If my tears can turn to a wish

Part one

Mma my younger sister was busy wêêping as my mother informed us of what we will be having for dinner that night.

I could see my mother's eyes wet as mma cried out .

"Not garri again na, mummy am tired of garri ,even my eyes sight hurts please buy milk and add for me so I can soak it please mummy ," she begged as my mother tired to cover her teary eyes .

" Mma Biko (please) pity your mother , you know if I have I would have given you , I only have twenty naira in this house ,the remaining money I gave to mama ade to book ugwu that I will sell tomorrow maybe if I make enough sells tomorrow we will have a wonderful meal ," my mother tired to explain to my nine years old sister .

My heart aches seeing that scene I just can't bear it any longer as I quietly took the wrist watch dad brought for me when he was still on Earth.

I ran off to the street to see if I can sell it so as to get mma the milk so she can soak the garri because truely her eye sight has really gone down over the years no money to fix it for her .

I sat at the street drainage slamps as my clothes became Sandy soon I spotted a little boy and his mother ,I quickly ran off to them .

After few minutes of my sweet talks she finally brought the watch from my hand for one thousand naira .

As I quickly dashed home only to see mma weeping and all our neighbors gathered in our house , my heart stopped beating.

Part two

************ I ran inside only to see my mother holding my kid brother that was lying cold in her hands .

That was my second time seeing a dead relative first was dad now my brother nonso that was twelve , he has been down with malaria since yesterday .

Mother has no money for drugs so she cooked native herbs for him but I throught he was breathing when I left the house , how can life be this cruël?.

"Claudia ,nonso left us ooo, he left us ooo my own husband left I am finished , death take me instead of my son no this is too much ", my mother cried as neighbors tired to calm her down even mma came in with a swollen eyes as she stared at nonso .

"Nonso get up joor so we can play under the rain , see it's going to rain today ", she tired taking to him like he was awake .

I pulled her away from him as she cried so hard I could feel her heart beats , I tired holding my self as the elderest but what can I do am just fourteen .

I let out a word " sleep well nonso " I closed my eyes as I said those words.

That night was a total agøny no one was in the mood to speak to each, we all wished everything was a dream.

But as the saying goes the poor always cry .

Another event stroke again.

I was just chased out of class because of my school fees , even in a government school my mother can't afford the normal PTA fees of 2,500.

Well I couldn't blame her instead I pity her because my father's family sent us out of the house my father built they even refused mother from taking my father's business.

All the injüstïc3 was because she refused to marry my father's elder brother as the tradition demands.

I sat at our little bed staring up at the ceiling with nothing in my mind , firstly I Know too well that mother can't afford that amount within the giving period of time .

I went to my savings as I found three hundred naira in it then an idea suddenly pooped into my head as I smiled to myself.

7

"Claudia you are now into business ", I said to my self as I checked our little plastic busket .

Off I went to the street to sell pure water that very day when I got close to the market where mother normally sells I dashed in to surprise her with my new idea but to my surprise she wasn't there .

I pathetic as I asked her fellow Sellers but what they said gave me a heavy blow on my legs I got struck I can't move anymore .

They just told me that mother never came to the market today like how come because she left home very early today .

I just managed to get back home only to see mma on our doorstep.

If my tears can turn to a wish.

Part three

*******"Where have you been Ada ?" My sister called me by my native name .

" Uhmmm I went out to sell water ", I replied trying to hold back my tears.

" A man came here to look for you today ,hmmm he said he is with mother and also he gave me this address that when you come back I should give you ", she handed it over to me , I quickly took it away from her hand .

As I read the address my eyes were wet and tears ready to drop .

"Ada what is it ?" ,She asked as she noticed my changed of mood .

" Don't worry , let's go I can't leave you here alone it's will soon get dark . I muttered as I brought her along with me to the hospital .

Reaching the hospital my legs were too heavy to go in if not for my sister I would have just turn back and leave the premises , I summoned courage to go in .

"Goodevening ma am Claudia , someone gave my sister this address " I showed the receptionist as she read it then stared at us with a pity eyes .

"Do you have an adult with you ?" She questioned , there I knew all wasn't well .

"N----- uhmmm no ma" I stammered

"Alright you will have to sign some papers then I will take you to the doctor so he can explain better to you , " she replied

" Ada what is going on ?" She asked me with an innocent but worried face as I just forced a smile so she willnot feel bad.

But deep down am more than scared and I feel I was mma and she was me ,been the first born is so hard to play the role .

When I was done signing the papers the receptionist led me to see the doctor.

I wanted to take mma with me but she refused on the account that she was too small to understand anything so I let it be .

I was ushered into the doctor's office as the doctor asked me to sit ,then he stared at me.

"So where is your elder sister ? The one I sent the address to ?" He questioned me as I slightly nodded sadly.

" Sir am the one you sent the address to ", I replied him as he shook his head.

"no na , little girl I can't discuss this kind of issue with you , infact go and call any adult you Know ", he demanded as my faced dropped .

" Sir tell me pleaseeeee just tell me I can handle anything , please my heart is beating already ,what happened to my mother ? Is she alright ? Or did? .......... , I paused as the doctor stared down .

"No no ooooooo doctor what happened ? , Please where is nne (mother)?" , I kept asking.

" Little girl I don't like discussing such with you because you are still a Minor infact you can't handle a shock , but I got no other option but to tell you ............., "He paused then took a deep breath got up from his sit, " your mother got a severe heart attack on the bus early this morning and she was rushed here but unfortunately she didn't make it ", he broke the news.

My tears blinded my vision as I chuckled with tears .

" Is this life ?, Aaaah doctor is this life, ?" I questioned as he tired saying all manners of encouraging words to me .