Weirdest Love

Charlyn came back and still found her father lying hopelessly on his bed. She searched around the house but found no one. She called her siblings but got no response. "Maybe they have gone to grandma's as usual" she thought. She quickly dropped her bag and headed out to join the others to at least eat dinner, since grandma's house is the last hope for feeding.

She walked and ran at the same time, since it was not too far from where they rented this new apartment since their eviction from the company's quarters where her father was working before his ailment started, and as a result, someone took his place in the company, and as well parked into his quarters. She walked as fast as her legs could carry, but the case was not the same this time. As she got closer, she became weaker because she was very famished. She had had nothing to eat since morning and couldn't wait to get there. Though her mom had promised to prepare something for her dad before she returned from school. She was very surprised that she was not home at that time and there was nothing in the kitchen either. Charlyn was already mad at her mom, and couldn't wait to get to grandma's house and give her mom the piece of her mind. "Mom, grandma, hope there is something to eat, I am very hungry ". These were her exact words, but she got no response. She moved closer to the door and knocked, yet no response. She called out the names of all her siblings, but she didn't get any response either. That was when she observed the door closely and discovered that it was locked with a padlock outside. She then went to the flower pot to get the keys where her grandma usually keeps them, but couldn't because the keys were not there. It was quite unusual for her grandma to go out with the keys. She would always drop them there, in case any of them came around. She went further to search all the flower pots around the house. Maybe grandma had changed the position where she often drops the keys because she was saying something about changing the pot where she usually dropped the keys earlier.

She sat on the floor and immediately remembered that their Charismatic prayer coordinator had announced a prayer meeting that would be held that day. She managed to stand up and dragged her legs to the church. She hoped to meet them in church.

As she got closer to the church, she remembered the condition of her dad and forgot that she was hungry. She quickly joined the congregation. On sitting down, she looked around but didn't see her mom or any of her siblings. She wanted to concentrate on what the prayer coordinator was saying but couldn't. She was busy searching around the church with her eyes but couldn't see them. Where could they be, where could they have gone to ? She asked herself. Not too long after these thoughts crossed her mind, that the coordinator asked the congregation to stand up for prayers. She joined the prayers and prayed fervently. Throughout the prayer session, she prayed for her father and asked God to intervene in her father's situation. She cried her eyes out, she thought about all that has been happening in the past few years, from her mom losing her job, her dad's sickness, which resulted in him losing his job and all his savings had been used for medication, all to no avail. Instead of his condition getting better, it was getting worse. Even, her brother and sister dropped out of school due to financial restraints and their eviction from the company's quarters, she didn't know when she slept off on the chair. It was a tap on her back by her friend and classmate Jayden, who also attended the same church with her, that woke her up. What are you still doing here? Everyone is gone, Jayden told her. Charlyn rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm, looked around and discovered that there was no one in the church except for a few people who were outside chatting and a few others who were still arranging one or two things inside. She quickly got up and headed home immediately. Maybe her mom and siblings are home already, even if they had gone somewhere else, they would have been back at home. On getting home, the door was still the same way she left it. She opened it and called out to everyone, yet there was no response. She asked her dad, but she could barely hear him because he barely spoke. He managed to tell her that he had not seen them since morning. He also told her that they had left with a few bags. "I am very sorry dad, how are you feeling today"? She finally asked. I "don't know, my dear, my doctor friend was here today, he said that I needed to undergo another surgery which would cost thirty thousand rands. Daddy, where are we supposed to get that kind of money from? We barely feed. I am tired of this whole situation. Charlyn said and broke down in tears. "Have you had something to eat today", dad? Charlyn asked, still crying. "Not yet, but I am not hungry. Just give me a cup of water. I am thirsty". Mr. Williams replied. Charlyn quickly ran to the kitchen and before long, dashed out with a glass of water, she helped her dad to sit up properly, and then gave him the water. He gulped it down as if it was the first time he had water that day. After attending to her dad, she also drank water to bed and promised herself that she would be the first person to wake up her grandma, mom and her siblings the next morning to at least discuss the doctor's visit and plan a way forward. She couldn't wait to see her dad to get back on his feet again.

The next morning, she quickly said her prayers, brushed her teeth, had her bath and headed to grandma's house. She had forgotten everything that happened yesterday. All she hoped was for the new day to bring solutions to her family's predicament, especially her father's health. She wished the Chief Executive Officer of the company where her dad had worked could pay for his surgery. She was deliberating on these thoughts and almost got hit by a car. It was the honk of the car that startled her and brought her back to the moment. Behold it was Jayden Adams, being driven to school by their driver. Charlyn, won't you be going to school today? Jayden asked. As it is now, I won't be able to go to school today. I have family issues that I need to sort out. Charlyn is still in school because she is on scholarship. If not, she would have dropped out like two of her siblings. Jayden wanted to start a conversation with her, but the driver zoomed off. Nevertheless, he waved at her. Not too long, she arrived at grandma's house and met everywhere locked, and no one was around. Of course, she is the one who would wake them up. She knocked lightly, on getting no response, she knocked harder and harder and yet got no response. It was at this point that she observed the door and discovered it was locked outside with a padlock just like the previous day. It's too early to leave the house. She now recalled what her dad had told her about her mom taking a few bags along with her siblings the previous day. "Let it not be what I am thinking" Charlyn thought. No, my mom cannot abandon me and my dad. No, not this time. But where is grandma? Where could she have gone this early morning? She had so many questions on her mind but had no answer to any. She couldn't just wrap her head around what was going on. Did her mom travel with her siblings and her grandmother? If yes, where do they go to because she cannot remember her mom telling her about any other family relatives except grandma. Countless times she asked her mom about where they were coming from. She only told her that her dad, Mister Charles Williams, was the only son of his parents who were already late. She also asked about her mom's relatives, but she usually said the same thing, that it's just herself and grandma that their grandfather died when she was ten years old. What is going on? Where is everyone? Where do they want her to go to? She searched around the house calling on everyone, but she didn't get a response. She immediately burst out in tears. This time it dawned on her that she was all alone. How can mom do this to me? What about dad? What will become of us? She couldn't even think of food at the time. What could she do to help? What would she tell her father? Who would she run to for help? How would she raise the money for the surgery? No my mom can't do this to us, she beat her chest, no to me! What is going on? God why? She was too confused to think. All she could do was to cry.

"Charlyn, you need to put yourself together," a voice spoke to her from within. She immediately consoled herself, wiped off her tears and ran back to her house.