Spring never came for Mama
That year; winter stayed.
Life lay blanketed in white
Everyday was a moonless night
Next year, when spring came
Mama was no where to be seen
The white was replaced by green
But something was missing...
I was six years old when Papa told me I was going to get a baby brother. Papa was ecstatic; I was excited too, but....
Mama looked sad. I couldn't understand why.
"Mama, don't you want me to have a baby brother?" I had asked her.
She just laughed in a funny sort of way.
"Of course I want you to, my little one, but I don't want to make false promises," she had answered in a sad tone.
And then I saw her looking at a little girl's picture on the wall with tears in her eyes. My six year old brain didn't know what to make of it. But, I decided that if all that talking made Mama cry, I wouldn't mention wanting a baby brother again. Not even a baby sister.
i will let you a secret. I actually wanted a cute little baby sister. All the boys in my class used to tell me that little sisters are were very annoying most of the time, but I knew that they made one feel like a hero. Like my cousin Tish; she thought I was a super hero. She used to follow me everywhere, she even copied everything I did.
One night in November, at 11 p.m., one hour after my bedtime, I heard Mama crying and screaming. Papa took her to the hospital and left me at Tish's place. I was scared for Mama, because when Grandma had gone to the hospital, she never returned. That was the only time i had seen Papa crying.
My aunt, Tish's mother, tole me not to be worried; that Mama and Papa had gone to the hospital to bring my baby brother home. I was excited at the mention of that.
But a week went by; my parents still didn't come back to take me. And there was no talk about a baby brother. There was no baby brother. Tish's mother told me that God had loved the baby so much that he didn't want to part with the baby.
That is why Mama didn't bring the baby home. Mama and Papa came back, finally. Papa was very angry the entire time. Mama was...... I don't know. She didn't speak, didn't smile, didn't play with me even.
The next year Mama left Papa. I also wanted to go with her but she didn't let me. She told me that i would be happier with Papa. I was not. Still I am not. But, now, I know why Mama had to go. Mama left me, she left Papa because she couldn't live with a man who was guilty of murdering an innocent.
Mama left because.... she wanted me to have a baby sister.