Andrew's eyes were filled with tears of joy while his mind was a thousand miles away as he watched his younger sister Uche, the last born of the family, exchange vows with her beloved. Today was a day of joy, a celebration of love and commitment for his sister and the family, but for Andrew, it was a bittersweet reminder of how far he has come.
It's been over twenty years since the fateful day that changed the course of his life forever. Andrew was just sixteen years old, a happy young boy full of dreams and ambition. He was walking home from the barber salon where he was registered as an apprentice, where he wanted to learn how to cut hair, while patiently awaiting admission into the university to pursue his dreams as a pediatric surgeon.
He can never forget that day; the memory is still fresh in his mind. It's like a scar that has constantly reminded him of the weight he had to carry for so long from a young age.
As he approached his street, he noticed that there were a lot of people gathered outside his home. He overheard them whispering among themselves, though he couldn't make out what they were saying, and he couldn't understand why their eyes were filled with pity and concern. He wondered within him what could be wrong while his mind was racing with different worst-case scenarios.
He quickened his pace as they ran into the house. The moment he stepped into the house, the first person he saw was Auntie Grace, who was wailing while she held his siblings tightly as if she was trying to shield them from the pain that was to come.
Immediately Andrew's confusion turned into panic as he scanned the room, searching for answers.
What is wrong? he asked, his voice shaking. What happened? Why is everyone crying?
Mama Ada, their neighbor whose eyes were already red, looked at him and then gave him a tight hug before she spoke the words that would shatter and change his life forever.
"Your parents are dead, Andrew. We were told they died in a ghastly car accident. Their car collided with a truck that had veered into their lane."
Immediately Andrew fell down on the floor; it was as if the whole room was spinning, Mama. Ada's voice kept echoing in his head; he couldn't believe it. How could both his parents die on the same day? Then, Andrew started to feel like he was suffocating; his parents were his pillars, they were everything to him and his family.
Where would he start from, and what would be if he and his siblings. The burden was just too much for him to bear. Andrew's parents were laid to rest the following day, and they could not keep them to have a befitting burial ceremony because their bodies were broken beyond recognition.
The days that followed for Andrew and his siblings were filled with tears and condolences.
A few days later Auntie Grace called Andrew and said to him, "I know this is a difficult time for you and your siblings, but I would take my leave today. I have my own family to take care of, and I am sure you know that I don't have the means to take care of you and your siblings. You are the eldest now, so the responsibility to take care of them would fall on you.
Andrew called his siblings together, his voice shaking with emotion as controllable tears kept falling from his cheeks, and spoke to them about their new reality, and he promised that he would take care of all of them and make sure they are all settled before he ever dreams of getting married or starting his own family.
I believe if we stay together and face these challenging moments together, I know we would definitely get through it.
As the years went by, Andrew became the rock his siblings needed. He worked tirelessly to provide for them; he sacrificed his own dreams and aspirations for their sake.
As he watched Uche walk down the aisle, he was filled with immense joy and happiness, and he didn't know he would be able to raise his siblings and watch all of his siblings achieve their goals and also get married so quickly.
He felt like a proud parent to them. He looked up and whispered in a low tone, "Mum, Dad, I did it; all my siblings are happily settled." Please keep watching over us.
Andrew knew that it was time for him to open a new chapter in his life; it was time for him to also get married and start his own family, and not only that but also for him to take on the world and explore since the responsibility on his shoulders had been reduced.
Images are ai generated
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