"Glory! Did you cover Ima's food properly?" My mum shouted from the room,
"Yes, I did," I replied almost instantly, still rushing to the kitchen to confirm if I actually did. When mum raises her voice that way, it is to confirm if I've done what she asked and had probably asked me to do one too many times.
Even though there were two people named Ima in our home, I knew whose food she was referring to. my younger sister is named Ima, also my elder cousin, who has been living with us for a few months since she was posted to serve in one of the commercial banks in the state where we live. My younger sister had just finished eating her food, and my cousin was expected to be from her PPA soon, as her closing time had already passed, so mum made sure there was food remaining for her.
But more hours passed, and Sister Ima was yet to return from work, my mum had taken a nap right after she made sure I did what I was told to, soon she came to the sitting room, her face looking worried like mine.
"Ima is not yet back?" She asked as she dialed her phone's keypad, as she placed the phone to her ear, "Her line is unreachable", she said, answering the question on my face, and that was unusual for Sister Ima; she works in a bank, which meant she had access to a stable power supply and also shouldn't still be at work by this time, as it was already getting dark.
She had only been in Lagos for a few months and didn't have any friends we knew of. Even if she did follow a new friend out, it was expected that she would call to inform us; it was unusual of her.
More hours passed, and it was already dark by now, her line still unreachable, but Mum kept on trying to reach her; she also called my dad numerous times to make him aware of the situation.
He tried to calm her down; that sister Ima was an adult and a lady; she probably went out with a new friend and forgot to call, maybe her phone was switched off by mistake. He knew how super worried my mum could get about instances like this.
My mum kept on praying and hoped sister ima was fine, like my dad said. I also joined in with an Amen whenever it fit in. I wasn't worried about not doing my homework anymore, as sister Ima usually assisted me and would freely give me her phone to use the internet, as I didn't have a phone then.
Dad was usually the last person to be back home by 10 pm As he drove in, he met worried Mum and me, standing outside, "She still isn't back?" he asked, having the same worried expression on his face. No, we said and shook our heads in unison.
He probably would be thinking about how he would face his sister if anything happened to her daughter, who everyone knows is in his care. He tried calling, still unreachable.
Let's go to her place of work, he told my mum. It came as a command more than a request, my mum answered immediately, looking for her blouse to wear on top of the singlet she had on, as they were about to leave, my dad's phone started ringing.
"It's ima," he said with a mixture of worry and relief, pressing the phone to his ear, and Mom leaned in, her brow furrowed, so she could hear the words through the speaker. Mom’s hand flew to her mouth, a gasp escaping before she could swallow it. “Jesus!” she whispered, the word trembling like a prayer.
Dad’s eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, and I followed his eyes. It was 11 pm now. The only words my dad said were, Hello, What happened and We are coming
My heart skipped as my dad hung up.
"There is an issue at her workplace, my mum informed me." A huge amount of money was stolen, so they were all placed on instant lockdown, and their phones were taken away. I felt sorry and felt for my cousin; she would be so tired, hungry, and scared. She had only been in Lagos a few months, working at the bank to serve her country, and now faced with this terrible situation.
Mum and Dad asked that I stay and look after my younger ones, making sure I locked the house from inside as they drove out to get sister Ima.
I couldn't sleep as I was super worried as well, and hoped they came back with my cousin.
The night felt longer than usual, with the silence that makes the ticking of a clock feel like a drumbeat in your ears. I sat on the edge of the sofa, staring absently at the TV flickering with shadows, my thoughts far away, my younger sister ima was already deeply asleep on the sofa.
Every few minutes, I glanced at the front door, half‑expecting to see my dad’s car pull up, the headlights cutting through our window curtain
The minutes ticked by, and the house grew colder. I kept praying in my heart, as my mouth grew tired.
A sudden screech of tires brought me back from my thoughts. I bolted to the window, my heart hammering, as soon I saw my dad pack, as he steped out of the driver's side, I unbolted the door and rushed out side to see my mum and cousin follow behind him, my cousin Ima, clutching a thin blanket around her shoulders, her hair a mess, but her eyes bright with relief. I jumped on her with a hug. Are you okay? I asked,
Can't you see she is tired? mum scolded me, as she placed a palm on my cousin's shoulders.
But I was too excited to see my cousin back that I ignored her, and continued bombarding her with questions,
"Did they catch the thief?"
Ima managed a weak smile, her voice hoarse. “I’m… I’m fine. They… they took my phone, but they let us go after they caught the guy. The police… they were there.” She glanced at my dad, who gave a small, reassuring nod.
The night deepened outside, but inside our home, we felt a different kind of light, everyone felt relief as we gatehred once again as a complete family ,it's moments like this that reminds us the importance of all family members. As I watched my cousin eat, the earlier worries about homework and missed calls seemed trivial, replaced by a quiet gratitude for her safety, because it could actually have been worse.
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