It was a wet night in June and the promise of a dry day is uncertain. As dawn approached, many turned on their beds wishing the night would be extended by another five hours. Not far away, a cock crowed.
Father had complained once that a cock crowing on our street was a strange thing.
'Why?' mother asked.
'Are you telling me that there are farmers on the street who keep chickens?' he replied.
'Somebody may have small poultry behind his house,' she concluded.
But What is bad in keeping chickens, I had wondered as I munched my meat. Keeping pets is a good thing and that is why I love Ringo, our Alsatian dog, so much.
And now, Ringo barked. I turned on my bed. I was wide awake and it was just about five o' clock in the morning. Soon, mother will be up and will go to the kitchen to open the door to let Uncle Sunday in. Uncle Sunday is our houseboy, But Uncle Sunday. I could hear Bob Marley playing from his small trident mp3 player. Hearing Bob Marley was an early morning ritual.
I picked my bible and started reading, at least, to occupy my mind and arrest it from wandering thoughts. Father told me three days ago to start reading the book of Proverbs and promised to ask me question on it.
As I started reading the bible, sleep crept back like a thief. I pulled my cover cloth up my cheek as I yawned. That was all I remembered until mother banged on my door.
'Wake up, lazy bones,' she shouted.
'Good morning, mother.'
'Mother son, better get up or you will be late for school,' she said, moving out of my room.
I nodded and glanced at my small fruity wall clock.
It was already Six o' clock. I must have slept for another one hour. My brother's bed was empty. Why didn't he wake me up? His half-nude gangster rap music idol stared at me from a colorful poster on the wall. Not far from that was another poster of David Beckham, the football star, holding his beautiful wife. These were kurt's two passions. I moved out of the room to chain the dog. Kurt was just on his way to clean father's car. I passed him by without greeting . I stopped greeting him when he started ignoring my greetings. I hope mother will notice and correct us, because she said, good children greet people early in the morning or anytime.
'Hey you! Don't forget to sweep that room before you go to school,lazy bones,'Kurt said.
'I am not a lazy bone, Kurt .You have started this morning again. Leave me alone.
'Just make sure you sweep the room because I don't know what else you do in this house apart from chaining that stupid dog every morning.'
'Just leave me alone, as if you were doing any work when you were my age.'
'Hear him! I have been washing father's car since I was ten.You are already going to be ten and you cannot even wash a Tyre. Don't worry; I will soon go to school.'
'Go, who cares?'
Mother who was already in the bathroom heard us and asked me to go and sweep the room and get ready for school on time. After chaining Ringo, I swept the room and took my bath. The food was ready when I got to the table. Father was usually the first on the table,but not this morning. He listened to the half past six news on radio while he waited for his food to be served by mother. Uncle Sunday only served my food, never father's food except mother is away on a journey. I took my meal wondering what was wrong with father this morning.
Soon,father came out, with mother fully dressed too trailing behind. I greeted him as I munched my bread and butter. He answered me under his breath. He asked for only tea to be served, but mother persuaded him to take a few loaves of bread as he had a long day ahead, but he said no. He called Uncle Sunday to go and tell Kurt to stop playing his loud rap music on the car stereo.
'Will you come and pick me after your workshop for the airport?' mother asked.
'That will not be necessary, I will just go on a straight after the workshop.' he replied, still sipping his tea.
'Okay, that will even give me enough time to prepare a good meal before you get back. I know he will like pounded yam as usual.'
'Who is father picking up from the airport?,' I asked mother.
'Uncle Fred is coming back home.'
'Hey ! Uncle Fred is coming from Australia. Will he bring me so many things like the last time?'
'No.'
'Why?'
'He is coming to the states in a hurry,' she replied.
Father was quiet all the while.
'Why is he coming home in a hurry?'
'Something happened.'
'Is it bad?' I asked again.
'Not really,' mother said,now standing up. I stood up too to join her in clearing the table.
'Can I join father to pick him up from the airport?'
'Ask him,' mother said.
She knew I wouldn't ask because father was not in a good mood. But what could be bothering him, is he not happy that uncle Fred is coming back? I ran to the room to pick my school bag as I saw my parents move towards the door.
'Uncle Fred is coming home,Kurt,' I shouted,picking my bag and running out.
'Big deal?' Kurt said nonchalantly after me
My brother never cares about anything. I thought about Uncle Fred all the way to school. I could hardly wait to see him and hear all his funny jokes.He used to call me little dude.Only God knows what that means.
My day was slow as I looked forward to the end of the school hours and be home early enough to see my Uncle from Australia. I love to hear his stories about Australia,about all those cities I see in computer. Soon, t was break time, and all my friend and I sat round a small table at the dining hall. kelvin was our story teller for the day.Break times were spent talking about the films or the football matches we have watched.
Kelvin was deep in his story and he was lucky today that no other person has seen the movie. So, he was free to add his own bits and pieces to impress us. Dick had once said that Kelvin will end up in Hollywood,the film capital of the world. Yuri ,the fourth story teller was itching to have a go at story telling. He was a specialist at football and cartoons. I am not sure any of them noticed I was lost in thought. I was only nibbling at mu mid- day meal.
Why was father sad that Uncle Fred is coming home?
Was Uncle Fred in trouble? The last time Uncle Fred came home, It was the talk of the whole family weeks before his arrival.The visitor's room was cleaned and father even talked of repainting, but mother said it was alright. A small welcome party was organized for him. Grandma even came from her house. Aunt Esther too was around; she had not traveled to join her husband in London.Everybody was happy.
When Uncle Fred finally came,he came with a lot of things for everybody.He bought jeans and sneakers for Kurt and I.He has this carefree attitude about him.He was always dressed in jeans and T-shirt. He didn't stay at home much,he was always travelling around to see his old friends or to deliver some messages to friends and relatives from Australia.
Sometime,when he spoke, I could hardly hear some of his words.Kurt soon started talking like Uncle Fred and even walked like him with the swagger.
'Boyd! Boy Oh Boy,' He called.
'Yes'
'Are you alright?'Yuri asked.
'I am okay,Uncle Fred is coming home.'
'Uncle Fred? Is that not your Uncle in Australia? He asked, using a slang
'Hey, you should be happy. That is a lot of fun coming your way. I am sure you already dreaming of good times.'
'Father is not happy about his coming back.'
'Maybe they have deported him,'
'What is deported?'
'It means that he was sent back to his country. You know mu uncle too was deported,but he went back to Belgium instead of Switzerland.'
Just then the bell rang and the break was over.
My uncle ,Fred, is coming back home to go back to Australia. He will not be like Your uncle.Uncle Fred is not deported. I prayed quietly in my heart. I didn't want my Uncle to be sent out of Australia that way.I wanted to be able to tell my friends that i have an uncle in Australia and an aunt in London.
That word 'deported' stayed with me for the rest of the day. Will my uncle be Deported? I was afraid of asking Kurt so that he will not not confirm my fears. Mother was home early and she was busy in the kitchen with Uncle Sunday. I was glad when she told me she was making fruit salad. Oh! I love fruit salad.
I stayed glued to the television after my homework. Mother was worried that the food she prepared would get cold when father did not come early enough with my uncle. I dozed off to sleep at nine o' clock; I refused to sleep inside my bedroom so that I could see uncle Fred when he comes back.I slept on the sofa in the sitting room. Mother drove me to the room,promising to wake me up as soon as Uncle Fred comes,But I crawled back to the sitting room and hid behind the long sofa where nobody could easily see me. I knew the noise of the father's car and the arrival of Uncle Fred will wake me up,but this was not to be.