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This is it. One, two, go...

CRY ME A RIVER

I awoke with a faint cry as was the norm, my body all tensed up as I waited for a stomach refill from the best pacifier known to man. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Could it be? I stretched out my hands in a bid to grab onto something, anything. I got nothing. My eyelids flew open.

The white washed walls with its four-legged creatures of various sizes sent a strong signal to my brain. I sat up. A quick scan of my environment confirmed my thoughts. Nene’s gone. Again. My gaze flew to the door and sure enough, the bolt was in place with the same sour-faced warden seated right next to it. My wait has begun. I let out a piercing scream.

‘O good! You’re awake!

As if by magic, a rotund figure dressed in a plain blue gown appeared right in front of me. I gulped. My earlier loud bawling now turned into low, pitiful whimpering. She bent forward and peered into my face like an astronomer puzzled at the appearance of a new star in the sky. I stared back. One by one, she pried my fingers away from the bars of my cage, all the time muttering some strange funny sounds to me.

Soon, I was air-bound, defying the law of gravity. I snuggled close to her warmth but that only brought the memories of Nene flooding back. My tears flowed freely. True, it was my second time here and it was only a few hours wait, but still, the pain of abandonment sat lodged in my chest robbing me of all my senses. Nene’s gone! Nene left me! How could she do that to me? Why?

Suddenly, I realized I was in a compromising position. What if Nene walked in right now and saw us? I pushed myself away from my captor’s tight embrace but she would have none of it and she pulled me back in, tighter. I pushed back again. She pulled me in again. It was a war of weight. Our vocal cords were the most hit, hers producing incoherent words mixed with funny sounds and mine, doing what it knows how to do best – screaming.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw the warden move towards us. She held in her hand a transparent container filled with white liquid which she handed over to my captor. Without hesitation, I was placed across the knees and got that same container pushed into my mouth. Oh, the horror! Of course, I struggled but then... Suck suck suck What is this? Suck suck suck It tastes really good Suck suck suck almost as good as Nene. Suck suck suck But Nene…

I must have fallen asleep because when I awoke, I was back in my cage with the wooden bars. I propped myself on my elbows and tried to get into a sitting position but the discomfort I felt down below my waistline hollered at me. I was wet. And soiled. I started up my anthem. My captor appeared again, out of the blue but I was less mystified and rather focused on getting rid of the substance stuck beneath my denims.

“Naughty Naughty” she chided

As she cleaned me up, my mind flew back to Nene. The wait was killing me. How much time has passed? And how much more was left? I had no idea. Why this sudden change in attitude towards me? And to think this was right after I celebrated my first birthday. My captor’s smiling face came into my view, I turned my head sideways. There it was again, but now; she dangled a shining object in front of me. I grabbed it.

It was similar to the one Nene adorned on her wrist but this one had little rings connected to a larger circle and it goes klonk klonk whenever I shook it. Left - klonk klonk. Right - klonk klonk. Up - klonk klonk. Down - klonk klonk. I was having the fun of my life. Intrigued by the sound produced by my new distraction, I immersed myself in it for a while.

Suddenly, a high pitched scream rented through the air and I watched as my captor marched over to a fellow prisoner in a cage beside me and tried to subdue him. Terrified, I sat up. I had a huge reawakening at that moment and I looked around. We were about a dozen in here! Half were fast asleep (or pretending to) but all the same confined in their little white cages and the other half were getting brainwashed by the sound box located at the other end of the room.

Immediately, I joined in the veiled protest albeit to the dismay of my captor. Two others, who had been asleep, awoke and jumped on the bandwagon without a second thought. It was hell on earth. The whole place was in disarray. The warden left her position at the door and moved towards the new offenders while my captor added me to her own list. I was juggled alongside the initial culprit. Up. Down. Up. Down. Till my eyelids obeyed gravity.

A strange voice registered in my subconscious; no, strange voices. I woke up. Two of my companions were being released at that moment and a third one squealed in delight upon sighting her guardian. I became alert. Maybe - just maybe. I zeroed in on my target – the door. Nothing. No sign of Nene. I became anxious.

Sensing my discomfort, my captor approached me with arms outstretched, I squirmed away. Nonetheless, she picked me up as if I weighed no more than a hot-air balloon and sat me across her knee. Instinct took over just in time and I sent the liquid filled container flying right across the room.

“What! Kiki! How could you?!”

I turned towards the familiar voice. There she was. Nene walked in and all the resentment I felt towards her for abandoning me and causing me to wait for her walked out of the room. I squealed in delight. My captor had already let go of me and I crawled towards her as fast as my tiny legs could carry me. She met me halfway and lifted me into a warm embrace. My heart did a back flip.

“How’s my little boy doing?...But that wasn’t very nice Kiki. Now, tell nanny you are sorry”

“Not to bother Mrs. Andrew” my captor said, looking me up and down like an hungry man who just sighted free food. I held on tighter to Nene “Kiki is a handful, but don’t worry, with time- he’d adjust right Kiki? See you tomorrow”

I could only glare at her and pray tomorrow never comes.

agbonkamen:
drop yours

no

Captivating story!

Was a little confused at first but got your description at last.
Great choice of words to compel the story!