"Emmanuella! Emmanuella!! please hurry up with your packing, we have to get going" Aunty Augusta yelled from the living room...
Emmanuella had just lost her parents in a car accident. Dr and Mrs Charles Edeh were on their way to see a family friend who had just put to bed but met their untimely death when a trailer loaded with cement bags crushed them and got them killed leaving their two kids.... Emmanuella and Godswill as orphans. Emmanuella was 5 while Godswill was just 2.
Their burial has just been concluded three days back at Uli Dr Charles hometown in Anambra State. After a family meeting held by both families, it was decided that Emmanuella was to move in and start living with her Aunt Augusta who was her mother's elder and only sister while Godswill her 2 year old brother was to stay with Edna their grand mother since their paternal grandparents were no more and their father's two brothers Chukwudi and Emeka were not ready to care for the kids. Their wives had bluntly refused taking the responsibilities of having extra kids to care for. So the kids Emmanuella and Godswill were handed over to their mothers family.
Emmanuella sat still on her tiny bed, her eyes gazing at the few scattered clothes and small school bag on the floor, tears rolling down her cheek, everything was just happening too fast for her. It was still strange to her that her parents were no more and she would never get to see them ever again. If only it never happened.... She hated the idea of having to leave everything behind especially her little brother and go live with her Aunt in Lagos, a total new city, neighborhood, house and a new school. She had only been there a few times with her mum to visit aunty Augusta and her family. Right now she wished she could change the hands of the clock.... Lost in her thoughts she didn't notice when the door was opened and Edna walked in with Godswill her little brother.
"Oh Ella, (as she is fondly called) my dear you have to stop crying, you can not continue like this, I know it's hard for you but dear such is life.
" But grandma why does it have to happen like this...."she cried
"My dear, I don't know why it happened. There are things we don't have answers to and can not question our maker for. When things like this which are beyond our control happens we have no choice than to be strong and move on..." Edna tried consoling her.
" Grandma I don't really want to go to Lagos, I don't know anyone and I have no friends there. I don't know the next time I will see you and Godswill again" she lamented
" My angel, don't talk like that okay. once in a while we move into new environment and begin our lives their, you will get to meet new people and make new friends. And ofcourse you will definitely be seeing the two of us often because we will be visiting you people over there so you have nothing to worry your little head over" Edna explained to her.
She put her arms around Emmanuella's small shoulders and pulled her close to her in an embrace, she wipe the little girls face and held her tight. It was a very difficult time for her too, loosing her daughter and her husband in a day and then having to let go of Ella to live miles away from her and away from her little brother. Tears could be seen forming in her eyes, she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Little Godswill came wiping them off from her face and said,..... "mama shoyiii..... in his tone which meant " Grandma sorry". He was still learning his words and how to speak. His actions made Edna cry even more.
Meanwhile Aunty Augusta had been waiting at the siting room, she had finished preparing and arranging her things ready to go. She wondered what it was that was holding Emmanuella from coming out and even there was no sign of her mother Edna in the sitting room when she came out only her brother Stanley was there sitted with Dr Charles's brothers Chukwudi and Emeka who were eagerly waiting for them to leave so they can do what they wanted. Stanley too was ready to travel back to Portharcourt his own base but waiting to take his mother Edna, sister Augusta and his niece and nephew Emmanuella and Godswill to the motor park so they could board vehicles to their various destinations. Aunty Augusta was going back to Lagos with Emmanuella while Edna was going back to Enugu with Godswill.
"Ahh!!! she exclaimed after she had glanced through her wrist watch. It was already 7:05am.. She headed straight to Ella's room
Getting there she saw her mother holding Ella as they both cried. She had wanted to scold Ella for still having her things unpacked and ready to go but what she saw had touched her heart, she didn't need a seer to tell her what was heppening there. She moved closer to them and took a sit.....
"Please mother, you need to stop doing this to yourself, for how long will you continue? how do you want Ella to cope when you are always like this around her" she complained
" Augusta please I beg you, take good care of this little girl. She needs us more than anything right now" Edna adviced hoping that her daughter will keep to her words. Augusta was a very busy woman who hardly has time for things at home.
She quickly helped Emmanuella to pack her things and led her out to the outside as they all along with Stanley who drove them headed towards the motor park.
There they bid each other farewell as they borded the different vehicles to their various destinations.