Yamat, the old woman sat on a stool under the tree as she waited for the children to settle down, one thing she loved about the children was the accordement among them, they were all organized as everyone knew where to sit. Finally, they settled down and greeted her as usual.
“So, lovelies, today’s stories is a true life story, this incident happened while I was still young and this story would teach each one of you a lesson,” Yamat said as she touched bint’s nose. Bint is always the curious one among the children and she is always captivated by Yamat stories, not only bint but the others. Everyone loves Yamat stories.
“Now listen,” she said coughing slightly. “There was a city called Normia, a very known city, a city where everyone minds their business, a city where anyone would barely know their neighbor’s name, a city where everyone followed their own dream, and yes, it was peaceful.
“In this city lived a man with his son, his only child, his wife had died before they moved into the city. This man was named James while his son was named Mike. Mina, a neighbor somehow noticed the man and his child because they were not from around, but from another continent. Mina sometimes says ‘hello’ to them anytime they cross a close path”
“Few years passed and the relationship between Mina and James never got any further from ‘hello’. After 5 years, James left home and never returned leaving only Mike who was 13 years old to struggle for himself. It took Mina 3 months to notice James' disappearance.
She then asked Mike who had suddenly changed in appearance, “It has been a while I saw your dad. Did he travel?” “Yes, I don’t really know his whereabouts, he left home and left me with some stuff to survive and wrote that he would get back in a week or two. I have tried calling but his number is not always reachable.” Mike said mostly bluntly. Mina didn’t doubt for a bit, she could clearly see how the boy had become slim.”
“that is cruel” Yamat heard Bint tiny voice but chose to ignore.
Okay, let’s continue..
”When Mina got home, she talked to her son about taking the boy in, her son didn’t have a problem with it, he was so happy that he would have someone else at home except for his mom but Mina was sure skeptical about this because she finds it hard to trust again, she had trusted her husband but her husband broke her trust when he cheated on her and went to marry another woman and left his son with her, not only her husband but her best friend who had lie and deceived her because of greediness.”
“How would a boy of 13 years old nurture himself?” She found herself questioning herself after 3 weeks and 4 days of contemplating. “How would he survive in this city where everyone barely cares?” She kept on asking.. finally, she knew she had nothing else to think about and she decided to take the boy in and train him as her child, after doing the necessary thing and reporting his dad missing, she was permitted to take the boy home.
“What is your name, young man?” Mina asked as she served him dinner. “Mike ma, the name is Mike”, “Okay, Mike. My name is Mina. Do you have a mum, any relative, or anyone at all?” She asked cleaning the kitchen. “Not really, my mom died some years back, and my mom's family already disowned my mom and now they had no business in anything concerning her and my dad, I never knew his family,” he said as he forced the food in his mouth. oh, now. She doesn’t need a prophet to tell her the boy has not been eating well.
It didn’t take too long for the boys to get along and consider themselves as brothers. Janid; Mina's son, has never really been happier because he was always alone and with his single mother who always work herself out.
Years passed, and Mike never regretted his staying with Mina, a person he now calls Mommy, he was sure his biological mummy would hardly do up to that. He loved Janid and he loved Mina, they had given him a better life.
The boys were getting old, they would soon be graduating from high school. Mina saw this coming, she saw college coming and she had been saving for it. She knew she had to now, she had two sons and she didn’t want to disappoint them, her job was average-paying but she try her best to give her boys a good life.
Mike had always told Mina that he has no interest in college and that his high school grade are nothing to write home about, Mina always go contrary to it, she believed that school is the best way to succeed.
Finally, they were done with high school and were ready for college. “I don’t want to go college, Mom,” Mike said one evening at the dinner. “We have had this discussion, Mike. You are going to college because I am the one paying the damn money not you.” Mina half yelled.
Yamat took a pause as the children were anticipating more.
“Mike, college is not that bad, it is a fun place to be and you won’t be alone…” Janid was saying. “Just shut up already, your life is perfect, that is it. You are one of the toppers in school, everyone knows you, I am nothing compared to you. You are doing great in everything but I am just a mess whose parents dumped. I am sick and tired and I am not going to disgrace myself in college.” Mike yelled and entered his room.”
”One thing Mike had always hated and was envious about is that Janid has always been loved by everyone, he was friendly and easygoing but he has always been the one that people look down on, and neglect because he had nothing to offer. Janid is a smart guy always representing the school, he loved his brother but he was sick of people belittling him, he was going to prove to people that he has something to offer. “I might not be academically smart but I can also do something else”. Mike said to himself”
The family woke up in the morning and they could not find Mike, they called and tried looking around carefully until they saw the note Mike had written;
Yamat waited to see the children expression and they were surprised as she had expected.
”Mina almost had a heart attack, all her savings? It has only been 5 years and she had trusted the boy with her saving code, she had told him to take out of it when he needed money for a project. Why did I have to trust him like a son? She questioned herself. Her husband which she had trusted with her life betrayed her without thinking twice and now this? And let’s not talk about her best friend.
Mina was down and she swore that she would never trust anyone other than her son. Janid had to wait another year to save up for college. He finally went to college, his mother will always tell him to trust no one and to be careful while in college. Mike never came back and they never saw him again.” Yamat said.
The children wore a sorrowful looks after Yamat finished her story. “But they are some people who you can actually trust, right Yamat?” Bint asked. “Yes, you can. But you just have to be careful with strangers and even your close ones but most especially strangers.” Yamat smiled and immediately let out of slight cough.
𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑲𝑺 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑻𝑶 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑵𝑫...
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𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘢.. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