Memories

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I remember it clearly, just as though it was yesterday. Mum walked into the room and asked Chidera if dad had returned from woke, Dera responded with a no leaving mum worried as she left the room It was very unusual for dad to not be back by this time, days when he had errands to run before getting home he would inform mum about it but mum had not heard from Dad since he left for work Dad and mum did have a little argument before he left for work, I can't remember what they argued about but I felt the tension in the air as mum got me ready for school and handed me over to dad for his morning school runs As I sat beside him in the bus I noticed the cringe on his face as he glanced into the streets, I wanted to playfully nudge him like I normally do to get him to notice me when I needed his attention, looking back today I really don't know why I didn't go ahead. Maybe I too was preoccupied with my own thoughts The bus stopped in front of my school I and Dad came down, he walked me to my school gate, bent down and looked deep into my eyes his lips curved into a childlike smile then he whispered I love you, I hurriedly hugged him and told him he was the best Dad, my best Dad. As I dropped my hands I noticed that Dad still held on, something was not right but I was just a child to think that anything could go wrong The landline rang in the sitting room then it went dead, mum called for Chidera to go check who it was that was calling because she was busy in the kitchen, as Chidera left the room the phone rang again, she picked the call and told the person on the other line to hold on for mum, she carefully put the phone down and ran into the kitchen to get mum. With water dripping down mum's hand, she hurried to the sitting room while wiping her hands on her faded pink gown, she picked the call, said hello, there was a long silence from mum; her expression dropped dead as she turned pale, her eyebrow cringed and her eyes shot wide open, when the call ended yet mum still held the phone to her ear, I moved closer to her using my tiny hands to brush her laps she looked down at me with eyes filled with tears. Chidera worked up to her and asked what happened, mum did not reply instead she sat down on our three sitter couch lifted me up and put me on her laps, she held Chidera's hands and led her to sit close to her then she held us close to her chest and wept Mum never really explained what happened to Dad, she only told us he died on his way from work. Although I heard rumors from my dad's relative that he committed suicide, some said my mum bewitched and frustrated him leaving his mind in a vegetable state that he had no other option but to hang himself, we tried to ask mum but every time the question was raised my became dead cold and lost in her thought, I am left curious about the argument they had that morning even till this day, but after seeing the pain in mum's eyes that fateful day of Dad's death and anytime we try to find out what happened I just couldn't bring myself to ask for the full details... Mum stopped living after the news, she tried to stay strong for us but I constantly saw her break down and soon she became a shadow of herself, I heard her speak to Dad in her room most times, calling the nick name she gave him "Bam'' while laughing happily, the days she spoke to him were days she came out from her room beaming with joy, but when the realization dawned on her she was disheveled, lost and alone. Our neighbors and friends whispered that mum had gone nuts, so people began to distance themselves from us I and Chidera had to fend for ourselves, we both had to grow up, Chidera became my mother and father at a young age and I had to be matured compared to my age. It didn't take long mum was sacked from work due to many complains from colleagues and the students she taught. Six months after the death of Dad mum fell seriously ill, I and Chidera tried getting her to see the need why she should live but mum had no need to live after we lost Dad. Slowly she slipped into oblivion and never returned again Memories they say leave are injuries that have healed but left scars, my memory did not leave scars instead it created an empty hole that can never be filled... (Fiction)