Three generations episode 44

TITLE: THREE GENERATIONS

WRIITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 44

Chike drove to Nwanneka’s house. He rang the bell. Uloma, who happened to be outside at that time opened the gate. She was surprised to see Chike whom she recognized.

“Are you here to see Nwanneka?” she asked, “she’s not home”

“Is her uncle home? I wish to see both of you”

Uloma was surprised. The boy looked apprehensive and it worried her. Nwanneka wasn’t home, was it best to let him in? She decided to allow him see Onyedika as he had requested.

She offered him a seat in the sitting room while she went upstairs to call her husband. She informed her husband Nwanneka’s friend wanted to see him. This sounded strange to Onyedika which made him a bit reluctant to see him but Uloma encouraged him to hear the young man out and know the reason for his visit.

As Onyedika descended the staircase, Chike quickly stood up. Nwanneka’s uncle had a stern look on his face. Chike’s liver was about to fail him but he held on to his resolve which built back his confidence. There was no going back now.

“Good evening sir. My name is Chike Nwafor, I am from Awka Etiti in Anambra state. I am a clearing and forwarding agent. I have come here to ask for your niece Nwanneka’s hand in marriage. We have been friends but along the line, I confess I misbehaved. But I have come to realise, she is the woman for me. She is my wife and I don’t want any other man to attempt to take her from me. I came to see you to ask for permission to marry her and also for you to help me convince her that I will never disappoint if she becomes my wife”

Onyedika looked at Uloma with a questioning look on his face. Uloma didn’t have an answer. Onyedika then asked, “Have you asked Nwanneka to marry you? Has she accepted?”

“I haven’t asked her directly. We are still trying to work things out. I know everything about her including about Nwadiuto. I am willing to accept her as our first child. I want Nwanneka and everything or persons that comes with her”

“She told you about Nwadiuto? This is serious. But Nwadiuto is out of the question. She will remain with her grandmother who has nurtured her from birth. Does the girl even know Nwanneka as her mother?” he said as he looked at Uloma. He turned back to Chike, “I will present your proposal to Nwanneka and seek her opinion about it. Whatever is decided, she will inform you. What about your family? Has she met your family members?”

“Not yet sir. Once we agree, that will be the next step.”

“That’s fine. Thank you for coming. Uloma, please bring some refreshment for our visitor. We were so engrossed in our discussion we forgot our manners”

“No thank sir. I can only drink or eat in your house after Nwanneka has accepted me”

“This is serious.” Onyedika said not to anyone in particular. “Ok young man. What’s the name again”

“Chike”

Chike had left before Nwanneka arrived home. She had gone to buy things for dinner as requested by auntie Uloma. She was late and rushed to the kitchen to start the preparations. Luckily, Uloma had cooked the stock for the soup. It was left with the vegetables and the items for Sunday dinner. She quickly washed the vegetables and set them aside waiting for Uloma to cook while she washed the tomatoes, fresh paprika and peppers for stew the next day.

Uloma came into the kitchen and saw Nwanneka. She decided to tease her while completing her cooking. “Nwanneka, a suitor came to ask your uncle for your hand in marriage. A white man for that matter”

Nwanneka didn’t take her seriously. She replied, “Auntie, hope my uncle used a gun to send him away. White man kwa. What am I doing with him?”

“He has money, cla…..”

“Auntie biko, Nwanneka isn’t interested. I want a Nigerian husband of Igbo descent. I won’t consider any other tribe as it is. I would consider someone who lives abroad but he must be Igbo”

“The one that came is from Awka Etti”

“I don’t understand”

“The suitor is from Awka Etti”

“Who is that? Auntie please be serious did anyone come here?”

“Ask your uncle”

“Did you allow anyone see uncle Onyedika? O my God, auntie why now? Uncle Onyedika will be suspicious of me from now on”

“Well, he asked to see your uncle, what was I to say?”

“Who was it?”

“I don’t know, ask your uncle” auntie Uloma looked away. Nwanneka had finished washing the tomatoes. She called the house maid who was with the children upstairs to blend the tomatoes etal.

When she had left, she turned to auntie Uloma and asked, “Auntie, please who came here when I was out?”

“I won’t tell you because you have been very secretive.”

“Auntie, what do you want to know?”

“What has been happening? I saw some UTC bags in your room with many things in,side. I knew you wouldn’t have purchased them. Are you dating a very rich guy who is spoiling you with money? Is he married? Because most of the things I saw were unnecessary. What’s going on?”

“I have been secretive. To tell you the truth, I didn’t date the guy, he was trying to impress me by spending on me”

“What about Chike? I thought he was the one you were dating”

“Auntie, Chike hurt me badly. He was cheating on me with his ex-girlfriend. Once I leave his house on Saturday, he will bring her to stay until Monday morning. And then he will pick me up. One Sunday I went to visit him unannounced and there he was in bed with the girl who he promised me he had stopped having s€× with. I was heartbroken”

“Were you having s€× with him?” auntie Uloma asked.

‘No now. We do k-ss and other things but never had s€×. In fact, the Saturday before I caught him, he was begging me to have s€× with him. But I refused and left before it got out of control”

“Men are like that. Same thing your uncle did to me. I fought the girls to stand still for my man. Just because I wasn’t giving him s€×, he was having it with others. I caught him many times. I stopped fighting them. If I come around, I would just relax in the sitting room and watch movie until they finish and come out. I will eat what the girl cooks and still lie down and watch movie.”

“How did you make it stop?”

