DEATH OF A LITTLE ANGEL

They never knew she would leave when life was sweetest. She held on so tight till the last moments. Kaodi was fargone from them, but her father never knew, her littlepalefingers still held-on to his hand. Her father just hoped for a smile, just the way it used to be between the two of them, but her lipspressed themselves together. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, turned and looked into the doctor’sunflinchingeyes; those eyes have seen many deaths. The doctor gave him a warmsmile, and said:

“She is no more. You have to let her go, now.”

But her coldhandsstillheld on to life. He was dazed on what to tell his wife,  their only source of joy was gone --forgood, maybe. She was a little girl that bore toomanypains with a smile in-between her gap tooth. He wouldtellhis wife that her little angel left with a big smile on her sun-lit face.

Kaodi ’s Birth

She tried to fightdeath, but it overwhelmed her. It was on the day before her firstday in secondaryschool that shefell.

At birth, the doctorcalledthem into his office. Their newbaby had been taken to intensivecare. The look on the doctor’s face said it all. His looks were accusing, it was as though they committed a gruesomecrime.

“What have you done?”

Mike was confused at the question, but when his eyes fell on the testresults, he drewback. Their daughter was sickle-celled.

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Love-struck

Mike and Laru could not forgivethemselves. They were love-struck at firstsight, and could not holddown the strongtide until it was too late –a babywasmade. Mike didn’t see himself leave her, and neither could she. At birth, the baby looked beautifullyfrail that, the doctor had to poke and pokebefore their littleangelsqueaked. They didn’tthinktwice to nameher, . Her life was in her creator’s arm.

When she grew, alleyes were onher, includingtheirparents that could not get themselves to forgive their irresponsibleact. ‘Be careful before she falls’, Mike’s mother would always say. Mike would always hear his father’sanger, ring somewhere in his head:

“Are you really sure that I gave birth to you!”

His father’swords made him feel like a loser. Those years were the hardesttimes of their lives, but losing Kaodi could be compared to noother.

PainAfterBirth

His wife wouldspendhours in the bathroom doing nothing, after they lost Kaodi. He didn’t know if it was the pain of losingKaodi, or the guilt of putting the littleangel through the misery of life. He too, felt guilty: that night, he had eyes only for Laru, but little did he know that the following morning could break into their nightmare.

After Kaodi left them, silencedescended upon them with darkness; it gave a coldcomfort .

AMomentofDecision

As Mike drovethem to the appointmentvenue, heknew that they were not goingtherebecause they just lost a preciouschild, but they both were fastlosing it. He couldnotbringhimself to look at his wife, because his consciencekicked him in the face. He had always accusedher of Kaodi ’ sdeath, deep in his heart, where nobody except him couldsee. Why did she allow her to run too fast on that day?Kaodiwas such a fragileangel who neednotwalk or runbutfly.

Kaodi

He remembered how herlonghair used to dance on her goldenshoulders. Hereyes were full of dreams, even at twelve. Her lovelyspindlylegs would run to him each day he returnedfromwork. At night, she would comfort them with her coughs and cold. Kaodi would keep them awaketill they begged. He rememberedherlastbirthdayparty, how she danced and atetilltheyworried for hersoftstomach and jiggling bones. Kaodi was a child too good not to love.

Losing Kaodi

Mike fixed his eyes on the road, the otherarm held Laru’sarm. He wanted to hold her until they got to the place where their sun shone no more. He stopped the car in front of the office, and bothwent in together.  Charles said it won’t take long. The dooropened,  and theireyesfell on the long table with the man at the end. Charles wore a black suit, and gave them an empathicsmile.

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He was Laru’s friend from school, and always had a thing for her. Hecame the nightKaodifell, and it was his right to do the deal, and set them free of lifemiseries that wereyet to come. Mike led his wifedown to the table, hishand, stiff on hershoulders. Laru felt the pressure of his arm on her shoulders, there was somethingstrange about the way he heldher. Charles got up and came up to them. He brought out his righthand for a handshake, and said:

“I hope this brings healing to your soul.”

Mike looked at his outstretchedpalm, and then to Laura. She took Mike’s palm, placed it into the Charles’s, lookedintoMike’seyes, and said:

“Yes, we have made up our mind to sign the divorcepapers. But first, I want to tellyou about losingKaodi.”

Charles knew he hadwon, after twelve years. The lawyer raised an eyebrow, because manyatime has heseen a woman torn beyond compassion, but never has he seen one sittingon her pains. He looked into hereyes, and something toldhim that losing Kaodi killed her entirebeing.

Written by Udemezue oluoma.

Udemezue, Oluoma loves to read and write; she also enjoys movies and meeting new people. Oluoma believes that life is nothing without a little touch of romance, thriller and reality. Catch her on: udemezueoluoma@yahoo.com, Udemezue, Oluoma Judith on Facebook, Instag- oluomaudemezue, and Twit- @Udemezueoluoma.