Hmmm, smart thinking. And I taught it's someone else lurking around. Aseni ase ara e.

I thought Mezie had given up I never knew I was still cooking something. I hope he eats it alone
Will Nwamaka ever have a settled life? because moving from city to city will not help her get something good and her greed for money and material things will push her deeper into poverty if she does not manage that money well.
Congratulations to Akwa because Ariel is supportive of her relationship.
The way you describe Mezie's scene baffles me, you are really a champ.
Thanks for the update.

Adeola25:
Hmmm, smart thinking. And I taught it's someone else lurking around. Aseni ase ara e.

Thank you, Cent.

centmanuel:
I thought Mezie had given up I never knew I was still cooking something. I hope he eats it alone
Will Nwamaka ever have a settled life? because moving from city to city will not help her get something good and her greed for money and material things will push her deeper into poverty if she does not manage that money well.
Congratulations to Akwa because Ariel is supportive of her relationship.
The way you describe Mezie's scene baffles me, you are really a champ.
Thanks for the update.

God bless you for the update

Awesome scene.
But hope you are not rushing the story.

All of a sudden Madonna was freed from prison.
Your former episode makes it seems almost impossible for her to achieve freedom easily.

Even her father had wash his hand of her and beside how was his father able to secure her release easily.

Though Mezie scene was awesome.

Awesome update.Thanks Rose

chibestjerry:
Awesome scene.
But hope you are not rushing the story.

All of a sudden Madonna was freed from prison.
Your former episode makes it seems almost impossible for her to achieve freedom easily.

Even her father had wash his hand of her and beside how was his father able to secure her release easily.

Though Mezie scene was awesome.

please was their another update after Mezie went to his compound? cause I cant see it

chibestjerry:
Awesome scene.
But hope you are not rushing the story.

All of a sudden Madonna was freed from prison.
Your former episode makes it seems almost impossible for her to achieve freedom easily.

Even her father had wash his hand of her and beside how was his father able to secure her release easily.

Though Mezie scene was awesome.

I guess she wants to use flashback later to bring out that part.

chii8:



I guess she wants to use flashback later to bring out that part.

Yea we hope so

oyinella:

please was their another update after Mezie went to his compound? cause I cant see it

I don't think so

Super lite.. can't get my eyes off this update... kudos Rossy.. Looking forward to more update and please to mention me.

Chapter 44

The witch cries in the night and the baby dies in the morning, there is no need asking who did the killing. Evil has its’ face on it's back so it can snatch without compassion.

When Akwaugo heard the piercing, deafening and heart wrenching shrill of her daughter, Olaedo, one name flashed into her mind- Ariel.

She paused her fingers on the beads she was counting and her mouth from the prayers she was muttering, for she’d found her faith back recently, having abandoned her religious rituals for months now, catching up had become torturous, she did repeat ‘the act of mercy’ twice, yet, praying wasn’t coming so easy for her.

She jerked to a sitting position, with the blanket covering her legs, she listened.

No sound.

No cry.

Only the ticking of the clock in her room, the mild humming of her AC and later, heavy footsteps running up the stairs- must be any of the maids.

Muffled voices from the room adjacent to hers filtered through the wall into her room. Rapid, panicking voices.

“…What happened? I heard her scream just now. She is not moving!”

“I did nothing to the baby I swear! I only played with her and slept off…I swear ma’am…I did nothing!”

Akwaugo sprang out of the bed. Adrenaline flooded her system, it pumped and beat like it was trying to escape, she swore her heart would explode as her eyes widened with fear. Her legs wanted to run faster towards the room where the voices were emanating from, but she was scared of what she would find.

Her throat suddenly went dry, she could taste the saltiness of her sweat trickling down from her forehead into her opened mouth.

“Ola…Olaedo…olaedo…” She heard the maid’s desperate voice.

Like a woman who was suddenly struck mad by Amadioha, she let out a loud yelp, twirled around and raced towards the other room, her door rebounding after her.

She halted at the sight that graced her. Her body froze, same as her brain. One sweep of her gaze on the faces and she knew something was wrong with the little girl that lay still on the bed. One would have expected that she would scurry towards the child and scoop her up, but she was scared.

She couldn’t allow her legs to move, neither could her brain cookout solution instead of this crazy-making circling anxiety.
Her white step-daughter had started sobbing softly, shaking her baby mildly. Her Ola.

