Episode 3
Mr Yomi sighed and started explaining what turned around for his family.
"Two young men were seen carrying someone dripping in blood down to the house, everyone was completely shocked and surprised. The young men were running as fast as their legs could take them"
"Guess who it was?" Mr Yomi asked but since no one else could tell the story better, he continued.
Everyone who cares to listen to his story moved closer.
About 2 other inmates joined as they found Mr Yomi's story interesting. It is so surprising to know that for as long as he has been in the cell, he has never mentioned his story or what brought him into the cell to anyone. And they've never bothered to ask him.
"It was Aunty Naomi, our house help" he said as everyone interrupted with a scream.
One of the guys asked to know what could have happened, what's the cause and so many questions at the same time that even left Mr Yomi clueless to which of the questions to answer first.
"She had followed those that were returning the rentals back to the base but since the place was a few minutes walk home, she chose to walk back home"
"This was not the first time she will be passing that area, she was familiar with the roads, she knew when and when not to cross the road. I really don't know how it happened and why it has to happen. The two young men found her in the pool of her blood and brought her into the compound because they knew that's where she lives"
"We later got to know a particular bus driver that the police were stopping but because he doesn't have his particulars, he didn't stop and the police started chasing him. In the process of her crossing the road, she didn't notice the bus driver coming through the wrong lane, the bus eventually hit her and she passed out dripping in blood"
"Most people had gone back to their places and mom had gone to change her cloth from the expensive lace to a free short-hand gown. Dad was just shouting Jesus, Jesus while my baby sister was crying profusely"
"Aunty is a wonderful being, she doesn't get angry and she doesn't look down on us being kids, she is ever ready to learn and if she had gotten the chance to go to school, she would have been a very brilliant person but this life..." Mr Yomi paused and gulp the water in his small yellow keg.
Life just happens you know.
"But did she survive it or not?" One of the guys asked curiously.
"Saka, one of my dad's favourite driver was called to quickly rush aunty to the hospital"
"Our parents left us with the church's youth leader at home. The youth leader was the one that led the team of the young people that came around to help us with the cleaning and arrangement after the party"
"When they got to the hospital, the news was too hard for my mother to bear as she was told alongside my dad that Aunty Naomi couldn't make it"
"My parents came home that night with so much pain and hurt. Aside the fact that Aunty Naomi has always been there for us all, she even covers up for some of our little silly misbehaviours, now no one to do that again, there were days when she will stay up to help us write our notes and assist in her little ways with our assignment"
Even the ones she can't do. She'll make sure she stay awake with us till we finish it. She was just an awesome being. "Infact I can say she's the mother we never had"
"I cried my eyes out because we have grown so used to her, she plays a motherly role in our lives, the thought of not seeing her again was hard to accept. Even dad wasn't always around for us, he's trying to mix the whole business thing with church activities" Aunty Naomi was our everything and now she's gone.
"Reality soon dawned on us and my parents started looking for another maid who can fill Aunty Naomi's space.
Well, a new maid can always fill the space but can they fill the vacuum in our heart? He asked and everyone echoed "No"
"Within the space of 3 months, my parents had changed about 3 maids and none was giving us what we needed. Mom counted herself too big for kitchen job and general house chores" hence, our continuous change till we get one that is reasonable.
My mom had informed everyone who cared to listen that she wanted a housemaid. So, they should help her in search of a good one.
"My mother hates someone being lazy and that's one of her major turn off with some of the maids that she kept sending away. I remember a time like that Aunty Bili will not wake up till 8am in the morning, she can sleep for Africa and on many occasion she causes us to leave home late. The Cole in our name is part of why teachers dont want to take much action over our lateness even many times, dad will wake up to make tea and promise to get something to eat at work just because the maid wont wake up and time and mom will never go to kitchen"
"Somehow I do feel like mom can't cook because while growing up, the family had maid who was taken care of her and doing all sort of house chores for her."
"It wasn't until the 4th month after Naomi's death that a church member came with a young lady, she is Rose by name and she is from Abia state Nigeria. Rose is one pretty fair lady with this matured look than her age, tho she's in her late 20's. I always wonder why a young lady like that will opt for working as a maid"
"Mom didn't want to accept her because she was from daddy's church. She had grown to hate everything about that church and everything relating to it.
Well, she had no choice this time but to accept Aunty Rose.
"For everyone in this life, there is a story to tell."
Rose was beginning to make us forget the memories we were holding onto of Aunty Naomi.
"Until one afternoon that something else happened"
"Ahh!"
Everyone inside the cell shouted, including the new inmate that started the question "what happened?"
Watch out for what next.
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