KASARACHI
Kasarachi - Episode 2
(Tell it to God)
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
My mind raised an alarm! Mama once told me that it is a bad sign to hit one's left big foot on a stone. She said it meant something bad will likely happen but what...?
I zeroed my mind on it and rushed to the grinding stone. I was almost done with cleaning it when I heard my name
" Kasaramma where are you...? Please come and attend to the customers. Kasarachiiiii" I heard mother calling me and immediately knew that the customers had increased to be more than she can handle by herself
I had to abandon what I was doing and dashed out to help her.
Truly the customers had increased than when I left.
I saw balls of akara frying in the pot of groundnut oil on the fire while mama was sitting on a stool in front of it and using a turning stick to turn the beans cake over
There's a tray in front of the table outside and a bigger tray was used to cover it to prevent flies from piercing on it
Opening the tray, I saw the yams and plantains she had finished frying. Now it's remaining the akara which is almost ready
" Leave the customers for me mama... I'll attend to them. Just concentrate on frying okay...?" I said and at the same time, I started selling to the people I met there
Mama nodded gratefully and inaudibly uttered a thank you Kasaramma.
They were about seven people and four out of them were carelessly throwing orders without minding the fact that I was just one person.
It was becoming so annoying but I had to hold in the anger not to snap at them
" Hurry up and sell plantains for me...I don't have all day! I'm a working man" A man uttered slightly annoyed at the delay
" Kasarachi or whatever they call you. Your mother has wasted my time enough..so don't add yours to it. Sell to me first" A second man shouted in an overbearing tone
" How much plantains do you want sir...?" I replied to the first man and brought out a small polythene bag to sell to him
" Bia this girl..Karasachi I was here before him. Sell to me first. Leave all these big headed and poor men alone" another man by name Ejike said before the first man could even reply to my question
His use of offensive words weren't a surprise to me or anyone else.
Ejike has always been known to be a trouble marker and careless talker so it wasn't new to hear him call people names
" My friend shut up there! Didn't you just come five minutes ago...? I should be the one complaining not you. Kasara baby... please sell for me first. You know that I'm running late for school" Chidimma said trying to push her way to the front row
I simply shook my head because I knew she was going to stir more careless words from Ejike whose ocean of words never runs dry
" You are out of your mind. Do I look like your mate...? See this small secondary school girl oh..trying to proof rùbbîsh!" Ejike said now cussing Chidimma for her previous statement
I completely ignored their drama and sold plantains to the first man after he told me the amount of what he intended to buy.
" It's not your fault. It's my fault for coming to eat this dirty food for beggers!" Chidimma said arrogantly and mama lifted her head from the pot to look at her without saying anything
How dumb can a person be...? A food for beggers yet you are here to buy it...?
" Kasarachi don't mind this girl. Your fries is one of the best in this town. Please give me for five hundred naira... I'll pay later in the evening when I'm back" Ejike said
I shook my head in pity. So it was even on credit he came to buy yet he was throwing orders at me as though I'm his house girl.
I didn't reply to them instead I proceeded to sell to the other four people at the front row who remained quiet despite the tantrums from Ejike and Chidimma. They are the last set of people who came so I don't even understand why the tantrums from them
" Are you mad...? See this miserable daughter of a carpenter. I'm here and you are selling to other people before me...?" Ejike said feeling provoked at me for selling to those people at the front but I ignored him and continued selling my thing.
Hearing names like that no longer moves me unlike before when father newly died. People called us all manner of names and shamed us but thank God we've grown a thick skin to all those harsh words
" Imagine her oh. Maybe that's why her father died prematurely and left them behind. My friend...will you sell for me or I'll leave here to mama Nkechi's shop!" Chidimma said and I equally ignored her.
I've always known that she doesn't like me because I'm more beautiful than her so her words don't move me either.
They continued taunting me and when I couldn't take it anymore, I had to voice out
" Ejike and Chidimma I will not be selling anything from this tray to two of you today for these insults on me. So you can go and buy from mama Nkechi for all I care!"
They continued raining insults on me and I completely ignored them. More people kept coming to buy and I sold to them without minding the both of them standing there
When they saw that I was really serious about not selling to them today, they finally left after hissing and cussing loudly
Mama and I bursted into laughter at their behavior. It's always like that with those two ill mannered people.
Some days I will still sell to them regardless of what insults they throw, while on some days like today I will refuse to sell to them
I sold to the last customer there and when no one else came soon, I sat on one of the chairs to rest small pending when another customer will come.
" Those two never cease to amaze me. Insulting my situation and expecting me to still sell to them. To imagine that Ejike even came for credit!" I said shrugging my shoulders in disgust at their behavior
" Kasaramma do you know that Ejike is yet to pay the money for the last two things he brought on credit last week...?"
" Imagine that...yet today again he wants another one on credit and is even talking nønsënsê on top of that. Thank God I ignored him very well. Next time he'll learn to keep his hungry mouth in check even that Chidimma girl"
" I wonder if he thinks I don't have use for money. Don't mind them Kasaramma. Just continue ignoring them" Mama said dismissively and focused fully on her pot
I heard a whistle and I understood what it stood for. Ekene my love is somewhere probably at the back of the house.
A whistle sound is what he uses to tell me he is around, it's more like our secret code. What brought him here this early morning must be important because Ekene hardly comes here when mama is home. We rather meet at a secluded place in the village
" I'm coming mama. I need to pee. I'll be back" I said to mama as an excuse to quickly leave there without raising suspicion from her. She is yet to know I have a boyfriend and I will love to keep it that way for now
I went to the backyard where Ekene stood there patiently waiting for me. I can't explain why but I love this guy so much
" My love I'm happy to see you. I thought you wouldn't be able to come out because of mama. I've missed you babe...come give me a hug" Ekene said attempting to pull me in for a hug but I shifted back
" I had to lie that I wanted to pee. Ek this isn't time for hugs. What is it...? Talk fast...mama would soon be needing me when another customer comes" I said impatiently. Ek is my pet name for him
Ekene heaved heavily knowing how stubborn I am. If I say no then it is surely a no for real, no changing my mind.
" I came to tell you something. It's about Chioma...she wants to see you" Ekene said and I rolled my eyes at the mention of that girl's name. I dislike her so much!
" Well I don't want to see her. Is there a problem...? If yes then she should have told you the message to pass across to me instead of asking to see me. She knows already that I never want to set my eyes on her ever again!" I uttered and made a turn so I could return back to the house since it seems this wasn't anything important
I don't like when anything concerning Chioma is talked about and Ekene knows that too well but yet he keeps trying to be the good guy
" She told me the message but I felt it will be best to hear from her directly" Ekene said plainly and I halted feeling quite curious as to what the news could be about that brought Ekene here on Chioma's behalf
" Spill the beans already Ek. What message did she send you to tell me...?"
" She said that..." Ekene had begun saying when from nowhere a stone flew and hit him on his forehead very close to his eye
" Jesus Christ!" I shouted holding my mouth in fear of what just happened.
" Hurry step back Kasarachi...step bac.." Ekene said pointing at something behind me but it was too late for me
Ah! What do I do to savage the situation. I thought of calling on mama for help but it's not a good idea at this point.
Oh no, Kasarachi you're finished! I said to myself with my hands on my head expecting whatever is going for me.
(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH'S HEART stories)
No comments