#EPISODE_12
I turned and left them standing there, Ada was already apologising as i was shouting at her, and Victor was just acting all surprised because he has never seeing me angry, as i left Victor followed me, shouting my name but i rushed inside and was going to my room but he caught up with me and i started struggling
with him, we were doing it quietly in other not to wake big mummy, he took me to his room and locked the door immediately
“what was that all about…
what’s going on…are you suspecting me with your friend, no tell me…what got into you this evening Uju…i haven’t seeing you angry…i was just having a normal chat with Ada and intend going to bed ones is 9pm, even the chat was about…
“I don’t want to know what the chat was about, I can suspect anything i want because you are giving reasons to do that, I saw you give her your phone then she shakes her head…and probably more has being going on, I’m blind and too busy to see… it will start from a normal chat to it was all a mistake, and then regrets followed suit…
i have seeing you look at her back…as she catwalks,
Ada is a club girl and has being working there for years, she knows where to strike a man and he will fall, and you are so free this days with almost everyone, that makes me to worry…leaving you alone in the house while I’m gone, with Ada too in it…..
the day i saw you looking at her I felt very bad because expected better from you…an….
“please enough….enough…i can’t even remember when or the day i looked at her,
you are mistaking,
I was probably looking at her but my mind was somewhere, for God sake don’t you trust me…after all this while Uju, you can’t tell what i can do and what i can’t, stop trying to babysit me, I’m not a child, I’m a man,
I have seeing girls in my life time, different colour and shape, both abroad and here and among them all, you are the only one I fell in love with…
even before we started courting how many ladies have you seen with me, if i was what you are taking me to be ladies will be coming and going as they like, even
when i use to visit Kala, back then have you seen me with a woman, okay let’s say I’m scared to bring a woman because of my Mom, why then i don’t even do that when I’m out…
I thought Ada is your friend, if you don’t trust her why do you let her stay here, why is she a threat to you… thought you trusted me….
Uju, I love you and when i said that…
i mean every word, by next month end we will be officially husband and wife, we haven’t had this kind of misunderstanding before, and why now, why are we having this conversation because of your friend,
she’s your friend, you can ask her to leave if you are not comfortable with her here or is there something else bothering you aside this…
.i was showing her places i want to surprise you for our honey moon and i needed her opinion if is cool, it was suppose to be a surprise, and she being your friend i thought it was okay to ask her,
she agreed with some and disagreed with some, Ada is not a threat like you are assuming, she adores you as much as i do, her way of walking and sometimes dressing is probably from the years of being at the club, this job is new to her it will take time for her to adapt, she’s still your friend to do with as you like, I’m free with everyone and you are complaining,
I thought that’s exactly what you have always wanted, sack her if you want and i will not question you Uju, you are the madam of this house after mom, so everyone reports to you, stop doing this i hate to see you angry, if you want me to travel with you, I will love to, I always wanted to be where you are
Listening to him cleared all my doubt, I felt stupid, he embraced me so tight and i quickly apologized for even doubting him,
we kissed passionately that night and when it was about getting out of hand i quickly stopped him,
“I told you before we can’t make love until we are wedded, we both agreed on this, we are getting married next month victor, just a little time and we can kill ourselves with it anyway we want..
“I’m sorry…was carried away…
yes we both agreed to wait and i will be patient as long as it takes, because you are worth waiting for, you are everything to me…
please Uju don’t ever doubt me…. You doing it this night hurts me,
I can’t trade you for anything in this world and i totally trust you, I know you meet a finer man, richer guy in school or outside here, you are a beautiful lady, lot of guys will want to have you but i trust you,
I get jealous too but i totally trust my Uju, I believe you anytime you tells me something and you haven’t given me reason to doubt you, God has blessed me by giving you to me…
.I’m a happy and fulfilled man with you by my side…
I later kissed him good night and went back to my room,
Ada wasn’t sleeping she was sitting on the chair awaiting her faith, immediately i entered she started apologising saying exactly what Victor said, he was asking for her opinion on the places he picked for our honey moon, which was suppose to be a surprise, she said she will leave if I’m not comfortable with her around,
she doesn’t want to cause problems between me and victor, and sometimes she forgets herself by thinking she was still a club girl, she’s ready for anything i decide for her, she was crying as she speaks,
I told her is fine, she can continue working but she should always be on her uniform and try to not let her old life affect the new, i also apologised to her for over reacting earlier, she smiled and thanked me.
