The skies rumbled with thunder. The clouds hung heavy. Uju was in the small shed outside her husband’s L structure house. It was three rooms arranged in L structure and perched on rocks in front of the flowing river Obizi. She was cooking ofe nsala .The black pot hissed and overflowed. It was placed on three large stones. Three big firewood were sparkling under it. She was stirring the white mixture.Gbuuuuuuum!She felt a fisted hand connect to her jaw. She got up fast and almost threw the potover. She caught it quickly and her fingers burnt. The mixture poured and quenched the fire.‘’You are so stupid you can’t even cook properly’’. Obiora – her husband said. She stared at the firewood covered in white.She might have retorted. Seven years ago she might have fought. She had lost her fire in seven years of marriage.Her shoulders hunched as if she wanted to be invisible. She tried to adjust the green Nigerian wax wrapped around her disappearing waist. She couldn’t go anywhere.The first time her husband slapped her;Uju had run home. It was a month after their marriage. Her parents cautioned her not to offend her husbandwithout even listening to a word she said. They escorted her back. "Can’t you hear what I am saying , you foolish woman?” She said nothing. She was in her thoughts. A slap connected to her right cheek, bringing her to the present. She thought she was used to it. She kepther face down. Her head hung on her five feet five thin body like a big lamp. The green flair blouse and wrapper blew around her body like an unfurled flag.The rain came pouring at that second without further warning. Uju ran towards the sitting room stiffened herself awaiting more beatings, as usual. The room was at the middle of the L structure.The two ends were their rooms.She heard the sounds of the rain steadily increasing tat a tat ta ta ta. She was grateful for the rains. They always consoled her and spoke gentle words toher. They had always spoken toher. She heard it whisper now: tat a ta tat a truntrun trun run away . She ran out from the Kitchen shed. The small narrow yard hardturned in to a brown swimming pool.She started running through the river ofmud. Ten months ago; her baby must have struggled to swim in her womb;struggled to survive. Obiora hard pummelled her with blows. She miscarried. Home found her. Still her parents brought her back.She entered her room. Packed a few ofher clothes and took the money she hid itin a small crack in the wall of the smallcubicle. It was only twenty thousandnaira. She changed her clothes.The rain was increasing. She crept out.She ran to the back and threw the green wrapper and blouse in the river behind the house. She hurried to the kitchenshed.The skies opened its mouth wider andpoured forth in more torrents. The watersgrew on the ground. The winds hands began to tear things away. It tore away the roofs of the house. Uju wondered what had brought her here. Nature’s terror scratched her being as she held onthe stick by the shed. She held on fordear life even as the waters drew closer,drew higher.* * * * To BE CONTINUED.

Hey guys. This is my second work of fiction. Still working on it, though. I await your corrections and recommendations.

Awesome story I can feel here pains. Hope she kills the man. The madness of domestic violence