NKEM 9
The news came to her in bits and flashes like a bad memory. It felt like a bad joke at first but events that followed showed it was real. She noticed the villagers looking at her strangely and then putting their words of condolences on her mother's demise.
She thanked them and carried on to her father's compound. She was now an orphan, an only child alone in the world. Her parents have been poor peasants and there was no inheritance left her except a backlog of debts and a mud house whose roof is at the mercy of the winds and the rains. So, none of her father's siblings could lay claim to anything. After all, there was nothing to take.
She had travelled to her mother's village to conclude the one month burial rites. There was that pain of losing her. She was her sole companion. She never did anything without seeking her mother's opinion.
They were close like wind and rain. So, losing her was like a deathly blow. The villagers came one after the other to commiserate with her but never her heartthrob.
This wasn't his usual attitude. She could have gone to seek him but she was still mourning. Perhaps, he had followed the band to play in another village or town. He was a flutist and a very good one at that.
Their meeting was coincidental. She had joined her age group to perform in the chieftaincy ceremony of a certain chief. There, while dancing, and the flutists urging them on with their melody, she noticed that one of the flutists was boring his eyes on her.
She became aware of him when their eyes met and she almost forgot the dance steps they had practiced many times. His eyes seemed to strip her naked, inspecting her full bossom, her wide hips and that sun-like colour of her skin.
She fled the ceremony immediately after their performance but his face never left her mind for the days that followed. Three days after the ceremony, she was alone in the house then there was a knock at the door. When she opened it, he was the one. Her heart jumped into her mouth and she froze before him, her heart beating widely.
He took her hand and led her outside where they sat down on a bench made of bamboo. She avoided his eyes and could only look at her feet as he spoke to her.
"My name is Nkem, he began. I first saw you at the ceremony and I wasn't myself again. I hoped to talk to you right there after the ceremony but I learnt you had left immediately after your performance. I asked about you and I was told your name and where you lived. Ebere, I want to be your lover. In fact, I want to marry you."
Just then, Ebere's mother who had gone to see a friend arrived. She noticed the tall athletic build of a man. His skin was black and glowing. He had a ready smile on his face and a set of white teeth. When he noticed her, he didn't wait for her to ask about him before he introduced himself.
"Nne, Nno. I was just about asking after you. My name is Nkem, son of Chief Obi from Alogu village. I have seen your daughter and I like her. I love to be your son-in-law".
For some seconds Chinwendu, Ebere's mother, was speechless. Never has she seen such confidence from a young man. He had the boldness to come seek her daughter. She welcomed him and even offered him kola.
She sat down with them and asked more questions about him, the work he does , his father and more about his mother. She was satisfied with his answers but she wanted more.
"Thank you for your interest in my daughter. But I think you left a more important aspect of this matter and that is discussing with your own parents first who would then come to us on your behalf. That is the way things are done. That is our custom".
He smiled and said.
"My parents are not difficult people. They would accept and respect my decision about any woman I bring to them."
"You can't be too sure, now that you have not told them", Chiwendu cut in.
"I know my parents. They wouldn't question my decision. They know I can't bring something bad to them.
"Well, I hope so too. But how well do you know my daughter?"
"I have only met her", he announced shyly.
"And you don't think you are rushing things? You should give your desire a little bit of time. Our hearts do play tricks on us. You may think you want something so badly but when you eventually get it, you begin to ask yourself what you admired about it in the first place."
"I have not been so sure about anything until I set my eyes on Ebere".
"I am glad to hear it", Chiwendu said, nodding.
Ebere listened attentively to them talk. She could now look at his face because her mother was there. There was no doubt she admired him but that was not enough. She didn't know for instance, the kind of person he was and his behaviour and perception about things.
She knew it was no wisdom to jump at a man because of his physical features. There are more important things about a man than his features. What if he is the possessive kind or the type that sees nothing wrong in beating his wife. She shuddered at the thought of that. She had never seen her parents quarrelled for once let alone her father beating her mother when he was still alive.
When Nkem finally left, it was time for mother and daughter's discussion.
"You didn't tell me you now have a secret lover".
"He is not my lover", she pouted.
"But he came to see you".
"I didn't ask him to. I only saw him for the first time at the ceremony and didn't tell him anything. In fact, we have never spoken before. I was surprised to see him myself."
"How then did he know our house".
"He told me he asked about me".
"From whom?"
"He didn't say".
Chiwendu heaved a sigh then a sly smile adorned her face, making her skin glow like the sun.
"Do you like him then?"
She looked at her mother with a smile on her face which betrayed her.
"I don't know", she said shyly
"Hmmm...my daughter".
"Mama, I don't know".
"E-be-re!" She dragged each syllable slowly.
When she felt cornered, she confessed.
"Okay, mama. I like him. Are you now satisfied?"
"I just wanted to be sure. But then, we must apply caution".
"Just what I was thinking about, mama".
"That is very good. We need to know his people and what sort they are. We don't want to fall into a trap. Do we?"
"No, mama".
They began seeing each other, encouraged by the support of their parents. Before long, it was very clear to all that the two were destined for each other until tragedy struck.
Ebere's mother became sick of an unknown disease that emaciated her and peeled her skin. Barely two weeks after the sickness, she died.
The wound of losing her mother had not healed when the news that his own Nkem was getting married or had already impregnated a girl who happened to be a friend of hers, Uloma who later gave birth to Nkem who is now coming to seek her daughter's hand in marriage.
She nursed the pain to heart and neither forgave Nkem nor Uloma. So pained was she that she never went to congratulate Uloma when Nkem was born. The fact that she even named the child after her betrothed angered her.
She felt a wave of triumph when Nkem died in an auto crash on his way to Owerri. Not that she wanted him to die. In fact she cried non stop when she heard of his death. The same fate that made Uloma snatch Nkem from her, that same fate had also taken Nkem from Uloma. That way, they both have lost wanted they wanted. In order not to be labelled a witch, she went to went to console Uloma but her anger still remained.
