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Happy Easter Everyone **hugs&kisses**

CHAPTER 19

“That is your last corn,” Ejiro eyed her younger sister.

Rukewve looked in her direction. “How come? I have eaten only three, you and mum have taken five each.”

“Ehn-hen… we are your elders.”

She made a long hiss. “Elders my foot. Why don’t you call yourself my ancestors?”

“Whatever makes you sleep at night. The rest of the corn in the bowl is mine,” Ejiro bit into the corn in her hand.

“When chickens start to fly, right?”

Itoro chuckled and remained mum. She picked another corn from the almost empty bowl and took two pieces of coconut slices.
Her daughters glared at her.

“Keep talking,” she looked from one to the other. “I will keep eating.”

Ejiro dived for the bowl, the same moment her sister reached out for it. They both got a corn each. But the third was taken by their mother.

“That’s not fair,” Rukewve eyed her mum and returned to her seat.

Itoro continued to smile and eat.

“The next time I cook corn, I will just take out mine first,” the pained girl stared at the two small corns in her hand.

Ejiro met her mother’s stare. They giggled and ended up laughing out loud.

Rukewve made a long hiss. “Enjoy yourselves. I will soon leave this house for you people.”

“Leave kwa, to where?” Ejiro slapped her on the shoulder.

“Leave me jor,” she moved to the end of the seat.

“Talking about leaving, come Tuesday, I will be combing those companies on the island, armed with my credentials. Someone is bound to hire me.”

Rukewve and Itoro glanced at her.

“I am twenty-five already, time wait for no man. Many of my course mates are already driving their second cars. Can you imagine?”

“Don’t worry, your turn will come,” Itoro patted her on the shoulder.

“Amen o.”

The doorbell started to ring. Rukewve got up and sauntered to the front door. She turned the key and pulled the door.

“Happy Good Friday!” Tega and Ese chorused.

“Happy Easter,” Rukewve was surprised to see her brothers’ wives. She stepped back into the house so they could come in.

“Hey, see my beautiful daughters,” Itoro dropped the corn she was eating back into the bowl.

“Happy Easter ma,” the girls came to knee beside her.

“No, no, please get up and sit down. Please don’t stress my grandchildren,” Itoro made them to sit beside her.

Ejiro stared at her two pregnant sisters-in-law and turned away. They made her remember the pregnancy she lost as a result of her late ex-husband’s brutality.

“Happy Easter. How are my sons?”

“They are fine, ma,” they said in unison.

Itoro turned to her youngest child. “Please get them something chilled to drink first, then make poundo yam for them. You can serve it with the melon soup I made last night.”

Rukewve shut the door behind her and hurried to the kitchen.

Ejiro picked up the bowl and started to eat the corn and coconut slices her mother abandoned.

“Ejiro baby, how now?” Tega looked in her direction.

“I am good, jare,” she replied between mouthful.

“When was the last time you came visiting, sef?” Ese eyed her.

Ejiro started to laugh. “Don’t worry. Once you deliver the baby, I will be at your place two-four-seven.”

“That’s what I want to hear,” Ese beamed.

Rukewve returned with glasses of chapman. She served the pregnant women and dashed back to the kitchen.

“I can’t wait to see my bundle of joy in May,” Ese rubbed her big tummy.

Itoro sighed in relief. She was also excited to meet her first grandchild. She glanced at her eldest daughter. Ejiro’s baby would have been her first grandchild if Chukwuemeka had not snuffed the life out of the fetus.

“Mine will arrive in July. Mumsie, na our side you go camp o,” Tega chuckled.

“True that. I will not leave till December sef,” Itoro added.

Rukewve came back bearing a tray of freshly prepared Poundo yam and Melon soup, garnished with catfish and goat meat.

“Bon Appetit,” she served the women and sat beside her sister.

“This is why I like coming here,” Ese drew the center table closer.

“You are so right my sister,” Tega washed her hands and dug into the meal.

Itoro watched them eat. She began to imagine the arrival of her grandchildren. She paled when she remembered her late husband. It wasn’t fair that he didn’t get to see any of his grandchildren before he passed on.

“You ate mum’s corn,” Rukewve eyed her sister.

“Is it your own?” Ejiro looked her up and down.

She hissed and turned away. Suddenly, her vision became blurred. A scene flashed through her mind’s eye in an instant. She blinked and saw herself standing in front of a shopping complex. The building was on fire and this created a stampede. Amidst the noise, she heard the cries of two heavily pregnant women. They were caught in the pandemonium! Someone pushed them and they came tumbling down the stair way.

Rukewve gasped when she saw their faces. “No…”

Ejiro turned to look at her sister. She had a lost look in her eyes. Was she having a vision? She glanced at her mum, then at her sisters-in-law. The women were enjoying their meal. She straightened and tapped her sister on the knee.

“Rukewve…”

Her mind cleared. She blinked several times and met her sister’s concerned stare.

“What?”

She shook her head and directed her gaze at her brothers’ wives. “Are you both done shopping for the babies?”

Tega and Ese exchanged glances.

“No amount of shopping is satisfactory,” Ese squeaked.

“We are off to Idumota Shopping Mall today, when we leave here. The shopping must continue.”

Both women laughed.

“That is true,” Itoro remembered each time she shopped for her kids during her pregnancy period.

Rukewve’s heart missed a beat. “I think you should both postpone your shopping till tomorrow, or you can shop after the Easter break.”

Ese began to shake her head. “Someone informed me that some bales of baby clothes arrived at her friend’s shop this morning.”

“And it will be cheaper than those ones they hang everywhere. I don’t want to miss that kind of opportunity,” Tega interjected.

Rukewve sighed heavily. “I… I have a very bad feeling about that mall. Today is not a good day.”

Ese sized her up. “Says who? When did you turn to a Prophetess?”

Itoro and Ejiro shared a knowing look.

Itoro wasn’t sure why her daughter was against the shopping. But she knew Rukewve well enough, the girl doesn’t say anything without a hidden meaning behind it. “Ehn… you know it is already getting late, look at the time, maybe you should postpone the shopping,” she pointed at the wall clock.

“Mama, it’s just after four. We will be done before six, then head home,” Tega assured her.

Ejiro became certain that her sister must have seen something concerning the shopping mall. “Ehn… erm… I think the weekend will be a great time to shop. I can come with you and assist,” she tried to persuade them.