The following morning i have another plan for her, I asked her to get ready we will be traveling together and she was really happy and hugged me, we both got ready to leave as big mummy prayed for journey mercy as we were about to embark on a long journey to east.
I have somebody to talk with and who will also help out in some necessary things, Ada will be willing to assist me if need be,
she’s still my own person…despite all she is my friend, the first person that brought me to Lagos, although she left me stranded which led to meeting my victor,
I have forgiven and will treat her as my friend, my insecurity almost got the best of me, it won’t happen again,
We have wedding to plan and I’m at peace doing it.
We journeyed home, I thought coming to Lagos from east was far but going back was tiring, thanks to the comfort of the car and the air condition,
I didn’t really feel the discomfort like i did while coming, Ada even slept off and i was just there imagining a life with Victor, my driver was at speed, it got to a point i asked him to reduce his speeding limit ”
abeg life no get duplicate” the journey was real smooth, we stopped to eat and continued, before we finally got to east i stopped to do some shopping with Ada, I gave her enough cash to get things for herself and her people as i also did the same, Victor, big Mom and Joe keep calling to check where we have gotten to,
my driver wasn’t an Igbo person, he was from the northern side, but educated and very smart, we call him Zarky.
Thank God Ada was with me, I couldn’t even recognize some places, we would have probably be asking people for direction if not Ada who was our map, when i finally got to my state, I was happy, I’m almost home,
Is being more than 3years I left village, i can’t believe is being that long, I didn’t feel it because I was determined to make mama proud, just few things changed in my village, when we finally got home, everywhere was quiet, we left Lagos so early by 5am, and got to east by 3pm, it was really a long good journey, I was told mama and Papa went to farm and they will be back by 5pm.
Since farming is their source of livelihood, school was on holiday so my siblings went with them, this will be a big surprise because no one knows i was coming, I asked the driver to go and drop Ada, as i walked round my compound, some people were sent to go and call mama them at the farm
The oha tree is still there standing strong and having fresh leaves on it, I can see those wicked tiger ants that use to deal with me back then climbing up and down,
I smiled at them because i got good plan for the oha tree that’s if mama will agree with me, the rooms and kitchen was locked, so all i could do was to take a tour round my house, my driver came back after dropping Ada, Victor has called severally to confirm if i was home,
Zarky came to stand with me like a body guard because he was very tall and well built, like a bouncer at the club, Victor must have had a good reason in picking him to be my driver,
“Zarky…you have seeing my village, I guess you haven’t being to east before
“yes madam, your village is too far o… But there’s no place like your own home, is okay, and is quiet too…i like it is just that we are use to the noisy city life…
“yeah, no place like home…is quiet because people has gone to their farmland, planting, cultivating, harvesting and those who are not farmers has gone for their
businesses, we produce our own food here, and people from different part of the country comes to buy our products, like the garri, palm oil, yam, vegetables and some other raw materials, we love visitors and treat them specially, don’t worry when my people comes back, they will give you a special treatment more than the indigenes..
As we were still talking, I was hearing mama shouting from outside, “my Ujunwa has come back o” I started laughing because mama doesn’t call me Ujunwa instead she calls me my full name in a funny way that makes me hate the name, she calls me Obianaujunwa” but calls me Ujunwa Now,
my siblings ran to me throwing them selves into my arms, they have all grown big, my two brothers and my only sister, I couldn’t get enough of them as much as they couldn’t get enough of me, everyone was laughing and talking at same time,
I saw mama coming I realized i have truly missed her and her trouble as i ran to her before she will get to me and gave her the first ever hug of my life, she held me like her lost child, I felt water on my face and i realized i have being crying just being in her arms for the very first time i can remember, she loosed me and used her soiled hand from the farm to wipe my eyes, it will be a memory i will forever cherish, I left her to hug papa who just came in too, my heart wanted to boast with joy.
