Three generations episode 50
TITLE: THREE GENERATIONS
WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI
CHAPTER 50
The next day, Chike brought him some cooked food and also food items that would tide him over until he starts earning. He came with soups and stew in bowls. “At least”, Okey thought to himself, “I will not starve”.
Nwanneka took him to his place of work on Monday. He was given some forms to fill and employed immediately. After Nwanneka left, the man told him, “I am employing because of that lady. She begged me to give you this opportunity. The way I see you, you are not a serious person. I will advise you to be serious here. The sh¡pping company doesn’t employ people as full staff because no one ever resigns from the job. They are very well paid and enjoy a lot of incentives. Once there is a vacancy, they don’t look for staff from outside, it is the most hærdworking contract staff they promote. You should make up your mind and work hærd. The other people we employ are school cert holders, you have a degree and with that, you have a better advantage”
Okey didn’t like the work at all but he kept going. He discovered he could make money from other means. He also worked late to enjoy overtime. On the weekend, he rested. He was usually very tired. When he complained to Chike, he said to him, “no pain no gain”.
Every weekend, without informing Chike, Nwanneka sent soup and stew to Okey. She knew the job was tasking but she also knew within a short period of time, if he worked hærd, he would be transferred to other departments. What she didn’t know was that Wharf he was posted to was a gold mine which none of them that worked there were ever ready to leave. Okey was too proud so the others didn’t show him how they were making their money. They always looked unkempt but it was camouflage. Pride deprived Okey of sense for a long time.
Mama Chike came to Lagos to visit a month after Okey had resumed work. She fought Chike over Okey not living with him. She complained bitterly about him suffering where he was. She claimed the work Nwanneka got for him was too exhausting for him. She told Chike he was dancing to his wife’s tune by not allowing his brother to live with him.
“Mama, I had already told papa Okey cannot live with me. The reason is that you have spoilt him. He will be a problem for the innocent lady I married. If he dislikes the job he is doing, he has two options, he should either join you back to Asaba or go and learn the apprenticesh¡p work in Agbara. These are the only options open. I want to relocate my boys outside my home and that his flat is perfect for me”
“What are you saying Chike? Why can’t your brother work with you? If he is working with you, he will join you to work from here in the morning and come back home with you. I housed your father’s siblings in my house and your father trained them from there. Why don’t you want to do the same?”
“The woman I married doesn’t have such a background. She is the only child of her mother and she lived with helps. Right now, she is coping because she doesn’t have children. Once she does, she won’t have time for certain things. We will learn to adjust in the house. My boys help her with cleaning and running other errands. They do it gladly. Will Okey run errands for her? Okey will make my wife’s life miserable and I, Chike will never allow that. If he can’t cope take him back with you to Asaba”
‘So it is because of your wife you threw out your brother?”
“No o, it is because of you, mama. Okey can never live here. Even to visit will be when necessary. I don’t want problems. If he is complaining, take him back and continue to br-astfeed him”
When Chike went out, mama Chike attacked Nwanneka. “When we investigated you, we were told your mother brought division to the family because of your father’s wealth. You have come with the same leg. Why should your husband’s brother live apart from him? Why can’t he work with Chike instead of this job he is doing? Chike says it is because of you he is doing all this, why can’t you tell him he is wrong and accept his brother in the house?”
“Mama, you are talking to the wrong person. Chike is the head of this family and whatever he says is final. He has said no family member is allowed to visit for more than a week, I have to abide by that. Okey has a better job than Chike if only he will come down from his high horse and learn. He has better opportunities but he will have to go through rough patches to get to his goal. Let him remain in Lagos and manage himself. I support with soup and stew every weekend which Chike is not aware of. That’s the bit I can do. But to challenge my husband’s decision; I will never do that”
Mama Chike was quiet. This girl was smarter than she thought. She thought she could threaten her a bit and get compensation from her but it didn’t work. Now she had to devise another method to get something from her.
She couldn’t complain about her food, even the boys working with Chike preferred to eat the food Nwanneka cooked than the one she cooked. Chike refused to even taste his mother’s food. When she took the food to Okey, he remarked ”This isn’t Nwanneka’s food”.
