STICK WITH ME

“This alarm clock should just stop working” I groaned stretching my hands to turn it off.

“Another miserable day for me” I sat on my bed looking tired.

“Ahhhh!” Maria screamed.

“What’s wrong?” My Mum and I asked in unison.

Maria breathed heavily.

“Mia, you have to stop scaring us with your looks every morning you wake up. Look at your eyebags. You look like an evil spirit ready to attack someone at any-

“Maria!” I shouted cutting in sharply.

“Sorry. You just don’t look well, looks like you’ve been finding it hard to sleep everytime. You just look too bad. Take care of yourself and stop crying every night” Maria soothed.

I felt emotional. She was actually saying the truth.

“Who cries every night?” Mum asked as she entered the room.

“Nothing, Nobody cried.  We were actually talking about a movie” I replied sharply.

“Huh?” Maria asked dumbfounded.  I gave Maria a sign so she would shut up and co-operate.

Maria nodded her head in approval.

“Mum, the Movie is a very great one.  Mia right?” Maria asked smiling earnestly.

“Yes” We both laughed.

“I didn’t know when you guys became this close” Mum sighed.

Maria and I faked a laugh.

“Mia, before you go to school, Visit Monica and give her some food. Immediately school closes, make sure you return to the pub and clean it up and attend to customers. I will be gone for some few days” Mum ordered.

“Mum, that’s too much work. I don’t even want to visit Monica” I cried.

“That’s your cup of tea. Do as I have instructed you” She demanded.

“Mum, where are you going to?” Maria asked grabing a pack of chips.

“I won’t tell you. You guys should behave well. I might not be back anytime soon” Mum said leaving the house.

“That’s strange” Maria stood up following Mum secretly.

“Why is she carrying that kind of load? She said she’ll be back in few days and not anytime soon. She looks like someone that is relocating” Maria murmured.

“What? What’s that?” I asked Mia eagerly.

“Ahh…” Maria screamed. She was shocked. She didn’t know I was also following her.

Mum entered a Taxi and left immediately.

“Why do I have this feeling that Mum is permanently leaving us” Maria mumbled.

“That’s absurd. Mum can never do that. She will be back in a few days. Mum can’t leave us and her newly pub” I assured Maria.

“Yeah, that’s true. Mum can’t leave us” Maria smiled.

“Am off to prepare for school and visit Monica too in the hospital” I said leaving her.

“Bye” Maria waved at me.

*                  *                *                  *                  *

Mum sobbed deeply as she entered the taxi immediately.

“Why did I do this?” She cried.

“Is everything alright?” The taxi driver asked handing a tissue paper to her.

“Thank you, it’s nothing. Everything is alright” Mum smiled collecting the tissue paper.

“Mia, Monica, Maria, Jason. Am truly sorry for leaving you guys. I can’t watch you guys suffer this much. I hope Mia takes care of you guys till I come back” Mum cried.

Mum left the town.

*             *           *             *          *               *      *

I prepared the morning meal and set on the table for Jason and Maria.

I left immediately to the hospital with Monica’s meal.

I walked into the hospital.  I ran fast because I was almost late for school. I mistakenly ran into a girl and the flask I was carrying hit her. She fell down at that moment.

“Oh my God, sorry,  am really sorry ” I apologised.

The people around turned to see what was happening. I caused a huge scene at the hospital.

I helped her stand up on her feet. She stared  at me for a long time.

“Are you hurt,  am sincerely sorry” I apologised going on my knees. I didn’t want to cause much troubles because I know I don’t have money for treatments.

“Saebom high school?” She muttered.

“Huh? Are you okay?” I asked eagerly.

“Yeah, am fine” She left immediately.

“Saebom high school? That’s my school. Is she okay? Maybe she fell and lost some of her nuts” I laughed.

“This isn’t time to laugh” I slapped myself.

I walked into Monica’s ward. She was still sleeping heavily.

“She’s really sick” I sighed. I cleaned her face with some water and cleaned up her room too.

The doctor walked inside the ward immediately.

“Monica’s sister right?” He asked.

“Yes” I nodded my head.

“Okay take this” he handed a paper to me.

“That’s her hospital dues” He said.

“What?!” I exclaimed. The money is too much. Mum just left and she didn’t keep much money for us.

“Where will I bring money from to pay for her hospital dues. The money is more than the amount of money Mum left for us before leaving” I sighed.

“Doctor, isn’t there anyway you can reduce the amount.  It’s too costly” I suggested.

“The treatment given to her will make her heal faster, that’s why it is expensive.  We can also stop the treatment if you want the money to be less” The doctor soothed.

I was dumbfounded for some minutes.

“Is there any problem?” The Doctor asked.

I came back to reality immediately.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll try and get the money soon” I mumbled.

“Okay then” The Doctor left immediately.

I looked at Monica as she lied lifelessly on the bed.

