CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

NONYE

We were in the village for the introduction ceremony. My uncles had been nothing but good to the extent that i was wondering if Mama ordered new uncles from China. Mama was at the backyard directing the umuada (kinswomen) that had gathered to help cook. I went to the backyard to greet and thank them for helping out with the cooking, courtesy of Mama. When i got to the back of the house, I wondered if there was another ceremony going on in my father's compound aside the traditional marriage because of the amount of food cooked. I saw about three coolers of white rice, three pots of stew plus other native dishes.



"Daalu nu ooo (thank you ooo)" I greeted them. Mama would have cut off my ear if i had said my greetings in English. She had told us before we left Umuahia to speak more of Igbo when we got to the village.



"Ehe nwaoma (fine child). Oyiri nne ya (Her mother's look alike)" they all responded.



"Mama will there be another ceremony after the traditional marriage?" I asked the moment she came to stand beside me.



"No. What kind of question is that?" She asked.



"Because i don't understand why I'm seeing food everywhere" I said looking around. "Wait is that Ukwa (Bread fruit)?" I asked when my gaze stopped on the content of a pot been brought down from the fire.



"I want my in-laws to eat to their satisfaction and yes that is ukwa" she replied.



"Mama Jamil is only coming with Ten of his people and not the whole of Edo State" I chuckled.



"Even at that, they need to eat very well. You told me how much Jamil liked Nkwobi and Abacha when he ate them so I'm making it for him and his people" she said smiling.



"Mama the food is too much. Three coolers of rice? Unless the villagers will also have a taste of the foods" I sighed.



"Yes and the umuada will go home with some too" she nodded.



"Okay" I shrugged. A little boy ran to where we stood and told me that my uncle wanted to see me. I looked at Mama wondering why the old man wanted to see me.



"Just go. Remember to speak more of Igbo and bow your head when greeting him" she said. I rolled my eyes. So much for people that abandoned us. When i got to the front of our house, my uncle was sitting on an armrest chair eating corn and pear.



"Uncle ndewo (well done)" I said bowing my head.



"Daalu nwam (thank you my child) please sit down" he said pointing to a bench beside him. I nodded and sat. He offered me corn and pear which i hesitated a little before collecting.



"If my brother your father was here today, he would have been happy to see his Ada (First daughter) get married." He said after taking a bite of the corn. I frowned when he mentioned my father. "But it's okay. I know he is in a better place now. That aside. I was talking with your mother and she told me that your husband is from Edo State" he said all at once.



"Yes uncle" I replied.



"Eziokwu? (truly). Is that place not far? Will his family treat you well?" He asked like he felt concerned. I eyed him and refrained myself from lashing out at him.



"Uncle Jamil bu ezigbo mmadu (Jamil is a nice person) moreover he doesn't reside in his state. He lives in Umuahia which is a few hours drive from here" I explained.



"Okay if you say so" he shrugged. My phone rang and i smiled before picking it up.



"Boss man" I chuckled.



"Hey babe. How are you doing?" He asked.



"I'm fine. Have you guys left Umuahia yet?" I asked playing with the Hem of my skirt.



"We are already in your village. We just passed the Tree you told me about" he chuckled.



"Wait you people have passed the udara tree?" I asked standing on my feet. They were close to our house and i wasn't even dressed yet.



"Yes we just passed it" he affirmed.



"Okay then see you soon" I replied feeling nervous. I turned to my uncle the moment i got off the phone "uncle they have passed Ama udara. I need to go and get ready" I said.



"Okay. Let me send your cousin to go and call our kinsmen" he said then called his son. "Uchenna bia bia (Uchenna come come)" the boy ran to him immediately. "Go to Mazi Onochie's house and tell him to start coming. Go to Mazi Uchemba and Mazi Dike too, tell them the same thing. They will bring the others when coming" he said and the boy ran off immediately. I left hurriedly to go and dress up. A few minutes after, i was dressed in a sequined blue off shoulder gown. I wore the bone straight weave that Jamil ordered for me and put my legs in my white heels. My cousin Ifeoma applied a mild makeup on my face with me constantly reminding her not to use shouty colours on my face. My sister ran into the room squeaking.



