Tears of an Orphan
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Episode 5
© Francis Mary Solomon
In Port Harcourt, Caleb was a 17-year-old boy, the only child of his parents.
He had just finished writing his Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE). The moment he dropped his pen after the final paper, his heart was full of joy. He smiled to himself, thanking God for helping him. Caleb could not wait to rush home and share the good news with his parents. He was excited and hopeful, dreaming about the bright future that awaited him.
But when he got home, instead of joy, he met something strange. Many people were gathered in his compound. He became confused. He looked around for his parents, but he could not see them anywhere.
He walked closer and asked a woman who was sitting quietly with her child.
“Ma, have you seen my parents?” Caleb asked nervously.
The woman looked at him with pity. Her lips trembled as she shook her head slowly.
“No, my son. I haven’t seen them… but you can check inside,” she said.
Her heart was heavy because she knew the truth—that his parents were dead—but she could not tell him.
Caleb rushed into the house. Inside, he saw more people sitting sadly, talking in low voices. He asked them why they were there and if they were celebrating something, but no one answered him.
He quickly went to the living room and saw his uncles and aunties sitting together. The moment they saw him, they became quiet. They didn’t want him to know what had happened.
He greeted them and asked, “Please, where are my parents? I left them this morning at home. Why are there so many people here?”
No one replied. His curiosity grew stronger. He hurried to his parents’ bedroom but found it empty. His heart started beating fast.
“Auntie Linda, what is happening here? When I left for school, nobody was in the house. Now the whole place is full of people, even outside the gate. Are we celebrating something or what? Why am I not seeing Daddy and Mommy?” Caleb asked his father’s sister.
She sighed deeply but said nothing. His uncles looked at one another. None of them wanted to speak.
“Caleb, my son, can I see you for a minute?” one of his uncles said.
“Auntie, you’re not answering me. What is going on?” Caleb pressed.
“Caleb, follow me,” his uncle commanded.
Reluctantly, Caleb followed him behind the house. They sat down under the big tree in the compound.
“Uncle, why did you call me here? My heart is pounding. Where are my parents? Nobody is telling me anything!” Caleb asked, his voice shaking.
His uncle sighed.
“My son, whatever happens in life, God knows the best. Please don’t see it as God punishing you…”
Caleb grew more afraid.
“Uncle, you’re scaring me! Why is everyone silent about my parents? And who gave you the key to our house? Only me and Mom had the key. Tell me the truth—what happened to my parents?”
His uncle shook his head sadly.
“My son… when you left for school, something terrible happened. Your parents were attacked by robbers. They were rushed to the hospital, but before we got there, they gave up the ghost. Caleb, you are old enough to understand this. Please take heart. May the Lord comfort us all.”
Caleb froze. His body went numb.
“Uncle, please tell me you are joking! I left them alive this morning. How can they be gone?”
“I wish it was a joke,” his uncle said, patting his shoulder. “It shocked us too. But God knows best.”
Caleb broke down. He fell to the ground and cried bitterly.
“Oh Lord! Why would You allow this to happen to me? At this young age? Both of my parents gone? Where do You want me to start from? I serve You, I am faithful in church, I have big dreams—yet in one day, You took my parents away! How do You want me to live now?”
Tears ran down his face like a river.
People heard him crying and rushed in. They realized the news had been broken to him. Caleb wept without control. In pain, he ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and tried to stab himself.
But his aunt saw him quickly and shouted. His uncles rushed in, held him, and locked him in a room to stop him from harming himself. Still, Caleb kept shouting, begging them to leave him to join his parents.
“Caleb, calm down! We are your uncles. We will take care of you. Why do you want to end your life? You said you have big dreams and a great destiny. Is it in the grave you want to fulfill them?” one of his aunties cried.
“Leave me alone! Nothing you say will comfort me. My parents—the only people who loved and cared for me—are gone! I cannot live without them!” Caleb wept until he became weak and cried himself to sleep.
Days later, his parents were laid to rest. His uncles assured him they would take care of him. They held a meeting to decide who he would stay with.
While waiting outside, Caleb thought about the last morning with his parents. They had prayed for him and advised him before he left for school, as they always did. He never knew that would be the last time he would hear their voices or feel their love. Tears rolled down his cheeks as fear filled his heart. He did not know what the future would hold.
After what felt like forever, the meeting ended. They decided he would move to Lagos with Uncle Richard. Caleb was not happy. He remembered his parents once talking about how Uncle Richard mistreated his father. But he had no choice.
He packed his belongings and followed his uncle.
When they reached a city in Lagos, Uncle Richard stopped the car.
“Caleb, come down and help me push the car. It has been giving trouble since the journey started. I’ll try to find a mechanic nearby. Don’t worry, once it starts moving, you can hop back in,” he said.
Caleb stepped down and pushed. The car started. But before he could get inside, Uncle Richard drove off.
“Uncle! Uncle!! Wait for me!” Caleb shouted, running after the car.
But his uncle sped faster until he disappeared from sight.
Caleb stood there, shocked. He had no luggage, no money, no one to turn to. Betrayal cut his heart deeply.
He wandered the strange streets of Lagos, asking where Surulere was, because he had heard that was where his uncle lived. His phone was dead. He begged at a charging center, and they helped him. He tried calling his uncle’s number, but it kept ringing. Later the line went off.
Frustrated, he called his friend in Port Harcourt and explained everything. His friend was shocked and angry.
“Caleb, don’t worry. Come back to Port Harcourt and stay with us. But let me inform my parents first,” his friend told him.
That night, Caleb found something small to eat. With nowhere to go, he wandered the streets, searching for where to sleep. His heart was heavy, and his future looked uncertain.
Inspired by the Great Teacher.
To be continued…
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Stay blessed, and see you in the next episode.
Written by Mary Francis Solomon.