TARASHA Episode 10 Pt 4 – Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel
Henry ushered Evelyn into the living room after turning on the light. She walked in briskly and sank into the sofa before he joined her.
***Flashback – 17 years ago ***
May 27, 2014.
‘Happy birthday you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you Taraaa… Happy birthday to you’ little Omotara blushed as her family sang and danced around her joyfully. It was her eight birthday and the family was celebrating her in their usual manner of celebrating each other.
Omotara was blessed to have a very joyous and family. She was the only girl amongst the four boys, so she was somehow treated specially.
‘How old are you now? How old are you now? How old are you now Taraa… How old are you now?’ She beamed with smiles as they waited for her reply.
‘I’m eight years old now, I’m eight years old now…’ She sang back in response and as cheered by everyone.
‘Now, you’ll cut the cake at the mention
of the name JESUS’
‘J..E…S…U…S. Jesus!’ Everyone called as Tara slid the knife through the small cake. The family moved close to her and hugged her one after the other. After which they proceeded to the dining room.
After few minutes of enjoying the fried rice and chicken specially prepared by the mother of the house, Lydia, the family moved to the sitting room and settled down with their bottles of soft drinks.
As their custom was, the celebrant, Omotara sat on the rug in the middle of the sitting room. She would be answering questions from every member of the family that had one for her after which they would answer her own questions and then she would wrap it off with a wish , which would be provided if possible immediately and prayed for together by the family if it was for the future.
‘Aunty Tara’ Joe, the youngest boy began. They usually begin in ascending order of their ages.
Everybody stared at the four year old boy wondering what he had to say. The boy became shy as he noticed that everybody’s gaze was on him.
‘I don’t have any question’ the four year old boy said in his babyish voice and quickly buried his face in his mother’s lap.
Everybody’s moved their gaze to Jerry who was sitting with his legs crossed, a small pillow was on his laps and his arms were resting on it.
‘Ask your question’ Tara sneered at Jerry who was delaying.
She and Jerry had always been like rivals. The young man who was just six always tried his best to bully his sister with his manpower, but Tara who was a girl with unusual strength refused to allow him ride her anytime he tried to, she always confronted him boldly.
The recent duel between them had been three days ago when their Dad had gotten “Puff puff” for them from work. Their parents had left them to share it amongst themselves while they proceeded to the room.
Tara did only rebuke Jerry for picking his portion before her, his elder sister and Jerry had aggravated the matter by rubbing his oily hand on her nose. She didn’t take it lightly with him as she pushed him hard and he fell on the sofa. He dashed with speed towards her and before their older brothers could say anything, they were already rolling over each other on the floor, kicking and hitting themselves hard.
‘Do you love me, Tara?’ Jerry broke the silence with a question that surprised everyone.
‘Yes, I love you Jerry. You’re my brother’ Omotara replied.
‘When would you stop fighting me and respect me like a boy?’ Jerry continued, with a serious look on his face.
‘The day you start respecting me and treating me like your elder sister’ Omotara answered again. Everybody turned their eyes to Jerry again, expecting the next question.
Their father spoke when he was sure there no other question was coming from Jerry. ‘ Jerry, you see… Tara is your elder sister and you have to start treating her with respect, if not even I , may have to start forcing you with my cane’
Jerry squeezed his mouth, he stared at his father’s face for a while before getting up and walking towards Tara. He pecked her on the left cheek and apologised. ‘I’m sorry’
‘Good’ everyone clapped and cheered as the two hugged each other.
On and on went questions and answers until it was the father’s turn. He asked Tara what she would like to be in future and why?
Tara cleared her throat before she began. ‘I would like to be a medical doctor. I don’t like seeing people sick or dying. I like to save lives and save people from pain. I want to discover the cures for so many diseases which has kept people in bondage’
Danjuma listened to his daughter in silence, he knew she would do all she said. She was intelligent and had a strong will also, he had seen her display it several times. It wasn’t long after that he became distracted by some strange sounds.
He stood up and walked to the window, he slightly opened the blinds to check what the sound was, the rest of the family were still listening to Omotara with keen interest.
‘Get into the room, all of you’ Danjuma suddenly ordered in a panicking manner.
All eyes turned to him for an explanation for he continued to stare outsidpe the window.
‘U zobu zobu, U zobu zobu!’ Strange distant chants were heard approaching.
Danjuma looked horrified as he saw several people who tried to run fall down as bullets pierced into their bodies.
‘Get inside!!!’ He shouted louder this time. Lydia picked her children and led them as they scampered in fright to find an hiding place in the house.
He walked past her and proceeded into the kitchen. He returned thirty seconds later with a chilled bottled water and a glass cup. Kneeling beside her, he poured the water into the cup and handed it to her.
He stared at her exposed thighs in the mini gown and licked his lips as she gulped the water. He immediately rebuked himself as he tried to return his mind back to the matter at hand after it had drifted to sex.
Evelyn returned an empty cup to him and relaxed back into the sofa. Henry got up and dropped the cup and bottle on the centre table before taking his seat beside.
‘Are you okay Evelyn? You seem to be destabilized since I mentioned “God” in the car.” Henry begun, with great concern heard in his voice.
Tarasha swallowed hard as she tried to frame up something. Except for the first outburst she made which even took her own self by surprise, the rest of the emotional trauma she had been performing were all acting to cover up the outburst.
She gave a scream when Henry talked about God’s love, does that mean she still had some emotions in her. No, she thought. Her emotions had been killed, she was supposed to have no feelings.
Her scream at Henry’s mention of God had been prompted by a bad memory that flashed back through her mind.
‘Is there any problem? Talk to me, I can help you’ Henry asked again when he got no reply.
Danjuma began to fasten all the locks and close every light entry into the house. He never imagined that a day like this would come..
