CHAPTER FOUR (4)
I received the two envelopes from someone in the village, Isaac Concluded and left for his lecture. Johnson looked closely at the two envelopes and couldn't come to a conclusion about what they contained. He was a bit troubled when the Opened the first Envelope, the letter was from his mother and which says she was sick and he's needed beside her.
Many Thoughts came to his mind when he wanted to open the second envelope, he silently said is my mother health good now? Or is it a bad news?. He gained Courage and waived away all the bad thoughts about his mother.
As he was opening it his hands continue to shake slightly. Johnson was dumbfounded when he opened the second letter , he saw a thing that seemed to be a great blow to his entire Generation, A thing that he wasn't even expecting to come. There was neither pleasing words not Petty name's, the letter was straight forward as simple: "Johnson, come back home your Mother had joined her Ancestors in the League".
As he saw the hand writing in the little booklet, he first thought he was in the dream world, he immediately took a bottle of water and washed his face still the same words stood as they had been placed on the writing-pad. He wished that the earth would open and swallow him alive. , His life automatically became tasteless to him, he could not imagine loosing his Consanguinity to the cold hands of death at that age, A mother who did not Abandoned him despite the fact that she was chased away from her Matrimonial domain after her Husband's demise.
Suddenly tears began to roll down from his cheeks, Nathaniel noticed the sudden change of his friend's mood, he took the letter that fell down from Johnson's hand, Nathaniel too was shocked when he glanced at the letter,fear gripped Nathaniel as well. "Johnson, I am very sorry for what has happened, Maybe that's how God wanted it to be, you cannot kill yourself because of this, please take heart" Nathaniel queried in concern.. Of course the burden was too much for Johnson to bear, his girlfriends and Bibobra were also showering him words of consolation at the same time, At a Moment Johnson was able to control himself yet the stream of tears didn't ceased to flow.
In the Night, Johnson couldn't sleep the memory of his mother continued to disturb him, his conscience didn't ceased to accuse him of being guilty.
Had it been that,I have being attending lectures regularly I would have received the first letter on time and saved my Mother,he thought to himself. He continued to soak himself in the ocean of thought, But my mother would have recuperated if she had gone to the hospital, Johnson accused himself for killing his Mother, he also recalled back to the last time he went to the village to collect money for an unreasonable purpose, his Mother managed and gave him thirty thousand naira when he went to her for the recent time. He remembered how Nathaniel persuaded him to organize a party and with a trick to collect another money from his Mother not even up to two months after his mother gave him the Thirty Thousand Naira, Nathaniel persuaded me to collect another twenty Eight Thousand Naira from my Mother when I know that it's hard to get that kind of Money during that period, I know how she managed to raise the previous Thirty Thousand Naira but instead I went Cowardly heeding to Nathaniel's Advise and Collected The Money without thinking twice that I came from a poor family while Nathaniel is from Rich Family, he thought out loud while crying....Had it been I didn't collect that Twenty Eight Thousand Naira she would have used it and go to the Hospital for proper treatment, As Johnson was on the bed that night tears continued to flow like stream down his cheeks, He regretted for knowing Nathaniel in his Life as A Friend....Had it been I listened to Isaac's advices my mother wouldn't have died.....Oh!!! Had I know is the best answer to a fool and am now a fool.....I killed my own Mother in collaboration with Nathaniel....Oh!!! What a Shame, now am living a life of Adrift.....My Ambition to be a famous boy in the university by hosting the Night party is now termed as useless. So MaMa,I will not see you again?, Why did you decide to leave me alone in this sinful world?, Who will embrace me warmly As You Normally do whenever I came back home from School?, Why....Why..., Johnson lamented and sobbed deeply.
The Innocent Empty room couldn't supply any answer to the litany of Lamentation from Johnson that Night.
Very Early In the morning, Johnson got himself fresh up and went to the village towards his mother obituary arrangements, The One week during which the burial arrangement was being made at the village, Johnson continued to fade away as he cried day and night. As time went on his eyes began to swell up due to his unending crying, To him life seemed tasteless without his Mother at his side..... The Burial ceremony of Peremobo-ere was done successfully, even their compound couldn't contain all the guests that came to the burial.
The Death of Peremobo-ere in the village was a big blow to all the people because she was considered as one of the Most Peaceful being and The same time she helped many people since she was chased away from her Matrimonial domain to her own village. Johnson couldn't hold himself when they were filling mounds to his Consanguinity's grave.
Immediately the boys took the duty of filling up the grave, the cry of the people was intensified as the heaps of sand were landing forcefully on the casket, Johnson cried bitterly as the filling up exercise at the grave was in progress. With heart heavy with sorrow , he read the funeral oration, the whole arena was filled with Murmuring and sighing as Johnson was reading the funeral oration, many people were already swimming in tears at the same time.