Fiction ~ Gone Sanity ~ Haneefah Abdulrahman
Pic: Aminu S Muhammad |
Your head was really heavy when you opened your
eyes, everything was abnormal, upside down. You couldn't help but wonder if you
were in the devil's land or in the human world. You decided to lay still for
few moment," it will help me regain my sanity." You thought. It took
a little while before your sanity was regained.
"Oh no!" You shouted like you just saw yourself
drowning but you just remembered that your grandmother fell off the cliff and drowned
in the water beneath when you screamed out of the joy of seeing Asabe, your
best friend whom you thought wouldn't make it to the hangout with your grandma.
That scream startled your grandma who moved too fast forgetting that she was standing
really close to the edge of the cliff. It happened so fast.
"You are awake." Asabe said to you.
"You fainted from the shock of seeing your grandma fall. Thank God your
house is close so getting help was easy." She added.
You changed your mind about standing up. You were
waiting for the men to come up and say,
"She is still alive, we just need to take
her to the hospital."
Your parents were looking down with great expectation, you wanted to move a little
forward to take a look too but your butts were glued to the ground with your
worries.
The men came up with your grandma's body looking like
an object which is always lifeless. Asabe ran to meet up with them but you couldn't
stand up, your parent touched the body and shook their heads, the men were
expressionless like life or death isn't new to them, like they have seen so
much of both. Your mother screamed, "Mama please wake up, your 90th birthday
is tomorrow!" She cried and screamed, your father consoled her, Asabe
looked confused, you just sat there, your sanity wasn't with you.
Your parents walked past you alongside the men but
Asabe sat by your side and whispered, "She is dead." Her whisper was
as though it was a sin to tell you that she was dead.
You didn't say anything, you looked at the blank space.
Asabe begged you to say something but you didn’t, she begged to take you home
but you refused.
"Go away!" You suddenly screamed at her.
She was startled but she didn't make an attempt to
move. “I will stay here with you till you are ready to go home."
You pushed her but she didn't go. She still sat
by your side. "What a friend, she
never leaves me in my horrible times no matter what I say or do to her."
You thought. You let her stay, then you broke into tears.
She let you lay on her laps and let you cry out
your pain, your guilt and your memories. You couldn't believe your grandma was
gone suddenly. It was your fault you thought. You loved her more than your
parents because she had always been there. She was gone now, you didn't know
what to do. You knew you were going to feel lonely with no one to talk to. It
was as though your own parents never noticed you because they are so busy.
“I think you should go home Asabe, my sanity is
gone with the memories I have of grandmother. I am staying here till daybreak.
I will go home tomorrow. I don't think I will be able to have my sanity back,
it will kill me. I rather dwell in the past."
Asabe touched your head and said, "We will
stay here till daybreak and I promise to be part of your gone sanity. We will remember
grandma always but please let not all your sanity be in your memory of
her."
"I hear you." You replied.
You and Asabe stayed till daybreak. It was as though
you were feeling the presence of your grandma since that was the last place you
saw her alive. Like Asabe said, you can let your sanity go with the memory of
your grandma but not completely. Asabe held your hands and hugged you afterwards
and you walked home with her. Your eyes were swollen, it won't heal you knew, your
heart was also swollen in form of a sore but you had to be ready to live
without your grandma whom was your best friend before Asabe.
When you got home, your mum was surprised to see you
coming from the gate and she asked, "Did you not sleep at home
yesterday?"
You ignored her and walked past her. You went to
your room to prepare for the eternal send forth of your grandma to the other world.
You were ready for the war of life, you knew.
*********
HANEEFAH ABDULRAHMAN is currently a 300 level
student of English and Literary studies at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She
is the 2020 Editor 1 of The Creative Writers' Club. She is a writer and a poet.
She is the author of 'The Queens of Age Chains' published
on Okada Books. Haneefah has also been published on the sites dailyboom.com.ng,
igbocurls.com. She manages the blog, trendyneefah.blogspot.com.
I love your second-person narrative, and it really captured the message being passed.
ReplyDeleteThe story is great!
Nice write up.
ReplyDeleteMore grace and insight.
This is really touching. Thank you Neefah
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteWaaw great piece well articulated
ReplyDeleteNice one Hannie
ReplyDeleteThat's a nice writeuow dear
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteAwesome
ReplyDeleteYour piece are always awesome, nice one. more insight
ReplyDelete