Three Generations episode 23

THREE GENERATIONS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 23

Chinyere arrived at the village on the 28th of December. She came with her last two children as the two boys inbetween decided to remain with their uncle. She came to greet papa and mama bearing gifts. She gave mama three pieces of hollandaise wrapper and gave papa a made isi agu top and a pair of leather slippers. She dropped foodstuff for them too. When Nwakaego came out, she greeted her in passing. Nwakaego was taken aback while Nwanneka laughed at her surprise.

“Didn’t I tell you they were not worth saving?” she asked her mother in a whisper. She was surprised when Chinyere gave her a gift too. Nwakaego smiled at her daughter and went back into her room.

Chinyere went to their apartment. Obi and Isabella were shocked to see her. She dropped her luggage in the room her daughters were staying in. She took her last two children to the main house to remain there with their grandparents. She asked Ogo and Chioma to vacate the room and either move to Onyedika’s apartment or their grandparents. They chose to remain in the house and sleep in the sitting room.

Obi met her in the room and asked her what she was doing there.

“What kind of question is this? I came home for the holiday. I cannot spend the New year away from my family or have you changed your mind about divorcing me?’

“I am not divorcing you but I didn’t ask you to come.”

“Neither did you say I shouldn’t come? I am not in your way, stay with your second wife. You don’t need to visit my bedroom, after all, you found someone to make you happy, I will find too”

“What does mean? Are you threatening me? You cannot sleep with another man; it is against our customs and traditions. If I find out, then I will divorce you”

“When was the last time you laid me? A man depriving his wife of his body isn’t it against our own customs and traditions? Don’t worry, if you catch me you are free to divorce me”

Obi didn’t like the conversation he was having with Chinyere. He hærdly had carnal knowledge of her for preservation. Just one touch, she gets pregnant so they stopped having s€× regularly. Another reason was that he wanted to enjoy her body in old age. He would rather have s€× with those girls outside and preserve Chinyere. He enjoyed their conjugal moments and didn’t want another man experiencing it. He was her first and wanted to be her only that’s why he refused to divorce her. She was still well put together after six children. No one believes she had that many children.

Apart from that, she was someone who easily forgave his indiscretions and overlooked his shortcomings. Right now everything was good with Isabella but he had a nudging this fairytale rom-nce might one day end and he will be left with nothing. He knew Chinyere loved him. He wanted her to continue to be his so he could go back to her when that happened.

Her being in the house would pose a big problem. Isabella was already upset with her presence but he knew it was best not to send her back. She had a right to be there. He also didn’t like the threat she made. She had become bold and he didn’t like it. Chinyere before would never threaten him with giving her body to another man. He was her first and will remain her only. He will kill whosoever tries to eat his yam he kept for the future.

He left Chinyere and went back to Isabella. He explained to her he couldn’t force her to leave. He told her to be patient, the holiday will soon be over.

“This house is too small for all of us. We might have to build a bigger house so I will have my wing and she will have hers. We don’t have to ever meet in the house. Do you have land?”

“There is enough land here. It is just that I have to share it with Onyedika. I will tell him our plans and listen to what he has to say.”

“That’s better. Since she has refused to leave, I will show her what I am made off”

“I trust you. But be careful so the family doesn’t feel you are trying to intimidate her. If Nwakaego should perceive that, she will support Chinyere even though they are enemies. She fights for the rights of women”

“I will be wise about it”

That night, after they had all retired for the night, Chinyere couldn’t sleep because Isabella decided to disgrace herself by making loud s€×ual noise. She knew it was deliberate and she didn’t fall for it. She wasn’t jealous but irritated. She knew Obi’s prowess and knew this was very well exaggerated. Why she chose to embarrass herself like this, she couldn’t understand. She fell asleep finally when the irritating noise ended.

The next morning, Chinyere woke up bright and early. She took take walks as a form of exercise when she was in the village serving her punishment which she found beneficial to her body. She had continued the routine. Chinyere dressed in knee-length shorts and t-shit and left for her walk. Her two daughters saw her leave and were amazed. She had taken care of herself.

