Sisterhood episode 80

TITLE: SISTERHOOD

AUTHOR: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 80

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Two weeks after the marriage proposal, Iyke asked Uloma to travel with him to Dallas so he could inform his parents. She refused. She asked him to go alone to tell them. She was scared of his mother and what she might do or say. She was also scared for Nkem. She wishes they could do everything secretly and live their lives the way they were living them right now.

Iyke was not having it. He insisted on her coming with him to break the news. No one knew except Nkem and Demian. They had been quiet about it. They were waiting for them to make the announcement. He decided they would spend the weekend with his folks.

Uloma told Nkem about the planned trip. Nkem was worried. She talked to Demian about it and expressed her fears. Demian advised Uloma to go because it was inevitable. It was better to get it over and done with. “Dress nice, smell nice and wear the most expensive thing you have. Let her know about your job and how much you are making. Tell her youalso make your money, you are well paid on your job. Sound comfortable. I know what I am telling you. Iyke will back you up. Whatever she says that is negative smile at her and ignore her. Don’t show fear, be bold. Don’t appear desperate. Let it look like you can do without her son, he is the one that can’t do without you. If she is condescending, thank her, tell her you are leaving and stage a walkout. She will know you cannot be ridden. Iyke likes confident women who can stand up to his family. You love Iyke so allow the strong you to step forward.”

Nkem packed and said, “She can’t do that, she is too soft. She can be vulnerable. Your mother will eat her alive.”

“Uloma can do it and more. She is vulnerable with her family and her man. See her as an enemy wanting to take what belongs to you. Don’t disrespect her but put your feet down.”

“Hopefully, it won’t get to that,” Uloma replied.

The trip to Dallas was on Uloma’s mind all through that week. She decided to be herself but she would take the advice about her appearance. She knew the woman liked fashion. She chose the outfit she wanted and packed their bags for the weekend. Iyke took up other doctors’ shifts so they could cover for him while he was away. Uloma had to organise the trip. She didn’t know what to get his parents. She didn’t want something to make it look like she was trying to impress them. She got a lovely box of chocolate and a bottle of quality wine.

They drove to Dallas. Iyke wanted Uloma to be relaxed before they got there. They left very early in the morning. Iyke took his time on the road. The trip took almost five hours. They stopped for breakfast and toilet breaks. It was a pleasant ride.

Iyke got to the door with their suitcase before Uloma. His parents were surprised to see both of them together in the house. His mother knew instantly. His father was confused.

“Dad, Mum, you have been harassing me to settle down and I have decided to listen to you. You know Uloma. I asked her to marry me and she accepted.”

Iyke’s mother was shocked. She knew but didn’t want to believe it. “When did the relationship start? Is this a sudden decision? How well do you know each other?”

“It started the Christmas when she came here with Demian and Nkem. I liked her before then, during the wedding we worked together. She was shy and separated herself from me. When I saw her again, I made a move on her. I wanted it discreet. We moved to Houston, got jobs there and tried to get to know each other better. We decided we knew each other enough to be together forever.”

His father replied, “Nkem’s sister? Wow! You sound serious about this. Are you positive you want to do this?”

His mother interrupted, “Hold it. You moved to Houston? When did you move to Houston?”

“Seven months now. She has her apartment and I have mine.”

“You left Dallas without telling me?”

“If I had told you, you would come to visit. The whole idea was to get to know her. Nkem is worse than you are. I used the job to get her away from her clutches. We needed to know if we are compatible and we are. We love each other.”

Iyke’s mother looked from Uloma to Iyke and back to Uloma. “Do you have any other thing to add?”

“We were good friends before he helped me get a job in Houston. I didn’t know he had relocated to Houston until I got there. He has been good to me and it has been wonderful, I have no complaints. When he proposed, I accepted.”

“Why? Why did you accept?” Iyke’s mother asked.

“Because I love him. I was supposed to move back to Nigeria but he didn’t want me to. Instead, he arranged for us to be together.”

“So you love him and not because he is a doctor,” she asked.

“I am an accountant with a Master’s degree and am currently in the last stage of my ACA. I am a professional too and I make a good income. I don’t depend on Iyke and he doesn’t depend on me. I don’t care if he is a doctor or a truck driver as long as he loves me and treats me right.”

Iyke’s father took over the conversation. “They are here for the weekend. Iyke lead her to your bedroom and we can talk some more when you have freshened up.”

“Iyke’s room? Are you encouraging them to stay together?” Iyke’s mum asked.

“They are already staying together, they came with one luggage silly.”

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When they were alone, Iyke said to Uloma, “It went well. I thought it would be worse than this. Don’t be afraid of her. She can be a bully but she is also very sweet.” He leaned over and kissed her. He made a move to pull her close and she understood what that meant. She stopped him.

