Gini met the lawyer waiting outside the house as she got home. He'd met her before she entered the church in the afternoon and had offered his condolences. Gini had never met the man before but she liked his energy. He was warm to her and had offered her his mint scented handkerchief when she was crying in the church.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long?" She'd taken her time getting home and didn't realize the lawyer would be waiting for her.

"Not really. I brought you the house keys. You'll be staying here, right?"

"Right."

He handed her a bunch of keys. "I'll leave you to settle in. We'll talk soon."

"Thank you."

Gini watched him drive away in his car. Mr. George hadn't explained much to her but he was right, she needed to settle in. The day had been draining. Immediately she saw the signboard that said, 'Welcome to Abo' as she drove into town, she'd become uneasy. Home didn't hold such good memories for her.

Gini walked close to the door and inserted the key in. The nostalgia hit her as soon as she opened the door. She remembered coming home from school on school days. As she walked in, she saw everything was as it was before she left. The living room still had the touches of red she'd begged her dad to add years ago. The couches remained pristine in their off white glory. The wall holding family photos hadn't been touched, he had not bothered adding new frames to the collection.

Gini dropped her bags and sat gently on the sofa. She closed her eyes for few minutes before getting up from the chair. She got her bags and walked towards the stairs. As she got to the top floor, she took a turn and entered the first room by her left. Mama's room was in the same condition as the living room. The few things she'd left behind before leaving for the university were still intact.

Gini made her way to her room and smiled at the purple wallpaper and decor. As an adult, she couldn't understand what made her younger self decorate her room in so much purple. Every item in the room had a shade of it and it was frankly overwhelming. Gini dropped her bag at the foot of the bed and got into her feather soft bed. She caressed the bed and the pillow. She couldn't recollect the last time she slept on a bed so soft. The bed she shared with her sister in their home was second hand and as hard as stone.

She suddenly started laughing at the irony of her life. If she had a chance for a do over, she'd surely take it. The boys were her life but she would ask for them to come a little later. She'd worked her ass off as a teenage mother and even more as the boys grew. They were entering secondary school next year and she had no plans nor savings towards that yet. Gini didn't want to think about it but maybe her dad had left her something. It didn't have to be so much, just enough to take her mind off their finances for now.

The light in her bedroom went off and she reached out for her phone for a source of light. Gini found a torch in her bedside drawer and went to the bulb switch by the door. The light didn't come on as she flicked the switch on and off. She left her bedroom and found the hallway dark also, she tried the switch and it didn't do a thing. Her father must have forgotten to pay the bills. He used to pay two years in advance back then so it was likely he forgot to renew it.

Gini went downstairs and found the table the bills were kept. She opened the drawer and saw loads of papers and bills. Gini used the torch to look for the power bill and got distracted reading through a bank forclosure notice on the house.

Impossible.

Her father would never borrow from the bank. He hated debt with a passion and couldn't owe the smallest dime. He used to pay their school fees months before they resumed. Gini kept looking and saw several unpaid bills; unpaid telephone bills, unpaid mortgages to the flats and houses he bought in the federal capital. She didn't even know he had other properties.

Gini kept pushing papers aside and saw some files on the store. Her dad had put it up for sale. That was unlikely. He would never sell the store. He'd talked about owning two or three more but never selling. When she got to the paper that had his account statements, she sat on the floor.

He was broke. Nothing could have prepared her for that piece of information. Gini dialed her sister's number and waited as it rang.

"Hey," Mama answered.

"Dad is broke."

"He isn't."

"That's what I would have thought also but I'm sitting here going through unpaid bills and mortgages. Can you believe the light is out? He was so broke he didn't pay light bills."

"That's impossible. He was so good with money, that was like his forte."

"Something must have changed him. Where did all his money go?"

"Don't tell me the bastard knew he was going to die and spent all his money before going."

"No. According to the papers here, he loaned some money from the bank for the store then he used the house for collateral. Mama, this doesn't make sense. Why would he need to loan money?"

"To branch out?"

"Wait, that's true." Gini used her shoulder to hold the phone to her ear and kept pushing papers aside looking for the evidence of a second store. "Mama, there is no second store."

"Look again. He was so smart, Gini, especially with money. He wouldn't borrow from the bank for the main store when it's doing so good."

"What if it was no longer doing well."

"No. He was the biggest wholesaler in town."

"I need to talk to the lawyer."

"Not tonight. What are you going to do about the light bills?"

"I'll get candles from the kitchen."

"Are you going to sleep without a fan or A.C.? How much is he owing, I should be able to pay it."

Gini found the power supply bill and gulped as she read the outstanding bill. "You can't, Mama."

"Okay." She didn't bother to argue. "What are you going to do?"

Atlthough the darkness was already getting to her, she remained positive. "I'll find a way to work out something."

"Check the back of the house. He used to have a big generator."

"My God, I forgot. That'll make this situation so much better."

"Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet. Where are the kids?"

"In their room."

"Okay, call me before they go to bed."

"Alright."

Gini dropped the phone as the call ended and kept looking through the bills. What did he want with money that he'd needed to borrow more money? It wasn't making sense and she wanted to call the lawyer but she'd leave it for another day. She was going to see the store first thing tomorrow.

Gini dropped the papers back into the drawer and went to the back of the house. She found the generator and saw a gallon of fuel in a corner. She filled the tank and used the key to start it. Gini smiled as the generator roared to life. She walked back into the house and changed the changeover box. She locked the door and went to the kitchen when light entered the house. There were surprisingly enough food supplies in the kitchen cabinet and freezer. The lawyer must have told the housekeeper that she would be staying. Gini got slices of bread and ate them with peanut butter. She went back to her room and got into the shower.

Mama called her as she sat in bed and the kids took turns in talking to her. Gini yawned when the call ended. The fan stopped rolling as her head hit the pillow and she sighed. She was too tired to go out to check what was going on with the generator so she climbed out of bed and opened the windows. She threw the blanket aside and removed her night clothes. Gini laid back in bed naked and slept off.