It was not as difficult as Emmanuella had thought it would be for her to fully adapt and settle in her new environment. Her aunty and husband were amazing people, they spoke on phone with Grandma Edna and Godswill virtually every day making everyone of them not to feel the impact of distance between them all.
It has already been one full week since she found herself in Lagos, Aunty Augusta takes her around every now and then just for sight seeing and to get familiar with her new environment. She was going to start school the following week as Aunty Augusta had already made the necessary arrangements for her new school, Even though is was week three in second term of the school session, they were still going to accept her so she will not have to stay home for the rest of the school term. She was filled with excitement as she has already started preparing for that day when she goes to her new school.
Saturday mornings are always the busiest for most people as it is usually the day many families especially workers stay home for weekend, they take that time to do different house chores that were not done during the week, many also use that day to go to market and cook and store in the freezer for the coming week. This was the case of Aunty Augusta and her family. They had woken up around 6:00am as usual on weekends, did their morning devotion. They wake up this time during weekends. Morning devotion is the time they always come together to pray before heading out for the day's activities. For them morning devotions are usually longer on Saturdays and Sundays because they won't need to rush out of the house to work and to avoid Lagos traffic.
Aunty Augusta didn't waste time in starting the chores. Emmanuella was to first go to their room, sweep and arrange things inside there before she brings all the dirty clothes to the kitchen balcony were their washing machine is. Just as she was about to begin seperating her dirty clothes from her Aunty's she began to hear someone sobbing, but could not easily identify where it was coming from. She had tried to ignore it but she could not, then she decided to follow the sound to see who it was. She was sure whoever it was that was sobbing will not be far from her. The three buildings within the compound each have a small open space immediately after the kitchen balcony Emmanuella opened the small buglary at the balcony and stepped outside. She walked down towards her left to the back of the other two flats, she passed the first flat but saw no one, she approached the last flat still there was no one, then she looked toward a water thank that was kept somewhere at the end of the fence just before a small back gate which is always left locked, there she noticed someone was sitted just in-between the fence and the water tank.
Emmanuella walked up to the place and saw a boy who was sitted on the ground with his face in his hands crying. She was moved on seeing him, she went closer touching him on the shoulder, he Immediately sprang up on his feet in fear.
"please don't be scared, I won't hurt you" she said with an assuring little voice
The little boy took a second look at her, something in him told him she meant no harm and it was alright to talk to her. He immediately became relaxed and calm.
"why are you hidding and crying here" she asked with concern in her voice as she looked around to see if there was any sign of anyone who have been out there with him.
"Am not hiding and am crying" he had tried to lie
Emmanuella burst out laughing on hearing his response. She wondered why he was lieing
"You are not crying but there are tears all over your face and yes you are hiding if not why did u come sitting in this place" She pointed out to him
" just leave me alone, I don't know what you want" He said as he made his way to leave immediately but was stopped by Emmanuella.
"please don't go, I am sorry I laughed, I won't laugh again" she said as she held his hands in a bid to make him not to leave.
He reluctantly stepped back leaning on the water tank.
"My name is Emmanuella Edeh, I just moved in here with my Aunty, our flat is the one on the other end" she quickly introduced herself before asking
" What is your own name?"
"My name is Justin Ekudo, I stay with my family here, that's our flat he said pointing towards the flat close to them.