CAMARADERIE TROUBLES

CHAPTER 31

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to weeks… Selena knew the sound

of silence. It is the loud echo of nothingness which deafens the ears even when there are voices all

around. There was a stabbing pain in her little heart that wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard she

tried. She should have talked to him when she had the chance. She should have told him how much he

meant to her; definitely should have told him that she loved him so much. She should have been there,

been there with him in the hospital, holding his hand as he grabbed ferociously onto the reins keeping

him alive. She should have been the cord that held him together; she should have been his anchor…

like he had been to her, her whole life.

IK was the one who always understood her. Even when others misunderstood her and probably

thought her a bit weird, IK was the one person who could tell what she was thinking. He defended her

even against their parents when she was about to be punished for doing something wrong. Still… she

wasn’t there for him when he needed her the most. She wasn’t with him, and when he begged to speak

with her, she had refused. Her reasons for not speaking to him seemed senseless now. He had

begged, God knows he begged to hear her voice, and yet… and yet…

Selena bit hard on her lips, as she filled herself from crying. That unconscious act probably runs in the

family. She blinked severally times as she watched Amanda and Solomon play a bit sluggishly in the

compound. If only she could be as young and as naive as them, Selena thought, feeling way older than

her nine years old self. She was growing up but maybe that wasn’t a good thing. If she was to be

granted one wish, she will she’d be as young and naive as Solomon was, maybe that way, she won’t

feel this pain anymore.

“You’re doing it again”

Selena jerked out of her reverie and turned to the watchful gaze of Mrs Simon. The beans they were

obviously picking was poised between them, in a fairly round tray. A bit was suspended in her small

palm, only God knows how long it had been there.

“Sorry ma” Selena said shortly.

Mrs Simon let out an exasperated breath as she dropped a palm full of picked beans into a bowl. She

fastened her eyes on Selena who had her eyes on her palm, picking out chaff from the beans. “Selena,

you are too young for this. You need to stop worrying so much”

Selena blinked, pouring the beans into the bowl without a word.

Mrs Simon sighed, put her hand under Selena’s chin and raised her head till the girl was looking at her.

“I’m sure your brother is fine”

Selena pulled her head away gently as she fastened her eyes on the beans, obviously to hide the pain

in her eyes. “No, he’s not”

Mrs Simon gasped. “Don’t say that, Selena” This was the first time Selena was actually saying that.

Selena’s eyes snapped up. “You know it is true” her eyes watered. “You know it. We have not heard

from him or my parents for several weeks now. No calls, daddy hasn’t even come visiting like he used

to.” she dropped the beans in her hand, her eyes flashing. “Obviously… IK…” she bloke off, unable to

continue. “… it has happened and they don’t know how to tell us”

Mrs Simon stared at the little girl with compassion. “Nothing has happened” still she couldn’t deny that

not hearing from the Onaje for so long was really weird.

Selena stared into the older woman’s eyes, reading it as surely as she’d read a book. “You don’t

believe it yourself”

It’s no use lying to Selena, Mrs Simon had learnt this quickly. The girl might be so young but she surely

had a mature mind. The only thing that could work is tact, a child would always be a child. “Okay,

Selena… I admit I am also very worried” she leaned forward, coming at level head with Selena, “but we

can’t afford to give our hopes up. We have to merge our faith if IK would be fine again, I have told you

this, right?”

Selena’s eyes watered so much, Mrs Simon thought she’d actually cry for the first time. “I’m so

scared… What if… What if he…”

Mrs Simon watched Selena struggle with tears, feeling bad for the girl. She so wanted the tears to win,

Selena badly needed to let the tears out, it might help sooth the pain she was feeling. “You can cry,

Selena”

Selena froze, seeming to realise that she was actually on the verge of tears. She blinked back furiously,

rubbing the moisture that managed to slip past her steel lashes. “No, I can’t cry.” she cleared her throat,

picking the beans again. “Crying means something bad has truly happened” she choked out

Oh, so there’s hope there after all. “Come. Come give me a hug”