SECONDARYSKOOLPIKIN

After their mother died the four siblings agreed to leave the family house empty for one year before deciding what to do with it. The eldest brother was given the key. He said he would check the place once a month and keep the compound clean. The others lived in different cities and trusted him. Six months later the youngest sister went home for a short visit. She found clothes that were not theirs in the wardrobe. She found a woman’s slippers by the door. In the kitchen a pot of soup was still warm. She called the eldest brother. He said he had allowed a friend to stay for a few days because the friend had nowhere to go. He said the friend would leave before the weekend. She took pictures and sent them to the family group. The second brother travelled down the next day. By the time he arrived the clothes were gone, but the compound had been swept and a new padlock was on the gate. The eldest brother said he had changed it for security. They broke the padlock . Inside one of the rooms they found a small suitcase with the friend’s name on the tag. They also found receipts for building materials dated three weeks earlier. Someone had started raising a new fence at the back of the property. The three younger siblings met that evening. They decided not to shout. They went to the local chief and laid everything out. The chief called the eldest brother. He came with the friend. The friend said she had been promised she could stay until she found her own place. The eldest brother said he was only trying to help someone in need. The chief asked who had paid for the fence materials. No one answered. The chief told them the house would be locked until all four siblings signed an agreement on what to do with it. He kept the new key. Two weeks later the eldest brother called and said he was ready to sell his own share so the others could do what they wanted. They refused. They told him the house would stay in their mother’s name until they all agreed. He has not called again. The youngest sister now travels home every month. She sweeps the compound herself. She has started planting flowers near the gate their mother used to like. The other two siblings send money for the upkeep. None of them have removed the eldest brother’s name from the family group.. They simply stopped waiting for him to speak. The house is still empty. The fence at the back was never finished. And the key the chief is holding has not been asked for by anyone.