“We can’t. They are in the house.”

“We are in my room. They can’t come in here without knocking. By the way, I will lock the door and play some music.”

“You’re joking, right? I can’t do it here. It is just a weekend, we can wait.”

‘Or we can check into a motel and have a good time and then come back. I want you. I had fantasised about having you here in my bed. Hearing you moan loudly and feeling the orgasm take over your body”

“Stop it! Your mother hasn’t given her approval and you want to worsen the situation by making them catch us having sex in their home. We are not doing that. Maybe late at night.”

“I knew you were interested. We have a deal.”

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Uloma had to walk on eggshells around the house. They settled down to have lunch. She wanted to help set the table but Iyke’s mum declined. But she helped clear the table and place the dishes in the dishwasher. Iyke wanted them to take a drive. Uloma went to tell his mum. She was surprised she came to say she was going out with Iyke. Iyke didn’t like it but she insisted. She said his parents had to know their whereabouts as long as they are guests in their house. Iyke’s father heard the conversation and smiled.

When they left, he had a chat with his wife. She wasn’t excited about Iyke choosing Uloma. She wondered why her two sons were charmed by sisters. She wanted a more sophisticated girl from a wealthy home so they could align. She was tired of the poverty alleviation her sons had chosen.

Read – Sisterhood episode 79

“Well, Nkem is an Economist. She got her Master’s degree in Economics and Finance with an outstanding GPA. She is going for her doctorate while working as a researcher. She is not a burden to Demian but an asset. Uloma is an Accountant. She has a Master’s degree and is on the last lap of her ACA as she said. She has a very good job too. So, what is your problem? Our sons fell in love with substance. Our boys are very intelligent and you must give it to these sisters, they are equally very intelligent and focused on academics. And you can’t deny their beauty and also they had a good upbringing. Uloma was telling your son she must tell us where they were going because they are guests. At least if something happens, we can trace from where they went.”

“I accept they have good qualities but why choose another wife from the family?”

“We will ask him these questions again tonight. Weren’t you surprised Iyke agreed to share a room with her? Iyke never shares a room with anyone. She must be something special for him to do that. They might be living together in Houston. I am surprised at Iyke. He seems more responsible now. I believe Uloma is good for him. They have been together for a whale year. How did it go unnoticed? Anyway, Iyke has always been secretive. Let them tell us their plans. We can’t choose for him but we will advise him.”

When Uloma and Iyke came back later that night, his parents requested a meeting with him. He had plans and he was worried they were not retiring early as they usually do. He begged Uloma to stay awake while he went to meet with them.

The topic was what he expected. His mother voiced her reservations which didn’t make any sense to Iyke and he let her. know He told them about their relationship and how much he pursued her before they got to this point. His mother was upset about that. Her sons ran after these girls. He said she had proven herself to be loyal, faithful and dependable. He trusts her. And she had made him a man who was content with one woman. He refused to listen to any negative thing his mother had to say about her. She was angry he was shutting down her fears like she was saying rubbish. He told his mother he was marrying her whether she liked it or not.

“I am not Demian you almost ruined his happiness. She is my wife and that’s what I want you to understand. I will marry her in a court here and whenever you are ready, we can pay her brideprice or whatever you guys call it. I don’t need your permission to marry her; I am just informing you.”

“Iyke, don’t talk to your mother like that. She means well. I like Uloma and her sister. Your mother likes them too but you pulled a surprise on us. We have to ask questions to be certain you are making the right decision.”

“I have never been sure of anything in my life like this decision I made to marry Uloma. She gets me and she does things for me that amaze me. She makes sacrifices and is dedicated to my welfare. Let me give you an instance. I had a difficult case at the hospital. I attended to a patient with mild symptoms who ended up dying before my shift was over. I fought hard to save her life but she was gone. She was a young single mother of two. She told me about her kids so I knew she wanted to live for them. I came home as the Iyke you know. I was angry, sad and broken. I just wanted to be on my own. I called her and told her about it. She asked me to come home. When I got home, she asked me to take a bath, made a nice meal for me, gave me a drug to help me sleep and she asked me to rest, I had a long day. I couldn’t sleep so I came out to check on her. Guess what she was doing, she was praying. I listened to her pray for the dead woman, her kids and she prayed that God would heal my heart. I couldn’t move listening to her pray concerning this. My love for her tripled at that point. I went back inside the room and I slept like a baby. I have someone who supports me spiritually. She has done it many times when I feel sad or worried or she is worried, she would take a walk alone and pray as she walks. It’s amazing. Now that is the kind of mother I want my kids to have. She possesses every quality I have ever desired and she is fine. No one can stop me from marrying her.”

