Do you think she’s back?” Kate asked as they approached Ella’s house. She looked at her wristwatch. “Why not? The last time I called her, she said she was at the motor park, and that was 3 hours ago. It is only 2 hours from Achi. She should be back by now.” “I hope she bought the dictionary for me. I won’t accept any excuses." She quickened her pace. The thought of seeing Jeff again filled her with trepidation. Ever since he was born again, she had deliberately avoided seeing him, and Ella’s absence aided that decision. “Me too. I won’t take it easy with her if she forgets to buy the phone casing." “What’s everyone doing here?” Kate frowned, slowing her pace.  She noticed a handful of village folks loitering around the house, and thought it unusual. “Maybe Ella is back.” They spotted Emma, Jeff’s cousin. He was standing under the palm tree in front of the house, his hands folded across his chest and his head hanging low. His mother sat next to him, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, and shaking her head intermittently. “Or a family meeting.” “Should we go back?” Kate whispered as somber looking faces with heads hanging low stared at them. “I don’t think everything is okay.” “I wonder what could be going on,” she said as she searched the faces. She recognized a few of Ella’s relatives and close neighbors. She also noticed they were speaking in hushed voices.  They walked up to him, the excitement on their faces, a contradiction to the sad faces around them. “Hi Emma,” Maya said, but instead of returning her greeting, he turned away. Usually, he would have been excited to see her and would have given her a hug, but he did not do any of that. Something must be wrong, she thought as her heart began to race. She scanned the faces and cold, blank, and tear-filled eyes stared back at her. “Death why me, why me? Why did you take away my only eyes?” someone cried.
She cocked her ears. It was Ella’s mother. Did anyone die? She wondered. “Take heart, sister. God knows best.” It was Ella’s uncle, Mazi Ogba. “I suggest we send some people to the hospital immediately for confirmation. It could be rumors.” “Confirmation? What other type of confirmation do we need?” Maya and Kate exchanged glances. “Ewo, awugo kwa nu mo, Ella nwam, my sweet potato, dead? I can’t no, I can’t,” a voice crackled through the mild quietness. They turned. It was Mama Jide, Ella’s aunt. She threw herself on the ground in front of the house and started to roll over on the ground. Her wrapper loosened and fell apart, her head tie flew off, and her hair gathered dust and sand. “Ozugo. It’s okay,” one of the women loitering around consoled her. “Ha egbugo kwa Ella. They have killed my daughter, Ella. Owu onye omere gini? Who did she offend?” she lamented. “It’s okay, aunty,” another said as she tried to keep her wrapper from falling off. “No, it is not,” she shook her head and hit the ground with her bare hands a couple of times. “Where is Ella?” Emma’s mother stood up and walked over to the woman. “Take heart, Sister. God knows better.” “Please, tell me it’s a lie,” Maya said to Emma. Tears ran down his cheeks. Maya opened her mouth to say something, but the words would not come. “Their car ran into a tanker and burst into flames. Everyone died,” he sobbed, his body shaking with suppressed emotion.
Maya’s body turned cold, and hot tears ran down her cheeks, stinging her. “No.” she shrieked. “How could it be? I just spoke to her a couple of hours ago.” Emma sniffed and dabbed his eyes. “I’m still in shock. We only spoke last night. She sounded upbeat about coming back today, no hint of any impending danger. Life is useless.” Kate shook her head. “Gosh! I can’t believe this," she said and began to whimper. “Me too,” Emma sobbed. “What actually happened?” she croaked between sobs.  “Their car collided with an oncoming heavy-duty truck while overtaking. Everyone died, including the driver.” Maya sniffed. “Where did this happen?” “Around Ibuchi by-pass.” “This is so very wrong. God, why should it be Ella? She did not deserve to die.” Kate cried. She found it hard to believe. “Oh, there you are, Emma,” someone interrupted them. It was Mazi Ogba. “Have you seen Jeff?” Emma shook his head. “No, sir. He must be in his room.” “Oh, there he is,” Kate said as she spotted Jeff. Maya turned, and following her gaze, she saw Jeff coming towards them, his shoulders drooped and his head hung low. Their eyes met briefly, before he took it away. She bit her lips and tried to control the tears swelling up. Mazi Ogba met him halfway. “The gravediggers are here. Go and ask your dad where he wants to bury her.”
He turned and went back into the house. Moments later, he reappeared. “He says at the backyard beside the orange tree.” Mazi Ogba nodded and left. Kate stepped up to him. “My condolences.” He sniffed and suppressed a spasm. Maya shot him a look and quickly took her eyes away. For the first time in her life, she could not face him. The once laughing and bright eyes were red and swollen and there were dark smudges under his brow. She took his hand. “I know how difficult this must be, but you must be strong.” He sniffled and a tremor surged through him. She could see he was trying so hard not to breakdown and cry. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words could not come. Instead, tears ran down his cheeks, followed by a spasmodic reaction. He turned and ran into the house. “Why should they bury her at the backyard?” Kate asked. The idea has haunted her since she learned of it. “It is taboo to bury a young person in the front yard.” “And must she be buried today, why?” “Children are meant to bury their parents and not the other way round. Besides, her death is tragic and doesn’t call for elaborate burial or a wake-keep.”
The siren of an approaching ambulance ripped through the air; emotions flared up and tempers boiled. Minutes later, the ambulance pulled up in front of the house and a harvest of tears broke out.