“But who could that be?” Ndubuisi continued wondering. “But how is that possible?” He then turned to Ogechi who was seriously looking at him, to know his full reactions.
“Can I see the main pot of soup? I want to have a taste again, because this is not ordinary. Who could be messing with your food, and what is the person’s gain?”
“My husband, the main soup has been poured away.”
“Poured away, but why?”
“Mama thought it a good idea to do so.”
As Ogechi was still speaking, Ndubuisi then felt remorseful. He quickly remembered how he failed to believe Ogechi, and also slapping her on top of it.
He then took a good look at her cheek and saw how swollen it was.
He calmly approached and began searching for the words to apologize to her.
“To tell you the truth, I am a complete jerk. I am so stupid for raising my hand on you. Please, forgive me, I am pleading. I will do anything you ask of me, but please forgive me my Darling.” He continued apologizing, sincerely.
“My husband, realising that I’m not a bad cook is the only apology I needed from you and I have truly forgiven you.” Ogechi said.
“So, which means that I have been forgiven?”
And Ogechi nodded.
And smiling Ndubuisi hugged her passionately.
“It has been over 10 minutes since she entered my son’s room, what is she still doing there? Is she begging him or something. And I can’t even hear any voices. Am I even supposed to hear anything? Because Ndubuisi has made it clear he is leaving without her. Let me go and have a look to know how she is crying for a forgiveness that will never come. My son can be furious when angry. This is very good” she then headed her son’s room. On reaching there, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She saw Ogechi wrapped in Ndubuisi’s arms.
Out of uncontrolled anger, she burst out.”What is going on here?”
And Ndubuisi then turned towards her and began opening his mouth to tell her what was happening, but Ogechi stopped him.
“No my husband, don’t tell her yet, I want it to be a surprise to her” she whispered.
“What? She is even whispering to him? Huh! I am done for good. I used my hand to dug my own grave. Just some minutes ago, he was madly angry with her, and now, they are embracing and whispering to each other. The more I tried creating a rift between them, the more closer they get. And look at them, it’s like she is telling him not to reveal anything to me. Am I getting a feeling that Ogechi is using black magic on my son? Because from the look of things here, Ndubuisi is not acting like his normal self. He is not at all. There is only one way to find out. If he explains the real reason for their quick make up, then I will know that I still have my son, but if he refuses to say anything, and obeying Ogechi’s instructions, that means, Ogechi has used black magic to snatch him from me” She thought and then spoke up “My son, I am asking you, what is going on here? You were madly……..”
“Mama…… Just relax, you will find out soon, OK….. Have the women arrive?” Ndubuisi interrupted her
And Okwuchi nodded, saying: “Some of them are here, that’s why I came to call her” Okwuchi explained
“OK, just go and be with them, my beautiful wife will be joining them soon.” Ndubuisi said
“Beautiful wife! Beautiful wife!! Beautiful wife!!!” The statement continued ringing on Okwuchi’s head.. She kept wondering how Ogechi succeeded in winning her son’s heart without any delay. “This can never be possible without the help of black magic. But not to worry Ogechi, rejoice now while you can, because the Umu-Ada will never spare you for inviting them here for nothing. They won’t spare you for joking with their precious times. The whole villagers will know that you know nothing, that you are a terrible cook and I will also make them realise that you are using black magic on my son. And with their combined effort, I will drive you away from my son’s life. It was my terrible mistake by choosing you for him and I refused to dwell in that mistake any longer..” She said in her heart, quietly leaving the room.
The moment she left, Ndubuisi then asked Ogechi if she was suspecting that his mother was the person behind it all.
“I won’t be the one to tell you, you will only find out by yourself” she said in her heart and the spoke up: “No my husband, why do you think so? Is it because I asked you not to tell her anything? My intention was to surprise her. I am sure she will be merged with joy after finding out that I am not as bad as she thought.” Ogechi explained.
“OK, that’s good. I am happy again. At least those women won’t have any reason to badmouth me or my wife again.”
“OK my husband, let me go outside to welcome them” Ogechi said
When she stormed the midst of the women, Okwuchi’s friend, Nkechi began scolding her for keeping them waiting.
But she calmly apologized, looking cheerful.
Her calm gesture became a matter of concern to Okwuchi and Nkechi
Nkechi then took Okwuchi to a corner and began asking her why Ogechi was so calm instead of shivering in fear “Hope you did everything I asked you to do?”
“Off course, everything was perfect. Don’t allow her calm gesture to deceive you. That girl is more smart than I thought. But she should rejoice while she can because she is leaving this house for good. I will drive her away from my son’s life”
“Okwuchi, do you think that will be easy?”
“Just leave that to me, I know how to carry out that task, trust me”
They were still speaking when Ogechi headed inside and brought out the food she will serve them.
And Okwuchi and her friend began looking at each other in wild surprise, wondering what she was carrying.
“But what is she carrying?” Nkechi blurted
“I don’t know, Let’s go and find out”
Ogechi calmly placed the food on the table and then cleared her throat and began addressing them.
“So like I promised, here is the food” She then began serving them.
The women enjoyed the food, they kept demanding for more.
Ndubuisi was so happy, peeping at them through the window.
He enjoyed the praises the women were heaping on Ogechi’s head.
“Ogechi, you are an excellent cook, please is the soup still remaining, can I send for my son to get me a plate from my house?”
Ogechi smiled, and said yes.
She then remembered her mother and said in her heart “I love you mother, I don’t know what I would have done without you”
Okwuchi and her friend were dumbfounded, they couldn’t understand how Ogechi was able to outsmart them.
“Okwuchi, you should have told me that you are weak. See the simple task that I gave you, but you failed to carry it out. Look at how you allowed this small girl to outsmart us. Please next time, count me off from your shady deals, I don’t do business with weak people..” She angrily said, leaving the compound.
To be continued.
Mama Why was written by Ngozi Lovelyn O. Warning! No part of this work should be used, copied without permission from the author..
