A SHORT STORY

Some years back while I was writing my
SSCE, my mammy has this way of making
you dedicated to reading in each of the
exams you find yourself. I still remember
her sayings, some weeks before my
exams, 'Charity, Agnes I believed you're all
aware that your brother Joshua will
commence his exams soon enough? I am
making a stand now that when he begins
the exam, he is not permitted to wash the
ditches, sweep the (sitting) rooms/vicinity,
fetch water, iron clothes, cook food( I
wasn't that good in any of the food thing),
go errands, take care of the poultry..." All
she was saying is that I should not do any
time consuming work but I made it look
like "Mommy says I should just be in my
room. Eats a lot. Sleeps whenever due."
Agnes did all the house chores during this
period. She was such a workaholic. She
begged for a second hand but I never gave
her, like I wasn't having any of those
hands to even wash pot. I wished someone
could have fed me, open the bottle of
cokes I was favoured to drink each
weekends during the exams. Coke bottles
were not seen after my exams. But for the
freedom, I never revealed my exams were
over for a good one week.
It is a long years now. My sister is now
writing her SSCE too. I'm coincidentally
home for a school break. . . she hopes to
give me more. . . because she will definitely
get the 'SSCE freedom'

By Sule T.B Joshua ( a.k.a Tekande)