This chapter is dedicated to @ChinweOnonaku

Enjoy.

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"What?!" I yelled, as I promptly stood up from Chidinma's bed. Chidinma got up instantly and stood beside me.

"What's going on?" Chidinma asked but I ignored her. My attention was drawn to my brother Okon, who was on the other end of the call. I heard sniffles, which only mean one thing. Okon was crying, and he never cries. Mother was actually dead.

"O-Okon, please be joking." I pleaded with him. "Please, tell me that it's all a prank. It is a prank, right?" My legs gave way and I fell to the floor.

"Look, Chidinma's about to give me Twenty thousand, you'll take mama to a good hospital for testing." My voice trembled as I spoke to Okon. I looked up to meet Chidinma's eyes, and pleaded with her to reassure me that Okon was probably joking.

"Itoro," Okon's cry became more audible, making my heart ache. "I wish I was joking. Mother's lying lifeless here and our uncles haven't come to the house to show respect."

I felt anger boil inside of me. My father's people were wicked, the only relation I could count on was my mother's brother. But he died early this year.

It seems like God was punishing my brother and I for sins unknown to us. That's the only explanation since he decided to take the people that matters.

"Okon, please calm down," I tried reassuring him with blood shot eyes. I was about to cry my eyes out, but one of us got to at least pretend to be strong. "I promise to come visit next week, I'll have my salary by then. Can you go over to Papa Ekanem, and ask him to preserve Mama's body, till next week Friday?"

Okon sniffled some more before answering, "Yes I can."

"Okon, I'll be calling you everyday okay. You can go over to Etuk's place to charge your phone."

"Sister I will." Okon hardly calls me sister. I was only two years older than him. I don't mind though, I'm actually okay with it. The only times he calls me sister, was when he's serious, angry or just wants me to shut up. Right now, I knew he wanted me to shut up.

"B... Bye Okon, take care of yourself." Okon did the 'hmmm' sound, before hanging up.

"Itoro?" Chidinma asked with concerned eyes, "What exactly is going on?" I looked at her with blood shut eyes, and I knew that I was about to break down any minute.

"Mother's dead." I said to her as I felt hot tears roll down my cheek. Chidinma looked at me with wide eyes as she gulped down the lump that formed in her throat.

"Oh no," She mumbled to her self. "Come here Darling," She walked towards me and wrapped me in a bear hug. I buried my head in her shoulder, as I cried the tears I was trying to hide from Okon. "It's alright Itoro. Everything is alright."

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A/N   Hey guys! it's me, your all too shy author.

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X
-Eddy