She approached the bed now. One gaze at the child that was already turning purple and she knew it had happened- disaster had struck, her chi had once again remembered her with misfortune.

She staggered backwards, her mouth covering her mouth as nausea racked her inside.

When a mighty man goes on a hunt, his enemies choose to visit his household. Morgan. Where was her husband? The father of her dying child… what would she tell him?

It wasn’t the predicted fight that destroys a warrior, but the random disaster one knew was coming but didn’t know when. She knew it, she told Morgan their union would bring nothing but destruction for all of them but he wouldn’t listen.

“Chim…Chim o…Osebuluwa…my God!” she kept mumbling, eyes darting around, searching for something she didn’t keep.

“Let’s take her to the hospital, ma’am. I will get Maurice to get the car ready.”

Akwaugo wasn’t listening. Her whole being had been catapulted back to the village, she could see Mezie’s snarl, the mocking glint, she could hear the oath they took before the multiple, scary antiques displayed under the big Oji tree, her hands tied together with Mezie’s.

“Auntie…Auntie.”

They have taken her child, the problem now was she didn’t know which of them. Okija, Edo, and for what sin? Telling everybody of the paternity of the child or agreeing to make love with another man other than Mezie?

She felt a hand on her shoulder shaking her to consciousness,

“Hmm?” she turned to face the maid. How many are they in the room? Six? Seven? Almost all the staff had gathered. Who summoned them? Why would they leave their rooms to gather here?

“What is it? Why is everybody here?”

“We should take Oma to the hospital; I have called doctor…”

“Hospital…which Oma are you talking about?”

She couldn’t comprehend whatever the man was saying. Hospital. Oma. What was going on? And why were they gazing at her as if she had lost her mind?

“Please dial Oga’s number.” Someone said.

*
“Ogbuonye mgbe ndu na agu ya!” Mezie hailed himself under his breath.

He pushed his door and stepped into the interior of the decently furnished apartment he recently moved into. The putrid stench of dry dung wafted through his nose as he walked into the outhouse to relief himself of the pressure that threatened to bust his bladder, he didn’t know if it was his unflushed toilet or the rancid odor from the forest of Okija which must have lapped on his clothes and skin like a mortal sin. How anyone could stand a place so baleful and bloodcurdling as the thick Okija forest where he was asked to put down the objects of sacrifice and strip naked, baffled him.

He’d wanted the life of his rival, had pleaded for him to be inflicted with a deadly disease. “Let him be eaten alive by warms,” he did ask. But the priest had turned this request down.

“Touch him and you will incur disaster for yourself. You cannot take from a man whose chi is always awake, I cannot grant you that wish. And besides, you have something of him, what you took from him had settled the debt he owes you.”

Whatever that meant.

The man couldn’t be touched, neither could his adulteress ex-wife. Mezie didn’t press further. The child would die, that would pacify him for the moment.

He peeled his mud smeared shirt and trouser off his body, dumped then inside a bucket inside his bathroom and swaggered unabashedly naked with another bucket to get water which he would take back to the bathroom and scrub himself thoroughly.

“Wait for the news.” The priest had told him.

So, he would.

What if they hid the news from people?

Mezie scuffed while scrubbing his armpit with intensity.

Death cannot be hidden for long. Besides, the priest promised him it would be done in four days, after the four days, he would have to travel to the village, gather his Umunna and demand for his daughter to be given to him.

The kinsmen would be forced to summon the rich rascal and he would come. No matter how wealthy a man is, he would not turn his back on his Umunna, the son of Ochudo would come.

Sighing with satisfaction, he arced and scooped water with his palms, threw on his face and allow it cascade down his body.

Ptfuaa! He spat out water that ran into his mouth. Azigbagbukwa ndi-iro m, he cursed. Oh, he would want to see their faces, would celebrate his victory, scorning them the way they did scorn him.

He arced, scooped and threw more water. On his back, arms, head, face, over and over again until he was sure every scent of evil had been washed away. Then, he lifted the bucket and threw the remaining water over his head. Turning his neck side to side vigorously like a child dancing in the rain.

Spat out water.

Scrubbed his face, and swaggered out of the bathroom.