It was obvious there was no convincing him otherwise. He had given compelling reasons why he was marrying her and they sounded legitimate. His mother’s worry was the family asking why the two brothers were marrying two sisters. She could see her son liked Uloma and she couldn’t doubt Uloma’s commitment to her son. She gave in. If it was their wish, she would allow it. Her sons had married two strong-willed women who had control over them. She hoped she would not be relegated to the background.

When Iyke parents gave them their blessings before they left for Houston, the two of them were happy. Uloma hugged Iyke’s mum and promised she won’t regret her decision. On their way back to Houston, she called her mother and shared the news with her. She wasn’t excited about the news too. Her biggest worry was Iyke’s mother. She asked Uloma if she was sure she was making the right decision. Uloma was very sure.

“Don’t get pregnant. Let them come and pay your brideprice before you can get pregnant,” her mother said.

“Ok ma.”

“What did Nkem say about it?”

“She didn’t say anything. I wanted to tell you first before I tell her about informing Iyke’s parents.”

“Be smart o. Don’t allow people to call you names. Keep yourself until after marriage.”

“Yes, ma.”

When she ended the call, she shook her head. Her mother was still archaic.

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Eventually, both families knew about Iyke and Uloma’s relationship and marriage plans. It was surprising to some of them but some cousins could see the chemistry between them during the Christmas holidays. They supported them.

Iyke wanted the wedding to take place quickly. They agreed on the traditional wedding in the village but the church wedding was to be in Dallas. The planning didn’t take time. Two months after informing the families, Iyke and Uloma had their traditional marriage in the village. Uloma’s uncle made a joke about marrying the two sisters. He advertised the other girls in the family to them.

Uloma helped Obinna, her brother, get a US visa. Chidindu got one easily with his wife. Obinna broke up with his long-term girlfriend. Uloma suggested he stayed a while to see if the country would favour him. Her entire family was coming to the US to attend her wedding to Iyke. Iyke’s extended family were also attending.

Iyke married Uloma a month after their traditional wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony. Everyone that mattered was present. Uloma left the entire planning of the wedding to her mother-in-law stating she had better taste than her. She sucked up to her that the woman loved her so much. She claimed it was now she had a daughter-in-law.

Nkem observed what Uloma did with their mother-in-law. She was happy Uloma would not receive the bashing she received from the woman. Uloma had always been timid but Nkem could see the smart move she made there. She was more loved.

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Iyke wasn’t interested in having children especially because of their work schedule. He believed they needed a balanced home. Uloma wouldn’t hear of it. She agreed to wait two years before having kids. When they were asked about it, she told them they were saving for childcare expenses. It sounded funny because they could afford it but she gave silly reasons to throw people off guard. When she told Nkem, she laughed about it.

A year and a half after marriage, Uloma conceived. She was intentional about having children. She wanted both sexes at once. She talked to a doctor and he made it happen. She was pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. Her mother was in Nigeria. She asked her to come close to her due date. She went down to Dallas to have the baby. Iyke was surprised when she insisted. Her mother met her there.

On the day of the delivery (she opted for a caesarean section), she was taken to the hospital by her parents-in-law and her mother. Iyke came to meet them there. He got there in time for the delivery. Uloma had twins (as planned by her and with the cooperation of her husband). His parents were very happy. It was done.

Uloma spent three months of her maternity leave with her in-laws. Her mother stayed for eight weeks and then left to stay for Nkem’s home to help them with Dominic. Uloma came back to Houston with the twins. Iyke wasn’t excited about having them there. He felt Uloma spent more time with the babies than with him. She wanted to quit her job but he refused. Her mother came back to help with the babies.

Uloma realised her husband was a grown baby who wanted her complete attention. She wondered how to manage the situation such that they would both be happy. He wasn’t very close to the kids and it bothered her. She thought and prayed about it for a while before talking to Iyke.

He admitted he didn’t like changes and was uncomfortable with her mother being in the house. He wanted them to go back to what they were before. He was beginning to feel trapped in the marriage. This was a major red flag for Uloma and she knew she had to do something fast. She talked to her mother about it.

“Should I advise you? Once the twins are old enough, move them to his parents’ house and you can see them at weekends while you both work. Think about it.”

“This makes sense. They will gladly take them and I can be free to work and spend the weekend with them without stressing myself. I will talk to Iyke about it.”

Iyke agreed. Uloma made a pact with him, he would get more involved with the children before they leave and create a bond with them. And also, they were to spend some holidays with them as a family. He agreed. He would agree to anything to have his wife back.

Iyke’s parents were overjoyed to have the twins with them. They hired nannies to attend to them. Every week, Uloma sent money to Iyke’s parents for her children’s upkeep but they stopped her. They said they can take care of their grandchildren without her help. She had warmed her way into their heart. She wasn’t a cunning conniving daughter-in-law but it was her nature to be pleasing. It favoured her.

Tbc