"Sister they have arrived" she said happily.



"Where are they?" I asked her already standing on my feet.



"Uncle just ushered them to the living room. They even came with convoy" she giggled sitting on the bed.



"Where are you going to?" Ifeoma asked when i headed towards the door.



"I'm going to greet them na" I said.



"Come and sit down. When it's time, they will send for you" she laughed. I let out a sigh before going to sit down. After some minutes Mama came into the room and said i was needed in the living room. I followed her with Ifeoma and Chimdiya tailing behind.



When we entered the living room, i briefly scanned the living room for my husband to be and found him sitting between a few elderly men. I raised my brows when i took in his attire. He was wearing the "ishiagu" outfit on a plain black trouser matching it with the chieftaincy cap. He could even pass for a bonafide Igbo man. I chuckled inwardly. He winked at me when our gazes met and i smiled sheepishly.



"My daughter come and kneel down" my uncle said to me. I nodded and knelt down. He poured palm wine into a cup and told me to go and give it to my husband. I carried the wine and walked across to where Jamil sat. The elderly men sitting beside him made comments like "osam" and "Oo zoza kokoro". I made a mental note to ask Jamil the meaning later.



I knelt down when i got to him and drank half of the wine before handing it to him. He finished it in a gulp and stuffed some Naira notes in the cup before the both of us stood up and walked back to my uncle. We knelt before him and he showered prayers on us.



"Children will never lack in your home" he said finally and everyone aside the Edo people in our midst chorused "iseee (Amen)" they said Amen instead. We stood up after the prayers and Mama was instructed to bring food. I left to remove my shoes and also help out with serving the food.

Xavier5:
I said it that a new tragic drama will emerge, and guess what; it makes the story freaking interesting.

Damselposh, you're doing a good job.


#Xavier

Thanks love

Ann2012:
Pls serve me Abacha with enough ugba, fish and pomo

Thanks for the update ma’am

Hahahaha let me go and bring it.

Ujunwa14:
Abacha my food. I am craving it right now.

Damsel thank you.

See them Abacha lovers

oyinella:
I go love o

MrCuteking:
Abacha is one way to my heart

I swear down

Embellished:
Abacha

I'm not Igbo but well prepared Abacha is delicious no cap.

I want to eat Abacha ejor

Abacha has been saving life since 1950s

Adesina12:
Yeah yeah yeah
This Nonye must be from Imo state

she is not from Imo State.

Preshbeauty:
Decoy? Does Jamil's uncle have a doppelganger or what? This one na correct twist.


I want to get engaged so let me say yeah yeah.

Damsel eshe

Yeah yeah

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

He tapped his foot anxiously on the floor whilst looking at the wall clock constantly. His wife entered the living room from outside with a shopping bag in her hand. He let out a sigh of relief before landing heavily on the sofa.



"Maria you really need to be careful when you go out there. Remember you are supposed to be dead" he said.


"I'm only dead to Jamil. Every other person knows I'm alive" she replied casually.



"Still you need to be careful. What if Jamil sees you? Then everything i have worked hard for will just crumble" he exclaimed.



"Honey Umuahia is big. What is the probability that Jamil and i will run into each other?" She chuckled.


"You don't even know that boy. He has properties scattered all around Umuahia and even outside. He knows every nook and cranny of this city plus Umuahia is not as big as you think. Just be careful. If possible don't leave the house at all until everything is over" he explained meticulously.



"Well we have to eat. I only go out whenever we are in need of foodstuffs" she replied raising the bag up for him to see.



"We will employ a maid. She will be running errands for us" he nodded.



"Well when are you going to carry out your plan? I'm tired of acting dead just because of one person. I want to move around freely" she said softly.