They saw Zarky and greeted him, without asking who he was, papa shaked him telling him he is welcome as mama enter kitchen with my sister to make food, papa slaughtered one of the goats for me, I was home, they have expected me every year and prayed to God to always protect me until i decided to come home, mama has said.
Neighbours and friends came, I got gifts for everyone as i instruct my brother to give them out to visitors, Ada later came back and joined my sister who was preparing fire for goat meat pepper soup, Ada was really helping out in ways i can’t imagine, I was glad i came with her, she told me she couldn’t wait for the goat meat pepper soup to be done and i laughed
Zarky was given palm wine and ugba, I told him to feel free and eat and drink, he will not be driving today again,
As the night approached, I asked Zarky if he wants to go to a hotel which was a miles away or he want to stay around, he said i should decide for him although he will like to stay around as Oga Victor instructed him to always look out for me but if there’s no room for him he will just sleep in the car instead of going far,
I laughed and told him i was home there’s nothing to look out for and that he can’t sleep in the car, we can make room for him but if he wasn’t okay staying he can go go and lodge in a hotel where he will be comfortable and come back in the morning, he couldn’t decide on what he wants so i asked one of my brother to follow him and take him to a hotel, after mama has loaded him with fufu and bitterleaf soup and Papa feed him with palm win and pepper soup, he was happy and said he will Marry a wife from my village making everyone to laugh
So I later called papa and mama the following day after i have rested and told them about the marriage, they were both happy and asked if i was pregnant this one i was rushing to marry, I laughed and told them no, mama was full of questions
“is it that Hausa man (Zarky) that looks like a giant with that fine car that want to marry you…
“no mama, that’s Zarky, he is my friend and he was the person that brought me and Ada home,
“ah…eeyah…God bless him, hope he didn’t charge you too much, you would have just enter normal bus, that car is a big car o, and the money you will use to do other things you will now use it to pay Zaki, although he tried by getting you home safely, but bus would have being cheaper, me, even if is leg or bicycle you came with all that matters to me is that you are fine, you are okay, you have really grown some inches and added more flesh to your waist, you are my carbon copy my own Uju,
if i say i didn’t miss you I will be the greatest liar on earth, I have really missed you my daughter, even if you have come back without anything i will be so glad to have you home, I know i use to be a tough mother but as i looked forward to you coming back year after year i became scared that maybe you are angry with me and
didn’t want to come again, I know you did like being called Obianajunwa that was why i decided that i will not call you that again if i have another chance to see you
“I missed you too mama and you can call me Obianaujunwa, I miss you calling me that, I was ignorance then that was why i hated the name but is okay because i know better mama and I didn’t pay Zarki he was only doing his job ,, for the period i will here he will be willing to take me where ever i want to go, he is a nice person,
“eeheee, see Obinajunwa has really grown into a matured woman, hahahaha, eeeh,
please i want to asked for something can Zaki take me to the women meeting at the village hall tomorrow morning, let me also enter fine car so that other people can See Me…biko nwa m. Please…
“hahahaha mama, but the meeting hall is not far from here is just four blocks away…ahh mama, no problem, let tomorrow come first…..
Hmmm, so papa, mama we have a big wedding coming and your in-laws will be coming in next week for introduction then traditional marriage, the white wedding will be in Lagos and you are all coming to Lagos not with car but you will be flying in an aeroplane, so get ready,
Because God has smiled on us we will renovate this house starting from tomorrow, and that oha tree please let’s cut it down it has serve us well with alot of tiger ants is time to let it go and mama please i will love to cook ukazi soup tomorrow, please on your way back help me buy something from the market square…
“aeroplane kwa…chinnnneeeekeee…onye kam bu, who I’m i that God has remembered so well…
Ujunwa Biko say whatever you want and it will be done for you, oha tree will be cut down tomorrow and I will personally prepare the Ukazi soup for you…
you are welcome home my daughter.
#Story_Continues
UJU
©Amarh heart