Episode two My name is Hannatu

Most times, people are buried almost immediately after death but my mother insisted that the burial waited till my siblings were around. So my dad was buried 4 days later as against the norm in our culture.
Our house was full..
All my siblings were around..
My 20year old elder brother Nuhu, studying in a polytechnic in kano and who I haven't seen in a long time was home along with Hussaina, Loveth and Kauna; My 3sisters all schooling in the main city of Jos. My dad was always determined to give his children the best education. He believed it was crucial to our success in life and now I totally agree with him.

I was happy to have us all together but not under this circumstance..

Vistors trooped in and out of our house, offering condolenses and words of encouragement.. they brought us food and I was happy. I didn't what that to end. "Why do they wait till something bad happens before people start being good?" I asked myself. Lol.
But I didn't care. Life was good. I was happy. Foolishly happy because I did not understand my dad was gone forever. I did not know that my life was about to take a turn I had never imagined would happen.

The compulsory period of mourning was over and it was time for everyone to return back to their base. That was when my mother called my siblings together, informing us that they would have to quit school after two sessions were over as the money available would only be enough to take them so far. Nuhu quickly objected that there would be no need for that as he was prepared to work and see himself through school so some more money could be left over for my sisters to finish school.

Things got tougher financially for as as the years rolled by. My mother was a hard working and determined woman. After she had put us to bed, she would go outside, sit and sing in tears. That was how she prayed. That was the only way she knew how to talk to God.

Three years later my sisters were back to the village to stay. Hussaina was able to finish but my other sisters couldn't. We began to go to farms to work in other to survive and support our mum in the running of the house. Well, they worked, because I just went along to play and eat fruits which they handed over to me when they picked any..

It was on one of those days that the worst happened...

...
Continues tomorrow