She devised another method to trouble them. At night, she would call Chike out for discussion disturbing their night activity. She would keep him there until very late. By the time he gets back to the room, Nwanneka had slept. Nwanneka knew it was deliberate to frustrate them. Chike didn’t find it funny at all. He couldn’t avoid his mother.
Nwanneka had a plan. The next night she came to knock, Nwanneka refused to answer for some time. She kept knocking. Nwanneka answered the door by hiding behind it. She said to Chike’s mother, “Mama, Chike and I are very busy right now. When we are done, he will come out to meet you”
“What do you mean by that? Call Chike for me” mama said in annoyance and pushed the door open. Chike was unclad on the bed while Nwanneka was nude behind the door. Mama Chike quickly shut her eyes and found her way out of the room. She couldn’t believe what her eyes saw. She knew it must have been Nwanneka’s plan and it worked. She never knocked on the door again until she left.
She had stayed a week and was supposed to leave but because of what Nwanneka told her, she decided to stay longer. The morning after she intruded into the bedroom, Chike told her he would be away for a week with Nwanneka. He gave her money for her transport fare back to Asaba and extra money for herself.
“Won’t your wife give me something?”
“My wife doesn’t earn much for now. I am handling the bills at home”
“We married her because of her money now. Why isn’t her mother supporting?”
“I am man enough to take care of my family mama. She doesn’t need to depend on her mother when I am here”
Mama didn’t last in the house for three days before leaving. Chike begged Nwanneka to please bear with his mother. Nwanneka told him she understood. She never mentioned to him the confrontation.
Okey did the job for six months and then left. He had made some money and was tired of the stress involved. Chike informed him he won’t pay any of his expenses and it was in his best interest to either learn a trade or go back to Asaba. Okey chose Asaba.
Chike sent the oldest of his boys to live in the house. He was extremely grateful for the place. Every Friday, he got soup and stew from Nwanneka for the week. She didn’t differentiate between him and oga’s brother. The love for Nwanneka grew.
Nwanneka’s former General Manager requested for her which her head of department wasn’t excited about. She focused mainly on her job and wasn’t in the way of anyone. A new department was created and Nwanneka was sent to head it. An entry-level staff was made head of a department. She dealt mainly with the artisans and casual workers that worked for the company band she loved her job.
Nwanneka didn’t get pregnant immediately. They had agreed to wait a year so she would be confirmed on her job. With her new role, she was quite business and worked extra hours monitoring the workers. The boys had learned how to prepare everything she would cook down before she returned. Chike always waited patiently to bring her home.
In the second year of marriage, they went home for Christmas in Awka Etiti. They went to Asaba first. Okey was there still being a nuisance. The sisters were in the house as the second sister, Ijeoma’s husband had travelled and hadn’t been back for months.
They all went together to Awka Etiti. Nwakaego had sent a package ahead of her to Asaba which she picked up. In the village, she took over the cooking. She made the food everyone ate. The problem was that no other person was willing to sweep and clean. They expected Nwanneka to do everything. Nwanneka wasn’t willing to do anything beyond cooking.
It caused a serious misunderstanding which made Chike’s father step into the matter. Nwanneka had told Chike not to say a word whenever the issue comes up. He should just say whatever they decide is fine by him. She didn’t want his family to think he always takes sides with her.
Mama insisted Nwanneka was to sweep, clean and still cook. Nwanneka said she couldn’t do all the chores. She came back to rest from the tedious work she had to do in the town and wouldn’t want to add to her stress.
“You are lazy. How big is this house? You are the woman married here and if anything happens to your husband’s father, he will inherit this house. Why can’t you maintain it? You were not well trained by your family”
“Mama, I am keeping my home in Lagos with the little training my mother gave me. I cook because I don’t want my husband to reject anybody’s food here but if you insist on me sweeping and cleaning, then I will stop cooking. I will sweep and clean the house. I will only cook food my husband will eat”
Chike’s father and Okey both refused; they wanted her in the kitchen. They didn’t want to eat ‘potty’ this holiday. Papa Chike asked his daughters to ch¡p in and help but they refused.
“No problem,” Nwanneka said to them. “How I clean the house shouldn’t concern you and I will not touch any of your rooms. As long as the sitting room and environs are well kept, you can’t make a fuss”
They agreed. This was preplanned by Nwanneka. She had already arranged for a young girl in the village to come early every morning to clean the house. She wanted to take the girl with her to Lagos to live with her. Her mother was a widow with three children. She asked Nwanneka to lift her burden by taking her first child, Adanma. Nwanneka was already drawn to the girl and hearing from other women in the village, she was a good woman.
