Handing the bag over to me, my sister stormed to where Zainab sat and tapped her shoulder harshly.
“Hey, so you were the one who stole my dress?!”
Zainab simply squinted up at her in a glance and when she turned to look at me, a smile broke on her face and she waved at me before she continued to drum on the bucket.
“Are you not the one I’m talking to? Will you remove that dress now!” My sister angrilly slapped the back of her head and Zainab frowned.
I watched, anticipating what would happen next. Zainab stared at me and smiled but I wasn’t interested in her smile this time, why wasn’t she using her stick on Oluchi?
I had a feeling that Zainab was only hesitating or being tolerant because of me but Oluchi did the worst this time by pulling Zainab’s ear and slapping her harder on the back of the head.
“Are you deaf?! I’m the one you are ignoring abi?” It was obvious that Zainab had had it now. She sprang up and locked the front of Oluchi’s dress in her fist and before Oluchi could act, two dirty slaps landed on her face and I winced as if I was the one being slapped. Oluchi tried to fight back but Zainab was stronger despite her age. She pushed Oluchi to the ground, gave her a knock and pulled both of her ears.
Oluchi cried out in pain and began to lament in igbo. I knew that I ought to go help my sister out but she had this coming. I laughed where I stood as Zainab covered Oluchi’s head with her broken bucket and began to drum it so loud that she was meant to go temporarily go mad.
Oluchi began to call out for me but I played deaf to her cries for help. When I had had enough, I called out “Zeelove, it has do!”
She stopped and smiled at me. My sister threw down the bucket and took to her heels, crying as she hurried home to report to our mother but I didn’t care. I exchanged knuckle punch with Zainab, gave her the puff puff I had bought then left.
To be continued…
© Angela Okoduwa
