Bleak House

Already, they were suspicious. So, my going there was a gamble. Part of my reason for going there was to gain their trust.

That was why when they offered me a meal, I did not hesitate to thank them and head towards the dinning table.

They had eaten already, so I was the only one at the table. They sat behind me, in the living room not too far from where I sat.

Then came this awkward moment when I began to cough, slightly, then a bit violently.

Must have been the pepper or some other spice in the soup.

I was wondering how they interpreted everything. Their daughter had died. Mysteriously. And I was her class teacher. I remember they bringing a ‘prophet’ to the school to pray with the other children.

Perhaps, they had been told that the school had a hand in their daughter’s death.

Maybe they couldn’t really tell whom to trust and whom to be suspicious of. I think the man trusted me. But the woman was hesitant. I remember her reaction when I called to express my condolences. She became silent when I introduced myself on the phone. I think she was praying in that moment of silence. The trauma of losing such a brilliant, young girl has turned her parents into suspicious beings. Maybe they had reasons to be. For I myself found her death mysterious.

I still can see her face, even as I write about all this… Her quiet demeanor, the joy on her face which she unsuccessfully tried to conceal whenever she got an answer correct and I ask the class to clap for her. I cannot forget her disappointment whenever she puts her hand up and I call some other pupil to respond.

Such a promising star. If only her parents knew what was coming, perhaps they would have relocated to some other part of the city where bad luck avoids the path of the great.

I notice there was no attempt to tell me “sorry” or offer me some water while I coughed violently. Was it a sign to them that I was evil, or had a hand in their daughter’s death? Or was there something put into my food?

Maybe this was my sign to mind the homes from which I eat, to put some restrain on how trusting I was of new offers and strangers.

Luckily, the coughing subsided and I continued eating. After that, we had some discussions about the home lessons I was to offer for their elder daughter. I realized that they deliberately avoided talks about their deceased daughter.

When I went upstairs on the last floor to begin the lessons with their girl, I realized how trusting the girl was of me, for she told me many things, including secrets about her dead sister, adding that her parents had a boy as firstborn and he too died.

I thought about the wealth of her parents. They were a young couple, but had a house of their own, a car and appeared to live comfortably. In these parts of the world, people were always suspicious of the source of wealth of others. In a place where there were rumors of secret rituals in which innocent lives where shed to bring wealth, it was natural that when one cannot see a lucrative business or job done by someone to have so much wealth, one will become suspicious.

I finished the session and left for the house. I didn’t mention how much I expected to be paid every month, and they didn’t mention my next meeting with their daughter. But I liked it that way, I wasn’t sure of returning to that sombre mood and atmosphere about their house, and the mood of mysticism all over the place.

I certainly was searching for an excuse to not come back and the fact that they mentioned that they will be away for a while was such a relief!

By Benjamin Nambu

From: Ghana

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