"I want to strike when he must have thought that everything is okay. When he thinks he has won. I won't strike now just stick to the plan and you will be fine" he picked up the remote laying carelessly on the sofa and switched the television on.



"Okay then. Let me go and make lunch" she said heading to the kitchen.


NONYE

I stared at the list again and hissed for the umptieth time. How dare my uncles? How dare they give us such expensive and ambiguous list? They weren't there when Mama suffered to train us but they had the guts to bring such list. I looked at my mother who had been pacifying me ever since I saw the list.



"Mama mba (no) we will tell them to come and collect their nonsense list. I and Jamil will forget about traditional marriage" I said with a shake of the head.



"Ekwuzina ihea biko (don't say that again please). Traditional marriage is important my dear. It's recognized in the Bible. Nwam (my child) you will marry traditionally first before any other thing" she said.



"Mama can't you see that they want to use this opportunity to drain my husband to be? Imagine asking for a hundred tubers of yam? Are they planning on setting up a yam zone in the village?" I said angrily.



"Everything written on that list can be negotiated. Jamil can even decide to transform them to cash" she spoke softly. I wondered if she thought i would bring down the roof of our house if she raised her voice higher.



"500 pieces of wrapper. Imagine? Ten cartons of beer, Five He-goats. Such covetousness. Where were they when you borrowed money from the women's meeting to see me through school? Where were they? Didn't they abandon us because you don't have a son? The same girl child they abandoned is the one they want to scam her husband to be all in the name of marriage list" I hissed.



"Nonye please calm down. Like i said everything written on the list are open for negotiation. We can even buy fifty pieces of wrapper. Don't mind those things they wrote there" she replied.



"Wicked people. It is time for marriage now they have turned to my uncles. Let God judge them." I hissed going through the list again. "Ten bags of rice. Don't worry, they will choke on that rice. Rice ahu ga egbu ha (that rice will kill them)" I hissed again.



"It's okay. Thank God you are getting married to a rich man. Let your uncles carry their problem and go" she replied. I looked at the list and felt like tearing it "don't do what you are about to do" Mama said after studying me for a while.



"Mama you will be the one to hold the list. I will just tear it if i keep seeing it" I hissed giving the paper to her.

ouzo1:
Smiling

Smile very well ooo

Nanya14:
Decoy?
Damsel I thought as much. I wondered how the story would end this early.

Well done ooo. Let me go and sit in front.

Hahahaha na decoy be that

oyinella:
I wonder how people find it very easy to hurt people that genuinely trust and show them love, even if you had intentions to hurt them, the fact that they can be vulnerable with you, should be able to melt every hate you feel for them, but NO! Jamils uncle has decided to be a villain. I can't wait to see how the drama unfolds, I can't wait to read the part where thunder finally fires him, because I refuse to be saddled with this kind of inlaw o

chai. You no get strength for crazy in-laws.

Ann2012:
Thanks for the update ma’am

Thanks for reading

Embellished:
Wait. That was a decoy?
Mad ooo

Damsel nice twist

That was a decoy. Yes.

aprilwise:
Another enemy is at the corner

Yes another enemy

Adesina12:
Damselposh babe
Why you didn't end the film here?
I beg don't give perso heart attack ooo
Sweet popcorn for you

The film no end there na.

I will not give anybody heart attack

Ujunwa14:
Decoy? That was a decoy?

I knew the story couldn't just end like that.

Damsel of suspense well done

"Damsel of Suspense" see name.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

JAMIL

I had been discharged from the hospital but hadn't resumed going to the office yet, I was working from home. My attraction had been cooking and bringing over to me. Sometimes she spent the night while sometimes she left in the evening. I had thrown Bella's or should i say Rofiat's things away. The doorbell rang. I looked up from my laptop and half screamed "come in". I already knew it was my attraction because she had called me earlier.



"Hey" she smiled entering the house.



"I have told you to always enter the house straight up. You don't need to knock" I chuckled.



"I was taught to always knock on doors that do not belong to me" she replied.



