Three Generations episode 16
THREE GENERATIONS
WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI
CHAPTER 16
Uloma went back their part of the apartment. Onyedika had locked it and won’t let her in. She decided to try Obi and Chinyere’s part of the house to sleep. As she got closer, she could hear an argument.
“It is obvious you are tired of living in my house. For Marcus to insult me in my home and you still didn’t take correction shows you are tired of living here. How could you drag our family name to the mud?”
“Obioma, take your time this night. You grew liver when you were challenged. All I know is that Nwanneka had a child out of wedlock and Nwakaego hid it from everyone. We had to make her confess and this was the best way. Her daughter is wayward but your mother will call Ogo wayward because she has rich friends and has refused to get married. Who is worse? Did Ogo bring pregnancy home?”
“That question is not for me. Tomorrow you will come before family and confess to what you have done. Why didn’t you tell me your plans with Uloma? If you didn’t have evil plans why hide them?”
“Obi, I don’t owe you any answer. I am tired and need to rest for the night. I don’t care about Nwakaego or Nwanneka or even Uloma. I only care about my children.”
Uloma lost interest in their argument and decided to sit by the door of her apartment overnight. Mosquitoes attacked her so vengefully that you would think they were sent. Her son was with his father in,side the house. How would Onyedika cope with him all through the night?
She used the hours she spent waiting for dawn to evaluate the situation. Where did her hatred for Nwakaego germinate from? Obi and Chinyere planted the seed when they told her Nwakaego took all the money their brother had by presenting a lawyer and will. Who does will? Anozie left everything he owned to Nwakaego leaving his family stranded but for the house in village. They claimed she used the monies to start a business and with the help of lovers, the business flourished. They made her believe she was bringing her daughter to the house so she could lay claim to the house which Anozie left to them in his will. They said anytime Nwakaego gives them money, their businesses crumble.
When she mentioned this to Onyedika, he laughed and told her it was their guilty conscience that was working against them. He had been favoured by Nwakaego many times and he has only experienced growth, same with his sisters. It was only Obi who didn’t have progress in his life. He told her a completely different story including how Nwakaego saved them shame by paying off their family debts. He advised her to avoid Obi and the wife because they abandoned the family when creditors began to embarrass their father. It was Nwakaego that came to their rescue. But she observed how entitled Nwanneka felt. She was loved by everyone especially Onyedika. She felt she had a right to walk into their apartment at will. The closeness between Onyedika and Nwakaego was also very enviable. Onyedika worsh¡pped the ground she walked on. Uloma felt threatened. She had jokingly asked Onyedika if he had to choose between Nwakaego and her whom he would choose and without blinking an eyelid, he said Nwakaego. When asked why, he said, “She is the reason I am where I am today. I owe her a lot and I have promised myself, I will stand by her till the very end”. That cemented Nwakaego fate in her heart. The hatred grew from there. Her husband loved his late brother’s wife who was much older than him more than he loved her.
Now, she was sitting on the steps of their village apartment like an outcast because once again he chose Nwakaego over her. She felt bad. Obi didn’t disrespect his wife the way she had disrespected him. Chinyere was a strong woman. Her brother who joined the Nigerian army during the war had risen to enviable heights. He had some money now and he helped his siblings. Chinyere had put the money into her cloth business this time after many failures from Obi. The business was doing very well and she held financial freedom for the family apart from her daughter Ogo who had dated only rich men which never showed in their lives.
The next morning, Onyedika woke up, prepared his son and himself, fed Chigozie and took him with him to his father’s house. He walked past Uloma not saying a word to her. She tried to reach out for her son but he gave her a look that made her drop her hands.
Uloma went into the apartment to get ready. She feared for the worst. She prepared breakfast for her husband and brought it to his father’s house. Onyedika was already eating with his father and Obi. Even Obi had joined them. She went in search of Chinyere to find out what was going on. Had the family united against them?
Chinyere was at home chilling. Uloma was surprised at how calm she was.
“Nda Chinyere, what is happening? I saw nda Obi with his father and Onyedika eating from the same plate. Since when?”
“Are you sure? His father sent for him early this morning and he hasn’t been back since then. What were they discussing?”
“I don’t know but they seemed in a good mood”
“Was Nwakaego with them?”