“Two can play the game. One day he came to pick me from the office and a toaster was also there to pick me. Your uncle got angry when I told him not to bother picking me up as I would want to go with the toaster. I didn’t wait for him to reply, I walked to the car and entered. He came to the door of the car I was already seated in and asked me to come down. I tried to argue but he said if I didn’t come down, someone will get to heaven that day. I saw how furious he was and I came down. My toaster wanted to argue with him but I knew there will be a fight and I didn’t want that. I begged him to go. I told Onyedika I wasn’t going with him, I would find my way home. He lifted be like a sack of garri across his shoulder to his car. He forced me into the car. Your uncle has a temper and his ego had been bruised. I didn’t want to be beaten. He took me to his house. He asked me questions, I didn’t answer him. He tried to talk to me, I didn’t say anything. Then he went into the room and stayed a while. When he came back, he was sober. He told me he loved me and cannot bear to see me with another guy. I said it is the same way I could not bear to see him with another girl. He said the best way to resolve this was for him to pay my bride price. That way, he could get what he wants from me and me alone. This worked perfectly until Charity came into the picture”

“You endured o, I don’t think I can. The unclad image of that girl keeps playing in my head and I imagine what he was doing to her”

“You will just die. Men like s€×. They can get it from anyone, they might not have feelings for the person but if the person is good s€×ually, they will return. It doesn’t mean they love the person; it is just the flesh speaking. After some time, you go tire for the s€×. Don’t you hear your uncle call me and I don’t answer, I know what he wants. You will get tired”

“Hmm. I get the fact that it might have been physical with the girl what of telling her I had a child?”

‘He did?”

“She used my having a child out of wedlock to insult me. It pained me. It hurt me deeply. I liked Chike a lot. Many men even in the office had shown interest but my mind was with Chike thinking he was serious”

“He is serious”

‘Why do you say so?”

‘Because he said so himself. He told your uncle and I he wants to marry you”

“What are you talking about? I left Chike not up to two hours ago. When did you have this conversation?”

“He came here to ask for your hand in marriage. He told us he messed up but he wants to appeal to you for forgiveness and he is ready to marry you. He wants you and Nwadiuto in his life and has accepted Nwadiuto as his first child”

Nwanneka collapsed into the chair close to where she stood and tears began to flow. Uloma understood the feeling so she allowed her comprehend the emotions playing around in her head. She cried tears of joy, sorrow, pain, excitement so many emotions combined. She didn’t believe Chike would do this. Was he serious or was it a way to get her back? Her heart told her he was serious.

She went to very early morning mass the next day. As she came home, Chike was parked in front of her house. “Please, can we talk?” he asked her.

She nodded her head and allowed him into the house. They entered the sitting room as the family was leaving for church.

“Good morning sir. Good morning ma” Chike greeed

“Good morning. You obviously came to see Nwanneka today. We are off to church.” Onyedika responded.

“Nwanneka, we made breakfast for you. We didn’t fry your eggs so you can make extra for your guest. Remember today is Amaka’s child’s dedication. We are attending the reception and won’t be back early so please cook the stew for me. Enjoy yourself” Uloma said beaming.

As they walked out, uncle Onyedika said to his wife, “I hope they do not plan to do anything while we are away”

“Your niece doesn’t do, she’s a good girl. And, the boy has come to beg not to defile your home”

“I like him. He seems genuinely interested in her. I hope it ends in marriage. I will be so happy”

Nwanneka put the chicken on fire which she would use to make the stew for dinner. While it was cooking, she cut vegetables and sausages for the eggs. She put the oil on fire and fried the tomatoes for the stew. She served breakfast on the dining table and they ate in silence. Nwanneka cleared the table, washed out the plates and checked the tomatoes for the stew. She wanted to finish everything in good time before they sat down to talk. Within thirty minutes, the stew was ready.

“I’m through”

“Are you comfortable talking here?”

“I am. What do you want to talk about?”

“I came to see your uncle yesterday. It has dawned on me; you are my wife. I don’t want another. Seeing you with Danny killed me especially knowing he was just pretending to get what he wanted. I have made terrible mistakes in the past and I want to spend the rest of my life with you correcting them.”

‘What of Mercy? What happens to her?”

“Mercy? She is old news. It ended that day you left. I haven’t seen her since then”

“Are you sure? Are you sure she is still no longer in the picture? The last time I checked, we didn’t have s€× so who have you been having s€× with in the past how many months?”

Chike was silent. He looked at her and thought about lying but then, this girl would find out sooner or later, so why lie. This was a new beginning. “I’ve had random s€× with strangers when the need arises about three times and then stopped. Nothing serious. They don’t spend the night; they left immediately after. It happened the days I saw you. It stopped because I realized I don’t want anyone else but you. I am ready to settle down and only be with you. Let’s get married; I don’t want to waste time. Maximum of three months, it should be done. I can’t wait to have you all to myself”

“So, if I has travelled for three months you won’t be able to endure until I come back”

“Baby, I can endure knowing when you get back something will definitely happen. But this one you wouldn’t allow me now, even if you come back in three months, nothing still. Understand me”

“I understand you. s€× is food”

“Baby it is not like that, understand me. I am serious about marrying and it is because I love you. It took seeing you with Danny to force me to make the move before a smarter guy makes you fall for him. It is only your food I want to eat. Once I have yours, what will I look outside for nkwanu? Akwa nwa! Oji ugo! Nne, I love you and I want to be with you. Just forgive me and accept my proposal”

“My auntie likes you. She believes you are genuine. I don’t know about my uncle but for him to allow you alone with me in the house, then he must like you”

“I’m not comfortable here. Let’s go to my place and talk better”

“Not yet. I have to wait for them to come back. My room is upstairs; you might prefer it there. Let’s go”

Tbc