As I saw this prompt, I couldn't help but shed a tear. Though it's been more than a decade, I still remembered it all like it was yesterday.
Tara and I are close friends. Our mothers were friends and that was how we also became friends. It also helped that our houses were not too far from each other which made it easy for us to pay each other a visit, though she loved coming around to my place more.
Then, she left home for a higher institution as she got admission into the same school as her elder sister even though the latter was almost rounding up. I was also in a higher institution at the time but I always went to school from home.
Tara and I do chat often to check in on each other and to learn more about what's happening on both ends. We chatted one day and she told me that she had started writing her first year exams.
“Wow!, I hope you are reading well”, I asked in response.
“I won't read ke, the first three exams I have done so far were the easiest courses and the questions were so tough”, she typed, attaching a “tired emoji” to her text.
“School is not for the weak, you just have to keep studying hard so you can pass your exam”, I encouraged her and we moved on to other topics.
About a week after, I got back home from school one day to find my mum looking very sad.
“What happened mum?”, I asked upon seeing her worried look.
“Tara's mum slumped today and she was rushed to the hospital”, my mum replied, shaking her head.
“What!, Is she okay?, I exclaimed as my heart skipped a beat.
“Yes, she's stable for now. Her husband is with her at Adekunle Private Hospital”.
The next day, I went with some of our neighbors to see Tara's mum at the hospital. She was hooked to a machine and her chest was pumping out so hard. I was so worried as I prayed to God to keep her safe. I thought of Tara in school, who was oblivious about everything happening back home.
“Don't tell Tara anything”, one of Tara's neighbors who knew me said as she passed by me.
“Yes ma”, I nodded, even though I wished I could call Tara to tell her what's happening to her mum.
I left the hospital after some time so I could go home to prepare some food for people who were with Tara's dad at the hospital. I was about packaging the food when I saw my mum walk into our house, one look at her and I feared what must have happened.
“She's gone, Rukkie, Tara's mum is dead”, My mum said, fighting to hold back her tears but failing.
“Tara!!!”, I screamed, holding my head in my hands as I cried uncontrollably. I heard my phone ringing immediately. I picked up my phone to see Tara’s name displayed on my screen. As I saw her call on my phone, my heart started beating fast. I didn't know what to do so I allowed it to ring without picking.
She called again and again till I finally picked it up.
“What's wrong with my mum, Rukkie?” Tara asked, her voice shaking on the other end.
“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
Then she told me a church member of theirs had called her sister to tell her “Sorry about your mum”.
“Yeah, she was admitted to the hospital yesterday but she is getting better”, I lied because I feared what the truth would do to her being so far away.
I could hear her elder sister talking in the background about how their dad's number is not going through.
Tara starts to scream on the phone but I kept telling her “Your mum is fine, she's getting better”. I knew it was wrong but I wanted her to focus on her exams as she won't get the chance to retake them if she missed them.
Even though I kept assuring her all was well, part of me knew that she knew something terrible had happened. She was already wailing on the phone as my “lies” did nothing to placate her.
She and her sister came back home the next day. They got back very late at night because their school is in another state. As soon as I heard she was back, I rushed over to her house. When she saw me, she bursted into tears as I held her and didn't let go.
"I'm sorry Tara, I'm so sorry. I had no choice but to hide this from you so that you would focus on your exams. Please stop crying and take heart" I kept on consoling her.
The funeral arrangements were made and set for some months later. Tara was able to complete her exams but losing her mum left a huge void. We still miss her terribly.