"This is also your house, you don't need to knock" I chipped in then looked at the bag she held. "What did you bring?" I asked.



"Abacha (African Salad)" she replied swiftly.



"Abacha?" I asked. I hadn't eaten Abacha before so i wondered what it would taste like.



"Yes Abacha. Don't worry you will like it" she assured before entering the kitchen. I went and sat at the dinning waiting for the meal. She entered the dining with a tray, dropped it on the table and pushed a plate towards me and kept the other one for herself. She went to get water and i picked up a spoon to eat. There was fried fish and canda nicely decorated on the Abacha and there was another thing i didn't know. I waited for her to settle down before asking her questions.



"What is this?" I pointed at the black thing i had seen earlier.



"Oh that is ugba" she replied like she expected me to know what it was. "Oil Bean in English" she chuckled when she saw the confusion on my face. I nodded and scooped a spoonful of Abacha and threw it into my mouth. I munched it slowly trying to savour every taste.



"Oh my God" I moaned out loud pushing another spoonful into my mouth. It was delicious that i wondered how Igbos had such delicious foods.



"I told you you would like it" she winked.



"You Igbos really have delicious foods" I muttered. She chuckled in response.



"Abacha is really nutritional. It has the basic classes of food. Since you are recovering, you need it" she explained.



"I won't even mind eating this everyday. What are you not saying?" I giggled with food in my mouth.



"Edo Man" she laughed. After a few minutes, we were done eating with me asking for more and more plate. She took the dishes to the kitchen to wash while i returned to my laptop. She joined me in the living room a while after. I closed my laptop and touched the pocket of my trouser to be sure the ring was still there.



"Babe" I called.



"Mmmm?" She answered giving me a side glance.



"Let's get married" I revealed.



"Married kwa? Isn't it too early?" She asked.



"No it's not. I love you and you feel the same way too. I don't want to waste time before someone else takes you away from me" I explained.



"Okay. If you think it's not too early let's get married then." She smiled. I hurriedly brought out the ring and knelt on one knee.



"Wait. You already bought a ring?" She chuckled



"I have been carrying it around everyday hoping to pop the question but my morale always failed me" I laughed.



"Oya ask me the question fast before i change my mind" she cackled.



"Babe. The love of my life. Will you marry me? I'm not too good with words but you know i love you and want to be with you forever" I said.



"Yes i will marry you Edo Man" she nodded thrusting her hand to me. I looked at her fingers and wondered the particular finger for it.



"I don't even know the particular finger babe" I chuckled uneasily.



"It's this one" she laughed raising her middle finger up. I hurriedly slipped on the ring and we hugged.




Someone that wants to get engaged say yeah yeah

Xavier5:
The drama continues

With the early exposure of the villains, I feel that more drama, tragic ones are coming. There's going to be a massive twist to the whole thing.

Damselposh, you're amazing


#Xavier

Thanks for reading love

Preshbeauty:
Oluwa ooo chai, people Sha wicked ooo.

Jamil Pele
Damsel thank you

Thanks for reading babe

Ujunwa14:
Chineke Nna. Wickedness in the hearts of men. Jamil ndo.

Damsel thank you.

Hahahaha Chineke Nna

Embellished:
Wicked people everywhere. Kai.

Jamil take heart shotigbo?


Thanks damsel

He will hear ooo
Thanks for reading

aprilwise:
The heart of men is very wicked

Very very wicked

Nanya14:
Heart of men chai.

He was even proud vomiting all the things he did.

Very proud hehehehe

Bukolaberry:
hmmmmm naked wickedness.

As in the wickedness no wear cloth.

FlowerGirl040:
Wickedness
Let the evil man pay his way through let me see na.

