NOVELE

CHAPTER TWO

I followed the principal into his office.

"Have a seat" he said gesturing to the chair opposite him.
I set down with my heart thumping wildly in my chest like a samba drum. I was scared because the principal doesn't call students into his office without a critical reason.

  I cleared my throat and asked " You asked for me sir, is their any issue? ". My palms were sweaty, I had a feeling this was going to be serious.
The principal twisted his hands nervously if I would say.
Then he stood up abruptly and came to my front,
he said " Damian, I want you to know that sometimes life throws some terrible situations that might seem cruel, but I want you to know that everything happens for a reason, and one event leads to the other, I'll want you to be strong" he paused.

"Your mother is dead, she gave up the ghost at the hospital, she was involved in a hit and run accident. I'm sorry" he ended looking at me nervously like I'm psychotic. Actually, I think I'm going crazy right now. My Maama... this can't be happening, they must have mistaken Maama for someone else.

"Where is she? " I asked jumping up abruptly from the chair and marching towards the door. They must be mistaken, Maama must be at home talking to her flowers, Maama is still alive and breathing somewhere at home.

I heard the principal's footstep behind me and he was shouting my name, "Damian!  wait for me"he said calling out my name.

I stopped abruptly and turned to him, "Shut up!, how dare you tell me my Maama is dead, you don't know her, you don't know how much she's been through, how can you tell me she's dead?!! " I said with hot tears pouring down my face.

" You have to give me permission to go home, I want to see Maama" I screamed with my voice cracking at the end.

The principal placed a hand on my shoulder and said,  "Son, your aunt is here to take you home, your friends will bring your bag for you" he said

"Damian" a hoarse-y, cigarette induced voice said. I knew immediately you was my aunt, Sari.

"Aunt Sari, why're you here? " I asked perplexed because I haven't seen her in years. She looks more haggard than the last time I saw her with wrinkles lining her face, her blouse and skirt looks fades and used, she even looks shorter than she used to, maybe it's because of her hunched back.

Her eyes were totally dry as she said,  "I'm sure you've heard that your mother is dead" she said with her hands tightening on a band of rosary, "And I'm here to take you home"she continued.

I'm rooted to a spot, I can't move, my breaths are coming too fast, too short, too rapidly. My chest can't bear the pain in my heart. I felt my eyes closing and I heard my name from afar. I want to sleep. And not wake up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I woke up in a bed startled. Where am I?, I looked around and noticed that the room paint was white, I tried to lift my hand and I felt a tingling pain, I looked at my left hand and I saw that a needle has been injected.
What happened?  I ask myself.
  All of a sudden, the memory hits me at once, Maama!, the principal, Aunt Sari. I jumped out of the bed and pulled the needle out of my hand, I felt a sharp pain with blood oozing out,but I don't care, I do not feel. I have to get out of here and look for Maama. As I was hurrying out of the room, I saw a male nurse trying to hold me down.

"Please calm down and let me take care of your wound" he said pleadingly with a sad tinge in his eyes. Why is everyone looking at me with sadness?, I do not like it.

"Leave me alone, leave me alone this instant lest I call the police, let me go " I screamed trying to fight my way out but obviously the nurse was stronger than me. He dragged me back to the bed and called for help. Before I knew it I was injected by the nurse, the effect was almost instant, I felt my eyes getting heavier and my body wanting to shutdown. I fell into a dreamless sleep.

My eyes felt like heavy stones, I had to drag them open, blinking slowly, I looked at the ceiling, it was white, I looked to my left, the wall was white, I heard muffled voices at my right so I turned abruptly and saw Aunt Sari and other unknown faces looking back at me with unknown expressions on their faces which I might have laughed at if I had the energy.

Aunt Sari came closer to me, "Damian, thank God you're awake, we've been here all day, how are you feeling now? " she said reaching her hand out to touch my face but I moved back at the last minute leaving her with a hurtful expression on her face.

"Well", she continued after taking a seat in the chair, "as I've told you earlier on, your Maama is dead, we need to start preparations for the funeral, I won't want to burden you with that cause you're young and all that and we are very sorry for your loss Damian" she finished looking at me expectantly.

I looked at her with a blank face, I asked "who are they? ".

"oh! they are your cousins, this is Jade and Wale" she said pointing to them. I took my time looking them over, Maama didn't tell me I had cousins.
Jade is a girl almost too tall,she has this sharp-model face and she stared at me with a bemused look on her face,  she was wearing a simple short shirt with tight denim jeans, she looks chic.
Wale seems to be the youngest child of Aunt Sari, he has this boyish and refreshing look and he is the opposite of his sister's height. He looked at me with a touch of kindness in his eyes, he was wearimg a long sleeve button down shirt with short trousers, his fashion sense is sad.

"Maama never told me I had cousins, I didn't even know you were married "I said tiredly while turning to look at Aunt Sari.

"Yes, your Maama kept you and herself from the rest of the family and now we'll never know why" she said with a dejected look on her face.

"Jade and Wale, this is your cousin Damian that I've always told you about, I'll truly appreciate it if you try and strike up a convo with him"Aunt Sari said while looking at her children with a disappointed frown marring her face

"Hello, Damian nice to meet you and sorry for your loss "Jade said coming to my front with her hands making a "wave sign" at me.

"good to meet you too and thanks" I replied. This was getting boring.

"Hiii Ian, I can call you that right?, I'm Wale and I promise to work towards being your favorite cousin, I'm sorry for your loss " Wale said in a surprisingly deep voice which I wasn't expecting for such a wiry body.

"Well thanks" I replied with a bit of annoyance seeping into my voice.
My Aunt must have noticed this cause she immediately ushered her children out of the hospital room.

She came back after some time and said, "You'll be going home tomorrow according to the doctor so rest well my dear" she said while coming towards me

"You'll be fine, Damian, I owe that to my sister" she concluded.

Home?  Where is my home?  Maama is supposed to be my home and now she's gone. No! I have no home. Hot tears poured down my eyes, I still can't comprehend this, my Maama is gone,my home is gone.

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