The next morning, as early as 5:30 am, Adanma was in the house working. She was working under Nwanneka’s supervision. Before 9:00 am, the house was cleaned and breakfast was ready.
“Bia Adanma, what are you doing here?” mama Chike asked the girl.
“Auntie Nwanneka asked me to work for her in the house “
“Work how?”
“To sweep and clean the house”
“Leave this place at once! What nonsense is that? Why can’t she do the work? Does she think she is too big to serve her in-laws?”
Chike had come out of the room on hearing his mother’s voice. He guessed what was happening and asked Nwanneka to remain in the room while he handled it.
“Mama, what is it?”
“It is your lazy wife. She got this girl to do her work. What is she doing in,side your room? Why would she ask Adanma to work in my house without telling me?”
“She told you she would get the work done and she has. She will not sweep and clean this house herself for you. I know you are looking for ways to punish her because of Okey but then, it also wasn’t her fault Okey chose to leave. Stop harassing my wife. It is enough”
“Your wife! Both of you won’t allow us to sleep at night but we still don’t have a pregnancy or even a child to show for all the action. Is she barren too?”
“I now understand why you are annoyed. If I can’t meet with my wife in my father’s house, then it better we move out of the house for you. Uncle Bernard asked me to stay at his place knowing how you are but I assured him you wouldn’t behave like this. But I was wrong. We will move there and visit there whenever we can”
“Nneka has brought division into our home. You could never speak to me like this before and you are doing so now. I know it is her handwork. You can leave if you want to. She has a daughter with another man you don’t know, she has refused to give you a child that will be yours. Use your brains”
Chike entered the room in anger. He asked Nwanneka to pack her things they were leaving. Nwanneka refused to pack. She told him he wasn’t handling the situation well.
“This is her house and she has every right to behave the way she likes. Build your own house, even if it is a bungalow. No one can dictate to us in our house. There is no hurry”
“I want a house in Lagos first just like my father did. I am hustling to raise the money. Only after we have a home I can build here”
“Then, we have to endure. I can manage mama. Leave her to me. I want to give Adanma papa’s clothes to wash. I will be back”
Nwanneka walked past mama in the sitting room who was still fuming. She knocked for her father-in-law and asked for his clothes that needed to be washed. She collected them and went outside with Adanma, she showed her how to use detergent and bar soap to wash. She supervised her.
When Adanma had finished her chores. Nwanneka gave her some of the food she cooked and some raw foodstuff sent over to her by her mother. She drove Adanma home. She asked her to resume the next day.
Mama noticed Nwanneka didn’t say anything to her. She was afraid her son will make good his threat and leave. She didn’t want that; it would be a shame. She decided to tread softly so she doesn’t provoke Chike who has always been hot-headed. She knew Chike loved Nwanneka but now she knew it was beyond love. He would do anything for her including laying down his life for her.
Nwanneka made dinner all by herself. She prepared ofe onugbu and nri oka. They all dived into the food. They ate together and at the same time. Papa and mama shared a plate, the two sisters ate together, Nwanneka and Chike shared a plate of food, Okey ate alone and the little boy, Uju, also ate alone.
As they ate, Nwanneka decided to address an issue. She announced to them, “Chike and I have decided to wait until our wedding anniversary to try for a baby. This is because I have a new job which will take me a year to get confirmed. It is tasking right now and getting pregnant will be more stressful for me. Whatever you hear Chike and I do in our bedroom is strictly for pleasure. Please bear with us”
Okey nearly choked on his food, Chike bowed his head in embarrassment, the two sisters couldn’t contain their laughter, Chike’s mother’s eyes were as wide as saucers while Chike’s father commended his son saying, “That’s my boy”.
Nwanneka continued eating before adding, “That job is quite tasking and I can’t cook delicious meals and clean. Adanma remains. She will help me run errands so I can have the strength to cook and also service my husband. Thank you for your understanding”
Chike, even though utterly embarrassed, knew no one would win over Nwanneka, she always knew the right things to say at the right time.
Tbc