Chapter 2 The unseen

Chapter 2

I walked out of my home, walking further into the street. Aunt Trish, a popular woman in my neighborhood, who is known for selling iced soft drinks called out my name "Hallow, where is ya off to" I responded, "To Zoey's aunty". She has always looked out for me and Mama, especially when Father was away for too long. She nodded in response and waved, I waved right back blowing her kisses. The walk from my home to Zoey's was quite a distance but I walked either way, I had no choice. There were boys who filtered around the neighborhood calling out to girls. They were either drinking, chatting, or laughing so loudly that they could be heard from miles away. One tried grabbing the hem of my sundress and I grasped it before he could get to it. His friends laughed at his failed attempt at me. I giggled silently as well as I was able to stand up for myself. I walked on and on and for what finally felt like forever, I could see the roof of Zoey's home.

Unlike myself, Zoey lived in a large home, with a waterfront, trees all around, and a white-painted glossy structure of her grandfather. She comes from wealth, smells like a bag filled with fresh currencies, and has a room wide enough to be mistaken for a mall. I walked down further and checked my bag for my phone to inform her I was close by so she could tell her security to come stay at the gate in order to await my arrival. Searching my bag further, I couldn't find my phone and I knew I had to return home to get it, as it was the only way I could gain entry into Zoey's house. Without prior communication with Zoey, the gate won't be opened for me. With a deep sigh, I walked back to the streets, roads, and highways I had just passed minutes back. I wondered what the time may be.

Making my way back to my neighborhood, Aunt Trish saw me and yelled "You back so soon? Hope ya and Zoey got no fight happening" I smiled and replied "No Aunty, I forgot my phone" She nodded in response. I smile most of the time when Aunt Trish talks because of her little accent slipping into her words. Taking each step one at a time, I got to the doorstep of my home and heard voices, unfamiliar, angry voices. The door was slightly opened and I peeped into it. I saw men, huge men just like Papa wearing nothing but black from head to toe. They sounded furious and at the same time controlled their tone, in order not to alarm the neighbors. I continued looking until one of the men said " I have had a lot of this back and forth, we gave you a job, and you fumbled and misplaced a large sum of the returns" Looking at Papa, he pointed a gun and said " I never thought I'd be able to do this to you after these years together, but the rules are the rules " He then shot Papa straight in the head. Papa's body fell creating a loud thud sound on the fall and I could hear Mama's little sobs. The man moved to Mama, held his gun right at her temple, and said the same words to Mama. Mama kept on shaking her head from left to right. In the notion of movement, Mama's eyes and mine locked in the small door opening and Mama blinked her eyes twice at me, which signaled no. She has communicated that way to me while we are out in the market or at a gathering and I want to get something or go far away from her. She blinked twice again with tears rolling down her eyes and the man shot Mama right in her temple as well.

I covered my mouth with both hands and whimpered, tears rolling down my own eyes. I ran, and I continued to run not knowing where my legs would take me, I ran with the wind blowing through my hair, my hair was now loosed and flowed down my shoulders, I ran with the hope that what I had just witnessed was nothing but a bad dream. That mama's eyes were still open, looking at me, that papa was still standing strong and not laying in his pool of blood. I ran with the hope that the wind would hit my face and I'd wake up from this deep slumber. But that didn't happen. The further I ran, the more my heart felt heavy. I hadn't realized that Aunt Trish had been calling my name since I ran past her stall, crying and unresponsive to her call. She is now running behind me, trying to catch up with me as I'm trying to drift away from this agony that has now become my reality, the burden that plays its role as a heavy baggage. She kept on chasing me and I kept on running as far as the wind could carry me. Until she finally caught up with my arm and swung me over, my face turned towards her, covered in tears, sweat, and despair. " My gal what's wrong with you," she said "Speak to me, what is the matter", she shook me back and forth, trying to wake me up from my agony "Hallow speak up!!" she yelled and that's what it took for me to blurt out the words "At home – Papa, Mama, blood, guns, men, they are gone," I said before my eyes went shut and my world fell dark.