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It's been three long years and Sisi had begun to feel rejected and abandoned. “Three years is a long time. Did he meet someone else and start a new life during the war?” Sisi had burning questions that left her feeling so sad and empty. There were neither calls on the landline nor letters from the post office. The silence was shredding her apart. Still, she had to keep it together for the sake of little Anaya. He wasn't there to see her first tooth sprout. He didn't watch her take the first steps nor did he hear her first word even though she called him, ‘Dada’.
After mailing the tenth letter for that month, she came home, sat on her dresser, and groaned. The kind that sounded like a thunderstorm. She continued weeping profusely until she felt the knot she was carrying in her heart melted. The tears had their way of releasing her spirit.
Sisi knew that she had to come to terms with reality. The day when the Soldiers from the guards came knocking on several doors, a month ago, Sisi would not open hers. They always did that when they carried heavy boots in their arms. Boots that conveyed the eeriness of mourning. Sisi heard her neighbor Anna wail that day - Felix was gone. Lost in battle like the others. Sisi refused to speak to anyone after that. She thought that if she blocked the world out, she would be able to peacefully wait for Sam's return.
“My Sam will come back to me.” She kept singing to herself.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror. The tears had caused streaks of dark mascara line to form on her pink cheeks. Her nose was red from wiping and her kinky hair now looked like a mass of wool. Sisi was a little shocked at her appearance at first. Then she smiled. “I'm still a work of art. A beautiful mess,” she whispered between sobs.
Her eyes rested on the pendant dangling from the silver chain on her neck. It was the wishbone that Sam had given her the night before his departure to Liberia. She held it tight. The year was 1990 and Sam together with over 3000 soldiers drawn from the member nations of Ecowas were deployed to Liberia to intervene in the ongoing crises. Sisi remembered that night like It was yesterday. She cried holding on to Sam like she would never see him again. “How am I supposed to do this alone?” The couple had just welcomed an adorable baby girl the week before.
“Hush Sisi. Hush. I believe it is only going to be a couple of weeks. Tops a few months. Once we get the militias to back down, I believe we'll be called back.” Sam held Sisi’s face with both hands wiping the well of tears from her cheeks. He held his little girl's feet and kissed them. “I'll be back, I promise,” he whispered. “Keep the bones with you.” He yanked a wishbone off the chain on his neck and locked it in Sisi's palm.
“Even without a soul, bones can feel and hear you. Whenever you miss me. Speak to it,” he said.
“Oh knock it off with that silly story.” Sisi began to chuckle between sobs now.
“Well, it is my mama’s story and it is true if she says so. She'd told me that the Day of the Dead is celebrated every year in our clan. Most of the women after they pass have their favorite recipes put on the headstone of their graves. So when these recipes are made during the festival, it is said that they are ignited by the aroma. This gladdens their bones and they come out to rejoice.” Sam paused. “Well, I would love to have my porridge recipe on my tombstone too.” He looked into Sisi's eyes and let out a huge chuckle. Sisi laughed out loud until she began to cry again.
“Mummy! I'm hungry.” Anaya’s voice jolted Sisi back to reality.
“It's okay honey. Let's go make Daddy’s favorite.” Sisi made a quick wish to see Sam again before letting go of the bone. Despite Sam’s physical absence, Sisi made sure Anaya felt his existence in her life.
After dinner, Sisi tucked Anaya into bed. She then took a deep breath. She packed some of the porridge she had prepared and stepped out of the house. She was going to visit the cemetery behind the barracks. If truly the soldiers carried Sam's boot that day, his remains would have been buried in the cemetery.
Sisi wasn't sure of what she was doing alone in the dark but she was sure she needed closure. When she arrived at the cemetery, it was dark and eerie. She'd almost hear whispers in the wind. Sisi brushed it off as her imagination.
She sat on a bench that faced the graves. Sisi began to unpack the food she carried. The heavenly scent of yam porridge filled the air. She began to eat. Just then, Sisi spotted a dim white light far ahead. Her heart throbbed but she was overcome with courage.
As she moved closer, the light got brighter until she came to a tombstone. ‘Sam Seisay’ it read. Behold, beneath the name, was Sam's porridge recipe. Sisi fell to her knees spilling the food all over the grave. After weeping for what seemed like forever, she got up and began walking away. She came back to the bench where she had sat and her heart started to race. Right there was a complete skeleton seated on the bench.
She swallowed hard, her eyes scanning the surroundings. There was nothing but still air that made her head swell. The skeleton just sat there with its empty eye sockets boring a hole in her soul. She could feel the stares all over her like crawling ants on her skin. Only Sam’s intense gaze made Sisi shiver. He always did that whenever he had something to say.
Sisi swallowed hard again. A tear escaped her eye. “Sam? Is that you?” She felt like she was running mad. Still, she sat beside the frame on the bench and gazed into its empty sockets but didn't find any answers other than cold stares. It was just bones without a soul. “This must be a nightmare,” she whispered and got up to leave. Just then, the bones held her back.
Sisi felt the cold grip on her arm. A shiver ran down her spine. The skeleton then grabbed her face and wiped the tear on her cheek in a way that only Sam did. Right there, Sisi found all her answers and the closure she sought.“You were right about the bones.” she cried out.
Instantly, the same light she had seen moments ago on the tombstone engulfed the skeleton whole. The lights were blinding. Sisi blocked her eyes. When she opened them, the light was gone with the skeleton. She was all alone once again breathing in the eeriness. Sisi left the cemetery with a free spirit and the strength she needed to move on.