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THE WISH
My eyelids utter open to the darkness of the approaching dawn. Oga landlord’s dogs are barking, I sigh, those dogs have bitten their owners a lot, crazy things. In the distance, a generator stutters. I draw the duvet across my body, pushing Ngozi towards her side of the bed. She mutters some gibberish and rolls off. May, my 7-year-old sister is quite the thorn. She’s mama’s informant, spying and relaying to her my many school fights. Often, she wears my special church shoes to run around the yard. Whenever I beat her, mama would pound me. Oftentimes, I wonder if I was adopted.
*** May is in her tantrum throwing mood today. She keeps turning her head away as I try to scrub her face. I plead, cajole, and finally knock her head. She yells out, as if a bullet pierced her heart. Mama hurries over and serves me a steaming slap. Amidst the tears pooling, I wish for once, Ngozi would feel real pain.
On our way to school, Ngozi sings ‘Sandalili Sandalili’, skipping ahead of me. I have to hurry to match her pace. Soon, sweat patches begin to form in my underarms. I’m lost in thought when May stops, and runs back towards me, “Wetin?” I query. “Broda, make we folo back of St Joseph go school,” she says, a slight frown on her face. “’Why? Wetin happen?” I ask, irritated. “Broda, big big soldiers wey carry gun dey for junction. Plenty boys kneel down there, dey raise hand o. Broda, abeg make we follow another road.” I sigh, grasp her arm and tug in the exact direction she advised against. The mischievous girl, she wants us to pass by the Udara (African Star Apple) tree on St. Joseph’s street so that she could pick up fruits. We are late already and I won’t want uncle Nnamdi descending on my bum. I’m walking briskly now, dragging a protesting Ngozi along. That’s when I hear a rush of scampering feet, and, the crack of gunshots. I lift May into my arms and run for cover behind a nearby parked Sedan. But when I turn to lay May down beside me, my hands are covered in blood, spurting out of her chest. I try to scream, but my voice is gone.
THE END
