KAMBILI (2)

 (THE GRAND FINALE)

  After what happened last time between I and my family members I decided to flex my little muscles and lie in wait for Kambili, just like I had watched in some action movies. I found out that I was always unlucky whenever it had to do with playing pranks on any of my sisters as a way of revenge.

            She finally found the pair of sandals under my bed and of course, hell was let lose when I came home that day. Dad caned me; Mum shouted and shouted; she hit me with a stainless plate; Sister Chi didn’t talk to me for a whole week. I was treated like I didn’t exist. And for Kambili, she only said “You’re lucky they didn’t strangle you alive”.

            It was on a Sunday Morning, Dad, mum and Sister Chi had prepared to leave; “We’ll be going to the eye clinic for your Mum and sister to do their Monthly Chek-up” Dad told I and Kambili. “Behave yourselves kids” he said and the trio left. 

            Kambili sat in the Sitting room waiting for the Power Holding Company to supply house hold electicity. 

“Where is my food” I asked her hungrily.

“Can’t you greet?” she asked me. I was startled and surprised. When did I start greeting Kambili every morning? She had never demanded this before in the presence of the whole family; the little devil in her must have started work again. I ignored and asked her the same question again.

“Oga, go to the pot and stop asking me” she replied.

“Stop calling me Oga” I said, boiling in anger and tightening my fist.

“Oga” she said, daring me to know what I would do. Then she continued; “Oga, did you help us to cook? All you know how to do is to ask silly questions about where your food is” she snapped back. I was still staring with anger and then the little devil stood up and mimicked the first question I asked her. “Where is my food?” she said, widening her eyes the way I usually did. I hissed and went to the kitchen; I opened the pot; I saw pieces of white boiled yams. I wasn’t used to going serving myself from the cooking pot; Mum usually served my food on my special plate. 

“Is it only white yam that I will eat?” I asked Kambili looking confused. 

“Yes, fetch water from the tap, eat it with the yam” she answered sarcastically and muttered something which I was quick to hear. “Next time try and be visiting the kitchen frequently”. I hissed again, she was stepping on my toes for the second time. I had never eaten a delicacy of white yam and water before; it was usually with oil or stew. I didn’t know what next to do; I chewed the seven pieces of the white yam with water hungrily just as she had directed; I had no choice. I planned to tell Mum and Sister Chi what Kambili had made me do. 

As I ate the last piece of yam, I saw a bottle of oil close to the pot of yam; I hissed as I starred shamefully at the red bottle containing Palm oil; Kambili had succeeded in making me eat yam and water.

 

The power supply came on at that same moment. “NEPA! NEPA!” I shouted as I quickly rushed to the sitting room. We both raced to pick the remote control for the television which rested on a TV stand at one side of the sitting room; she loved girly cartoons, I loved Wrestling shows especially the ones hosted by WWE. 

“I’ve been sitting here waiting for the power to come on” she said, snatching it from me.

“I got it first, that doesn’t concern me” I replied, snatching it back.

            Kambili slapped me; she was a bit taller and two years older. It was the first time she was doing this. She watched to know what I would do. I dived forward to go give her a spear cut just as ROMAN REIGNS would do in WWE. We both landed on the flat screen TV which rested on the TV stand; Dad had always said that he would hang the Television on the wall some day.

            It fell, she fell, I fell, We fell; It was a great fall. The TV screen was shattered; it was a terrible sight. The broken screen had injured her on several places on her body. I went ahead to give her some blows out of anger, not considering her sorry state already. I must have calculated it wrongly, because Dad, Mum and Sister Chi came in, that moment. My own was finished, indeed it was finished. Mum screamed; Sister Chi screamed louder; Kambili was lying unconscious. Mum and Sister Chi quickly carried her to the car. While Mum and Sister Chi zoomed of to the hospital, Dad stayed back to handle me; He quickly rushed me…

That day, I finally got the reward and peace of mind which I deserved

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Come to think of it, if not for the intervention of Dad, I might have killed the little devil. It wasn’t long, my third punishment in a row arrived.

“I’ll be sending you to the BOYS ACADEMY JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL by next week” dad said. He looked at me and continued; “That’s where mischievous boys like you need to be” he said smiling wickedly.

I touched my swollen eyes; the pain was subsiding, I could feel discomfort around my abdomen. It had all happened three days ago. The thought of starting my Junior Secondary School in a strange place, sent cold chills down my spine. 

            The day I was to leave for the Boys Academy, I noticed happiness on everyone’s face. During devotion that morning, Kambili sang for joy; the little devil even offered to help me move my things to the car waiting outside to pick me up. When the car zoomed off, I noticed a piece of paper lying beside my small wallet; I opened it to scan the contents; it was from Kambili. I could easily detect her ugly handwriting anytime anywhere. “I’ll be sending you to the BOYS ACADEMY JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL by next week”. The little devil had written down the exact words dad told me last week. 

I shook my head in disappointment. Kambili was really a devil.