The Link To Light, (Published).

part 4

Nigeria. 

Ifes and her family prepared for her departure to the US. She had passed the scholarship exam and had her name on the merit list. 

"Ifesinachi! Ifesinachi! Ifes!" Oluebube called out, peering into the room from the passage. 

"Ma!" Ifesinachi's voice echoed from the living room. 

"I am ready. Come out, let's go to the market." 

Nodding her head, Ifes quickly stood and made for the door. "I am here, let's go." 

They both stepped out, walking through the alleyway under the shadow of their compound trees as they reached for the gate. 

"Where are your brothers?" Oluebube asked, her right hand on the gate's iron lock. 

"They're preparing to go watch a match in one of the viewing centres." Ifes pointed over her shoulder to the house. 

Oluebube let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, let's go." 

Now I can finally spend time with my daughter alone as I had always wanted, she thought silently. Ebube knew how much her sons love watching football. She knew she was in for another banter between her boys and husband after the match, but what did it matter? God had spared her some time with her daughter and that was all that mattered to her. 

Ifeanyi would always ask and discuss the match with his sons when he came back from work. They would talk about the Nigerian professional football league, the English Premier League, Spanish la Liga, Italian serie a a, French League 1, German Bundesliga, even the Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. 

Ebube was happy that she would finally have some nice discussion, especially that little women-secret-talk which her sons had denied her. Her brothers never failed to exploit any opportunity they had to spend time with Ifes. 

There were two roads from their Street that led to the Eke Awka market, but Ebube chose to follow the long road to have more time with her daughter. Walking along their street's pedestrian, Ifes and her mom got talking. 

Ifes said something and it made her mother laugh, but her laughter was abruptly cut short when she heard the last thing she desired to hear. 

"No! We are following our mother and sister to the market." 

Ifes and her mother turned sharply and saw Uchenna and Obinna coming behind them, after they said those words to the person who had asked them a question. Ifes and her mother had been so engrossed in their discussion that they didn't notice the duo coming behind them. 

Her mother gave her the look that read, "You said they were going to the viewing centre?" 

Reading her mother's expression, she replied with a confused gaze. 

Her mother glared at the duo in frustration. "And where are you two going to?"

"We saw you two going to the market, so we decided to come along," Obinna said, pointing to himself and his twin brother, grinning. 

"Are you all done with your house chores?" Ebube asked, arms on her hips, looking for an excuse to send them back.

"Yes, ma," Uche said. 

"But I thought you guys usually went to the viewing centres during weekends?" Ebube asked. 

"Mmm! Tomorrow is Sunday. We shall go after church." 

Ebube wanted to ask another question when Obinna uttered the sentence that made her speechless. 

"Hay! This sun is too much. Let's go to the market now ooo!"