One Christmas evening, we were returning home after a visit to one of our aunt when I felt my pocket and realized the bunch of keys to our house was missing.
“Oh! “ I exclaimed. ” I forgot the keys at Aunt Regina’s place.
My big brother was the kind that hardly smiled. And it was obvious that though it was getting dark, I would be the only two pair of feet shuffling the cold forest in the direction of Aunt Regina’s little house at the other end.
It was a long distance. Though the weather was cold, I began to sweat as I ran back to Aunt’s place. I was confident that those keys were on the table in the veranda where we ate the special Christmas rice we call jollof.
After about forty-five minutes of solid walk and trot, I reached my destination, alarming my cousins.
“What’s the matter?” they all wanted to know.
“Who is there? ” Aunt Regina shouted from the room.
I didn’t mind anyone. I headed straight to the table where we ate.
“Fiifi, has anyone seen some bunch of keys on this table? “ I asked, worried.
” NO!! ” my cousins answered in unison.
By now my aunt and her husband were out on the compound, staring at me as if I were a genie from the forest that had invaded their home.
“He can’t find the keys to their house.” Cousin Fiifi explained.
“That’s strange.” Said Aunt Regina.
“Why don’t you stay, it’s already getting…” before aunt Regina could finish her sentence, I was a kilometer into the forest.
“Damn it!” I cursed, as I realized I couldn’t go through the forest densely packed with darkness and snakes.
“May I borrow your lamp? “ I pleaded when I returned to my aunt’s house.
” Here! “ Uncle Joe handed me a lamp.
“Thank you!” I said as I hurried away.
I think he was saying something. Couldn’t hear that. Whatever!
The night had become chilly, made chillier by the cold hooting and eerie chirping of strange birds.
It was night. Why can’t these animals sleep with their lips tight?
I thought I heard something. It sounded like footsteps. I stopped to listen. Something was running in the bushes. It didn’t sound like human footsteps. I felt relieved and hurried on.
There was this strange sound. I was sure it wasn’t a bird. Nor insect. No human could mimic such a sound. It was a chilly echo that had some sort of trance-like effect on the mind. I had to stop moving and stop my ears.
“Is this my end? “ I hoped not.
Perhaps, I mustn’t give in so easily. Gathering all the energy I had, I ran till by chest nearly burst with fatigue.
Finally I was almost home, with bad news of no keys and lots of blisters on my legs. I couldn’t feel the scrubbing of thorns and broken rocks against my feet while I ran. Safety first.
While I was a few meters from the house, I heard Christmas songs. It was the voices of children singing with so much enthusiasm and energy and joy. What was happening?
I looked up. There was a flicker of light from one of the windows of our house which stood on a hill.
But who opened the door?
When I reached home, Sally told me Big bro had the key all along and when I started running into the forest, they tried calling me but I couldn’t hear them. Fear had deafened me.
“Damn it!” I felt like punching all of them. But they were all bigger than I was. I was the smallest of them all.
Fighting hard to keep back the tears and anger welling up, I went into a corner of the house to nurse my sores.
“Won’t you join in the celebrations in the hall? “ My sister Akua asked.
I didn’t say a word as I walked away.
I wasn’t interested. The food. The drinks. The singing. I will spend this Christmas alone, in my dark room, on my bed, with my sores and pain.
Mowabites Worldwide 