Ezeabata In A Golden Marriage

CHAPTER 7

"I am always grateful mum for you and daddy says Heaven with a touch of affection in her voice as she reaches for her mother's hands but the latter pulls her hands away not wanting to reason with her daughter
"Growing up my siblings and I always heard you and dad in conversations saying
When the right hand washes the left hand then the left hand in turn washes the right" she says with a soft stare at Nkechi
"Sometimes i feel that you both made efforts at this relationship when you were unbelievers than now you are belivers and it shouldn't be so" says Heaven concerned wearing a worried look

"If you were in my shoes what would you have done" asked Nkechi getting up from where she has been reclining on her bed agitated

"Calm down mum, I'm also on your side you know, i would have told Ezenwa not to speak of daddy with such disrespect" tackles Heaven
"How can a child you gave birth to with your husband and both of you watched him grow up tell you such about a man you call husband and his father, you kept quiet about it. Mbanu!(no way in igbo) it shouldn't be heard of not even as a joke!" Exclaims Heaven
" let's be honest if it was daddy he will put up a fight for you, he always reminds us that you are our mother and should be respected that way no matter what" emphasized Heaven

"All i thought of then is that Ezenwa is looking out for me" argues Nkechi in a dismissive manner
"That does not explain in any way daddy's overeating especially when a visitor is in the house, a soon to be son inlaw for that matter" says Obianauju trying to counter Heaven

"Says one who is quick to pick offense" Heaven replies obianauju
"What do you mean by that?" Asks Obianauju
"I thought you didn't have anything to say when i asked" queries Heaven
"Obianauju you and i are going to be married someday and i don't think it's good not to tell the truth without fear or favour. This is not about me or you So please put your childishness away for once and let's think of our parents well being even after you and i leaves the house, we need to know they will be fine." Heaven concludes.

"Where you this matured some years back please give mummy time and space after all it is said that all fingers are not equal, we all don't reason in the same way. Las las(finally in pidgin) they will be fine" Obianauju also concludes
"Time and space? Fair enough no wahala(no problems in pidgin) Am not forcing it on her please just doing the needful. Let me go downstairs and contact dad and know if he and Echeta are close by."

Heaven went downstairs wishing the mum and Uju would understand her. She believes the mum expects too much from her dad. Mrs Okafor always acted in this way like her husband should be responsible for her happiness but truth be told Heaven reasons within her that no one's happiness should be totally dependant on another's efforts afterall we all are humans. There were many times her mum sounded like she did their dad a huge favour by marrying him but her dad as far as she and many others are concerned has done well for himself. He has built successful businesses with his standard six certificate, he is fluent and eloquent in English language, supports his family the best way he can and also involved in some kind of charity towards humanity. A Christian indeed at heart and honestly some women's prayer is to meet one like him for a life partner. None is perfect of course but ever since Ezeabata Okafor gave his life to Christ as a bornagain christian and got filled with the Holy Spirit with the bible evidence of speaking in tongues he has been bent at working on his flaws, one which he carries like a baggage till he met Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour. Heaven encourages herself in the Lord with a scripture or two and went on to call her dad as soon as she was sitted in the living room. The dad assures her that they will soon be home but that Cheta might have to sleep over pending on if they get home on time or not. She was on her phone doing stuff and she slept.

"Honestly Uju i don't understand how your sister reasons sometimes" questions mrs Okafor starting a conversation
"Hmm why does she always take sides with daddy? Why can't she attack daddy the way she attacks you?"
"Are you asking me?" Exclaims Nkechi in dismay raising her eyebrows
"Who then will i ask" Inquires Nkechi
"Odiegwu!(amazing in igbo) Uju let me prep for bed i want to bathe " she added
"Okay mum i will be in my room if you need me" says Uju standing up to leave
"Deme nwa m"(thank you my child) replies her mother.

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"I have always loved the raining season ever since i started reasoning as a child but it didn't make me happy on the day i left home with my uncle to his house Echeta. It rained not long after we left" says Ezeabata Okafor trying to pick up his discussion with Cheta from where he stopped.
"I can understand your mix feelings at that time" reasons Echeta as the discussion will keep him engaged not to feel the stress of the hold up It's some sought of ginger (energy) for the traffic
"Yes it was indeed a night of mixed feelings, i mean can it be any worse than it already was that night i thought to myself. Tired and hungry then we got to my uncle's house at the entrance i perceived loneliness, boredom some kind of quietness that insinuated hell even though i knew hell surely can't be that quiet, it's definitely going to be worse than it already  concluded." Says Ezeabata Okafor

"My Auntie welcomed her husband my uncle warmly, simply turning were i was standing she said with this stern look Ezeabata nno(welcome in igbo) and i nodded but with hot sweats of fear running down from my head which i quietly wipped with my hands. I felt like it was a welcome to a lion's den. She summoned one of those living with them as a help to come carry my things to the room where they stayed."
"The thing Echeta is that i didn't need a sooth sayer to tell me that everything i have heard about my uncle's wife being mean at heart when my mother and her co wife with my dad and older siblings talked about some of their experiences when they visited their home is true. I was very hungry that night eventually when i settled down i was given food but the soup was kind of sour but when i looked at the way my uncle and his children were eating i wondered if it was same food am eating they were eating but one among those house helps living with them whispered to me that the akpu(pounded cassava flour) is the same for everyone even though our portion was smaller but the soup is different. Meaning what i whispered back. We eat remnants of a left over soup from some days back while daa (what you call a woman quite older than you in some part of igbo land) Olivia and her family eats freshly made soup." Continues Okafor almost tearing up.

"...what!" Echeta cuts in
"I was shocked how can anyone be so mean, i am a relative for crying out loud we have people living with us but my mother never treated anyone with such contempt. I quietly sobbed for a bit looking at my uncle enjoying dinner with his family with their faces beaming with delight as they chatted over their meals, i then remembered my home. I told those sitted with me on the mat that i wasn't hungry anymore but they told me that she will flogg me and query me for wasting her food. My uncle won't let her i told them,i am his nephew i said. They said so you think we are not related to them in one way or the other too it's a matter of time you will get it they told me." Says Ezeabata Okafor.

"What are you people whispering to one another over there" daa Olivia my uncle's wife queried us in anger says Okafor.
"You had better not be gossiping about me my husband or children o, my uncle's wife added. I stared at her in anger mimicking her in my head and shook my head quietly while thinking this is impossible. How can any human ever treat another like this not to talk of when they are related to you!" Says Ezeabata Okafor, as he shrug his shoulders in disbelief of the kind of things he went through at the hands of daa Olivia Ikwudinamba.