Episode 3

#BLIND__________DESIRE

#EPISODE________3

I opened the door and frowned when i saw my father standing at the doorpost. He was dressing in a native attire and he only wore that whenever there was a meeting with the council of elders….my father were among the ndi iches of the community..but i equally knew that their meetings were scheduled for only Thursdays..and this was a Saturday…maybe he had gone to the council with the issue with my mother.

I decided to confront him there and then, he couldnt continue hiding things from me..i was seventeen already and deserved to knew everything going on in my family.

'wont you leave the door and let me in?' he asked in a stern voice and i quickly stepped aside for him to enter 'where's is aunty Chime?'

I nearly eyed him but restrained myself 'she's not around'

'get me a glass of water and food..i'm practically starving' he said relaxing on a worn out brown sofa in the sitting room.

I relunctantly dragged myself to the kitchen…served him a meal of roasted yam and oil.

I watched as he ate hungrily and i waited till he was done before i spoke up.

'papa, what about mama?' i asked.

He looked at me angrily 'havent i warned you to stop asking about that woman? Aunty Chime had complained about this to me and i would not hesitate to send you to Ezei if you keep asking about that woman, have i made myself clear?!' He barked angrily.

'but papa, she's my mother!' i retorted 'she brought me into this world so i have every right to want to know about her welfare..what is going on and why are you all preventing me from seeing her?' tears smarted my eyes.

'shut up! Ajo nwata(bad child)' papa said removing his cap from hsi head 'you have no right to talk back at me because you are not smarter than i am…just because you are educated and versatile when it comes to english and technology does not mean you can underestimate this grey hair on my head! If i say i dont want you to see or talk about your mother, then i must have a reason and why will i even banter words with a child like you? Leave my sight this instant!'

'papa, this is not fair…whatever evil you are planning against mama will surely backfire, i assure you…' i wept as i ran to my room.

'bia nwata! U dare speak to me like that…okay!' i heard papa rant from the sitting room 'we shall see'

I locked my door and crawled to the bed and wept.

**

I yawned and stretched lazily on the bed…i looked at the rusty old wall clock on the wall and it was just five minutes past two in the afternoon.

I felt hungry and thirsty and i stood up dragging myself to the kitchen.

I was heading towards the kitchen when i heard voices speaking in whispers…it was aunt Chime's and papa's voice.

I tiptoed to the curtain to listen to their conversation.

PAPA: That woman hasnt seen anything yet…i'm going to show her that she cannot mess with me and go scotfree…because i…the great George Maduemezie will show her the stuff i'm made off.

AUNT CHIME: I've never like that woman from the very first day i saw her. I told you she looked and behaved like a fox but you didnt listen to me..well, thank God you've seen for yourself, the kind of woman you married. After she's killed by the council of elders, you have to marry another woman and get more kids.

My hands flew to my mouth…was mama going to die?

PAPA: Thats exactly what i'll do..but sometimes, i feel for the kids..and i wonder how they will take it when they find out the crime their angel of a mother committed. They see their mother through rose-tinted glasses you know, especially Ivyy. That girl really spoke to me rudely today.

AUNT CHIME: Dont worry about Ivyy, i will take care of her. You dont have to let them know about their mother's crime and when she's finally killed, they dont need to know about her death, we would tell them their mother ran away with another man abandoning them, to save them from the emotional trauma…what do you think?

PAPA: Thats excellent. But can we hide the truth forever? What if they get to find out about the truth themselves?

AUNTY CHIME: Until then..but now they are too young to understand these things and will probably think we are being cruel on their mother, ur wife (she laughed)

PAPA: Stop it Chime, that witch is not my wife! You know, i actually loved that woman…i never thought…

AUNTY CHIME: Stop it George, looks do not portray the true nature of the heart..that woman is a fool…after her death, we have to take Ivyy to the shrine for cleansing, so she doesnt behave like her mother in the future.

My legs shook as tears ran down my eyes…mama was going to die.

i cant believe that ugly hausa corper is straffing the principal seriously…' Henna laughed sipping from her drink 'that "protect ur body for its a temple of God" woman, yuck!' Henna sighed in disgust.