He would defer going to his chemist shop today, just that day would not make his customers run away. In fact, he would have to consider getting himself an apprentice again, Business was beginning to look up, Onitsha was treating him well.

You ungrateful fool, it was because of the money given to you by Ochudo’s son, you would have been gone by now.

“Did I ask him for his wretched money?” he retorted, settling his bare butt on his bed. “That idiot stole a woman I suffered for, he only paid for his sins which isn’t even enough!”

Conscience could be stupid. Why would the uncooperative thing want him to feel entitled to the rich bastard all of a sudden?

He hissed. Pulled his legs off the floor and sprawled on the bed, his hands padding his head.

This is life.

Vengeance is sweet, and he was going to enjoy every bit of it.

*
Two days of stakeholders meeting, reading and signing of papers, issuing cheques and barking orders. Two nights of sleeping less than three hours, he could see red veins gathering on his white eyeballs when he looked at the mirror. Any attempt to blink and his eyes would hurt as if there were gravels poured inside of them.

One more day. One more day to round up the tour around Wilsons group, South-Africa, then he would head home.

Already up, waiting for his chauffeur, he smoothened his grey tox, adjusted his tie and strolled towards the window of his hotel.

Looking out, he sighed at the silhouette of the rising sun, registered the twisting movements of some birds on top of the coconut trees by the pool.

He missed home. The comfort of his bed and the smooth skin of his woman. His two daughters must be missing him too.

Ah.

Morgan Ochudo, now has two daughters. He shook his head.

He had a lot to be thankful for. Where he had climbed in life now, nobody could have imagined it- not even him, thanks to his late wife.

Now, all he saw when he looked around him was a gigantic empire, immeasurable wealth his third-generation couldn’t exhaust if they would be prudent enough.

He knew he’d established himself with the wealth he didn’t work for, he’d showed his gratitude to God and the universe by giving back to his community and Nigeria at large.

Malisa foundation, which was founded to honor the woman who’d given him a change of life, had been a channel of help to the less privileged.

He wasn’t a bad person. The universe knew that, that was why it kept blessing him with the best of everything- including a goddess as a wife.

He grinned.

In less than a month, they would march to the altar and would settle the doubt in her heart. She would become his wife in every sense.

So far, he had left no stone unturned in the plans he’d been hatching concerning this wedding.

One more thing.

He strolled back into the room and picked his phone, dialed Favor.

“Book us for France…yes…for the honeymoon…Favor please allow this old man enjoy his life for once.”

That settled, he ordered for a cup of tea and was about to relax his back on the sofa in his executive suite when his phone rang.

“Yes.”

“Sir, everything is not right down here…your daughter…your wife…”

chibestjerry:
Awesome scene.
But hope you are not rushing the story.

All of a sudden Madonna was freed from prison.
Your former episode makes it seems almost impossible for her to achieve freedom easily.

Even her father had wash his hand of her and beside how was his father able to secure her release easily.

Though Mezie scene was awesome.

her story has not ended. how and why she came out will be resolved

Update is taking too much time now

Thanks for the update ma'am. Mezie disgust me, wish i could invite all those nollywood spirits to torment mezie. Wicked skinny man.......

Thanks for the update ma'am. Mezie disgust me, wish i could invite all those nollywood spirits to torment him. Wicked skinny man.......

I pray a miracle happens and Olaedo lives.

In fact, make the miracle to happen to prove to Mezie, Okija shrine and every wicked person out there that evil can never triumph over good.

A great update, ma.

Rosie, evil should not triumph over good, let ola live, and let the expectations of Mezie be disappointed, both physically and spiritually they have not wrong him in any way, he is just an indescribable evil being.
Thanks for the update

I’m just expecting a miracle, Ola can’t just go like that pls

Thanks for the update ma’am

Olaodo must not die, pls Rose don't let her die, her mother have suffered enough. Thanks for the update, more greatness

Rosemary33

No vex o, did akwugo do something bad to you, from the beginning of the story na only she dey suffer

E don do abeg

What's the meaning of the name Olaedo? I'll like to know thanks.

Cuminsideher:
What's the meaning of the name Olaedo? I'll like to know thanks.

Gold

Mezie may be the most fascinating fictional character to come out of Igboland since Okonkwo of Things Fall Apart and I reckon that the writer has an opportunity to write Mezie in such a way that he even surpasses Okonkwo in terms of complexity.