“That will be fantastic, thanks,” Tega winked at her. She had been thinking of how she was going to manage carrying her shopping bags that day.

“Hian…” Ese hissed. She had already made her mind up to shop that day. Nothing was going to stop her.

About thirty minutes later, Ejiro saw her sisters-in-law off to the bus-stop. She helped them to stop a cab before she head for home.

“Oh mine, I think I left my phone on the table,” Ese searched her bag.

“Aww… I can call Ejiro or Rukewve. They can bring it to us,” Tega offered.

Ese shook her head. “No, no. I need the phone now. Let me get down. I will go back and get it.”

“Are you sure? That will be stressful.”

“I will manage, my sister.”

When the cab slowed down due to the traffic on the major road, Ese got down. She stopped another cab and directed the driver to take her to Idumota Shopping Complex. She brought out her phone from her bag and called the baby clothes seller, informing her that she was on her way.

The cab stopped outside the complex about thirty minutes later. Ese paid him and found her way into the large building. Excitement overwhelmed her when she found the shop and met several women buying baby clothes.

“Hey, look at what Rukewve wanted me to miss today,” she joined the women selecting choice clothes for their infants.

Ten minutes later, they all heard an explosion. The building trembled and screams of people shouting followed.

“What was that?” her heart beat accelerated when she saw people running helter skelter outside the shop.

“Fire! Fire! Fire! The complex is on fire!” someone yelled.

Everyone in the shop fled. Ese dropped the clothes she was holding and forced her way through the narrow exit. People didn’t care whether she was pregnant, they shoved and pushed her around! She hurried to the elevator, but it didn’t respond. All the buttons acted dead! She looked around and began to wish that she had gone home. How was she supposed to find her way out of the burning building? The black smoke was swallowing all the shops one by one!

She circled the area and saw people heading towards the stairway. She held her purse close to her body and ran after them. People were running, jumping and pushing one another. She held unto the metal rail and climbed down, one step at a time. She wished she was Superman at that moment. At least, she would have been able to fly. All of a sudden, she felt someone’s hands on her back. And before she could complain, she was given a push. She slipped, missed a step and fell. She screamed while she rolled and tumbled down the stairs. No one paid attention to her! She landed on her tummy and when she raised her head, she was covered up in dust, dirt and her own blood!

*****

Eru ran down the hallway leading to his brother’s office. He just got a call from his wife. He heard her weeping while she spoke with him. She said she was in a cab with some good Samaritans who were taking her to Idumota general hospital. She was badly bruised, bleeding and scared. She needed him to come fast to the hospital. How did she get there in the first place?

“Has your wife called you?”

Ochuko raised his head when his brother walked into the room.

“Yeah.”

“Is my wife with her?”

Ochuko noticed the stress lines on his brother’s forehead. “I am not sure.”

Eru placed both hands on his hips. “She called me a moment ago and told me that she is on her way to Idumota General hospital.”

“What?!”

“I thought she and Tega went to visit Mumsie.”

Ochuko pushed his weight from the leather chair. “That’s right. How did she get to Idumota? Tega is home right now.”

“I don’t know. I am just confused.”

“That means they went different ways when they left Mumsie’s place.”

He looked up at the wall clock. “This woman will not put me in trouble.”

Ochuko felt sorry for his brother. “Be strong man. I believe she will be fine.”

“Thanks. I am off to the hospital,” he headed out.

“Call and let me know how things are going,” Ochuko called out to him.

“Okay,” he responded and dashed down the hallway.

Ochuko sighed heavily. “Women!” He huffed and gave a shake of head. They were trouble with a capital T.

He hoped his brother’s wife wasn’t among the burnt victims at the shopping complex. Someone present at the scene posted the pictures on www.nairaland.com. It was a very gory thread.

*****

Itoro dispatched her apprentices and the assistant seamstress when their work ended for the day. She locked the shop and returned to the flat. She found Ejiro and Rukevwe eating from a bowl of pop-corn and watching Telemundo.

“Tega called me when she got home, but I haven’t heard from Ese,” she sat on a chair adjacent to them.

The girls shrugged. Their attention was on the flat screen TV set.

“I hope she didn’t go to Idumota. She will just give herself unnecessary stress.”

“Who?!” Rukevwe glanced at her mum. She looked worried.

“Ese…” she eyed the girl.

“Ese?”

“I hope she didn’t go shopping today?” Itoro repeated.

Her eyes widened when she remembered the vision she had. “I saw a fire outbreak at Idumota Shopping Mall.”

Ejiro glanced at her sister with interest.

“Heaven forbid!” Itoro placed her hands on her chest.

“There was a stampede. Two pregnant women were pushed down the stair-way.”

“Lord God!” Ejiro looked at their mother, then back at her sister. “No wonder you were insisting that they should shop on another day.”

“Oh God! You should have said something.”

Rukewve kept quiet.

Ejiro poked her on the shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Her sister shrugged then returned her attention to the television.

Itoro’s phone began to ring. She picked the call. “Hello…”

“Mum.”

“Eru, how are you doing? Is your wife home?”

“No ma. We are at the Idumota general hospital.”

Her heart sank, “Jesus!”

Her daughters stared at her with eager curiosity.

“She had an accident at the shopping mall. Mum, she bled all the way to the hospital.”

“Ah! Jesus! Jesus! Oooo.”

“Mum, our baby is gone.”

“Hey! Ewo! Jesus oooh!” She placed a hand on her head.

Rukevwe and Ejiro rushed to her side.

“Mummy, what is it?”

“Is Eru okay?”

She ignored them and started to cry. “Eeeh!”

“Ese is fine. She will be discharged in the morning.”

“Ah! Jesus! Jesus!”

“I just want to let you know.”

“Eeeh! My son… take heart. Jesus!”

“Good night.”

She dropped phone on the table when the line went dead. She directed her wet gaze at Rukewve. “You should have said something.”

“Mummy what happened?” Ejiro held her mother by the hand.

Itoro sighed heavily. “Ese lost her pregnancy.”

“Jesus!” Ejiro placed both hands on her head.

Rukewve held her breath, awaiting the rest of the news.

“She went to the shopping complex at Idumota. The building caught fire and she got injured somehow,” Itoro eyed her youngest child. She wished the girl had warned her daughter-in-law about the danger.

gstelly:
ha ma, no weekend update

Plans truncated by Nepa...

