₦airaland Forum

I love the ending of this sequel(the last paragraph), the beginning though looked scattered and I grappled with understanding the main character.

Quick question: What event was this, same day?

Quick observation: Your character didn't feel like a girl.

I yawned as I woke. This was going to be the most boring summer holidays. Lara was going to visit her grandparents and go for summer lessons there as well. I was stuck in the house with people that didn’t seem to have my time or even know I was there. I had my bath and tidied my room. Putting on my headphones, I slipped my iPod into the back pocket of my jean shorts.
The kitchen was empty when I got there, not a surprise. Cook was probably with mum, dad or perhaps out gossiping with Suleiman. They always seemed to have something to say to each other especially when cook was less busy. They talked to each other like they were siblings even though cook was Edo and Suleiman was from the north.

I opened the fridge, took out some bread slices and added three pieces of fried meat and a piece of fried chicken to the bread, deciding against tea; I took a full juice pack instead. Taking sardine from the cupboard, I opened and poured the contents into a plate. Cook would certainly be livid if she saw me with the fried meats and chicken. I was hurriedly backing out of the kitchen listening to Beyonce’s ‘love on top’ when I heard the scream.
Part of me wanted to run up to my room and hide my food first and the other part wanted to know who had screamed. I put off my iPod and heard…
“…gone. My baby is gone! Hannah please come back.”
No, it couldn’t be. Was this a prank or what? Dropping my breakfast on the counter, I dashed up the stairs, my heart pounding. I ran to Hannah’s room and opened the door. The room was crowded as everyone was there even Suleiman and some people I hadn’t heard come like the pastor. My dad was holding my mum in that way an anchor held a ship at bay not willing to let go whilst mum wailed beside her sleeping daughter. Hannah laid peacefully still. She looked beautiful and happy as if glad to finally leave and then I couldn’t breathe. No one saw me when I entered and no one saw me leave. I ran down and out of the house. I ran and ran and ran. I couldn’t stop, for to stop meant to believe and I didn’t want to believe.

Hannah was buried a week after. Everyone except I wrote loving tributes. Her death had affected me badly and I couldn’t sleep for two days. There was something so empty inside me and I couldn’t dare to probe it lest I fell into a void of despair where no one could save me for I had come to realize that I didn’t hate Hannah after all, I had subconsciously blamed her for allowing the cancer have that much hold on her, I felt she didn’t even want to fight it.
I hated that she didn’t scream and rail and seemed to take everything in stride, I hadn’t hated her but the sickness which plagued her. And yes, if I who was brilliant, who proclaimed herself a genius couldn’t reach out to her to tell her these things, how then could I have put that in a tribute? It was something that was to be shared only with Hannah just so I could see her smile as I said it and so I had slipped a folded paper that explained how I felt into her cold hands after she had been dressed and before the casket was closed. I couldn't bear to look at her while I did it.
The service was a blur. My mum had my dad even cook had suleiman but I had no one. Lara couldn't come down. They tried to include me but I had alienated myself so much that I felt like a third wheel.
And as the casket was being lowered with Hannah going away and beyond from my reach, I wept; I didn't weep for the dead alone, I wept for that which I had lost was gone forever.

THE END

mistytohcute:
a woman destroyed is my favourite

keep
it
up

Thanks Misty