Offer to help

Osima was packing her bag that morning as she waited for Ela when she heard her phone rung.The two had planned the previous evening to go to the park. "It was Mr Akuma calling" Osima was surprised to see his call : why was he calling her that morning she wondered. She paused what she was doing and sat down on the bed to hear what the person on the phone had to say. It's been over a year he last heard from him and that was during Nana's burial. What could possibly made him to call her. She hope her cousin was fine? She prayed under her breath as she picked up her phone. "hello Osima " the voice came from the other end. He sounded happy but Osima could not tell. "Hello uncle " Osima responded.

"How have you been Osima?" Am sorry I have not called you in a while", Mr Akuma apologized. It was not that they used to talk often but when Nana was still alive, he used to come visiting but after her death, he has not visited. Mr Akuma had been living in Zuba for years but only saw her once since she came to live there. Seeing his call, kind of border her. " I am doing well sir." Osima replied." Your cousin had been admitted in the hospital for sometime now but would be discharged this evening" Osima couldn't believe her ears, her heart skipped immediately she heard the information . Why was she not told. She felt her heart ache for such information to be hidden from her." Was her mother aware" ? She questioned in her heart. "Your mum was aware but didn't want to bother you at the time since you had your own struggles going for you," Mr Akuma responded as if he read her thoughts. "You don't need to feel bad, she's doing fine now: like i said earlier, she will be discharged this evening. I was surposed to go and pick her but some things came up for me," he paused, he wanted to ask her to help pick up his daughter but he was a bit embarrassed since he had not called her for so long.

"in that case I will go and pick her" Osima said, she and her cousin always got along anytime they meet in Nana's place.

When Mr Akuma heard this, he was relieved, this way he did not need to ask. "Thank you, I am grateful," he was sincerely happy.

"Isime is my sister, I should care for her," Osima said.

Osima called Ela to inform her about her cousin immediately she finished speaking with mr Akuma. "There is a change of plans. I have to go to the hospital to pick my cousin" she told her.

"In that case, I am coming with you," Ela didn't want Osima to go alone. After all, she was not so strong herself and should not stress too much. "Alright i will wait for you," Osima ended the call.

Soon, Ela arrived at Osima's house and the two were on their way to the hospital. "It is the same hospital can you imagine?" Osima announced immediately they got to the car park. She shook her head then hup down from the taxi. She had not seen her cousin for a long time. She sighed not knowing how her cousin will react. They used to be very close when she was staying with Nana. She felt guilty for not checking on her cousin all the while. "This way" she motion to Ela. They both walk into the hospital and to the room where Osima's cousin was.

"'Hey, she looks like another version of you," Ela could not help but exclaimed upon seeing her. "sorry, my bad" she felt embarrassed for being so loud. Although Osima had told her about the resemblance, she did not expect it to be so close.

"Are you sure you are not twin?" Ela whispered, her voice was not as loud as before. Isime was also looking at her cousin, she was surprised to see Osima.

"cousins," Osima rolled her eyes at Ela.

"cousin, why are you here?" Isime snapped out of her surprise.

"uncle called, he was worried about you," Osima answered as she walked over, she wanted to hug her after all, she had missed her so much but seeing her condition, she paused.

"Thank you for coming," Isime smiled, she felt a bit guilty, after all, she had been staying in Zuba city longer than Osima but she had been so busy and did not check on her.

"we are sisters, should know what to do," Osima shook her head. She knew that was part of the reason why her mother had compromised back then when she insisted on coming to Zuba was because of her uncle's family.

"meet my friend, Ela," Osima introduced the two. "I think I might have a problem recognizing you too, if you are dress alike," Ela commented. Osima and Isime looked at each other. Back then when they met at Nana's place, they would usually fool a few of their peers. But Osima did not think that she looked so much like Isime. After all, she was lighter in completion and had a round face, were as, Isime had V-shaped face and her eye balls were bigger. "you are exaggerating," Osima and Isime said at the same time. They bousted into a fit of laughter. "I am two months older," Isime declared. She used to use this seniority to order Osima around when they were younger.

They joked around for a bit, before Osima asked. "when would you be discharged?" "the doctor has already written my discharge, I was about to go and make the necessary payment and procedure," Isime replied.

"then wait, we would go and handle it," Osima said getting up and pulling Ela with her.

The payment and discharge procedures did not take so much time, they were soon back.

"Time to go," Osima announced. Isime was just going to say a friend was coming to pick her up, when her phone started ringing.