CHRISTMAS CANDLES

 

CHRISTMAS CANDLES

 

A short story by Ogheneochuko Munu

 

This book tells the Christmas story of an elite Urhobo family located in Lagos, Nigeria. With the fragrance of Christmas, lights and jollification...the unexpected strikes. The tale of  not everyone with the best of clothes may have the best of Christmas but there is hope for the man with it candles! enjoy

                          

CHAPTER ONE

Silent night, holy night

                                                          All is calm, all is bright,                            

Round yon virgin, Mother and Child,

Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace...

Tega Okiemute rolls over again on the bed, seeking the right position to get a good night sleep for the tenth time; she still couldn’t. The more she rolls, the more irritating it get.  Her gaze shifts to the wall clock; the time is 10:59pm. 


She has been trying to get some sleep for over three hours now. Fully exasperated, she stands up from the bed.

Tega shifts the curtains in her room slightly and looks through the window, a habit she has learn from childhood. She loves her room upstairs facing the street so she could look through the window. 

Tonight, the sky looks too perky.  The moon and the stars shone brightly! They looked like they have just been re-energized for all night.  Her gaze shifts from the sky to the streets where Christmas lights and decorations lightened from where her eyes could see and even beyond.  

 ‘They are beautiful!’ She exclaims. 

 

The fragrance of Christmas filled every street in Victoria Garden City. 

 A beautiful Christmas decoration on her neighbor’s window opposite hers captures her attention.  The decoration has the emblem of love with tiny Christmas bells round it radiating colorful lights. On it is written 'CHRISTMAS IS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE YOU GOT CHRIST'

 

She wonders if her neighbour had put it opposite her window on purpose.  She has Christ but her Christmas does not look half as beautiful as the sky or the streets of Victoria Garden City. 

It is few days to Christmas and she is dying. The doctors confirmed that; she has few weeks to live except a miracle happens. She tries smiling but a tear drops. 

She puts her hands on the window and holds on to the balustrades. She holds unto them tightly as well as tightly to her tears. She squeezes her eyes as if in a battle not to cry.  She remembers the song that Maria taught the children in the movie; ‘Sound of Music’

When the dog bites, when the bee stings

When I’m feeling sad,

I simply remember my favorite things

Then I don’t feel so bad

Vera, her younger sister walks into the room. Tega is oblivious of her presence because she is lost in her favorite memories of Christmas.   

                                                                        

‘Hmm…Oniovo me, migwo, what good thing are you planning by midnight?’ Vera asks. 

She holds Tega’s hands. They are still warm even though they are withering with flakes all over. She has made a promise never to treat Tega like she is abnormal because of her illness. 

Although looking at Tega’s hands in such condition makes her cry, tonight, she restrains herself.  She must be there and be strong for her only sister she loves dearly. 

Her sister whom is strongest is most vulnerable to many illnesses that can kill her anytime. At first, none of them in the Okiemute’s  family believed the Doctor’s reports until the symptoms became all glaring. She has lost tones of weight, her skin looks pale, swollen gum and her feet are withering. 

‘O Vera, I was not planning anything just thinking’ Tega replies.

‘Oniovo me, everything is going to be fine. You are not going to die’ Vera smiled. 

‘Shuuuuu…’ Tega puts her index finger on her lips motioning her to keep quiet.

‘Don’t mention death here, if it comes we will deal with it and if doesn’t we will live well’ Tega continues. 

Vera is amazed. Her faith may not be big like that of Tega but she has read that a faith as small as a mustard seed can do so much. She believes God will do a miracle and her sister will live. 

‘Oniovo me’ Vera hails her sweetly and immediately gives her a hug.

‘Dearest sis’ Tega whispers in her ear. 

They hug even tightly, trying so hard to fight back their tears. 

‘Even to the hem of Jesus’ garments we shall cling to’ they both say .

They dis-embrace and sit closely to each other at the right end of the bed. They smile. They both didn’t want to talk about death again. They are emotionally exhausted. 

‘Christmas isn’t fun for adults' Vera laughs,

‘Ejo Ejo’  Tega  shaking her head. 

‘Remember how daddy used to come to our rooms as Santa Claus on Christmas morning to give us boxes of gifts?’ Vera continues.

‘I always anticipated those boxes’ Tega says with her eyes lit up. ‘In fact, most Christmas eves I don’t bother sleeping’ 

‘Me too oh’ Vera wiggles her waist and clap her hands. 