Pls don't rush this story. It's priceless

Kudos Rosemary

Inkopere:
Rosemary33

No vex o, did akwugo do something bad to you, from the beginning of the story na only she dey suffer

E don do abeg

I just tire o. if anyone should be suffering in this story it should be Mezie . He caused everything thing because of his insecurity. How can a man sleep with another persons wife then make his own wife to bear the consequences of his actions?

All of you asking for Mezie hope you are all happy now

Chapter 45

All things considered; Madonna was quite relieved that she was finally out of dump she found herself in- temporarily.

All things considered, including how disgusted she did feel about the whole thing. Begging wasn’t one of her qualities, she’d never begged for mercy in her life, not even when threatened with death.

She was one hard bitch that believed there was always ways to get things turned to her favour and still walk with her head held high. This philosophy failed when she needed it most, every tactic flopped. The more she flexed her muscles the more she got stuck into the deeper shit.

She thought she could stubbornly whether the condition, but as days rolled by so did her sanity and her strength to fight. coupled with the guards that’d laugh like piranhas when they approached her demanding for something for the boys once her basic supplies arrived while loathing her secretly. Their seething hatred for her reeked all over them like rotten food.

Ninety-eight day inside the godforsaken place and she’d cry out, accepting every demand given by that bastard.

Madonna stood stark naked at her apartment, she could count what was remaining of her ribs as she did remove two each from both sides of her cage, to give her that ‘Nicky Minaj’ figure. She needed to increase the number of calories she eats per day so to add some flesh.

She yawned. Her eyes were still heavy from last night’s turning and tossing, it would take her some time to realize that she was out of the cell, yet her apprehensiveness couldn’t allow her to sleep some more. She felt she had to get back to work, make up for the lost months, visit old business partners and scout for fresh contracts. She was even oblivion of what was happening in the oil market, unfortunately, she would do little from her end.

Her case was still in court, the bastard had refused to drop the charges. Even the commissioner seemed to be a man held by the balls.

“My hands are tied. It’s an attempted murder case and there is little I can do.”

And the man who did pride himself as a faithful husband had even refused to have a piece of her flesh.

A miscalculated mistake. She would have known the man was as toothless in this case as the rest. Nobody would close the case and get her off the hook except the bale of money himself, she’d been a fool to allow some idiots to take advantage of her.

“If not for the respect I have for your father, I will charge you for bribery and harassment,” the Commissioner had rebuked.

When was the last time she heard a Muslim profess an unflinching commitment to one woman? Well, she was grateful the man had some sense. It would have been another wasted Bleep.

Madonna walked to her wardrobe, squatted and picked her robe from the floor where she left it the previous night, donned it over her head and went for a pack of cigarette at the other side of the bed.

A lot had happened to her these few months. Most, she now knew she brought upon herself, she wasn’t proud of them- in fact, she felt her skin shrink whenever she remembered how low she did stoop out of desperation. She was freaking out and wasn’t thinking straight, that explained the mistakes she’d make.

Taking a long drag and puffing rings of smokes in the air, she felt her heart constrict- not sure if it was the effect of the smoke or the seething disgust clawing her chest.

How could something as simple as wanting a man put her through this kind of punishment? It wasn’t worth it- really.

The seed of embracement did wedge inside her and had blossomed into a head spun when she was forced to finally admit that she did it, before Morgan and the marine spirit he got as a fiancé.

“We can now plead to settle out of court,” his lawyer had insisted. “Every evidence is against you and your alibi is very weak.”

The man she did bleeped that night had refused to have anything to do with the case. It was her cross and he didn’t want to get involved.

For the first time in her life, she was ashamed. Ashamed to look her father in the eye and admit that she was not as grown as she did claim.

“Leaving you with your mother at a tender age was the biggest mistake I made. See what she turned you into.” his father had spat out at the last court sitting.

The same mother that had bundled her back to Nigeria when she couldn’t stomach her rebelliousness, saying she was better off in Nigeria than Connecticut.

Madonna hissed, took a last drag and dropped what was left to burn out on top of the wooden table beside the bed, where other burnout sticks, now cold ashes, lay like dry flakes of her self-esteem.

*
“What do you mean she left?”

