KOM KOM

Uncle Jonah told me to come and play with his daughter, Sidi, today. He asked me to bring my kom kom that I always use to cook food anytime I play family. I have never seen his daughter before. I never even knew he had a daughter until today when he saw me playing and said that Sidi will be coming with her mother and that she will be staying for a week. I was very excited because now I will have a playmate and she will be my best friend. I was standing in front of our door when I heard mummy’s car horn and I saw Uncle Jonah run out of the gate-man's house to open our huge gate. Mummy drove in in her shiny black car and when she stepped out, I could not wait for the usual roller coaster ‘how are you’ greeting she gave me every time. I rumbled about how Uncle Jonah’s daughter will be coming tomorrow with her mother. Mummy just smiled and carried me inside after she had ordered sister Kelechi, our house girl to carry in the groceries and Uncle Jonah to wash the car. It was Saturday so I would have mummy all to myself. I got sad when she told me she had to run to the office and she called sister Kelechi to follow her in the car so she can drop her off at the market to buy things for soup. Mummy drove off with our house girl and I was left with Uncle Jonah. I asked him when Sidi will be coming and he told me not to worry that if I am bored, I can come to his small house and play while waiting for Sidi. Uncle Jonah is always nice to me so I went into his small house with my kom kom to wait for Sidi. He asked me what I will play with Sidi when she comes and I said we will play family. Uncle Jonah started breathing hard and I asked him what was wrong with him. He told me not to shout but that he will play with me the way he plays with Sidi and that Sidi always enjoys it. He told me to lie on the mat, raise my gown and close my eyes. I did not understand why but as I thought it was hide and seek, I raised my dressed, shut my eyes, and Uncle Jonah played with my toto. He closed my mouth and made noise like a cow. I cried and tried to scream because this play was causing me pains but Uncle Jonah was very strong. When he finished, he told me to clean my eyes and he gave me lollipop. He told me he will keep giving me lollipop if I keep quiet and don’t tell my mummy. When sister Kelechi came back and was about to give me my night bath, I told her not to wash my toto that it is paining me. Sister Kelechi took me to my mummy and told her what I said. Mummy is a doctor so she checks me and asks me who touched me. I tell her nobody and I start crying. She starts screaming at me and demanding I tell her who touched me. I said Uncle Jonah. Mummy pauses in shock and I watch tears fall out of her eyes. She runs out of the house with a pestle and I watch her from the window as she hits Uncle Jonah’s head two times before sister Kelechi stops her. Blood is coming out of Uncle Jonah’s head. It is dark red and did not rush like water from our tap.

The next morning, all the blood will be gone and I will be sitting in front of the door with my kom kom wondering if mummy and sister Kelechi put all the blood into Uncle Jonah’s head and if Sidi will still come and play with me.