‘And that is the beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeest part of the year too becaussss…’ Tega waits for Vera to finish the sentence. 

‘Daddy never beat us’ Vera said. 

‘Except brother Efe’ they both chorus and laugh.

The two sisters chatter on about their beautiful Christmas memories and the ugly ones. They  talk about the day Efe dressed like a ghost one Christmas Eve and made funny scary sounds round the house; everyone was scared and ran into hiding, their cousin who was only seven then seeked refuge in the biggest Christmas pot and unknown to her, there was blended fresh red hot pepper there. 

 

‘Hell, hell…help! I don’t want to go to hell’. Vera mimics exactly how her cousin screamed from the big pot. 

'and Brother Efe was the first person to go and see what was happening in the big Christmas pot.  oh. He told me  he was dazed when a small red peppery head' Tega claps her hands.

‘HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA’ Tega mimics how he screamed and fainted. 

They recall they had  all rushed out, curious to know what was happening. After Efe recovered from his short coma, he was sent into another with severe beating from their father. After his second recovery, he was sent to their pastors for deliverance. As for their cousin, even after New Year, her body was still peppering her. She never stopped coming to their house for Christmas. They nicknamed her Pepper when she grew much older. 

As for Efe, he did not stop playing pranks.  Another Christmas Eve, they have all gone to bed when their neighbor called their father to caution his children to stop disturbing him and his family with their ‘Knock outs’. He warned him that if they throw another ‘knock out’ he will call the police. Just then, he heard the sound of another. Their father was thunderstruck. He apologized to him. 

Their parents matched upstairs to the girl’s room and they all pretended to be asleep. Their dad took their hands each to his nose for some seconds and then left. They were confused. After some time, they heard loud cries from Efe’s room. 

They knew their dad was excoriating Efe and  in a matter of time, Efe will be on the Hospital bed in coma. They all ran out to beg but the door was locked.  By the time it was opened, Efe had fainted.  That day marked the end of Efe’s pranks. 

Their father is a very strict man and a harsh disciplinarian when they provoke him. Once they recover from his beatings, he calls them, draws them to himself and gives them a warm loving hug. 

‘He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him’ he often says. 

‘I miss Efe so much’ Tega says with her hands on her chin, facing the east and west and a big grin on her face. 

‘I miss him muchy’ Vera laughs.

‘And do you miss Sonia too’ Tega asks. 

Vera is mute. She thinks for a while with her eyes fix on the ceiling. She tries recalling where she has heard that name. Sonia’s face flashes in memory, a five year old beautiful girl they had met when they visited ‘Heart of Gold Hospice’ in Surulere, a less privilege home that cater for children with special needs. She recalls that she was twelve then and Tofunmi was ten.

‘Oh…poor Sonia! Of course I do miss her.’ Vera looks back at her

‘Do you think she is still alive?’ Tega asks. 

Vera is mute again. She remembers Sonia’ condition, Hydrocephalus, the reason for head being extremely big and the reason why they said she may die or her brain may be damaged if the funds for surgery were not raised early. 

Somewhere in her heart, she believes Sonia is alive, yet a greater part of her heart does not believe, after all their family was poor then and all they could give towards the surgery was prayer. 

She looks at Tega face, her fears are glaring, and death is the last word she wants to hear. Not wanting to make her depress, Vera smiles and says yes. 

‘Oh mine!!!’ Tega eyes sparkle. ‘I really wish to see her again’ She adds sadly. 

‘Oniovo memi…of course you will’ Vera says. 

None of them wants to push the conversation further. They both know that even if Sonia is alive it may be hard getting to see her. Tega leans on Vera’s shoulder. She is tired and finally sleepy. She sleeps off on Vera shoulder.

Knowing Tega’s wish, Vera thinks of how she must find Sonia to make Tega happy. Her only sister may be dying anytime soon and every request of hers means a lot to her and her family.

Vera puts Tega to bed. She thank God for giving Tega his beloved sleep.  She looks at Tega, she is like a baby, all peaceful and quiet, only God can give a man such sleep and rest even when death is hovering around her.  She says a short prayer of thanksgiving before leaving.

********

Chapter two will be uploaded this coming week by God's grace. So many questions on my head right now. I'm curious to know why Tega seeks Sonia. I am curious to know what illness Tega have. Where is Brother Efe by the way? 

What do you, yeah, you, reader   think of this story?

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