Update loading.

PrudySara:
This is sad!

Thanks for the update!

You're welcome

genius43:
Finally, up to speed.

Nice story as usual OP

*winks*

Typicool8:
Honestly I really enjoyed this story and it wouldn't be fair if I keep mute
Captivating story with a lot of unexpected events..... You're a genius.

I appreciate **hugs*

Ann2012:
So sad

Thanks for the update

You're welcome.

BelovedSaint:
Read this poetry write up that open my eyes and sharpen my understanding and thank me later.

Please, don't forget to like and comment.

https://www./576076139501948/permalink/1125095204600036/?app=fbl

*raises-eyebrow*

aprilwise:
Hope the death of their father won’t set the family apart?

Hmmmm...

Kaycee9242:
Why is dis family facing all these tragedy. Nice update op

That's life... sometimes it is as if some people are just 'marked' for disaster...

Liposure:
Just like that. Death is wicked. Keep it up shewrites

Thanks **winks*

CHAPTER 18

Rukewve pressed her elbow against the doorknob and used her shoulder to push the door. The spoon and fork on the tray she was carrying clashed against the mug of creamy chocolate tea, but the hot liquid didn’t spill into the bowl of food. She went into the room with a smile on her face.

“Morning sleeping beauty,” she sauntered towards the bed, her eye on the body coiled into a ball right in the middle of the big mattress.

Ejiro stretched her hands and legs and let out a loud yawn. Then she turned on her side and looked up at her younger sister. It felt so good to be back in her father’s house after spending several weeks at the hospital. She didn’t regret the fact that her late husband’s people came to collect the bride price before he died in the plane crash. Even if they hadn’t, no amount of apologies or manipulation was going to make her return to her matrimonial home.

Immediately after Chukwuemeka’s burial, an event she didn’t attend, her brothers helped her to move her things from the flat, before the Obis locked up the place. Instinctively, she also cleaned out the money in the joint account she had with her deceased husband with the help of the bank manager, while his people took over his landed properties, vehicles and whatever he had acquired while he was on earth, but she cared less.

Her siblings, specifically Eru and Ochuko, wanted her to fight the Obis for some of the properties, but she declined. She didn’t want their kind of trouble. She was glad that at least, she escaped their madness with her life intact. She had no energy for a part two of what she faced in Chukwuemeka’s home.

“What time is it?” her voice sounded hoarse.

Rukewve placed the tray on the bedside cabinet. “A little after seven.”

She yawned again. “Okay,” her eyes fell on the bowl of steaming spaghetti and chicken stew. Her mouth watered at the size of the fried chicken and the salad dressing around it.

“Bon Appetit,” Rukewve headed for the door.

Ejiro pulled herself up to a sitting position and dug into the meal. “Off to where?” she asked between mouthfuls.

She halted at the door and glanced back at her sister. “Morning lectures.”

Ejiro raised an eyebrow. “Have you guys resumed?”

Rukewve nodded her head. “Yes.”

“So…” she sipped from the beverage, “You are now in year two.”

“Yes.”

“Nice,” she bit into the chicken.

“Thanks. See you later.”

Ejiro waved at her and continued eating. She used her free hand to reach for her smartphone. She opened some of her inbox messages on Facebook and saw a chat from Gbemisola. She replied her quickly, congratulating her and apologizing for being absent on her wedding day. Her lips spread in a smile when she saw a message from Senami, who was now living with her uncle abroad. The girl was also running a Masters’ degree program.

This was something she hoped to accomplish in the near future. She had two schools on her mind, Unilag and OAU. It would be nice and adventurous to study outside Lagos for a change. She turned her head and sucked the oily and spicy juice from the chicken bone, when her mother walked into the room.

“Ochuko and Eru called your father this morning,” the excitement on her face aligned with her body movements.

Ejiro dropped the phone on the bed and started to lick her stew-stained fingers.

“They have both bought their cars! Brand new cars for that matter!” Itoro swirled like she was performing for an audience.

Her dark eyes grew large in surprise. “Hey! That’s good news!”

“Yes, it is. They said they will drive by this evening,” Itoro continued to dance.

Ejiro laughed at her mother’s behaviour. She could imagine how she felt. She was happy that her brothers had their own vehicles. They both deserved it. Coupled with the fact that their wives were both pregnant, it would make things less stressful.

“God we are grateful o!” Itoro lifted her head and gazed at the ceiling. She was beyond happy. Most especially because things were rotating back to norm in the family. She believed that better days were around the corner.

*****

The incessant scream made Ejiro to snap into wakefulness. She sat up and looked around the semi-dark room, squinting her sleepy eyes, until she realized that she was back in her father’s home. Even after three months plus, she was still getting used to the fact that she was no longer in her matrimonial home. There were times when she missed being married, but those thoughts were erased the instant she remembered how her late husband beat her into a pulp and smashed her head with a pestle, leaving her battling for her life.

The noise filtered into her eardrums again, clearing her reverie. Where was it coming from? Her heart jumped when Rukewve’s face flashed through her mind’s eye. Was the girl having a nightmare? What if she had another vision? The thought that something bad was going to happen made her get out of bed and run out of the room.

“Wake up! Wake up! Please wake up! Can you hear me?!”

She froze when she recognized her mother’s voice. She realized that the noise wasn’t coming from Rukewve’s room. What was going on in the masters’ bedroom?

“This is no longer funny. Oghenekaro wake up!”

Rukewve staggered out of her room. She stretched out her hands and stifled a yawn. “What’s all the commotion about?” she came to stand beside her sister.

“We are about to find out,” Ejiro marched towards her parents’ room.

Her sister let out a yawn and followed behind her.

They opened the door and peeped into the room. They saw their mother sitting on the bed, shaking their father’s arm and crying.
“Mummy what is it?”

Itoro turned her head. She saw her daughters standing by the door, watching her with confusion in their eyes. “He is not moving, he is not talking, he is not waking up…” she pointed at her husband.

The girls scurried into the room and joined her on the bed.

“Daddy, daddy!” Ejiro tapped her father on the knee.

“His body is cold,” Rukewve’s brows came together in a frown. “Mummy your husband is very, very cold,” she got down from the bed.

