see who it was. The car drove in and swiftly parked by the entrance. Everyone was amazed by the beautiful luxurious car; all their eyes were settled on seeing who would come out of it.
A few minutes later, another car drove into the compound and parked just next to the Bentley. Nora and her husband came out of the Bentley, and Mathieu and his wife came out of the next car. Aunties and uncles rushed to welcome them; some dramatically threw themselves on the floor and whirled just to get their attention.
Nora was wearing a black fitting gown with sunglasses and a black hat. She had a little handkerchief on her right hand which she used to clean the little droplets of water that ran down her cheeks.
She went straight to where Hellen had been sitting and crying. She took a chair and sat close to Hellen and asked her to tell her what happened.
She went as far as scolding the little girl for not taking good care of the mother and not giving her drugs on time.
Hellen stayed mute and just watched her say lots of mean things to her.
“Hey!!!! I am talking to you?” Nora spoke again with a loud voice getting the attention of everyone
“What happened to my sister? We have been sending money for her drugs and for your up keep, how could you be so stupid and useless even to your own mother?”
Those who had been comforting Hellen, cautioned Nora against taunting the little girl, but she paid no attention to them
Hellen eye’s, which had been swollen and dry for While, began leaking again. A long tear found it way down her chicks as her aunt spoke and the anger within her could no longer be contained.
“You are the worst and the most evil sister I have ever known. I wish you were the one who died not my mother” Hellen bloated out, as it was followed by a thundering slap given by Nora.
TO BE CONTINUED
