SHATTERED Episode 1

SHATTERED
Story by O'nezer
Episode 1

      “How will I cope!"
a loud squeal from Bayo's Mum sent shivers down the mourners’ spine.

  It was a bright day like every other. The sun was up shining with all its radiance like it does, giving a ray that signifies mid-day and this ray was not eluded from little Bayo's compound as it lit the compound, making the small crowd that kept increasing visible. Some were crying, others were cursing; it was of course not going to be a memorable day for Bayo's family, but two year old Bayo did not understand what was going on.

  Bayo stared at his Mum with a child-like sorry. He wondered what could have hurt his mother so much for her to cry so bitterly not wanting to be consoled.

    “Please bring him back to me! We never planned it this way!" Bayo's mother wailed hitting her palms on the marbled floor in the living room.

    “It is alright, Iya Bayo. Don't hurt yourself. Look at your four kids trusting you to be a shoulder to cry on." A neighbour to the family consoled as she held Bayo's mother down, preventing her from possibly hurting herself.

    “Ah! Ajibola Johnson left me just like that. Life is not fair" Bayo's mother grinned as she spoke.

   “The kids should not be in an environment like this. It is not healthy for them.” Mrs Riley, a colleague of Bayo's late dad whispered to a neighbour.

  Bayo and his other two siblings followed Mrs Riley home.

"It is going to be okay." Mrs Riley kept consoling the sniffing siblings in the car.

It was a quiet drive home and Bayo was unusually calm that day. Tayo, his only brother held Bayo tight to himself as they alighted into Mrs Riley compound.

  “Make yourself comfortable.” Mrs Riley welcomed the kids into her home warmly, but the siblings were not having any of it.

  “I want daddy back.” 17year old Titi, the eldest child cried out.

  Mrs Riley consoled the kids. Her own kids were off in their hostels because her job made it almost impossible to oversee her children affairs, so she enrolled all her kids in a boarding school.

  Four days into the painful loss of Mr Johnson, the burial date was fixed.

  “He had a head injury and further delay will make his body decompose. They cannot preserve him for long.” Mr Johnson’s younger brother addressed the family and it caused another session of tears for Bayo's Mother.

  The kids were brought home early on the burial day from Mrs Riley's home.

  “You need to be strong for your mother and your other two siblings" Mrs Riley advised Tayo and Titi as they drove into the compound.

  “Remember you are the eldest" Mrs Riley turned to Titi who gave an abrupt nod.

"Poor boy, he does not even understand what happened.” Titi smiled as Bayo refused to alight from the car.

  It was obvious he enjoyed his stay with Mrs Riley, but he had to be by the graveside no matter how young he was. They quickly devised a means to lure him out of the car and it made the crew burst out laughing.

  “Kids will always be kids.” Tayo shook his head as they approached the compound sighting the dugged grave beside the house.

  “And when Bayo understand these things, I can not imagine how he will feel." Tayo tried to man up as he watched tears well up in his two sisters eyes.

"Titi, pull yourself together for the sake of Funmi your younger sister." Tayo frowned, holding Bayo's hand into the house.

  It was the early hours of the day and only few people were in the house with Bayo's Mother.

  “Welcome my kids." Bayo's mother embraced each child, holding more tightly to Bayo.

  The burial came up many hours later and it was a sad sight to behold. Tears and wails were heard from a long distance as Mr Ajibola Johnson corpse was being lowered into the grave.

  Words failed the minister in charge at a point and he had to leave abruptly.

  If there was one man who was selfless and caring in the community, it was Bayo's father and now their unique personality was being lowered into the grave, never to be seen again.

  “I want to follow him.” Bayo's mother screamed and jumped into the grave.

  The Undertakers quickly brought her out and she was carried into the house and locked in till evening when the grave was firmly filled up and leveled with sand.

It was such a sad day at the Johnson residence that faithful day.

Watch out for what next
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