Itoro’s heart skipped. “Ehn… so what? Maybe it is the fan. We left it on all night.”

The girl began to shake her head. “This is not the fan. His body has frozen.”

She met her younger daughter’s stare and something that she had thought about since she woke up that morning gripped her like a clutch. “It doesn’t mean anything,” she fought the consuming thoughts on her mind.

“This is not normal. Mummy…” Rukewve backed away from the bed.

“No…” came the frightful whisper. She eyed the girl and looked down at her husband. “He will wake up. We just need to get him to the hospital.”

Ejiro looked from her mother to her sister. The tension in the air wrapped its wings around her. “Is he…?”

“No!” Itoro screamed at her.

Her older daughter jumped down from the bed. Goose bumps spread all over her body as her heart hammered erratically against her chest.

“He is just sixty-six years old. He is not going anywhere yet. Help me to carry him.”

The girls remained motionless. The thought that their father might have left the world they know paralyzed them.

“Stupid girls! Help me to carry my husband!” her angry eyes bore into their scared ones.

Ejiro and Rukewve shared a worried stare.

“Are you still standing there?!” she felt like throwing things at them.

The girls got on the large bed. Slowly, they pulled a part of his body each and dragged the heavy man off the bed. By the time they got to the front door, they were breathing as if they ran a marathon.

“Rukewve get a cab!”

She nodded and ran towards the gate.

“Ejiro call your brothers. Tell them to meet us at the hospital.”

“Yes, ma,” she ran back to her room to look for her phone.

Itoro sat at the entrance of the house, beside her husband’s very cold body. She remembered waking up at dawn. She went to the toilet to relieve herself and by the time she returned, she noticed that her husband didn’t change his sleeping posture. She assumed that he was tired, but she suspected that something was off.

She decided to wake him up and ask if he was coming down with a fever or something. But, he just lay there like a statue, unmoving! The thought that he had passed on crossed her mind, but she pushed the evil thought away. The man wasn’t sick. He was fine when they both slept the other night. How many people die in their sleep? Ten in fifty or maybe more or less? She wasn’t sure of the statistic, either way, she didn’t want to think about it.

“Oghenekaro…” she shook her husband again. “Please wake up…” large tear drops slipped down her dark round face.

“Eru and Ochuko said they will meet us at the hospital,” Ejiro joined her mother by the doorway.

“Okay…” she sounded spent, devoid of will.

Rukewve dashed back into the compound with the cab driver. The man was short, but well built. “Mummy, let’s go…”

“I will lift him by the shoulders, you two can carry his legs,” the driver instructed them.

*****

Rukewve and her siblings sat around their mother in the sitting room. There were a lot of people in the house. Their neighbours, people from their father’s family and emissaries from their mother’s family. The Pastor of the church their parents attended was also around. He came along with his wife and some members of the church.

It’s being three days since their father passed away and the apartment had turned into a mourning center. People from far and wide visited two-four-seven to give their condolence.

“We have made arrangements concerning the burial, the church will take care of the purchase of the coffin and the music,” Pastor John directed his gaze at Itoro. The woman’s eyes were bloodshot and he doubted if she heard a word he had spoken.

“Thank you, Pastor,” Eru responded. He began to subtract the things the clergyman was taking care of from the list he had been given by his father’s family.

His hazel eyes shifted to the first child of the woman. “We will also take care of the canopies, chairs and tables needed for the wake-keep and the actual burial ceremony.”

“Thank you, Pastor,” Ochuko had a ghost like smile on his face, but it disappeared immediately. The thought that if more people like the Pastor, decided to take care of some things, they wouldn’t need to spend a chunk of money for their father’s burial. This made him very happy.

“Please hold this ma,” the Pastor got up and squeezed an envelope in Itoro’s hand.

Rukewve and Ejiro stared at the brown envelope. It looked fat.

“We will come by later in the evening,” Pastor Mrs. Sara addressed the absent-minded woman. “I dropped some coolers of cooked food in the kitchen. Please force her to eat,” she glanced at the girls.

“Okay ma, thank you ma,” the girls said in unison.

The Pastor and his wife took their leave, but the church members remained.

“When was the last time she ate?” Eru asked them.

Ejiro scratched a spot on her elbow. “Last night, I think.”

“She barely ate that food last night. I tried to make her drink pap this morning, but she took a few spoons and stopped eating,” Rukewve supplied.

Ochuko hissed. He could tell that his mother was going to start losing weight pretty soon.

“Both of you should try and make her eat, please,” Eru sounded worn-out.

The girls shared a knowing glance. They understood that trying to force or cajole their mother to eat was like compelling a horse to drink from a pond. The effort was always futile.

“Oghenekaro…” Her voice made the room to go quiet.

Everyone stopped talking. Their expectant stares were locked on her sad face. No one had heard her say a word for close to two days.

“Please wake up, my husband wake up,” she stared at nothing in particular.

The people in the sitting room began to murmur amongst themselves.

“Where is he?” Itoro got up abruptly. “Where is my husband?” her eyes darted left, right and around the room.

Rukewve got up slowly. She had a feeling that the woman she called mother might take to her heels.

“Oghenekaro! Where are you?!”

Eru felt embarrassed by his mother’s display of grief-laced-madness. “Mumsie, come and sit down,” he reached out for her hand.

“Oghenekaro!” Itoro lurched her weight towards the opened doorway.

Rukewve grabbed her by the waist, in time, before she fled! “Help me to hold her!” she yelled at her siblings.

“Oghenekaro!” she tried to pull away from her daughter’s grip, but her other children held her and dragged her into the master bedroom.

“Na wa o!” one of the neighbours said.

“Dis woman don kolo finish,” another added.

Mcphancey7:
Oh Alright then, thanks!
You're an amazing writer.

Thanks **hugs*

Mcphancey7:
Here I am in March 2021 reading Beauty and the Mechanic and I must say I enjoyed every bit of the story even though the story wasn't completed.
Writers should tell readers if the story would be completed for free or not, I mean on Wattpad books are tagged "paid stories" with 2-3 chapters for free or more then you get to pay to read the rest. I hope NL writers would adopt this technique and not leave a book uncompleted.

I explained to literaturelanders that they can read the remaining 3-4 chapters on bambooks.io or get a copy on okadabooks, litireso or domingobooks.

genius43:
Wrong, the story was put on sale on Okadabook, if you want to read the complete story it is there.