“Am doing all this for you even though we are not in good terms. You better get well soon and pay me back” I sighed leaving the hospital immediately.

Monica woke up immediately Mia left. She heard everything that the doctor and Mia talked about. It was at this moment that Monica for the first time in her life pitied Mia.

*             *               *                 *                   *

“Where on earth will I get money from to take card of mu siblings?” I asked myself.

“Mia, are you here with us?” Ms. Song asked.

I didn’t reply. I wasn’t interested with what they were talking about.

“Mia!” She shouted.

“Yes Ma!” I answered immediately.  My heart skipped a beat.

“What was the last thing I said?” Ms. Song asked me.

“Uhmm, we were talking chemical reactions” I stuttered.

“Are you here at all? You should try your best and study more. Exams are around the corner” She scolded me.

“Okay Ma”

“Make sure you come to my office immediately after school” Ms. Song said and left the class.

“Are you okay?” Jay asked me.

“Yeah” I nodded my head.

“Wow! Riah and Henry are dating!?” One of the girls in the class shouted.

“My Henry” The girls cried.

“Riah is Leo’s step sister. Truly, the rich always go for the rich” One of the girls sighed.

“She’s barely 18 years old and she’s getting married? I think this is for a business purpose. It won’t last.” She concluded.

Jay looked annoyed. It showed on his face but he didn’t utter a word.

“Mia, I’ll be off now,  bye” Jay waved leaving the class.

“Bye, bye” “I’ll have to work harder now, after school I’ll look for a part time job. Jason can take care of the pub till I come back in the evening.” I thought as I walked down the school road.

“What about the Basketball competition? I’ll still have to attend the practice ” I cried. Life is too hard on me.

“Mia!” Leo called out to me.

“Hey”

“Where are you going to? Why aren’t you in class?” Leo asked curiously.

“I want to practice. You know, I’ve been too busy lately. So I’ll just skip few classes for the practice” I groaned.

“You’re really going through alot. Well, have a nice practice.  We’ll see after school.” Leo said and left.

I practiced with one of the girls from my team for few minutes before Olive and her friend entered.

“See who is practicing,  when she should be in class learning” Marie( one of Olives friends. Mia’s Team mate) shouted.

I turned to look at them as I breathed heavily.

“Mia, what are you doing here? You should be in class now”  Olive asked.

“I have busy schedules and I can’t come to practice after school” I explained.

“Busy schedules. What are you doing that makes you busy. You are busy doing nothing. I don’t know why a low life girl like you will be playing basketball with people like us” Marie sneered.

This words hit my heart like an arrow being pierced into the heart.

I couldn’t control the tears running down  my eyes.

“Do you think am doing this because of the competition?” I cried.

“I don’t even know why someone from a middle class family like mine should exist. Am just doing this because it’s something I can’t stop doing,  no matter how hard I try” I cried.

Marie was shocked.

“Did I make you cry? Am really sorry” she apologised.

“Nothing, it’s alright.” I wiped my tears with my hands.

The girl playing with me apologised to Olive and left to her class immediately.  I made an attempt to follow her but Olive called me back.

“Yes captain”

“Where do you live?” Olive asked.

I gave her the address of where we live.

“You can go now”

“Okay Captain ” I said and left the sport room.

I met the Master on my way out.

“Hi Mia” he called me.

“Good day sir”

“Hope you are preparing very well for the competition”

“Yes sir”

“Mia, are you okay. Why are you responding this way?”

“Am fine. I’ll be back later”

“What could be wrong with her? She doesn’t look so good” The master muttered. I got a text from Leo.

“Meet me at the shopping mall beside school”

“You think I have that kind of time? I scoffed.

“Of course!” Leo exclaimed

“Hey, you scared me”

“Sorry, why won’t you see me after school?” Leo asked.

“Am currently looking for a part-time job. I can’t find anyone online.” I explained.

“Is that why you can’t see me?” Leo asked.

“Of course” I snapped.

“Just try and come to that place. You don’t know if they need a part time worker there” Leo chuckled.

“Seriously?” I screamed excitedly.

“Yeah” Leo laughed. *                 *              *               *                  *    *

“Ohh, it’s Henry” Riah ran to unplug her to phone to answer Henry’s phone call.

“Hi”

“Riah, how are you doing today?” Henry asked

“Am fine”

“Can we meet today? I mean can we go on a date today. If you’re not so busy” Henry asked.

“Yeah, of course. Am not busy” Riah snapped.

“Okay then, I’ll send you the location” Henry ended the call.

“Yess” Riah jubilated.

“I thought she will be busy, fortunately,  she’s not” Henry smiled.

*                   *                     *                  *

“I found her. Saebom high school is the school she attends. She’s currently in Grade 11” Winter reported to Alison.

“Wow, that’s nice. Dig more about her. I will make sure I ruin Mia at all cost” Alison gnashed  her teeths.