My friends laughed. The rumors had been circulating that our Geography uncle was straffing our principal…i really didnt believe the rumor but when i saw the picture of both of them kissing from Henna's phone, i believed it.

Henna and Ralph were the only ones who had a phone in our class due to their father's status and riches. A phone was something i had always begged father to get me whenever i could but he adamantly refused. If only i had a phone, i would have tried to contact mama or mama would have tried to contact me but mama equally did not have a phone.

I chewed slowly on the meatpie Henna had gotten for all of us..after that day i had eavesdropped on their conversation, i knew i became different…i was no longer cheerful..not like i was a very cheerful person right from time..but i became the dullest person i ever came across.

I needed a distraction…and thats why i hanged out with my so called friends more often to try laughing at their jokes and other stuffs.

'heyy guys i've got good news…' Henna said getting my attention 'my brother is visiting the village next week..oh my gosh! I cant wait to see him'

My heart skipped a bit. Ifeanyi! I didnt want to see him…not that he was a monster or anything..but everyone was aware of my huge crush on him before he left the village to study in the city. He was a really nice guy…the richest and the most handsome as at the time he left. That was two years ago.

At the mention of his name, the girls turned to me, of course, they knew about my crush on him.

'what? Why are you girls staring at me like that?' i asked rolling my eyes and pouting.

'it seems my bestie is going to have the best straff of her life now' Ije said.

That made me angry but i controlled it…i didnt want to cause a scene.

'heyy!' Henna said flashing her fingers in front of Ije 'my brother doesnt do straff and dump…he does the ideal thing…love'

'and how would you know that?' Oma interjected.

'because he's my brother…he's really not the flirty type'

'oh really? What if city changed him?' Oma asked.

'then so be it…whats the big deal about being a flirt?'

'who flirting don epp?' Ije asked and they laughed.

I tried to laugh too but i couldnt..thoughts of mama flashed through my mind. Truth is, i didnt know when she was going to die, i didnt know what was going to stop her from dying..i didnt know what to do to protect her…i felt so hopeless and useless.

A junior student came to our table that instant and Henna frowned 'what the heck are u doing in our table Junie?' Junie was an abb. of junior.

'sorry senior…but someone asked me to call Ivyy Maduemezie…' the junior replied.

My heart skipped a beat 'who…who's that?'

'its a woman…she just asked me to call you. She's at the gate..' the junior said scampering away.

'bae, dont tell me the D arent enof for u…u go for V too?' Henna said and the other girls laughed.

I stood and adjusted my uniform 'seriously Henna, u need to stop this sick jokes of yours…they arent funny all the time' i said and hurried away.

What was aunt Chime doing in school? Had she come to inform me of mama's death? No…she had never do that.

When i got to the gate…i nearly fainted at who i saw…mama!

I nearly jumped around…luckily there was no student is sight as it was break over.

'mama!'

She had tears in her eyes as she embraced me 'nwam…nwam…'

She was weeping seriously.

Seeing how emanciated mama had become brought tears to my eyes. What had aunt Chime and papa done to my innocent mother? What was her offence? Why wasnt anyone telling me anything?

I held mama 'mama, tell me please…tell me, what is going on?'

She shook her head 'its not something i should tell you Ivyy..its something you'd be better of not knowing about..and its equally for your own good that you and Dada were taken away from me…because you…especially you Ivyy, would have been dragged into this mess with me' she said wiping her eyes with her handkerchief.

'mama, please tell me, i heard you were going to die' i sobbed.

I saw the surprise in her eyes..then she smiled 'very soon…but i want you to know that…no matter what, i still love u my children…you guys brought me hope when i felt i didnt have one..you guys brought life into my soul…you two brought all the joy and happiness i required into my life…no matter what…i will never stop loving you and Danke..i'm sorry i had to leave you both like this…but i had to see you one last time…this is the last time you're going to see me Ivyy…i'm very sorry….someone is coming…' she thrusted a thousand naira note into my hand and before i could speak, ran away like a mad woman.

'break over…runto ur classroom..' the gateman said.

I ran away in tears.

TO BE CONTINUED 🤎