Thanks jare.

Kaycee9242:
This is why its very necessary to ask questions about family u are getting married to. Some have seasonal madness dt u can't detect in a short while of knowing them

Shewrite u are doing great

*winks*

PrudySara:
This is a great lesson to all. One don't just rush into marriage like that. "Ajuju di'mkpa"
I'm glad Ejiro survived!

Thanks for the update ma'am!

You're welcome

Omeifa:
Beautiful update

**winks*

gstelly:
The update sweet gon

Hahahahaha......

Ann2012:
Thanks for the update ma’am

You're welcome

Adeola25:
A great lesson to all, Chukwuemeka is a wolf in sheep's clothing. We should always look before leaping. Thanks for the update ma'am

*winks*

CONTINUATION OF CHAPTER 17


****

“Rukewve, please do not delay me. Ordinary yam and scrambled eggs, you are still cooking. Do you want your sister to be hungry this afternoon?” Itoro stood by the doorway.

Oghenekaro raised his head, directed his gaze towards the kitchen, then back at her. His wife should have left for the hospital long before now, but he decided to remain quiet so she doesn’t transfer aggression to him. He shook his head and returned his attention to the news he was reading on his mobile phone.

“Here it is,” Rukewve dashed out of the kitchen, carrying a food flask.

Itoro hissed and hissed again. “I am warning you,” she pointed a finger at the young girl.

She paled. “What did I do now?”

Itoro yanked the food flask from her hands and headed for the gate, but the sight of the Obis and three other people she didn’t recognize made her halt.

Rukewve frowned when she saw them too. The police were still combing the streets of Lagos in search of Chukwuemeka, but she was sure that his family knew exactly where he was. “Daddy…”

“Hmmm…” Oghenekaro scrolled through his phone.

“Ejiro’s in-laws are here.”

His brows came together in a frown. “The Obis?”

“Yes, sir.”

His angry eyes drifted to the doorway. He could still remember the last time he saw them. He got up quickly and joined his wife outside the apartment.

“It is good that you are both home,” Mr. Obi addressed the irritated couple.

“We will not waste your time, we are here to collect the bride price we paid,” Mrs. Obi stood beside her husband.

Oghenekaro and Itoro turned to look at each other, then back at the Obis.

“These are elders from our family,” Mr. Obi pointed at the men that came with them.

“They are here as witnesses,” Mrs. Obi added.

Rukewve stood by the door. She could hear them from where she was standing. She came to a conclusion that whatever was disturbing Chukwuemeka had also infected his parents. They were talking nonsense as far as she was concerned.

“Instead of you,” he pointed at Mr. Obi, “And you,” he waved a finger at his wife. “Instead of you people to produce Chukwuemeka and allow him to face the wrath of the law, you are here asking for the bride price.”

Mrs. Obi spat on the bare floor. “We are no longer interested in marrying your daughter. Our son doesn’t want her anymore. We are simply obeying his wish.”

Itoro dropped the food flask and her hand bag on the ground. “Oh-oooh. Now that your bastard son has beaten the living daylight out of the girl, he is no longer interested, ba? After he left her in a sack, on his roof! Hoping that she would die a slow death, he is now no longer interested,” she faced the woman.

Mrs. Obi backed away from her. “We… we do not know exactly what happened between them. But, we cannot force him to remain married to her.”

“You lie!” Itoro stood toe to toe with the woman. “He came here himself to ask for her hand in marriage. If he is no longer interested, he must come here and tell us himself.”

Mr. Obi and the other three men began to shake their heads and murmur.

“We were also here when he came to ask for her hand in marriage. We are standing in for him right now. We want the bride price. This marriage is over!” Mr. Obi looked Oghenekaro in the eye.

“God will punish you!” he pushed the man. “God will punish your children and your children’s children,” he removed the cap on the man’s head and threw it on the ground.

Mr. Obi picked up his cap and tapped Oghenekaro on his shoulder. “My friend, we are not leaving this place until you give us back every single penny we paid on your daughter’s head.”

The Etadafes’ neighbours began to come out of their houses. Many of them were curious to know what was going on.

“How much is Five thousand naira? Just give it to us and let us go,” one of the elders spoke to Ejiro’s father.

“You can also call some of the people present at the wedding ceremony, they will also act as witnesses,” another elder said.

It dawned on Oghenekaro that his in-laws were serious about nullifying the marriage between Chukwuemeka and Ejiro.

“Don’t listen to them my husband. We are not returning a kobo until Chukwuemeka pay for his crimes,” Itoro spoke to her husband.

Mrs. Obi eyed her. “My son is innocent!”

“Innocent my foot!” Itoro turned to the woman.

“Your daughter is nothing but a witch and she deserved whatever she got from my son!”

“You are the witch!” she charged at the woman and they began to exchange blows.

Rukewve placed her hands on her head. She had never seen her mother fight with anyone physically since she was born.

“Hey! Hey!” Oghenekaro pulled his wife away.

“Leave me alone! Let me teach the dog a lesson she would never forget!” she kept screaming.

Mr. Obi ordered his wife to return to the vehicle they came with. She spat at Itoro and marched out of the compound.

“Can you see? Is everyone seeing what she did?” Itoro tried to get away from her husband, but he tightened his hold on her.

“Biko, let’s go inside,” Oghenekaro dragged her into their apartment.

Mr. Obi and the three elders followed them into the house.

“You people are wicked and ungrateful!” Itoro started to cry. “Your son almost killed my daughter and you are here demanding for nonsense!” she screamed at them. “Instead of you people to apologize and seek forgiveness for the crimes of your son, you are here to create trouble.”

A scowl appeared on Mr. Obi’s face, but he remained quiet.

“It will not be well with you, every single one of you,” she kept on cursing them until she was overwhelmed with sobs.

The three elders shifted in their seats and exchanged glances.

“Rukewve take your mother to her room,” Oghenekaro turned to his youngest child.

“Mummy, let’s go…” Rukevwe led her mother out of the sitting room.

“I need to call the head of our family before we can discuss the return of the bride price,” Oghenekaro eyed Mr. Obi.

He shrugged. “Fine by me,” Mr. Obi leaned against the leather seat.

Oghenekaro scrolled through the numbers on his phone. If it was left to him, he wouldn’t return a single kobo.

