UYAI ✔️

Uyai (twenty-seven)

It was past nine, Uyai observed as she glanced at Presh phone. Already a handful of events had transpired; now everyone knew that Affiong was pregnant and the baby daddy was somewhere out there. Uyai stubbornly refused to give out any information regarding that matter. The pregnancy, they found out on their. Raina specifically the observer, had seen the little signs as she would call it, and those signs included Affiong's overwhelming urge to empty her stomach by releasing it's contents via the mouth. Thankfully, before that had occurred sister had held it in with a red face and had dashed out of the parlour in haste.

Mr. Ekpenyong had come to meet the guest and Mrs. Ekpenyong had seen to it that he had eaten. Surprisingly he had requested for a bowl of garri and not the kind you would expect; It's contents was rich, consisting of spoonfuls of powdered milk, a lot of sugar unsuitable for his age, chilled water and of course a bottle of groundnut, Gift had called it peanut. He quietly sat in the dinning just across from them and devoured the meal like it was the last on earth. They all watched him as he gulped down spoonfuls leaving some to trail the sides of his lips.

Gift had gone to join him accompanied with Freddy who she now attempted to feed. Apparently the bird was quite selective seeing he refused the meal by upturning it's beak or moving it to the side in avoidance.

Gift sighed in frustration, dropped the spoon in a clank and gave Mr. Ekpenyong a worried look. "Grandpa It's high time Freddy was given a drug, he's now becoming a bore, he refuses to talk and now he selects the kind of food he eats."

Mr. Ekpenyong perused the bird with keen eyes. "He doesn't need medicine, he looks just fine to me."

"He does." she insisted and turned to the direction of Mrs. Ekpenyong who was discussing different brands of cosmetics with Mrs. Chance. "Grandma don't you think Freddy needs medicine?"

She glanced up and met her granddaughter's worried gaze "Perhaps what he needs is a little love and attention and am sure he'll talk in no time." She said with a little smile.

"Okay." Gift smiled happily in return.

"Mum I think it's best if don't give her high hopes." Peter threw his mum a shrewd look.

Uyai totally agreed with him. She knew Gift was wise enough to use it to her advantage.

"What? That's why I crossed my fingers. How could you buy a parrot that's non talking?" she hissed and shot him an accusing look.

"I told you before I didn't know." he said in a hushed tone and deftly glanced behind him towards the dinning to where Gift sat to see if she heard them.

Thankfully she wasn't looking their way.

Gift who was still thinking about what her grandmother had said turned to her again and said "Grandma does that mean no more paracetamol again whenever I am unwell?"

Uyai was right. The little girl didn't disappoint and surely used it to her advantage.

"Caro, I won't advice you to agree with that." Mrs Chance spoke worriedly to Mrs. Ekpenyong as she glanced at the little girl who had on a hopeful look.

"Eh? Err...perhaps." Mrs. Ekpenyong stuttered a reply

"Thank God!" Gift exclaimed happily and started whistling a happy tune.

"She'd gone and done it." Mrs. Chance shook her head in resolution.

"Mum what have you done? You do realize she's going to refuse every drug you give her except love and attention right?" Peter looked pointedly at his mother.

"It'll sure be fun to try and watch her forcefully shove a drug down her throat." Raina commented throatily and Presh nudged her to be quiet while holding back an amused smile.