being a fearless young boy, so I opened the door and saw my grandmother whom I love so much. She had not visited us for long and was the only one who could make Mother happy and I was happy that she was around.
“It is grandmother,” I whispered silently as I ran back to Mother while she followed.
“Nkem Nwa m,” she called from a distance.
It was Mother’s pet name. A name she was known with by her immediate family since childhood. in the night's darkness, she saw her daughter standing in a nearly empty frame. already, she was in tears. She dropped her basket and used her wrapper to wipe her sweat and tears away. Mother was so bad and unkempt. They hugged heartily.
“Nne why are you late,” Mother inquired.
My grandmother did not answer the question right away. For some moment, they stood motionless. Her stare on my Mother was not unusual, for one who loved her daughter, there were reasons for it. Mother had been widowed so early in her life.
“It rained heavily this evening and when the cloud began gathering, I had made up my mind that I would see you and these children. It has been long since I last visited and I kept postponing it. I was closer to Ndiama when it started raining. The water size increased terribly and I waited, along with other women who had been caught by the rain, for it to come down. The water level gradually came down and we passed with ease. I was not alone. I was in the company of other women who were coming back from the market and who too were caught by the rain.”
She made for the wooden chair situated very close to Mother and asked few questions about the farm, the neighbors and my younger ones by their names. She also asked questions about our distance relatives. She would not eat anything tonight as she told us that she ate with grandfather before her coming.
Daughter and Mother sat. There were many things to discuss; soft issues of the heart. Delicate and important matters were best discussed at night or early in the morning, when I would be too busy to hear them. They were mostly the loneliness of Mother and what she should be thinking about herself and her future. She watched Mother keenly and from the depth of her heart, she felt an overwhelming sympathy for her young widowed daughter. She had sensed and noticed like I had done that my Mother suffered from the pangs of widowhood, struggles against loneliness and the advances of men.
I quickly boiled hot water for my grandmother’s bath and stoked the fire so she could warm her body after. I soon joined and shared their vigil, listening to their questions and discussions thereafter.
The night had gradually eaten deep and we dispersed to bed.
* * * *
The next morning was beautiful and it was no farm day. The injury Mother sustained the previous day was still fresh and it pained her. Grandmother helped to dab her and regularly clean the surface. Because of Grandmother's visit, mother made it a work-free day. My younger ones and I played all day because we could not fetch water nor fire wood – things that were readily available for use in every home at that time of the year. I had grown a liking for Uzor who too had added weight and strength like me and assisted me in running little errands.
That day we engaged ourselves in a game, the essence of which was to determine from the opposing group who takes the other captive to the little homes we made demarcated by sand. Mma sided with me but could only stay in the place I made my home while Obi sided with Uzor. It was balanced. The oldest and the youngest and the two in-between. We were happy and laughed loudly. Gradually, we were discovering ourselves and opening our hearts to accept who we are to ourselves.
The day crawled slowly and came to an end. It was another night for a chance to talk with Mother and Grandmother. We had no problem eating, for Grandmother had brought us food that would last for days. Undoubtedly, she and Mother had ample opportunity for a long undisturbed discussion. I wanted to hear them speak, but it was not possible. They spoke in whispers and I could not snatch anything from my room. It was for the two only as some issues they would talk on was too deep for my age.
They talked far into the night. I soon closed my eyes and remembered many things that were good. I slept knowing and trusting that the sun would rise the next day for another farm work if Mother were fine. Those long talks with Grandmother and our visitors helped her recover from grieving the loss of her husband.
I wished they had come to live with us.