*****

Ejiro adjusted her pillow and lay back on the hospital bed. It had been seven weeks since she had been admitted. She hoped she would be able to return home soon. She was tired of staying at the hospital. Her bruises had healed, but the cut on her head was doing same with a slower pace. She hoped she wouldn’t be left with an ugly scar. She was scared of having her facial beauty marred by the cut. Her shoulder, knee and wrist were better. She still wore a sling on her shoulder, but the doctor said it would be removed before she was discharged. And the dislocation on her wrist had been corrected. She could move it at will now. Every time she went to the bathroom, the pain in her chest grew worse. The doctor said her ribs would heal gradually, but the pains might stay with her for a very long time. And with the help of some medications, it would soon be a forgotten episode. Ejiro prayed and hoped that the pains would vanish before the end of the year. She couldn’t imagine herself living with pains for most of her life. That was like a curse from the pit of hell.

She could still remember the morning she opened her eyes and found herself in the hospital. She was so happy because she was alive. She saw death the night Chukwuemeka attacked her and she knew that she was meeting her maker that day. That ugly night, her husband got angry over his damp towel and he concluded that she intentional dropped it on the wet bathroom floor. The next thing she knew, he called her a witch! He told her that he was going to make sure that she vomit whatever her coven had given her to eat.
She had never seen him that angry and she knew that he wasn’t in his right state of mind. He started to hit her, she ran and locked herself up in the bathroom. By morning, the bangs on the door woke her up. He threatened to break down the door and when she refused to opened it, he found the spare key and let himself in. The Chukwuemeka she saw that morning wasn’t the man she married. She met a monster who attacked her, beat her into a pulp and smash her head with a pestle. She should have been dead by now…

Ejiro shook the horrific memories away, then thought of her younger sister. What if God had not revealed her circumstances to the girl? She shuddered and picked up her smartphone. While she browsed, the headline of a famous news app caught her attention. There had been a plane crash that morning. The plane caught fire mid-air and landed far away from the airport. The passengers’ list had been posted so families could come and claim the bodies of their loved ones. She went through the list and her heart stopped when she saw Chukwuemeka Obi’s name! Was she seeing things? She read each name on the list again. Her ex-husband’s name was still there! She dropped the phone and closed her eyes.

“The bastard met his nemesis!”

He had been trying to escape justice for weeks but fate caught up with him. She hoped he got burnt beyond recognition. She opened her eyes and picked up her phone again. She dialed Rukewve’s number and waited while it rang.

“Hello.”

“Rukky…”

“Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?”

“Shaarap dia.”

She heard her sister laughing.

“Abeg check Opera News. Chukwuemeka is dead.”

“Whaaat!”

“Just check the news and tell dad and mum.”

“Okay, okay, I will call you back.”

She ended the call and closed her eyes. Her late husband’s face flashed through her mind’s eye. She thought they were in love. Come to think of it, they had a beautiful relationship, although, she wished she had not given in to his sexual advances. Why didn’t she see the beast in him? She should have noticed, right? But, the guy had never attempted to slap her or get physically violent while they dated. Maybe she had been blinded, seeing only his good sides and neglecting warning signals.

She escaped death narrowly because she married a monster. She doubted if she would be willing to say ‘I do’ ever again. From that day onward, she was saying goodbye to marriage, dating and everything else that came with it. People usually say ‘Once bitten, twice shy’, but in her case, ‘Once bitten, a thousand times shy’.

girlhaley:
What sort of distorted family is this?

The k God for Ejiro o

Thanks for the update ma'am

Please when will it be available on Okada books, not sure I can wait anymore

Hopefully by month ending or first week of April, it will be available on bambooks and okadabooks

CHAPTER 17

“Is she still alive?” Ochuko sounded like he had a stump down his throat.

Eru lifted his head and met his terrified gaze. “I don’t know,” came the fear-filled whisper. So many horrific thoughts had ravaged his mind since he opened the sack and saw his sister’s body.

Rukewve regained some of her composure. She stepped into the room and stopped a feet away from her sister’s body. “We need to get her to a hospital.”

Her brothers looked in her direction, then back at the body in the sack.

“Where is Chukwuemeka?! Where is that son of a mad woman? The bastard did this!” Eru got to his feet and stormed out of the bedroom.

They heard a crashing sound, them the slamming of a door.

“We need to get her to a hospital, fast…” Rukewve met Ochuko’s hypnotic stare.

Eru returned, fuming. “The murderer ran off! He fled! He is nowhere to be found. If I lay my hands on him..”

“Why did you let him to escape?” Ochuko went to the doorway and looked left, then right.

“I didn’t,” he started to pace the room. “He saw me and ran!”

“Let’s go after him. I doubt if he has gone far,” Ochuko suggested.

Eru halted and looked in his brother’s direction. “You are right.”

Rukewve began to shake her head in disapproval. She knew going after Chukwuemeka was important, but their sister’s life came first. “There is a hospital down the road, we need to get her there, fast!”

“We will need a cab,” Eru lifted the sack.

“What about Chukwuemeka?” Ochuko hissed.

“What about Ejiro?” she eyed him, then turned to Eru. “I will look for a taxi.”

Both men lifted Ejiro’s bloodied body out of the sack and carried her out of the house, while Rukevwe went in search of a cab.

“Is that not Ejiro?!” one of her neighbours shouted from her balcony.

“What happened to her?” another who was standing by the gate asked.

Eru and Ochuko ignored them. The Security guard opened the gate and helped them to carry her to the roadside. Soon, Rukewve returned with a cab.

“The closest hospital is down the road,” the driver eyed the bloodied body and opened the door to the backseat of the vehicle.

Ochuko and Rukewve sat at the backseat with Ejiro, while Eru joined the driver at the front.

They got to the hospital in less than five minutes. Rukewve jumped out of the vehicle and went in to get the nurses, while her brothers carried Ejiro out of the taxi.

“Nurse! Nurse! We need your help!” she dashed into the reception hall.

“What is it?” one of the nurses left her desk.

“My sister…” she kept pointing at the entrance of the building.

The moment Eru and Ochuko came in with Ejiro, the nurses got into action. They took her straight to the emergency room while one of them interviewed Rukewve and her brothers and jotted down all the information needed about their sister’s condition.

