What could have been

Mariam watched as cars moved down the road with people in extravagant clothing at the backseat. She wondered what kind of lives they lived, what they did on a day to day basis.
All the children around the compound stood staring as the fleet of cars drove down the dusty road gathering dust in their wake. It had been years since the village had been filled with so many cars all at once, the whole atmosphere was charged up for the event to come. It was the coronation of the new chief and all those who haven't visited in years decided it was time to visit, in a way it felt like a reunion for Miriam as all those who had gone to seek greener pastures in the city had also returned for the event.
And amongst those returnees was Miriam's best friend back then amarachi. They had done everything together and we're inseperable until life happened, Mariam had decided that the next thing for her was marriage while amarachi wanted to further her education and become a lawyer. Mariam had laughed at amarachi's idea the moment she had said it, it was customary for every girl to get married once they were old enough and amarachi wanted to go and read book.

" You are very ridiculous Amara, by the time you graduate you will be too old to get married" Miriam had said to amarachi.

She let out a heavy sigh and tied the wrapper around her chest tighter to ensure her youngest child was secured. she took one look at the mud house she has been living in for almost twenty years and let out another sigh.

"Favour " she called out for her eldest

" Yes Mama" she replied

" I'm going o, make sure your siblings don't leave this compound o"

" Yes ma, but Mama there is no food in the house, what will we eat"

" Come and eat me" Miriam said

She didn't want to leave her children in hunger but she didn't know what else to do. She was a housewife who relied on farming and her husband and they had exhausted all the crops they had harvested. She took one look at her daughter's disappointed face and felt a sharp pain in her chest.

" You know what all of you oya go and wear cloth, we will all go to the crowning together".

Excited screams filled the compound as all 8 of Miriam's children began jumping for joy. She wondered how she would watch after all of them in that crowd but one thing she knew for sure was that there would be food and drinks.

The whole arena was filled with people dressed in different attire. From the biggest asoke to the most colourful blouses, it was the village at its finest. Mariam walked with her children in tow like tiny soldiers behind her waiting for their generals command. Her husband must be here somewhere but that was not her priority, he was a grown man who could clearly take care of himself far better than she ever could.

" Mariam is that you"

Mariam turned around at the mention of her name to see a beautiful woman dressed in a very expensive bubu gown, her entire presence screamed wealthy and she doubted if any wealthy person cared to know who she was, even her then best friend amarachi had forgotten about her.

" You don't remember me"

" No, I'm very sorry I don't know you"

Her English sounded very local compared to the one the lady spoke but then again she stopped school at jss3 and that was 21 years ago.

"It's me naw, ogechi the small pepper"

"Chineke!!!" Miriam exclaimed as she finally recognized the lady in front of her
" Ogechi is this you, chai you have changed a lot"

" It's God o"

Ogechi had been the most troublesome person in the school, she was small yet she took down bullies twice her size. She was as strong as she was dumb, she couldn't read a simple sentence without making mistakes and she had to copy from Mariam during exam just to get promoted to the next class but here was that same dumb girl now a full grown beautiful woman, speaking polished English.

" Mariam how body na"

" I'm fine o, it's just God we are looking into"

"Are these your children" ogechi said with wide eyes as she finally noticed the multitude behind Mariam.

" Yes o, this is my first born favour. She said while urging her forward.

"Blood of Jesus, Mariam you have a child this big"

Mariam smiled at the comment and then began introducing all her children one after the other.

" Mariam this one on your back is very beautiful" she said

" Ah thank you, it's a boy o"

" A boy that is looking this gorgeous, come let me give you small thing for biscuit"

She dipped her hand into her handbag and brought out a bundle of a thousand naira neatly stacked together. Well of course all the rich would have neatly stacked money to spray when the time came.
Miriam stared with wide eyes as she brought out the bundle and so did her children. She gave the money to JoJo the child on her back who recoiled his hand and turned in the other direction.

" Ah ah this boy doesn't like money" ogechi said

" Don't mind him, lemme hold it for him" Miriam said as she took the money from her friends hand.

" Mariam it was so nice to see you eh, lemme go and join my sister, see you later"
She waved goodbye to Mariam and disappeared in the crowd. That night after the whole event, when Mariam counted the money it was the sum of fifty thousand naira. Who gives a child fifty thousand for biscuit, she turned and stared at her drunk husband passed out on the bed and wondered if she had made the right decisions In her life.
A tear slipped down her cheek as she counted her blessings and named them one by one, there were just eight of them and nothing else. She had no achievement in life except her children, she had no expectations except her children, Everything about her revolved around her children. She had made a decision years ago while her classmate's took different path, she wasn't the only one who went down this same path neither was she the first but seeing what could have been her made her regret the choices she had made back then just to please the society. She had made her choices and now she was living with the gravity of it.

" I won't let my story end like this" she said to thin air, with determination filled in her heart