Softy

Interesting how no one gets to see these beautiful sights, softy said to herself as she walks through the lonely way in a small village where she lived happily with her very old grandmother. The nine teen years old wondered as she looked at the birds humming in the colorful trees in the distance far off, she smiled as she sang along side. “Softly” grandma called repeatedly as she hurried to answere going towards the sound of grandma’s voice, she answered with a smile, I’m here mama, looking at her old granny. Come , grandma said as she walked towards her, softy looked at her grandma with a smile as she gazed into her old wrinkled face, she reached out her hands to give her a hug, even though grandma is older softy is almost taller than her.

Where have you been grandma asked with her hoarse crackly voice, “I went to return the empty tomato basket like you asked me to” softy said to her grandmother, and you left without telling me the grandma said with a slight hint of sadness, you were asleep and I didn’t want to disturb mama, softy said with a tender look on her face. Grandma nodded. What are we having for dinner I’m famished, grandma. Take the candle to the kitchen and check close to the black shelf where the cups are being placed , you will find a plate covered, in there I have kept the leftover maize we had before you went to school. Softy nodded her head in disappointment as she walked into the kitchen to pick up the leftovers from early morning before she left for school. Grandma knew she wasn’t happy about what she was having for dinner but there was nothing left for even herself to eat. Softy was done with her meals and was ready to have her shower and retire to bed for the night in other to have enough strength for the tomatoes sales at the market the following morning .

Grandma turned off the candle stick and kept it with a box of matches under her pillow, just in case there was need for it in the middle of the night. They were both fast asleep when a loud noise came from the back at around 3am, softy in fear screamed “mama” are you there, mama slowly held her and asked her to be quiet as she grabbed her into her arms with softy’s face facing directly to grandma’s chest. They were both trying to stay calm when suddenly there was a gun shot directly on the handle of the door and the bullet penetrated the wood and went straight to grandma’s forehead. And grandma fell of softy’s hands facing upwards with blood goshing through her face, softy in shock stood still and numb while the rubbers came in and asking for valuables, the 19 years old could not move a muscle but stared at the lifeless body of the only family she has ever known, as soon as the rubbers realized they were just a poor family who had not even food to eat, they hurriedly left when they saw that the bullet had hit gramma.

To be continued………….

Dimmah