Chapter 2 - Ukwala Village
Ukwala is a village in the Eastern part of the country. Beautiful culture but terrible people. We were formerly a part of the Nuger Delts, but due to rivalry, we cut off and formed our own community. When looking at the map of the country, you'll still see Ukwula as part of the Nuger Delts, but in our minds we are of a different origin.
Madam Ejiogu was our next door neighbour; she was a widow with three little children. Her husband Ejiogu died in the war; the war that divided us from Nuger Delts; ever since, she was left to raise two little girls and an unborn baby, who turned out to be a boy, on her own.
Uloma, Nneka and Ejiogu were all beautiful kids. After school on days I didnt have homework, I helped Madam Ejiogu look after her kids while she managed her small canteen right in front of her house.
"mgbede oma" Good eveneing ma. I said.
"Aah Da-alu nwa'm. Kedu maka akwukwo." Thank you my child, how is school. Madam Ejiogu asked.
"Fine ma, how are the children? I don't have homework today, maybe I could look after them for you for a while."
"Aaah, God bless you my child. They are just playing at the back yard. Please come and eat something before you go and see them."
I followed her to the kitchen, where a pot of soup was boiling on the small charcoal stove; plates and pans were littered everywhere, the floor was wet ; the whole kitchen was a total mess. Madam Ejiogu was far from being the neat type. Worsened with the kids she had to take care of; it was a miracle people still ate at her canteen. I could bet they would never come a million miles near any food cooked here, if they ever saw her kitchen.
"Ehn, aunty I am not too hungry again" I said.
"Ah, but you were hungry just a minute my child, what happened to your appetite?"
The irony of the question. My appetite disappeared the very minute I set my eyes on the kitchen.
"Nothing aunty. I just remembered that I ate at home before coming here."
"But your mother is not in, who gave you food? Or you have started stealing eh my child?" she said with a crooked smile.
I replied with a fake laugh "Ah no aunty, not at all. Chimdi my elder brother left a wrap of cassava meal at home with little soup."
"That's okay my dear, I'll pack a few wraps of wheat meal with my special ogbono soup for you when you are going eh. You can go to the kids at the back, let me look after my pot of soup on the fire."
"Okay aunty. Da-alu ooo."
"Aunty Aunty." The kids shouted as soon as they saw me coming.
"Aunty, Ejiogu pushed me while we were playing snakes and ladder" Nneka reported
"No Aunty, Nneka pushed me first, and I had to fight back to preserve my dignity as a man". Ejiogu said boldly while beating his hands on his chest.
I started smilling, but immediately stopped when I realized he was serious and the other kids looked a bit frightened.
"No darling" I said. "Fighting a girl doesnt make you a man, it makes you a coward."Good men do not fight atall, talk less of beating a woman".
"I am sorry Aunty, I just assumed she'll respect me more when she knows that I could beat her up"
"Now you know better, can you apologize to your sister" I said.
"I'm sorry Nneka, I will never beat or push you again" Ejiogu said
"Aaah, please let's play, this is becoming too much of an emotional conversation" Uloma said. Uloma was propably in sixth grade, and was a really smart child but a rather unpatient one.
"Okay children, who wants to play boju-boju" I asked.
"I, I, I" They choroused.
Usually after playing games with the kids, I helped them with their homework, but I knew today was going to be different, as I had a whole lot on my mind, and was probably not going to be able to concentrate.
Mother has been having this weird conversations about marriage with me. It is really surprising that mother could think of me getting married to Uncle Chigozirim, brother of the local palmwine tapper. I just started menstruating a month ago, marriage looked like a far away thing. I mean, I never saw myself getting married at the age of twelve, and worse, getting married to a 32 year old man.
Father hadn't really said anything about the marriage, but judging from the way things have been at home lately, mother obviously had the last say.
Uncle Chigozirim was supposed to come by the house this evening to pay me a "little visit" as mother called it; but what went through my mind was sickening. Although he lived in the city, he frequented the village to see his sick mother and to finalise the supposed marriage.
Apart from mother, father and I, only one other person knew about my supposed marriage; Ibrahim and I had been classmates from elementary school although he was five years older than me; as he started school late. His parents moved from the North and came East when he was about eight years old. Ibrahim is taller than most boys in my class and considerably skinner. We bonded over purnishment in primary school and soon we became best of friends even though our parents barely talk to each other, for reasons best known to them.
Things between Ibrahim and I recently got heated. The other day, I went to play at Ibrahim's kiosk; which he manages after school. While he was pursuing me, trying to snatch the newspaper I was reading, his lips brushed mine.
It was a funny experience; my body felt hot all over and for an unknown reason, Ibrahim suddenly looked very attractive. After that day, conversation between us became a bit awkward, we no longer played the way we used to, he started treating me like a lady, unlike the boyish way he treated me before.
When I finally summoned enough courage to tell Ibrahim about the marriage arrangement, he was thoroughly pissed and even said he was going to have a word with my mum. Knowing Ibrahim, a word wasn't how the conversation would turn out to be.
"Aunty, Aunty" Nneka called.
"Yes, Nneka" I snapped out my thoughts.
"Aunty, are you okay? I have bn calling you for a while."
"Yes my darling, I am fine. I just need to go lie down for a bit. my head hurts."
"Aunty, you can lay on my mat if you want" Ejiogu added.
I started walking to the room, as they continued playing without a care in the world. What I'll give to be a little girl once more.
...................................................................................................................................................................
Comments and reactions are much appreciated, and let me know if ya'll are interested in reading the third chapter :)
- Debbie Motilewa
