“How did I allowed my self to get entangled with this Ebere of a woman, and now she is telling me she is pregnant! Women, they can’t cease to amaze me!” Austin said shuddering.
“But what if she is truly pregnant?…… Hmm, there is no way I can marry such a girl, even if that child she is claiming is mine………….. Let me not find her in that house tomorrow or else, she will regret ever knowing me. Nonsense” Austin said to himself and slept.
…………………………………………………………………….
“Ebere, the best thing to do is for you to leave tomorrow morning as he commanded”
“I don’t think that will be a good idea, its better I stay here, with time he will get to love me”.
“What about your school?” Obioma asked
“We are through with lectures, there’s no much thing happening in school now, soon we will be having our exams. As you can see, I came with some of my lecture notes” Anna said pointing at her bag.
Obioma laughed and said: “You are really prepared oo. But I still suggest you leave, I know my brother, he doesn’t like people proving stubborn. The only person who can put senses into him is our mother. Don’t worry, I will tell her what is happening, and trust me, he will come and pay your bride price”
“Really? Are you sure she can help?”
Anna asked excitedly
“Yes, trust me, he is her favorite, and he always obey whatever she says”.
” I am so happy to hear this, if you can do this for me eeh, I will shower you with enough gifts.”Anna said thanking her.
“Ah ah, this is nothing naa, is it not my nephew you have in your womb again? I must do all I can to help” Obioma said, and later, they slept.
The next morning, Obioma changed her mind to travel down to the village with Anna to show her mother her condition, because she is the only person who can make Austin assume his responsibility.
So she relayed her idea to Anna.
“Obioma, I am ready to do anything that will make Austin accept me as his wife, I love your brother more than anything in this world.”
“Alright, we are going down to the village this morning”
“So they took their bath, and got prepared to leave. As they were leaving, Austin returned and saw his sister leaving.
” Where are you going to?” Austin asked Obioma
“I am going” Obioma replied
“Why? Austin asked.
” I hate injustice. You put a fellow woman like me in a family way, and expect me to support you, no brother, I can’t support in you in this situation. When you were busy enjoying her without protection, you did not think of the consequences, now you want to allow her bear the cross alone.”
“Obioma!” Austin called in anger raising his hand to slap her.
Obioma who was protecting her face with her hand shifted and blurted:”Brother, you want to beat me, right? Beat me, but that will not stop me from telling you the truth.
Austin who was breathing heavily fast from the anger burst was able to control himself.
“Obioma, did I plead for your support?
You want to go right?”
“Yes, I want to go” She murmured.
“And you Ebere or whatever they call you, if I ever see you near my side again, you will regret ever knowing me. Now, leave let me close my door. All you women are the same”
As soon they left the flat, he slammed the door loudly and hissed.
Obioma and Anna traveled down to the village. When she told their mother about the whole story. She was sad.
“Why would Chijioke(Austin’s native name) impregnate a woman without even paying her bride price? Chijioke nwam(son)! This is not what I thought you, you went to the city and left the ways of God and joined the city life, Chijioke Mbanu!(No)
“Mama, this is not time for pointing blames, let’s seek for solution before her stomach start protruding” Obioma interrupted.
“Have you called Ejike,your elder brother?”
“No mama, I have not, but he won’t have much to say in this situation. He will only say, “Chijioke is a grown man, he won’t like to interfere”. Mama, you are the only person to talk some senses into him” Obioma suggested.
“OK, call her, you say her name is what again?” Mama asked.
“Ebere, mama”
“Call Ebere for me”
Obioma went and called her from the room. The mother asked her to sit down, as she was sitting down, Mama was busy observing her.
“My daughter, did you say my Son Chijioke was the one who got you pregnant?” Mama asked warmly.
Anna pretended to be crying, admitting her mistake so that mama will have a soft heart over her.
“Mama, this is not the way my parents trained me oo, I know I have made a very big mistake, when I found out that I was pregnant, my friends advised
me to abort it, but I rejected their advise, because its only a wicked woman can kill her baby in the womb. All I know is that, whatever God says will be, will be” Anna said kneeling down shedding fake tears.
“Ewo my daughter, sit down, for the fact you admitted your mistake shows you are from a very responsible home. Ebezina oo(stop crying). For the fact you have come to me, you will never be ashamed inugo(you hear)?”.
Anna nodded and started wiping her fake tears, smiling in her heart:”Look at this people oo, wow, tears can do magic mehn”.
“Obioma?” Mama called.
“Ma”
“Call your elder brother on phone, tell him I want to see him this evening or tomorrow, that its a matter of life. But don’t tell him the reason”.
“OK mama” Obioma said and called her elder brother on phone. He said alright, that he will come the next day that he already had his plan set up for that day.
When he came the next morning and mama told him what happened.
“Mama, is this why you sent for me?”
“Nwam(son) this is more important than anything, you know you are like my husband ever since your father left me”.
“OK Mama, what do you want me to do” Ejike asked trying to stop her from remembering the death of her husband.
He wasn’t so keen into helping, he said exactly what Obioma predicted.
But when Mama insisted, he accepted but on the grounds of talking to him, and not to induce him into going against his wish
because he is old enough to make decisions regarding his future.
To be continued..
Do you think Mama will succeed in her plans of forcing Austin(Chijioke) to marry Anna(Ebere).
The author of Kukere Sisters is Ngozi Lovelyn O.
Warning: No part of this work should be copied, use, reproduce, redistribute either electronically or manually without prior permission from the author..
Copyright:©2017
xperiawithngozilove@gmail.com
But he went for his mother's burial before, according to Ebere in episode 10