Broken Pieces 3

It was Saturday, I was done with my chores, which were, fetching water from the well, sweeping the parlor and room. Lacing my boot before I head out to the field to play soccer. Dad’s phone began ringing.  

“Hello”

“Yes, I be Nnamdi, wetin happen?”

“Chineke!”

“Ewo…. Ewo!”

“Ogini?” Mum asked.

“Dad what is it? I asked confused”

“Jerry”

“Sir”

“Chigozie”

“Sir”

“Your Uncle and Aunty just get accident”

“Ehh!!!... Chineke me!

…….

Life is funny isn’t it? Yeah it is, he bluffed and smiled, as he tried leaning on the prison wall. But it became ridiculous, when he stumbled on the truth. Beverly Parents were dead and buried. The accident that took place was indeed fatal.

Beverly Johnson  had become an orphan, just in a twinkle. She began living with us. She had to adapt, for two years, when she’d be twenty years of age, to inherit her Father’s assets, it was willed so, and so it was. She was the only heir, and that left Dad and Mum too creepy.

I was told by my friends how dad had bragged about being a billionaire, how he spent lavishly with the little he had.

Little by Little Dad became a drunk, Mum became a nagging wife. Her little candy store couldn’t sustain the house,  there was Beverly to take care of, I had my final exams to write.  It was hell trying to read for my SSC exams. It had become a daily routine, to expect Mum nag about everything that was wrong, she complained bitterly, about how dad squandered the money he made from his Taxi job. Beverly tried helping out, by giving me some tutorials, so as to stay focus, even though it was hard. Sometimes we starved, most times we begged, and when we had on our own, we rejoiced.

Things were worse, so worse. I couldn’t bare the nagging, and as usual, dad stormed out of the house, to his haven of thirst. I was upset at the turn out of events, disappointed, grieved at how all had turned sour, Dad had swollen with Greed for a fortune that wasn’t his, Mum had grown Selfish with her desires…

Yeah Selfish and desperate. I left the house while Beverly tried calming Mum.

As I stepped out, I remembered the conversation, My Parents and the Johnson had the first day we visited. Mr. Johnson, from what  I connoted, was apologizing for not being there for dad, and since he was always traveling outside the country, he had plans of making dad head one of his companies, but dad had refused saying all he needed was finance to start up his own business. I couldn’t hear the conclusion, because Beverly called me.

I was just around the corner, trying to check my wristwatch, it was dark, trying to cool off something caught my attention. I saw Mum and the next door neighbor who is a soldier, give Mum some cash.

“A bundle of cash? What for”

Nothing clicked, Until, I saw Mum and Beverly heading straight into the building next door

What happens next?
Watch out in the next episode