SILENCE

His discharge papers had been signed and somehow he had found his way home, there was nothing that could stop his heart from bleeding. He didn’t even know how he was going to start living again when he couldn’t even find a reason to live.

After taking a long hot bath, he called a cab to take him to his mother in law’s place. She didn’t know anything about the accident and she was the only person that he could tell about it.

He walked into the compound remembering the last time he had been there, he had no idea how much time had passed ever since.

She was in the garden tending to her flowers when he spotted.

‘My God I have been worried about all of you.’ She said dropping her tools

He looked at her frail skin and silver hair, she was aging beautifully.

‘How are you mother?’ he asked trying to be strong

‘Look at me and tell me.’ She responded

He gave her a weak smile, even though Larna denied it she got some of her characteristics from her mother.

‘You never called me after getting home, your phones have been off. What sort of children treat their aging mother like that? You almost gave me a heart attack.’ She said leading him to the house

He just walked behind her silently, he was trying to find the right words to say everything to her.

They got to the kitchen and she straight away made him a cup of tea.

‘How are the kids?’ she asked now settled opposite him

He swallowed hard.

‘My son are you okay?’ she asked

He was trying so hard to be strong.

‘Elisha how are my grandchildren?’ she asked again

‘Mum.’ He began

‘Yes?’

‘We never got home that day.’

‘What do you mean you never got home?’

‘We were involved in a terrible car accident.’ He managed to say in a whisper

Mrs. Chishala put down her cup.

‘Oh my God Elisha how are they?’

Silence.

‘They didn’t make it mum, my babies are gone.’ He said forcefully holding back the tears

For a moment they were both silent, none of them uttering a word to the other.

‘And Larna? How is my daughter? How is she holding up?’

‘She lost a leg.’

‘And her memory.’ He added

Mrs. Chishala got up from where she was and embraced him as they cried together, she knew this was a hard time for him and the only thing he needed was someone to just be there for him.

The next few days, the funeral for the twins was held. Since Larna was still in hospital; they held it without her. They had told a few close friends about it and they decided to bury them at Mrs. Chishala’s place. It was hard for Elisha to accept that they were gone but he couldn’t do much about it.

The day Larna was to be discharged, Elisha wanted that she goes home with him but her mother decided against it. She was her mother after all and this would be a good time for them to bond. Wangu promised she would always come to check up on her because the counselling sessions would help her to heal despite Elisha believing that she might never heal; something that frightened him to the coil.

It had been a week from the time she had started living with her mother and had shown no sign of healing, it’s like she kept getting worse by the day. Larna was ever angry at her mother and life generally, she threw things around in her room and refused to eat anything that her mother prepared.

‘How is she doing?’ Wangu asked the day she had gone to visit

‘She is getting worse.’ Mrs. Chishala said who had lost a bit of weight from the last time they had met

‘And how are you doing yourself?’

‘As you can see I am losing it.’ She honestly said rubbing the invisible sweat off her face

‘You need to take care of yourself, stressing is not good for your age mum.’ She told her holding her hand

‘My child it is not easy, I only have Larna in this world and it breaks my heart that she still hates me up to now.’

‘What do you mean still hates you?’

Mrs. Chishala sighed before narrating how Larna had grown as a child, her mother described her as an intelligent child who wanted to impress her parents always but things changed as she grew. She became distant and was stopped talking to her parents as much. She also told her to say at first she thought her husband had abused her sexually but he denied and swore upon his life that he would never do anything like that to her.

All this while Wangu listened silently, she knew this would be tough to deal with. It seemed Larna’s anger was as a result of her childhood and for her to heal she had to relive her past.

‘Mum thank you so much for the information, can I see her though?’

‘Well you can but be assured that she is not in a good mood today.’ Mrs. Chishala responded weakly

‘I can deal with bad moods.’ She said jokingly causing her to smile.

She walked into Larna’s room and found her curled in one corner, one could tell that this room was cleaned everyday despite it looking like a mess. She walked over to where she was and sat next to her. Larna looked up and saw Wangu seated, she shot her an evil stare but Wangu did not move. After about twenty minutes she stood up and walked out of the room.

‘Are you okay?’ Mrs. Chishala asked

‘Did she hurt you?’ she added

‘I am okay.’

Mrs. Chishala looked at her with a blank stare

Just then the door to Larna’s room opened, something that had never happened from the time she came home.

‘You!’ she screamed rudely but Wangu didn’t turn

‘You!’ she called again but still Wangu didn’t turn

Larna was forced to move to where they were and tapped Wangu’s shoulder

‘Yes?’ Wangu responded

‘I have been calling you.’ She said almost yelling

‘Talk to me like the lady that you are and my name is Wangu Larna.’ She said with a smile

‘Whatever.’ Larna said walking back to her room and hitting the door behind her

‘How did you do that? She has never said a word to me?’

‘I was trained for this mum, your daughter will be fine.’ She told her before saying her goodbye.