XANIYAH Grahambell trudged wearily along the familiar path leading to her home, her mind now preoccupied with thoughts of the upcoming exams and plans for college. She had just alighted from the bus she had boarded a few meters away.

The golden hues of the blazing sun cast a warm glow over the quiet suburban neighborhood, lending a sense of tranquility to the afternoon air. She sighed as she felt thirsty, the need for water.

As she approached, she met a lot of unsettling occurrences at the front of her house. They were a lot of cars parked in the driveway and garage, the entrance door was widely ajar and she could see a few people in the house from where she watched. She immediately stopped in her tracks.

What the hell could be going on? Why all these cars? Why these people? Her parents weren't to be back until next week, so why all these? These questions flashed through her thought in seconds, unsettling her the more.

She summoned courage and approached the front door. As she did, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the somber faces gathered in the living room, they were all sober that they didn't even recognize her presence.

She dropped her backpack by the entrance, her mind still lingering on the thought of upcoming exams and zeal for college she had struggled with earlier. But something felt off, now as she approached her door, the usual comforting silence of the house was replaced by the hushed murmurs and muffled sobs of the people in the living room.

She frowned, her steps cautious as she moved deeper into the house. The living room which was always a serene space she was used to, was now in disarray. She looked away from the people and looked around.

Furniture was slightly askew, the family photos on the mantle were crooked, but the most unsettling of all, there were people everywhere, family members, neighbors, and faces she recognized but couldn’t place in her shock.

Their eyes were red, swollen, and filled with an overwhelming grief that she couldn’t yet comprehend.

"What is going on?" Xaniyah whispered to herself, her heartbeat quickening as she scanned the room. The air was thick with the scent of flowers, mingling with the sharp tang of something bitter, fear, maybe.

Aunt Salma, her mother's best friend was the first to notice her, and she quickly wiped away her tears, but her expression was one of profound sorrow.

She quickly got up from the comfy sofa she was perched on and approached Xaniyah cautiously, as if she were fragile, something that might shatter at the slightest touch.

"Xaniyah, sweetheart," her voice trembled as she reached out, but before she could say more, Xaniyah's eyes found her uncle Ermis, standing by the window with his back turned to the room.

Huh! She shuddered. Uncle Ermis at their house? All the way from the province? What the hell was happening?

Ermis had always been a pillar of strength in the family, a man of few words but solid presence. But now, his shoulders were hunched, his head bowed. There was an unbearable heaviness in the air, as though the walls themselves were grieving.

"Uncle Ermis?" Xaniyah's voice was small, hesitant, and she took a step forward, leaving Salma and walking up to him.

"What happened? Why is everyone here? Why are you here? What are these people doing in our house?" She rushed her questions.

Ermis turned slowly, his face etched with lines of pain she had never seen before. His eyes met hers, and in that moment, Xaniyah knew something was terribly wrong.

"Xaniyah," he began, his voice thick with the effort to remain calm. "There is no easy way to say this."

Her breath hitched, and she felt a cold wave of dread wash over her. "What is it? Please, just tell me."

Salma walked up to her, and placed her hands on Xaniyah's shoulder, as if giving her a comfort.

Ermis swallowed hard, closing the distance between them.

"There was... an accident."

Xaniyah's heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing like thunder in her ears.

"What kind of accident?"

"A plane crash," he said softly, the words hanging in the air like a death sentence.

"Your parents... they were on the plane."

Time for a second seemed to freeze. Xaniyah felt the world tilt beneath her feet, and for a moment, she thought she might fall, but Salma was there, behind her, steadying her with a firm grip on her shoulders.

Her lips wobbled as she searched for the right words to spew, she was totally speechless, lost for words. The tears quickly gathered in her eyes, making them moist and blurring her vision, she just didn't know what to do.

“No…” she finally whispered, her voice breaking. “No, that can't be true,” she cried.