“We tried to stop her sir, but she took the baby and was gone.”

Morgan tried to swallow the anger that was like a fire-seed down his throat. How was it possible that all of them couldn’t stop her from running off with his daughter, to God-knows-where. Then it dawned on him that she was a full-grown woman who should have known better.

“Anyone knows where she’d gone to?”

She wasn’t at the hospital. His doctor confirmed that and nobody had seen her either. Jesus. It just didn’t make sense; how could she take a dying child and disappear! What was wrong with her? Why was she always running away? Now with their daughter- his daughter?

The anger he did try to swallow grew in his belly and came out as hot as any dragon could ever flame- on the person he loved, the inferno, more than what he could control. His staff shivered before him as he hauled raging words, swearing and cursing.

“You should have called me earlier!”

She should have called him, goddamnit.

“What happened to all the cars in this compound? You should have taken her to where ever she wanted to go to…”

She should have been wise enough to know that the only place she should take the child to is the hospital- their hospital.

Every unanswered question fueled the fire inside him; every silence was like gasoline to it. His fist began to clench and his jaw rooted.

“Daddy?”

Ariel. The child ran into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. It wasn’t how he’d wanted to welcome his older daughter, why couldn’t life work out perfectly, the way he’d plan it?

“I didn’t do it dad…I didn’t hurt the baby.”

“I know you didn’t sweetheart.”

“Now they are gone, is it my fault? Did I make her go?”

Unable to control the bubbling rage, he left everyone staring, stomped into his library, slammed the door and took out his anger on the table- punching until his knuckles arched. He then flopped on the chair, looking blankly at his phone.

As frustrating and embarrassing as it would be, he knew he had to declare Akwaugo and their daughter missing.

He had to find his family and would talk about why she did what she did later.

*
It was more than crying, more like a desolate sobbing that came from a person drained of all hope. A heart-wrenching sob emanating from a long-suppressed agony.

The sun was already weak by the time Akwaugo arrived Onitsha and boarded another bus to Nnewi. All the while- swallowing her despair like a bone being forced down the throat. Averting her gaze from curious eyes and hoping people wouldn’t ask why the baby, wrapped in a heavy blanket wasn’t cracking a sound.

Now, with her body wary, and her shoulders stiffened out of the burden she’d been carrying for long, she sank to her knees in front of the deserted shrine in the forest, not minding the damp mud that dirtied her dress, with the sound of harsh drops of water pattering on the leaves and the bellowing mmiri ele as her unsolicited companion.

Her tears mingled with the late November rain and her gasping wail echoed around the shrine. The pain that flowed from her was palpable, her tears could have woken the dead if things worked that way.

She would have run to the church, but she knew that somethings should be handled from the root. It all started here- the first oath she did took, ‘Allow another man into your carnal of pleasure and die.”

Wouldn’t it have been better they took her life? It would have saved everyone the disaster she did put them; Morgan would have still been holding his daughter to his bosom.

She killed her child.

Her desire for something other than the destiny her chi had given her.

Clutching the baby tightly to her chest, with her face buried on the cold stiffened little body, she gave in to the enormity of her grief, shivering out of raging agony than cold, she groaned like a hurting animal.

“Why do you have to punish a child for the sin of her mother? Why cause agony to visit a man because of me? Couldn’t you have taken it out on me?” She mumbled. Her breath hitched; agony raked her frame.

“I tried. God, you know I tried to stay. You threw this stone at me, what would you have me do? It was so heavy…chim, the stone was too heavy. All I wanted was a good life, for once- to know how it feels to be loved and to give my Ola a better father. I didn’t ask for much…Chim.”

The spirit beings are heartless entities passing time with mortals. God. gods. Whichever one was real, all had failed her, Akwaugo concluded.

Had she been given an option; she should have offered her life instead. But they didn’t give her time- none of them sought her opinion, they just stretched their arms and took. The whole of her screamed in unison, traumatized that she should exist without Olaedo, the cod that bund her and Morgan.

When the wrecking sob passed, she cried in such a desolate way that even the forest, God and deities couldn’t bear to listen for too long.

It was time to step in once again in the affairs of mortals.

*
Once out of the breath stifling Onitsha main market, Nwanneka navigated by intersections and aroma. Weeks after her return, she had succeeded in securing a one-room apartment which she paid for out of the money she got from Lagos. Now she was naked- stripped off money and would likely go begging if nothing was done.
Where had all the monies gone to?

