Sagas

PROLOGUE

November, 2005

It was a cold day. The Harmattan air was dry, fuggy, and dusty. We got out of the car, and Mommy began fussing over me and Fabian, wearing us our matching jackets. Mine was pink, and Fabian's own was blue. She brought out the Vaseline from her handbag and started applying it to our exposed hands, then proceeded to put some in our nostrils.

"Mommy stop!" Fabian said, wriggling his face out of her arms.

"Stay still so I can apply enough." She said it sharply, but Fabian wouldn't listen.

"I don't like it!" I whined, stumping my feet on the ground and spreading dust everywhere.

"One more complaint, and I'll get the balm," she threatened, and that calmed us down. Fabian and I feared the hot cream and didn't want to find out if it was an empty threat or not.

"Mommy, do you think I'll be able to see Suzanne?" I asked as she turned around to lock the car.

"Yes, but you'll have to be on your best behavior; she doesn't like naughty children."

"No, you won't, not with all these people here," Fabian said, looking around. I looked around the field that led to the big house Suzanne lived in and there were so many people—lots of families like mine and children my age. "You see, so stop talking about it already," he said, sticking his tongue out at me.

"But I have to see her. I have to," I said, looking at the faces of the adults. They must surely know a way to get me to Suzanne.

"Don't cry, princess." Uncle Timi picked me up and wiped my teary eyes with his hands. "You don't look pretty when you cry." He smiled and gave me a peck on my chubby cheeks, and I stopped crying.

"But will I see her?" I asked Uncle Timi, sniffling.

"Yes, princess, I will bring her to you myself if I have to, so stop crying and don't mind your brother."

"There's no way you'll see her," Fabian said again, holding Daddy's hand.

"Fabian, keep your mouth shut; I don't want you two fighting today," Daddy yelled at him, and it was my turn to stick my tongue out at him from over Uncle Timi's shoulders.

Mommy led the way, and we started towards the canopies, looking for one with enough seats for all of us.

It was a big occasion, a thing called a burial. Suzanne's mommy was dead, and it was the day she was going to heaven. A lot of people have come from faraway places to see her when she leaves for heaven. We bumped and brushed through people to get to one of the several canopies with enough chairs. Some people under our canopy were crying more than I did earlier.

"Why do you think they are crying?" I asked Fabian. We were seated between our parents and Uncle Timi. "Shouldn't they be happy since she is going to heaven?"

"It's because they'll miss her," he answered confidently, rocking himself on the chair.

"That must be it." Fabian had all the answers, and though we were twins, I could rely on him like he was my big brother, which he was, but only with like three minutes.

"How do we know when she'll leave? We better look closely so we don't miss it." I squinted my eyes, looking steadily at the sky. Fabian did the same.

Uncle Timi bent over us and whispered something to Daddy. My daddy nodded, and Uncle Timi stood up and left.

"Maybe it's not time for her to leave yet," Fabian said after a few seconds of watching.

"Or maybe angels will come pick her up. That will be nice." The thought of angels with large wings coming down to get Suzanne's mommy made the thought of heaven more exciting. "I want to go to heaven too!" I declared.