“I didn’t see her there, just the men. Aren’t you worried?”
“Worried about what? Obi should do what he likes. I am ready for this family today.”
“Honestly, they are boycotting the obvious and focusing on what we did. We still don’t know who she got pregnant for. I am not buying the story she is telling”
“That’s true. She hasn’t said who she got pregnant for. Can we find out?”
“I am not interested. We will use it to cast more doubt on Nwakaego. That’s all”
They stayed there talking together for hours without realizing. A relative was sent to call them. They met a small crowd at the obi which was used this time because of the number of people. Uloma became even more worried when she saw her sisters-in-law, her father and Chinyere’s elder brother. The other family members were also present. This didn’t look good at all.
“I wanted us to open this case in their presence. I will like them to tell you what they have done so I do not appear to have accused them falsely. Whereby they deny doing any wrong, Marcus is here with his wife Angie and the women executives to act as witnesses. Should we start?”
For the first time, Chinyere’s mouth went dry. “Why did they have to involve her brother” she asked herself.
Both ladies refused to speak so the witnesses stated what happened. Uloma’s father shook his head in disbelief while Chinyere’s brother was obviously fuming.
“My in-laws, what they have done shows that if they had the opportunity to end Nwakaego’s life, they would. It is a taboo to expose your family’s secrets to outsiders. I have askd my sons what they want, they said we should involve you our in-laws and whatever you determine is the right cause of action we will agree” papa Anozie concluded.
“On behalf of my sister, I apologise. What she has done shows she has regard for the family she married into. When we go to war, people are sent from the enemy’s camp to make friends with us, gather enough information and then these friends will betray us to our enemies. That is what both of them have done, they have betrayed the family. Do you know what we do in the military to betrayers? We torture them and kill them slowly. Whatever you decide concerning them, I will support. They are betrayers; they deserve to be severely punished” Everywhere went silent after Chinyere’s brother finished speaking. Even Chinyere lost her composure during the speech.
Papa Anozie looked at his two sons and asked what they wanted. Obi spoke up, “Since we understand the magnitude of their offence and the fact that up until this moment none of them had gone to apologise to Nwakaego for what they did, I will suggest both women should return to their father’s house for a period of two months as punishment”
“You speak for yourself alone” Onyedika turned to face Uloma’s father and said, “Papa, I have come to you on at least three occasions to complain about Uloma’s attitude to my late eldest brother’s wife and daughter. She didn’t change, it became worse. For her to plot to publicly disgrace her fellow woman and mate shows you she will never change. I can’t continue to be joined to such a woman. Let Uloma follow you home, I am done with the marriage”
Uloma was shocked at Onyedika’s words. Did he really mean what he said? She knew he was upset but not to this extent. “Onyedika, I have offended you, I am sorry, please forgive me. Give me any other punishment, I will do it but don’t send me packing. If you don’t do it for my sake, do it for the sake of our son Chigozie”
“It is because of Chigozie I want you to leave my life. I do not want my son to learn wickedness from you. You are leaving just as you came. I will come officially to ask for my dowry back”
“Don’t say thatagain. I am ready to apologise to Nwakaego and ven Nwanneka. I admit, I did wrong. My husband, please forgive me. Give me any other punishment but don’t make me leave my home”
Onyedika ignoring her said to the people present, “I have taken a decision and it is final. She will move out of my house in the village here and Lagos. I will cut all ties with her. It is final”
Uloma was devastated. She wondered where Nwakaego was as she was not in the meeting. She caused this problem and disappeared. What was she to do? She knew Onyedika would never release her son to her; never. She knew the game was up and Onyedika meant every word he said. The game was up.
Nwakaego had appealed to papa Anozie, Obi and Onyedika that morning to allow sleeping dogs lie but they wouldn’t listen to her. Onyedika had told her his decision and she wasn’t in support. He told her she couldn’t stop him. She decided not to be a party to the dethronement of her fellow women and left before the meeting was held.
As she was leaving, Onyedika gave her Chigozie to go with as he had a bond with Nwadiuto. Initially Nwakaego didn’t want to take him but she also knew there would be no one to cater for him. Mama had arthritis and experienced pain often. She couldn’t care for a baby. Nwakaego had both the human and material resources to take care of him. So she took him until the holidays are over.
Tbc