The little boy's imagination

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Last week, the little boy had a mood swing because of the taught of his grand mother and guest what his imagination made him to believe whole reading a story from a book.

The day after Lady Osisiego's departure, Somayına came to Gozie and asked, "Should I read a story for you?"

"Yes!" Gozie agreed, and Somayina began. He did not get very far, for the story he was reading told of a grandmother's death. Suddenly he cried aloud, "Oh no, my grandr other is dead!" He wept in the most pitiful fashion. Whatever Somayına read always seemed real to him, so he thought it was his own grandmother that had died. Louder and louder he sobbed, "Now poor grandmother is dead and I can never see her again, she never got a single loaf of soft, white bread from me!"

Gozie attempted to explain to him that the story was not real, but Somayina was too upset to listen. He was scared that his dear old grandfather would die next. How quiet, empty and lonely he would be in that hut!

Uncle Spike had overheard the scene. Approaching the sobbing child he said impatiently, "Somayina, now you have screamed enough. If I hear you again giving way to yourself in such a noisy fashion, I shall take your book away forever!"

Somayina was terrified, for the book was his greatest treasure. Quickly drying his tears, he choked down his sobs.

After that incident, Somayina never cried again. He often repressed his sobs, obliged to make the strangest faces to keep himself from crying out. Gozie often looked at him, full of surprise. Uncle Spike, of course, noticed nothing and found no occasion to carry out his threat.

The poor child got more cheerless every day, and looked so thin and pale that Saraki became worried. He tried to encourage him to take all the good dishes at dinner, but listlessly Somayina would let them pass and hardly touch them. In the evening he would cry quietly, his heart bursting with longing to go home.

Thus time passed by. Somayına never knew if it was harmattan, for the walls opposite never changed. They seldom drove out because Gozie was only able to go a short distance. They never saw anything other than streets, houses and busy people; no grass, no wild pine trees and no mountains. Somayina struggled constantly against his sorrow, but in vain.

Because the boy had lost touch with the seasons, he wondered whether the rainy season had passed and whether the ume had come for Lamido to go up the hills with his goats. He wondered in his little heart when next he would be at the place where the flowers were glistening in the sunshine and the mountains were all afire. He would sit down in a corner of his room and put both hands before his eyes so as not to see the glar-ing sunshine on the opposite wall. There he remained, eating his heart away, till Gozie Osisiego would send for him. He was a bit worried that the city had made him lose count of the seasons. Though children of Somayina's age tend to adapt easily to new environ-ments and situations, forgetting their past circumstances easily, Somayina was quite different. His love for Udo-kamma seemed to be indelibly stamped in his soul. He was most worried that he had not heard from Ginika since he came to Port Harcourt.

Watch out for something very strange.