She moved along in the thick crowd. The little time spent here had taught her that the crowd in this city would be enough to birth a country, and it seemed like November brought with it more people from other parts of the countries, some for trade and some- well…

The angry grunt in her stomach made her wince, the need to find something to fill her stomach grew. Being jostled by strong, sweaty bodies was one of the few disgusting things she did get used to in this town and she did also learn how to make good use of her nose to find vital places as the human rush wouldn’t give her the privilege to stand at a place and search out bright billboards and read signs- backpacks, hairs and different shades of cloths always stood on the way.

With the smell of Akara wafting through her nose strongly, she knew she’d find what she was looking for, her grumbling stomach also agreed to this. Unconsciously squeezing a naira note tightly in her palm, a reminder of what she came out with today. She hastened, turning right- she weaved her way towards the aroma that beckoned.

Throwing the issue that brought her to the market behind her, she swallowed the fluid that had gushed into her mouth at the scent of food and pushed forward.

Few balls of delicious beancakes that would carry her for the night and some for the next day when she would go out for another hunt.
Job. Free food. Free bucks from one or two men who wouldn’t mind having quickies in their stuffy shops.

She’d gotten none of the above today. The jobs she saw were degrading, nobody gives free food in Onitsha and for free bucks? Those men seemed not to be in a hurry to part with their money, though she did get two complimentary cards.

No. she didn’t hop from one shop to another offering pussy. She did present herself as a young lady in need, her girlish stature was a plus and she saw the two out of the eight men she approached ogling at her full breasts.

“colu mii reta, I fit alenji sometin fo yor,” one croaked with lust in his eyes.

No matter how tough this place was, it was way better than where she’d return from. It was easy to blend here and even swipe one or two wares off the shelf without being seen, in otherward, survival was easier in this crowded town.

“Madam, give me hundred-naira hot Akara.”

“You want bread to go with it?”

Asking for bread would be pushing for the kind of luxury that was way beyond her at the moment.

“No, I will take sachet water later.”

Securing a seat while trying so hard to control the saliva pool in her mouth, she wondered why the people there- waiting for the same snack wouldn’t respectfully go home and eat. Why was it so difficult to find a place where the ‘have-nots’ could freely go and fill their stomachs without the intrusion of the ‘haves’?

By the time it got to her turn to be served she swore she had no intestine remaining, the worms in her stomach must have eaten them all. She greedily took the paper-wrapped local bean fries, plopped back on the wooden bench and dug in. stuffing her face, with very few breaths in-between mouthfuls, much to the dismay of those around her.

With the last ball in her mouth, she scrunched the paper and threw it on the ground. Heaved off the bench and help herself with a sachet of water, flattened the swollen pack it in one gulp. She had her eyes shut, hands rubbing her tummy about to mutter a prayer of thanksgiving when she heard her name in the most hash, jarring and strident tone.

Flicking her eyes open, Mezie stood before her- face as crooked as the bumper of an accident truck, his eyes, narrowed, cold, harsh. At that moment, she knew she either start looking for the closest cemetery or just jump into the boiling oil- either way, her death was standing before her.

Inkopere:
Rosemary33

No vex o, did akwugo do something bad to you, from the beginning of the story na only she dey suffer

E don do abeg

I am in the office and read this, the kind of laughter that erupted from my belly ehn, my colleagues thought I was mad.

i am actually beginning to love him. when i am ready to edit and rewrite this story, he is one character i will spend a lot of time building. he is one link we have to tradition and jujuism. him and Okoye

VULCAN:
Mezie may be the most fascinating fictional character to come out of Igboland since Okonkwo of Things Fall Apart and I reckon that the writer has an opportunity to write Mezie in such a way that he even surpasses Okonkwo in terms of complexity.

Pls don't rush this story. It's priceless

Kudos Rosemary

For Bambook readers, my work "One more night" is now on Bambook.

So you have no reason not to read it. Don't forget to rate and drop your review. Just search for my name or the title of the book.

Get me up to the bestseller list on Bambook and Okadabooks.

You can do this by rating and leaving a review there. Thank you guys for everything.

Well done Rosemary33.

Thanks for the updates.