MINDLESS MUSINGS: A TRAGEDY II

 

 

 

 

 

PART TWO:

I saw my precious baby girl, with tears in her eyes, wailing and stretching her arms towards me, an expression beyond what words could describe. I ran towards her, troubled about her well being and she ran towards me, seeking my comfort. That was all it took to bring me back from the land of my personal misery. There and then, with my baby girl in my embrace, I told myself that I would do right by her and fix my shit. 

 

Anyway that is enough history for one day, that was 10 years ago and I am doing really well by myself and for my baby girl. Kendra is now in junior high school, she insists on being a boarder because her best friend Toju – was of the same opinion and frankly I could not refuse her anything, though I almost did as I realized I would not be seeing her as often. I mean she was my essence! 

So it is her first visiting day today and I am pumped, I have not seen her in about six weeks and it feels like six years.

Kendra warned me not to overdo it with the food and the provisions but I am a grown ass woman, a kid cannot tell me what to do and she definitely cannot say no if I show up with all the goodies that she loves. 

After my shower, I head to the kitchen to check on Grace, Kendra’s nanny and our cook. “Good morning Grace” I said as waltzed into the kitchen while stealing a piece of fried chicken. “Mama Kendy, no stealing in my kitchen o or no food for you” said Grace; smiling mischievously. Grace was a godsend older woman in her late forties, she loved Kendra and myself like we were her kids. I could say I was blessed with the right people to take care of my Kendra.

It was 11am, and Kendra’s visiting day officially started at 1pm. I was so anxious that I could not sit still, so I called Aliyu my driver to bring the car out front so Grace could put the food in the car and we could set out. This is Lagos, I did not want traffic getting in my way, and so the earlier we set out, the better for us.

Aliyu is driving and I am by his side (I hate sitting at the back as it makes me feel like I am belittling the driver).I had decided to listen to the radio for a change today. A caller had earlier requested for Celine Dion’s “love you more” and I got lost in a reverie while it played, I see myself and Yomi back in the university (Yomi is Kendra’s Father) and he would sing this song to me with that beautiful amazing voice of his and I would just sit and watch his lips move , while drowning in the intoxicating aura of his voice, he was a demigod to me, sculptured perfectly, and every part of him was fascinating to behold he…… “Mama Kendy, we don reach” called Aliyu. I snapped out of my reverie and I smiled to the security guard, showed him my pass and he let us into the compound.

I could barely contain myself, so I got down from the car while Aliyu tried to find a place to park. I walked towards the visiting hall, while taking a mental note to make a donation for the renovation of this building. I saw Kendra with Toju on the first floor of the building with her little head peeking out of it.  She screamed excitedly “mummy you are here!” making her way downstairs. What a delight I whispered to myself while I waited in anticipation for her to jump into my embrace but like a flash there was an unnerving sound and shake as I watched, in untold horror, the building that Kendra was running out from collapse. It seemed like a scene from a movie only that this was reality. Kendra never made it out, I fell and blacked out…….

 

The next time I opened my eyes, I was at the hospital with blurry people and words echoing all around me.

Every day we wake up hopeful that the new day will bring to actualization dreams of old. Today was one of those mornings, were I woke up early in the morning with a smile on my face and the smell of the new lavender fragrance believing that my dreams would come true (well not all of them, but some at least). I remembered putting on my favourite playlist which I titled “cool” because it made me feel hipster and stuff. I had started the day with my playlist giving me a semblance of company. Far from the religious type, I had never been one for daily morning devotion but on this day for some reason I decided to say a little prayer of gratitude and protection as I entered into the shower. A perfect start to a perfect day it seemed or so I thought...

Unable to feel anything, listening to the sounds from the machines I was plugged to, I thought to myself I will cry tomorrow but tomorrow ended for me today.

 

 

 

 

THE END……