Walls of the rectangular-sharped living room were painted lagoon blue and the sky colour of the curtains further accentuated the beauty of the living room. The figurines stood on top of the flat-screen television like soldiers in the 1960's ready for war.
l heard raucous noises downstairs and l remembered that today was Friday, when Charles mother and her husband would fight because of what Charles mother referred to as 'money for weekend' and Charles father would deny having any money, asking neighbours why a woman would demand money for the weekend. l ran quickly and stood by the iron bars of the black-coated railing of the apartment's balcony. The balcony gave a clear sight of everything happening in the small compound.
"Okey, it is one thousand naira, not five hundred," Charles mother shouted, holding her husband's trouser and tapping her feet on the ground.
"Woman, leave me alone; that is all l have.
How can you use a thousand naira to prepare a pot of soup for the weekend, eh?" Charle's father voice was lower then hers.
"When you were using me to manufacture eight children, you didn't know that a pot of soup would be costly, abi? Abeg, give me the money sharp sharp, before l show you," her electrifying voice was raising in pitch. Funny enough, Charles mother was more muscular than her husband; you would never be able to tell that she was a woman unless she was wearing a skirt, which she found rather unfashionable to put on. Her chest was just as flat as my father's own.
Charles father eyes were darkened with fear; it was a shame to be beaten by a woman. Worse still, the crowd had increased rapidly from the neighborhood, watching in silence.
l was really enjoying the scene. mum had earlier said that Charles mother should become an actress, that she had the makings of a good actress.
Mother was right, considering the nonchalant behavior Charles mother had exhibited, not even concerned about the crowd that was increasing in number.
"Sheh, people is here, l will wound this woman oh," Charles father spoke in this time. The fear had disappeared from his eyes, anger was written all over his face.
A short laugh escaped like a burst of air, from Charles mother mouth, and she paused like something had choked her, and, then, like a time bomb, her laughter lengthened with a few more syllables. She withdrew her hand from his trousers and then, like it was a challenge, she hit her hand on her chest. "Oh, you will wound me, eh; you want to fight me, she," she said and turned around as though to make sure someone was watching her.
"This thing is going to wound me," she said, pointing her finger at him. Her dark skin was covered with beads of sweat that gleamed in the sun.
Dawn came swimmingly, flooding the entire flat at 6:00a.m. The lavender rays of dawn provided an impeccable atmosphere.
l heard a cry from the living room and l hauled myself out of bed and went straight into the living room. Crystal was answering a phone call and Blessing sat happily on the couch.
"Which hospital?" l heard crystal ask in a sober tone and then she ended the call. Her eyes hardened and darkened all the more.
"What is the matter?" I asked, looking directly into her eyes.
Her countenance gave nothing away. She bent down as a tear dripped down her cheeks.
My jaw clenched hard; I hated seeing her this way. It made me want to cry with her.
"Your parents had an accident on their way to the village," She said, looking at me.
Something lurched in my stomach and l felt my stomach tighten so hard. My mouth became watery, full of questions. "Where? What did you just say? What happened to Mother and Father?" I asked, bending towards her.
She kept mute, still crying.
"Ewo!" Blessing started shouting; it's like she didn't understand what crystal had said earlier.
"Oga is dead oh."
"It is your father who is dead," l shouted, moving towards her. I wanted to slap her as father would, perhaps to see if my slap would have the same sound as father's.
Crystal held my hand just immediately. "Your Mother is fine," she said still holding my hands.
I took off my hands, now looking at her like she was the enemy. "Are you trying to say that Father is.......," I felt a muscle twitch in my jaw and could not complete the question. Torturous thoughts harried in my brain. "I couldn't lose my father just like that, at least not now." I thought. I felt like I was being stabbed on the chest.
"Your Dad is on the brink of death; the doctor that called said he was in coma and his condition is critical," Crystal stated bitterly.
"I' m going to the hospital; which hospital is that?" I asked, throatily this time.
"Please, don't go, Oga child; do you want to have accident?" Blessing said, holding my trousers.
What kind of creature was this? I wondered.
My parents were involved in an accident and her advice was that l should stay here and look at her.
"You, Blessing; you would be the one to have accident; nonsense!" I lashed out at her and took her hands off my trousers.
"Eh, I don't want to bury anybody oh; Oga is dead and now you want to join him," Blessing continued.
"William, please leave her alone. I will take you to the hospital; just give me a minute," Crystal said calmly.
"You will hear from me by the time l come back," I said to Blessing, sitting down on the couch.
Seriously, l hated this girl, her stature, her shape which is more like an ape's. The way she reasoned and the way she talked convinced me that she was not of this generation. I kept thinking about Dad; I couldn't be referred to as fatherless, not at this age.
Crystal came out and we left for the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital; I never believed that doctors could be taken to a hospital for treatment until now. Father was in a hospital, not his own, but a teaching hospital.