Evil man no be small

Ann2012:
Thanks for the update ma’am

Thanks for reading

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

NONYE

I felt my heart crush at the sight of Jamil shedding tears. I wondered how people could be wicked. His own Uncle for that matter. Looking at the bright side actually, the good news was that Jamil wasn't going to die anymore until when the time was right. I looked at my phone screen, it was 4pm and i had missed Mama and Chimdiya's calls. Mama had called me ten times while Chimdiya called fifteen times. I rolled my eyes, her own would always be different. It was a good thing i put my phone on silent when we arrived the hospital.



"I'm hungry" Jamil muttered sniffing.



"You should be. I will go get you something to eat but before then, I need to go to the house first to freshen up" I explained already standing up from the bed.



"You don't need to go. Just send someone else. I need you right now" he whined.



"Don't worry babe. I will be right back" I smiled at him before exiting the room. When i came out from the building, I suddenly remembered the driver that brought us to the hospital and wondered if he left or not. When i didn't see him anywhere, I concluded that he must have left after waiting. I tried ordering Uber with my phone when the driver jumped out from nowhere.


"Madam thank God say i see you. You fit give me my money now?" He asked. I blinked my eyes in surprise.



"You mean you have been here since then waiting?" I asked.


"Noooo i just came now. I left after i brought you people here. I needed to work na" he replied fully in English.



"It's a good thing you are here. You will take me back home and after a few minutes take me to where i can buy food and then bring me back to the hospital" I explained.


"Madam you never pay me the ones wey i don carry you, you want make i carry you again" he hissed. I marveled at the way he comfortably switched from Pidgin to English and vice versa.



"As we are going now you will give me your account details so that i can transfer the money to you. I will pay for everything" I assured him. He smiled and led me to his car.


When i got home, Mama and Chimdiya were in the living room watching TV. I studied their faces and couldn't make out any expression.



"Mama good evening" I greeted.



"I thought you have already found a new family" she hissed.



"Mama you know you people are the only family i have" I chuckled.



"You left this house in your night wear plus you didn't give me a tangible reason" she continued.



"Mama i told you Jamil needed my help. Infact story ka nku (is too much)" I replied.



"Tell us what happened then" she said. I looked at my sister and wondered why she hadn't said anything yet.



"Mama Jamil is in the hospital. His uncle made him believe that he had cancer meanwhile they had been feeding him with poison" I explained in a nutshell.



"Jesus Christ. Chim ooo (my God). How can people be heartless? How is he doing now?" She asked.



"So uncle Jamil doesn't have cancer?" Chimdiya finally spoke.



"Yes he doesn't have cancer and he is fine Mama" I replied the both of them. "I came back to freshen up and also buy food for him. He said he is hungry" I said standing up.



"He should be hungry. What does he want to eat?" Mama asked.



"He didn't say but i want to look for where to buy Nkwobi from. He liked it the other time he ate it" I answered.



"Just go and bathe while i and your sister prepare the Nkwobi. Don't go and buy what you don't know how they prepared it" she said.



"Thank you Mama" I said rushing to my room.



************
He sipped his wine and crossed his leg after he got off the phone. He constantly grinned at nothing. His wife entered the living room and announced to him that food had been served. He looked at her and winked maliciously.



"Honey each time you wink at me like that, I know you have something up your sleeves. What is it this time?" She asked.



"I received a call from the police station. Rofiat has been arrested. Together with zimuzo and the so called Gerald" he chuckled.


"They fell for that decoy didn't they?" She asked laughing.



"Of course who wouldn't fall for it? Even the smartest person on Earth would fall for it over and over again" he grinned.



"That means no one will be after you as it is assumed that you are in prison" she said.



"Yes and i will now have time to deal with Jamil. By the time I'm done with him, he would regret ever stepping on my toes" he gave out a short laugh before heading to the dinning.

Doctee:
Damselposh where are you ó come give us update abeg

I have updated
Come and read

Bukolaberry:
Thanks for the update, his uncle wants to take Bella out cause she is sloppy. that's if it's the same doctor

Thanks for reading

Ven97:
Wow!!! I never saw this coming. I thought Bella was innocent sef.

Bella wasn't innocent anything.