Mother - Flash Fiction

Mother walked briskly along the winding rough road. It was twilight already. Her two lovely children must be tired and hungry waiting for her outside the locked door to their one room apartment. Darkness was taunting her, provoking her fears. The wind was cold but her pores were oozing salty sweat.
"God, please protect Obi and Obiageli from those evil neighbours. May my children not be poisoned by that Cameroon woman," she mouthed, walking faster, oblivious of the many stones and little mound of sand scattered along the rough road, kicking her slippered feet now and then almost bringing her down as she hurried on.
Darkness was almost hurriedly sucking out the day like a hungry boy thoroughly sucking out an orange, while the sky seemed to cringe behind its gray blanket. There were no stars yet and Mother wondered if it would be another tormenting stormy night. She thought about the leaky roof which the landlord was yet to call a draughtsman to fix. It has been two months now since he promised to "...do something about it." Each time lightening flashed and thunder roared her poor heart flew to her mouth. Whenever it rained, she would stay close to the spots where the leaky roof drooled water to empty the little plastic cans which filled quickly for they were small and the only ones she could afford at the time.
Mother saw Obi sitting by the door of their room and Obiageli sitting beside him resting her head on his little thighs with her hands folded under her head fast asleep. Mother almost had tears in her eyes seeing her children hungry and tired slumped down in such manner like lost sheep tired of searching for their way back to their Shepherd.
"Obi," she called softly as she approached the little pathway which led directly to the wood door of their room.
Obi looked up and saw her. There were tiny sparks in his tired eyes almost like a relief or hope at seeing his mother, who was the only source of the only kind of hope he is growing to know. He tapped Obiageli gently "wake up, mummy-mi is home," he yawned. Obiageli yawned as if in answer to his call, rose up gently, rubbing her eyes and squinting in a bid to make out in the dark the figure before her who was indeed her mother! She threw herself around Mother in what seem to be both an embrace and a cue for Mother to carry her in her arms. Mother smiled and unlocked the door quickly. As they entered their room she hurriedly began to prepare the left over meal for dinner.
"Did anybody give you food?" Mother asked.
"Yes, that black woman. She called Obiageli and I to come inside her house to eat, but I said no." Obi answered.
"Please don't eat in another person's house. There are many bad people in the world these days, who can even poison somebody for no reason, out of jealousy and envy. When you return from school and I am not yet back please endure and wait for me to come back. God will not allow you to die of hunger. We will continue to manage till your father returns."
©Paul Chukwunedum Oranye.