“You need to deposit thirty thousand naira, with the look of things, if she is still alive, she is going to be admitted,” the nurses looked from one to the other.

Rukewve swallowed hard. They were all hoping that their sister was still alive.

“Can I do a transfer?” Eru asked.

“Yes, yes, come with me,” the nurse led Eru away.

Rukewve and Ochuko took a sit on the long bench at the reception. Their weary eyes remained on the door of the emergency room.
About thirty minutes or so later, Eru and Ochuko got up from the bench. Rukewve raised an eyebrow, wondering where they were going to.

“Call us once the doctor has any information,” Eru glanced at his wrist-watch.

“Where are you going?” she looked from one brother to the other.

“We need to make a report at the nearest police station,” Ochuko supplied.

“Oh…” she thought it was a good idea. “What about dad and mum?” she reasoned that their parents were waiting for a feedback. None of them had thought of calling their parents since they found Ejiro.

Her brothers shared a worried glance.

“Don’t call them until the doctor has something good to say,” Eru instructed her.

Rukewve frowned. “What if they call me? What am I supposed to say?”

“Don’t pick their calls,” Ochuko started to walk away. His mind was fixed on catching Chukwuemeka and making him pay for his atrocities.

“Don’t make your parents to panic, ehn Rukky,” Eru added and fell into steps with his brother.

Rukewve watched them leave. She hissed and leaned against the wall. Since their sister was taken into the emergency room, no one had said anything to them. Whenever they asked the nurses, they were advised to pray and keep their fingers crossed. Was Ejiro alive or dead? Simple question, but no one was ready to give them a positive feedback. She bent her head and continued to pray for her sister.

“God please have mercy… save my sister Lord.”

Less than two hours or more later, Eru and Ochuko returned. They were surprised that their sister was still in the emergency room and the medical staff were keeping mum.

“What are they doing inside there?” Eru’s eyes drilled holes in the emergency room door.

“Have you asked those nurses about Ejiro?” Ochuko glanced at the nurses seated at the reception.

Rukewve folded her hands across her chest. “They have stopped answering my questions.”

Eru hissed. He didn’t like being kept in the dark. He wished he knew what was going on. He convinced himself that the medical doctors were doing all they could to save his sister’s life.

“All we need to do is to lay our hands on Chukwuemeka. He must tell us what possessed him, what… what turned him into a mad dog, to the
extent that it is his wife that he decided to reduce to a lifeless log of wood!” Ochuko vented.

She directed her gaze at her eldest brother. “What did they say at the police station?”

Eru made a long hiss. “They have set up a man-hunt for the bastard. But, of course, they punctured holes in our pockets first.”

She breathed out loudly. “Dad and mum has been calling.”

Her brothers shared a glance.

“Just keep stalling them, they have been calling us too,” Eru started to tap a feet on the tiled floor.

Rukewve wanted to protest, but she decided to hold her tongue.

“This family, ehn… it is from one problem to the other. Are we cursed?” Ochuko leaned against the wall.

Silence saturated the atmosphere. None of them could answer that question.

“I will be right back, I need to speak with my wife,” Eru got up and strode off.

“I don’t even know when I will get home today. Let me call this woman before she gets hypertensive,” Ochuko pulled out his phone from his pocket and walked away.

Rukewve placed her face in her arms. She closed her eyes and resumed praying for her sister.

The emergency door was pushed open and out came a group of doctors and nurses.

Rukewve opened her eyes and saw them, then she saw her sister lying lifeless on a bed, wheeled away by some nurses. “What’s going on?”

No one stopped to talk to her except a female doctor. “Hi, are you a friend or a relative?”

“That’s my sister!” she pointed at the nurses who were pushing Ejiro down the hall in an elevated bed.

“Okay, okay. We are taking her to the theater. You need to sign some forms and add a sum to the initial deposit you made.”

Rukewve locked gazes with the doctor. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t explain in detail now, but, I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to save your sister’s life,” the doctor patted her on the shoulder and ran after the other doctors.

She placed her hands on her head. “God… God… God… God… God…”

One of the nurses approached her. “You need to sign these forms and pay this amount, so that the doctors can have all they need for the surgery.”

Tears blurred her vision. She couldn’t see anything written on the forms the nurse gave to her.

“I will take you to the theater once you have made these payments,” the nurse continued.

Her confused eyes darted left and right. “I need to find my brothers.”

“Your brothers?”

“Yes… I need to find them.”

“Okay, I will help you,” the nurse led her down the hall.

*****

At midnight, the sound of the opened theater door woke her up. Rukewve opened her eyes and saw a team of doctors gathered around her sister, talking in low tunes. Her heart missed a beat. She turned her head and saw her brothers dozing on the bench.

One of the doctors realized that she was awake. She approached her. “Hello, dear.”

Rukewve blinked and ran her tongue against her dry lips. “Is… is she alive?”

The other doctors stopped talking. They signaled to the nurses and walked away in a group. They resumed their conversation when they were a few feet away from Rukewve.

"Is… is she alive?” she staggered to her feet.

The nurses grabbed the bed and wheeled Ejiro away.

“Where are they taking my sister?!”

Her brothers woke up at the sound of her voice.

“Calm down. Your sister is fine. She fought a long battle, but she is alive,” the female doctor placed a hand on her trembling shoulder.

Rukewve settled back on the bench, overwhelmed with relief.

“Ejiro is alive?” Eru jumped to his feet.

“What did the doctor say?” Ochuko pushed himself up.

“She is alive,” the doctor addressed the young men.

“Hallelujah!” Eru went on his knees and he began to thank God.

“Chukwuemeka! Start to thank your stars or whatever God you serve. Wherever you are, peace of mind will be far from you!” Ochuko ranted.

The female doctor turned back to Rukewve. “Your sister lost a lot of blood from the deep cut on her forehead…”

She looked up at the doctor and nodded. The cut on Ejiro’s head looked like someone’s nasty attempt to split her head in two.

“While we stitched her up, we discovered that she was bleeding internally…” the doctor continued.

Rukewve winced. She had a feeling that it was caused by blows from her husband. The guy literally turned her into a punching bag.

“We caught it in time and that situation has been rectified.”

“Thank God,” she heaved a sigh of relief.

“Thank God,” her brothers said in unison. They were also listening to the doctor.

