The Sun in Our Eyes

      It's Friday today. I know that because my brother came home early from school. I was fanning the embers, trying to cook the afternoon meal when he entered the compound. At first, I didn't know he was around for usually, he would be shouting and complaining about how hungry he was from a mile away but today he didn't. I guess that was why I didn't know. When I was satisfied with the flames coming out of the wood, I stood up and wiped my forehead with the tail of my wrapper blinking hard to clear the smoke away from my eyes. I sighed and ended up in a fit of coughing as I struggled to get myself together.               
      Slowly I walked back into the house and wondered on how I was supposed to clean the toilet without any detergent in the house. "If that idiotic Sife had not seen it fit to use up everything the last time he washed, I'd still have some left by now" I muttered under my breath and hissed "Now I'll have to go and borrow some in mummy Ade's place until the next market day. I don't know what is with you people and not knowing how to manage anything sha". I was still grumbling when I heard the quiet sounds of someone crying. Quietly, I crept into the room and saw my brother on the bed, his tiny shoulders shaking
      "Temi?" I whispered. He raised his tear-stained face and looked at me. Sniffing he rubbed his eyes with his small fists "Aunty" He answered as he hiccuped. I smiled gently as I sat down beside him on the bed. I patted my laps and smiled again as he crawled into them obediently. Lifting his face towards mine, I gently cleaned it with my wrapper "Kilode?" I asked him "Teacher Festus beat me" he answered. I nodded solemnly knowing fully well how he felt for it was rumored that the man could beat a person to death. Although, I wasn't sure, I had once heard he had beaten one of the students in the school until he fainted. I looked at my brother's face "Pele. What did he say you did?" He sniffed "We were trying to pluck the mangoes behind the school" My look grew stern "Adetemiloye, what did I tell you about the principal's mango tree? I said you should not join anybody to pluck anything from it na? O se wa ki n ye gboran bayin naa" He hiccuped "But I was hungry na" I sighed as motioned for him to get back on the bed "Food will soon be ready eh? Let me see your back" Gently I removed his shirt and winced when I saw the welts running across his back "How many?" I asked him "Ten" He answered, his voice muffled by the mattress. I patted his head "Pele, I will go and check the food now eh? When you finish eating, I'd help you rub oil on it eh? So that it will stop paining you...." I was interrupted by a loud crash from outside. I patted Temi's head again and left the room
          "Sife!" I reprimanded sharply. My brother turned his attention from the beans he was trying to take out of the pot to me "What?" He asked looking around in wonder. I eyed him "You don't even want to know if the food is done yet abi? All you care about is your stomach" He shrugged and returned his attention to the pot. I continued "When you're done, please go to mama Ade's place and get some OMO from her eh?" My brother's hand froze. He looked at me "Why can't you go and get it?" "I went the last time" I answered simply "Besides, I was not the one who wasted the one we had on washing" I added pointedly. He sighed and looked at me. I stared back with my brows raised. He sighed again "Okay". Satisfied I turned away tossing him my last words over my shoulder "Remove that pot from the fire will you? And say hi to Dede for me o"
            The pot landed on the floor with a bang. I smiled to myself