The secret was her brother had warned all his siblings about the benefit of keeping fit and staying healthy. He advised the fat ones to lose weight while the moderate ones to exercise. Before she left for Obi’s village, he drove her to the market to buy her clothes so she would be able to attract her husband back. It was the old trick in the book. This was the first time she was wearing shorts and she loved it.

Some village dropped by that early in the morning. They came to tell Obi they saw his wife taking a walk in her shorts. Obi didn’t see her leave and knowing Chinyere it was possible it wasn’t revealing. But when his daughters affirmed what he was told, he became worried. Where will he find her now? Did she want to make good her threat? He didn’t want Isabella to know how worried he was but he needed to leave the house to find her.

He got the opportunity when papa sent for him. He wanted freshly tapped palm wine from the tapper. Obi drove out in search of Chinyere but he didn’t see her. He searched everywhere but couldn’t find her. He saw people that had seen her walk by but couldn’t find her anywhere. After a fruitless search, he went home. As he entered his father’s house to drop the palm wine, he saw Chinyere there. She sat with them and they laughing together. When did this start?

He gave his father the palm wine. “I was wondering what happened Obi, I took you so long.”

“I’m sorry papa, I saw some of my driends and I stopped to talk to them. Chinyere, let me see you”

“See me, what happened?”

“Chinyere, I want to see you privately”

She stood up and Obi understood why people were talking. The shorts outlined her figure. He was upset. Why would she dress like this?

When they went outside Chinyere told him, “I don’t want your scre-ming girlfriend to think we are planning something. Why do you want to talk to me privately?”

“Why did you dress like this to go out?”

“I went for exercise, how am I supposed to be dressed?”

“You never used to dress like this”

“I wasn’t away from home eight months and then abandoned for almost four months. You don’t know me again.”

“I can see you have joined pr-stitution. Which respectable married woman dresses like this and moves around the village if not that she is looking for customers”

“I dressed like this to exercise, I am now a pr-stitute. Meanwhile that over bleached woman in,side the house wears worse clothes and you don’t complain. Are you sure you can marry two wives? Let me tell you, whatever she does freely and you accept, I will do. If you allow her wear those short things she wears, I will wear too.”

“You arenot ashamed. Are you her age mate? Does she have children like you? You are just jealous and want to copy her. I chose to be with her”

“Then why were you looking fo me all over the village? You think I wasn’t told. Everywhere I passed coming home I was stopped and told my husband was looking for me. Go to your over bleached wife and leave me alone. I will not even entertain you in my bed because that is what you will want to do next”

Before Obi could respond, a car drove into the compound. It was Uloma. She came down wearing a white shirt and short denim skirt. She wore eye pencil under her eyes, brown powder and red glossy l¡pstick. She looked very nice. Even Obi was taken aback when he saw her. She had long black hair which was permed. She let it down.

“Good morning nda Obi, good morning nda Chinyere” Uloma greeted. They responded. Chinyere knew immediately her transformation was Nwakaego’s handwork and it would definitely work. She had seen the big br-asted Charity and knew Uloma had to up her game if she wanted to win Onyedika back but then she came to an argument with a bomb, she looked very nice.

Obi went to call Onyedika to inform him Uloma was around and also tell him what he saw. Chinyere joined Uloma in papa’s house. She sat down with them and had palm wine. Papa and mama Anozie were happy to see their two original daughters-in-law in their house looking very good. Uloma told papa she would like to apologise to Nwakaego and Nwanneka in their presence and ask for her forgiveness. It gladdened his heart. He sent for them.

Nwakaego came out to join them while Nwanneka joined them a few minutes later. Nwakaego greeted them and they responded. Papa asked her to sit down and join in the palm wine drinking. She joined them. Nwanneka sat beside her mother after exchanging greetings. You could tell from her facial expression she wasn’t excited to be in their midst.

Obi and Onyedika joined them. He came with Chigozie.He didn’t tell Charity where he was going or what was happening in papa’s house. He had to see Uloma on his own otherwise Charity will become jealous and he won’t hear the last of it. He needed to see what was going on. He kept her very busy.