“She also has a few broken ribs, a fractured shoulder and knee, and a displaced wrist, which will heal in time. Over all, she is going to survive,” she met the younger men’s stunned gazes.

Rukewve swallowed hard. She couldn’t imagine the pain her sister had gone through.

“He literally broke every part of her body! Chukwuemeka is a maniac. What possessed him for Pete’s sake! I am calling that detective that gave us his number at the station,” Ochuko stormed down the hallway.

“Ejiro has been taken to the female ward, and you cannot see her now.”

“Why not?” Eru frowned.

“She is being through hell and back. Let her sleep-in tonight, by morning, she should be conscious enough to talk,” the female doctor patted him on the shoulder.

“Thank you, doctor.”

The doctor smiled at Rukewve, “You are welcome. Go home and get some sleep, all of you,” she stepped away and left.

Eru sat beside his sister. “Thank God ooooo…”

She placed her face in her palms and started to sob. She thanked God for answering her prayers.

*****

“Where is Chukwuemeka Obi?!”

The couple in their sixties stared back at the uniformed officers, too scared to speak. About half a dozen men burst into their living room, wielding weapons, while they had their breakfast.

“Where is your son?” Oghenekaro came in with his sons.

Chukwuemeka’s father relaxed a bit when he saw familiar faces. “What is going on? Are you the one who brought these men?” he pointed at the officers.

“Your son attempted to murder our sister. We are here for him,” Ochuko stood by the doorway. He swore to himself that no one would be able to get past him and leave the house.

Mr. Obi eyed the younger man. “Were they having troubles?”

Oghenekaro hissed. “We are not here for chit-chat. Where is your son?”

The man looked at his wife and she stared back at him. “We haven’t seen Emeka in a long while. We… we were planning to visit this weekend.”

“Yes, yes we were,” his wife confirmed.

Eru got upset. He could tell that they were lying. “Mr. Man, nothing in this whole wide world will stop Chukwuemeka from getting what he deserves. Be it today or tomorrow, he will reap what he has sown.”

“No need to beat about the bush. We will search the house,” the officer in charge stepped forward.

Mr. Obi got up. “Search where? My house? For what exactly?”

Oghenekaro and the Police Officer in charge shared a knowing glance.

“It is obvious that you are both hiding your son in this house. You are accomplices to the attempted murder of Ejiro,” the officer waved a gun at them.

“That is a lie from the pit of hell!” Mrs. Obi got to her feet. “Do you have a search warrant? You cannot search this house. You will have to go through me first!” her eyes flashed red.

Ochuko heard a noise. He left the doorway and looked around the fenced compound. Suddenly, he saw Chukwuemeka sneaking out through the gate. “There he is! He is running away!”

The police men, Eru and his father ran out.

“Where is he?” Oghenekaro looked around.

“He just ran out!” Ochuko headed for the gate.

The policemen and Eru followed.

“I am highly disappointed at you two,” Oghenekaro returned to the house and faced his in-laws.

“Shut up! You would have done worse if you were in my shoes,” Mr. Obi spat at him.

“You are just a kettle calling the pot black,” Mrs. Obi hissed and took a seat.

He looked from one to the other, then shook his head in pity. “Your son tried to kill my daughter…”

“Were you there?!” she lashed out at him. “Did you know what transpired between them?”

Oghenekaro’s brows came together in a frown. “Whatever happened, he had no right on this side of the planet to… to try to take her life!”

Mrs. Obi hissed and folded her arms across her chest.

“Maybe he was acting in self-defense…” Mr. Obi mumbled.

Oghenekaro felt like giving the man a slap. “Hear yourself talk!”

Eru and Ochuko returned, looking worn out and angry.

“Where is Chukwuemeka?” he turned to the boys and took a look outside the house. He didn’t see any of the police officers.

The Obis looked at the younger men anxiously.

“The bastard escaped. The officers are combing the neighbourhood,” Ochuko leaned against the wall.

Mrs. Obi sighed with relief. “Thank God.”

Oghenekaro and Eru shot her an angry look.

“Until proven guilty, my son is innocent,” Mr. Obi started to laugh.

Eru approached the older man, but his father drew him back.

“If you are not careful, you will join him in hell,” he waved a hand at the man.

Mr. Obi glared at him. “Back to sender!”

“Like father, like son,” Eru looked him up and down.

Mrs. Obi got up again. “You better put a leash on your dog, or else, we will do it for you.”

Oghenekaro eyed the woman. “I can see that this madness runs in the family.”

Mr. Obi marched to the opened doorway. “You have overstayed your welcome. You all need to leave now.”

“And if we don’t, what can you do?” Ochuko stood toe to toe with the man.

Mr. Obi stepped away. “Oghenekaro, you better leave with these your rabies infested dogs.”

“It is your generation unborn that are rabies infested dogs. You, your wife, children and grandchildren, all of you combined, rabies!” Eru pointed a finger in his eye.

“We will not stand here and be insulted by these two who haven’t finished sucking from their mother’s breasts…” the woman started to look around the room, “Where is that cutlass?”

“It is under that shelf,” her husband pointed at a dark corner.

Oghenekaro signaled to his children. They obeyed and marched out of the house.

gstelly:
mention me in the next update pls

All right.

gstelly:
we Don miss you o

**hugs*

Happy weekend my favorite peeps.
Updates resume this new week **winks*

YoungBruzzy:
Oh my goodness Chukwuemeka, like wtf is wrong with that nigga... That's gruesome!!! That guy should be taught a very serious lesson that he won't forget for the rest of his miserable life..
Kudos to you my wonderful OP
more ink to your pen mama..
I love you mama

**hugs*

nki4christ:
Who said I'm enjoying the story,not any more. I am tensed and terrified. In fact I have developed headache just by reading the last two episodes. Op you are doing great but have mercy on people like me and reduce the suspense biko

Hehehehe... I was equally feeling the tension and horror while writing the story...

xaviercasmir:
I am back. Nice one ma'am. Thanks for the update

**winks*

Ann2012:
What could be the reason behind Chukwuemeka’s deadly act on Ejiro
This is sheer wickedness

Thanks for the update ma’am

**winks*

Omeifa:
I don't know if you can still posts today dha

Oliver Twist **tongue-out* :-)

damis28crown:
i shall not marry my enemy in the mighty name of JESUS

Amen oooo oooo!