Chapter 6

The afternoon sun illuminates the dust filled hallway, concrete walls, and brown termite eaten doors, made up the building stepping outside, I was faced with bright smiles, my face widening into a silly grin

"hello"

I say, feet crossed together palms clutching at my dress, I gave a small wave

"what's your name"

the little boy asked, his singlet had been browned by food stains, and unknown dirt as I had thought earlier.

"my name is Temi, Temiloluwa"

"everyone, I told you she was going to come out"

The certainty in his voice confused me, he probably thought I came out cause he convinced me to, the boy turned back to me

" my name is Femi, the rest of you should tell her your names too"

the children surrounded me, speaking almost all at once at the top of their voices

"you guys should keep quiet and speak one after the other this isn't a competition "

a girl stepped forward to calm the other children, pushing them back, bright white teeth contrasted sharply with her very dark skin, white powdery circles scattered about her shaved head, her faded pink dress frayed at the seams

"yes please lower your voices or my mummy will wake up"

they all nodded, making a shushing motion with a finger on their lips, eyes wide and darting around

"oya everyone introduce yourselves one after the other and no noise ooo"

Femi admonished

"my name is tope"

"I am fumi"

she was the girl who spoke up earlier.

"My name is victor and this my twin sister Victoria"

"oya everyone follow me let's go down stairs"

"where are we going Femi"

"yes Femi where are we going I can't go too far away from the house"

"don't worry, the place is a walking distance away from the house"

"ok"

I nodded

"let's go let's go"

we ran down the stairs, going down two floors our laughter filling the halls.

Reaching outside the buildings doors a bright smile adorns my face raising my palms towards the sun Femi holds my hand

"follow me we're going to the play ground let's go go go"

we run across the street

" the last person to get there is a big fool"

The sun had lowered further, painting the sky in multiple shades of gold, orange and purple. My dress clung to my body, moist from the sweat, breath hot and heavy in my chest ,eyes bright and heart pounding, the sounds of childish laughter filled the air.

"Temi!!!!"

A shrill voice tore through the playful atmosphere, carrying a familiar undertone, we all stop in our tracks, cold sweat breaking out on my skin, as I immediately realize who it was.

"Temiloluwa!!!"

I turn, shivers wrecking my body

"mummy?"

closer and closer, red eyed ,and panting, chest heaving, mother grabbed my arm and pulled me to her, nails digging into my skin

"I thought I told you, never, never to step outside why don't you listen to me"

"mummy please im sorry mummy mummy!!!"

tears streaming down my face, I whimper, as she kept dragging me, pulling my arm, and scolding me all the way, till we got back home "mummy?"

"get inside"

"but.."

" don't make me repeat myself get inside now"

she spoke with a startling calm

"just get inside please"

"yes ma"

Head dropping, I walk inside, she steps in and shuts the door behind her, after locking it, she falls to her knees wailing.

"why why did you do that"

she cried out

" I thought something had happened to you I thought they took you God"

I look at her, she wasn't properly dressed, her dusty mud covered feet indicated her lack of footwear, a feeling of heaviness filled my chest, suffocating me from the inside, she stood up suddenly, going to the corner, where she rummaged through our cooking utensils, I step back afraid I was going to be flogged, she picks up a knife and comes to me, kneeling to match my height, I step back alarmed

"mummy?"

"no"

she barks out cutting me off

"since you don't want to listen to me then there's only one thing to do"

she puts the handle of the knife in my hand holding it up with hers

"kill me just kill me today end my life"

I struggle

"Mummy?"

"I said you should kill me"

she pulls the knife to her chest and the tip making contact with her body I struggle pulling back with all my might

"mummy stop I can't kill you stop it I'm sorry I won't go out I will never go out again"

we struggle on the spot, until as if by a miracle she looses strength, allowing me to remove the knife, throwing it far away, my legs weaken, and I fall to my knees, bursting into tears, my mother holds me, gathering me into her embrace where I cried my self to sleep, my mother's voice whispering apologies to my ears as she rocked me to sleep*

We moved twice since then, I met mike online and we became friends and as if by good fortune he actually lives just two streets away we automatically became close friends and also he keeps sneaking in and getting away with it I don't know how he does that without getting caught he's the only thing I can look forward to in this monotone world of mine and I don't think I mind if things stay this way as long as I have these two important people always with me I think I can be content or at least learn to be