When he came into the house, he saw Uloa and couldn’t believe his eyes. This Uloma was looking very nice. What happened to her caeserian tummy that refused to come down? Her hair was flying. Her makeup was very nice. He knew this was deliberate but he couldn’t deny being drawn to her at that moment.

When Uloma saw Chigozie, she stood up and rushed to him. She hugged him tightly in excitement. She had missed her son. She looked up at Onyedika and said, “Thank you. I appreciate what you have done for me. I will bring him back on New year’s day.”

“No greetings, you wanted your son” Onyedika said sarcastically.

“I’m sorry; it was the excitement of seeing him. Good morning.”

“You came early”

“Yes, I have a get together to attend. I wanted to pick him up before going. We will attend it together”

Nwakaego then said, “I will dress him up for you then”

“No, I have what he will wear in the car. I also wanted to apologise to you and Nwanneka. I haven’t done that like my husband rightly said. I have realized that what I did was wrong and could have destroyed the family. I am ashamed that I allowed my hate to overshadow my reasoning. Please mama Nwanneka and Nwanneka please forgive me” Uloma said looking remorseful.

Chinyere joined her saying, “She is notthe only one. I apologise too. I took it too far. I should have cautioned Uloma when she came with the information instead I encouraged her to go against the family. For this I apologise to every member of this family and ask for your forgiveness especially Nwakaego and Nwanneka.”

Nwanneka looked at both women with a surprised face. What was happening here? Did they meet and plan this? This was a holiday to remember. She turned to look at her mother, she saw tears. Immediately she knew she didn’t tell them to do this part. When the tears began to flow from her mother’s eyes, Nwanneka allowed hers drop abit. It was an emotional moment for all of them as Nwakaego stood up and went to them. She beckoned on Nwanneka who joined her. They all hugged each other in tears. Obi and Onyedika looked on a bit confused at what was happening. Papa and mama called them together, told them to kneel and they prayed for them. The women stood up, hugged themselves. Nwanneka went into the room to get Chigozie’s bag and the women went to see Uloma off to her car.

Papa Anozie called Nwakaego later that evening and said to her, “I know the transformation in these women are from you. Chinyere coming back and Uloma looking good is your doing. My daughter, I will be glad to go to my grave knowing you are a member of this family and my family will be united as long as you are still a part of it. God bless you and your children. They will always cause you to be happy. Joy and happiness will never cease from your home. Nne, you will continue to prosper”

“Amen papa. Thank you sir”

On the 31st night, Onyedika came to see Nwakaego. They talked about so many things and then he asked, “How do you see Charity? What’s your impression of her?”

“She is a nice lady. She is endowed and I know that is your attraction. Why do you ask?”

“I just wanted to know if you studied her”

“I did”

“And?”

“She is a desperate misguided young lady. She remains in a house with another woman’s husband and is comfortable. Doesn’t she have parents? Her mother should be ashamed of herself. I will never allow my daughter be with a man who hasn’t married her. As long as she is sharing a bed with you while unmarried, she is in my bad book”

“What makes you so sure I disV-rgined Uloma?”

“You did. I know it was before you married her but you did”

“I did same for her. I disV-rgined Charity”

“Well, she shouldn’t have given her V-rginity to a married man. See, even though Nwanneka made a mistake and had Nwadiuto, I will never accept her marrying another woman’s husband. Mba, it is wrong. That’s exactly what Obi is doing too. The difference between the two of you is that Obi is doing his for money while yours it is to punish Uloma. This girl will be stuck in your throat always; let her go and face your life. Even though Uloma messed up, she is still the best woman for you”

“I have a strong conviction you set up what happened that day. The tears were genuine but I feel you had a hand in two of them coming back home”

“I didn’t. The only thing I ever did was advise them. Immediately I leave, I believe they have the right to accept or reject. Did you see how good Uloma was looking? She stole the show. She is a beautiful woman who made bad decisions and has suffered the consequences. Don’t torture her more”

“Hmm, I don’t want Uloma to live with me anymore; I have made up my mind”

“We shall see”

“You are the brain behind all this”

“Believe whatever you want to believe”.

Tbc