“It was my voice that you heard, I was on call” Nkechi said “she is still sleeping” she added
“You said she is sleeping, but she looks like someone who is about to die, Ma Nkechi, I think it’s time I take my mother to the hospital. I won’t forgive myself if anything happens to her.”
“We never took this part into consideration. There will be problem if he takes her to the hospital. How do I stop him now?” Nkechi got worried, thinking on the way to make Ndubuisi not to take Okwuchi to the hospital.
While Nkechi was getting worried, Okwuchi was getting nervous as well.
“Nkechi please, do something, don’t allow him take me anywhere. Convince him that I don’t want to go to any hospital” she screamed in her heart.
“Ndubuisi, these are your mother’s words, she doesn’t want to be taken to any hospital, don’t you think you will be dishonoring her wish by doing so?”
“Ma Nkechi, she is my mother, the first thing is to get her treated, let me worry about dishonoring her wish later.” Ndubuisi said, getting inside to grab his car key.
“Okwuchi, he is serious about taking you to the hospital, what are we going to do now?”
“Then there won’t be any point pretending to be sleeping anymore, as soon as you try lifting me, hit my leg on something, I will then wake up. We will make him believe that I’m getting better so that he will forget about taking me to the hospital”
“Hmm, OK better.. I just got worried that our plan was about to blow off..” Nkechi said…
When Ndubuisi entered his room, he saw Ogechi sitting down, looking sad.. He opened his mouth, to tell her about his intentions of taking his mother to the hospital.:
“Hmm, what’s the point of telling her anything, when she has made up her mind that my mother is after her life..” He said in his heart..
But Ogechi who saw how he hurriedly entered the room and grabbed his car key quickly jumped up from where she was sitting and asked in a haste manner: “My husband, what happened, why the sad look on your face? And I can see you are in a hurry”
“Ogechi, what sort of stupid question is that? You are asking as if you don’t know what is happening in this house”
The way he sounded made Ogechi thought that Mama was dead. She then asked a question she was not supposed to ask.
“What happened?” Is Mama dead?”
And shocked Ndubuisi couldn’t believe his ears.
“Ogechi! Ogechi!! Are you planning to kill my mother? Why wishing her dead when her time has not reached?”
Ogechi who suddenly realised her mistake began asking for a pardon “I am sorry my husband, I don’t know when such stupid question slipped from my mouth, forgive me my husband, please forgive me.”
But Ndubuisi ignored her and left in a heat angry mode.
When he reached his mother’s room, he tried lifting her up, to carry her to the car.
“What are you doing? Let me give you a helping hand. You can’t carry her like that, it’s so disrespectful of you… Come here, let me carry her from this side, and you will carry her from the other side. You can only carry her like that when some one is not around to help. You have to respect her age, don’t you know?” Nkechi said, saying in her heart: “I hope he buys that one”
She doesn’t want Ndubuisi to carry her alone so that they don’t miss their chance of waking Okwuchi. With that, nobody will suspect anything.
“OK Ma, if you say so…. ”
“Good, but where is your wife, she is not here?” Nkechi asked
And Ndubuisi reluctantly answered: “She is…….is…..is….she is busy arranging things in the room”
“OK, I’m asking because Okwuchi has been muttering her name in her sleep. I think she wants her by her side” Nkechi said..
“Well done Nkechi, nice one you said there. My son will now feel that I love his wife so much” Okwuchi appreciated Nkechi in her heart..
“Please, let’s lift her up, Ogechi can meet her in the hospital” Ndubuisi said
“Alright”
And just then, Ogechi stormed the room to know what was happening.. Why Ndubuisi took his car key in a hurry.
As they were lifting her, Ndubuisi asked Nkechi to carry her with care.
But Nkechi had her plans. She acted as if she was falling down, leaving Okwuchi’s legs to fall on the floor.
“Ma Nkechi, what have you done? You see why I wanted to carry her myself.. But what about you, hope you are not injured?” Ndubuisi asked
“No no, I am alright” Nkechi answered
And Just then, Okwuchi faked a sneeze, opening her eyes and began looking at her self, lying on the floor..
“What is going on here and why am I on the bare floor?” She asked, placing her hand on her head, acting to be having an ache.
“Mother, we were about taking you to the hospital.” Ndubuisi responded
“Hospital? But Nkechi, didn’t you tell him that I don’t want any hospital, you want me to die?”
