Another Period Short Story (Continuation)

Act one

Scene two

Ene walked into her house which is a sitting roomand a two bedroom flat with almost torn chairs that seemed to have served more than their purpose, curtains of different materials hung on the door and windows, there is a tiny television seated on a table and it seemed like it doesn't work. Ene's mothers is sitting on one of the chairs in the sitting room with her legs on what seemed like the center table and slowly blowing herself with a rafia handfan. 

Ene: mama good afternoon.

Ene's mother:  Good afternoon my dear, how was school?

Ene: fine ma. Mama, there's something I want to tell you.

Ene's mother: Go in and pull off first, you haven't even drank water, you want to start bombarding me with your school's requests. (looking at her strangely and wondering whose cardigan she's tying round her waist she asked). Who owns the cardigan you are with?

Ene: it belongs to a senior in school, that's what I want to talk to you about. I have blood coming down from my bum bum, it stained my uniform, so she gave me her cardigan to cover it. 

Ene's mother:  (perplexed and taking a serious look at her). Ene, how old are you that you have started seeing blood?

Ene: (with a confused look) I'm going to be 12 in 5months time.

Ene's mother: exactly! My point exactly. I was almost 17 before I saw mine. But not to worry, it's okay.. When did it start?

Ene: two days ago. Am I going to be fine?

Ene's mother: of course, it happens to every woman, except barren women. Even some barren women experience this. This is what shows you have reached the stage of getting pregnant. From now on, you have to stay away from boys, any small form of sexual activities, in fact, if they touch you anywhere you will get pregnant.

Ene: (with a confused and scared look on her face). Ah! Mama, how am I suppose to sit with my seat mate in class then?

Ene's mother: we'd talk about that later. Now, follow me, let me give you what you can use to control the blood each time it comes. (they both walked into the mothers room and she went into her bag of clothes, searched  and searched, then finally brought out an old wrapper). Now, I'm going to tear this wrapper into tiny pieces for you, you'd use them anytime you experience it. You put it on your pant, I will show you how, then after some hours you take it out, wash and replace with a clean one, don't throw away. If it finishes, I don't have another wrapper to spare.

Ene: (looking at her mother in a rather stern way, put her hand in her bag and brought out a sanitary pad)... Or I could use this.

Ene's mother: who gave you that? You didn't steal my money to buy that did you?

Ene: No mama! My teacher bought it for me and the girl that borrowed me her cardigan. She met us on our way to the rest room in school, she was strucked by the way I was walking when I realized I was stained, So she called us to ask what wrong with me. Ochanya told her and she asked what we were going to do in the rest room, Ochanya told her she was going to roll tissue for me to put in my pant. She rebuked Ochanya immediately and asked us if we have never heard of Sanitary pads before and she told us the dangers of using tissues and especially rags as pads. She said it is very dangerous to our health and exposes us to infections. That was when she told me to go the rest room, clean my uniform and wait for her there. She came back with Ochanya after a while with a new pant and this pad, and showed me how to fix it.

Ene's mother: (a little embarrassed and folding her wrapper). It's not like I don't know about this pad, I use old wrapper because it's more economical. Do you know how much one of these costs? You know we can't be buying it every month. This one you have now, you'd have to shuffle with this wrapper so that it can last you for two months.

Ene: No mama, she said the wrapper is not good at all, it's not even an option. It can come off all of a sudden, easily get wet and also brings  out bad smell. This pad she said can stay for 8hours, no stain, no coming off. She also said she'd talk to one society like that, that they go round schools to donate pads and other necessary things for girls. 

Ene's mother: ah! That would be good o. At least, you'd get like 10 when they visit, so that me too will get (both laughing). 

Ene: mamaaa! 10? Am I the only student there?. Well, I don't know how many a girl would get, but she promised they might visit sometime next week or upper week, depending on when she contacts them. 

Ene's  mother: your teacher is very kind. I will definitely thank her when next I'm in your school. Now, go and take your uniform off then go to the kitchen and take your food. 

Ene: Okay mama, thank you.

(Ene walked out of the room, her mother stood, with her cheek in her palm, she shook her head, put her wrapper back in her bag and walked back to the sitting room).

The End.