“Want you to die? But hospital is a place where sick people go to receive treatment,
how can you think of going there to die?” Ndubuisi rushed a question
“Ndubuisi, most of the recorded deaths in this village took place in the hospital, they died the moment they were rushed there, so why would you think of taking me there?” she asked in a weak tone…
“Don’t be ridiculous mother, stop thinking like that” Ndubuisi said, laughing at his mother, thinking that old age was already getting into her brain.
“Oh my sweet mother, you are now getting older. You now think like old people. They start behaving and thinking like children the moment they reach certain age.. What a life…!”
“And my beautiful daughter in-law, where is she?” Okwuchi asked, looking around.
“I am here mother” Ogechi answered from behind..
And Okwuchi turned, and saw her.
“Why are you standing there, come here my dear” She said, extending her hand to reach out to her
And Ogechi approached her.
“How are you my beautiful wife, hope I did not get you worried with my sickness?”
“Hmm, not that much Mama, though we were worried, I won’t deny that”
“Don’t worry, I will fight this sickness so that you and your husband will return to your base soon. OK”
“Hmm” Ogechi hummed and wondered why Okwuchi was acting so nice: “She hasn’t treated me this nice before, or does it mean she has really changed?”
“So, how are you feeling now, Mama?” Ndubuisi asked
“I am feeling great, my dear. I am feeling great, just a little head ache, but the drugs I took earlier will complete the remaining healing”
“Alright, I thank God for healing you.” He appreciated God
“Yes, and your presence also did wonders. I got healed the moment my spirit sensed your presence..” She said and then turned to Ogechi: “So Ogechi tell me, you saw the city yesterday, how was it? So gist me, I want to hear it all and I hope my son did not trouble you that much” Okwuchi asked pretending to be so nice to her.
And her question made Ogechi to start smiling.
“I just want you to be happy my daughter. Your marriage into this family will be a blessed one, no plans of the enemies will ever succeed” Okwuchi prayed, to make Ogechi feel at ease with her..
Ndubuisi who was watching his mother praying for Ogechi’s wellbeing was heartbroken that the same woman she was praying for was only wishing her death: “Mama, the daughter in-law you are wishing well is busy harbouring hatred for you. I will still deal with Ogechi for that. She will explain to me what gave her the reason to think bad of my mother”
“I think I am feeling a bit weak, I will have to rest now” Okwuchi said, lying down..
“Um please, I want to have a moment with my daughter in-law, can you two excuse us please?” Okwuchi asked, looking at Ndubuisi and Nkechi….
“Alright, as you wish” Ndubuisi said, heading out…, as Nkechi followed suit.
“My daughter, how are you?”
“I am fine, Mama”
“You see, I know that I have been unnecessarily harsh towards you, I have now realised my mistakes. I am so sorry, and I am promising you, from today onwards, I will never trouble you again” Okwuchi continued, asking Ogechi to forgive her for treating her so rudely..
“What are you saying, Mama? How can you ask me to forgive you when you have done nothing to me? I am not angry with you, mother”
“Are you sure? Because last night, I dreamt about where you were scolding me, and I was so scared” Okwuchi said
“No mother, I am not angry with you, for real”
“Alright my daughter, thank you for making me feel better now. But I want to ask you for something, can you cook something for me? See, I don’t care about how it will taste, I will eat it no matter the outcome, because my daughter is going to cook it with so much love” Okwuchi said, acting so nice
And Ogechi laughed… “Don’t worry Mama, I will treat you to a special delicacy OK, you will like it”
“Alright my dear, and may God bless you”
“And you too mother” Ogechi appreciated, leaving for the kitchen…
“Oh my God! What was I thinking? My mother in-law is such a sweet person, and I was busy harbouring so much hatred for her… Now, my mother is right. I have to beg my husband for making such utterances about his mother. Now, I am happy again. I don’t have any reason to be worried again. Thank you Lord for seeing me through” She said in her heart, becoming so happy…..
You know what will happen to Ogechi if Okwuchi succeeds in her wicked plans, so what do you think will happen next, do you think she will have her way?
To be continued..
Mama Why? By Ngozi Lovelyn O.
Warning: No part of this work should be copied, use, reproduce, redistribute either electronically or manually without permission from the author..
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Contact Ngozi Lovelyn O @ www.Xperiawithngozilove@gmail.com
