Nkechi then gave Okwuchi sign to control herself.
“Ow, what was I thinking? And my son will now confirm that I hate Ogechi” Okwuchi thought
“Mama, I am asking you?” Ndubuisi repeated
“Ndubuisi my son, to tell you the truth, I don’t like how you handle matters when it comes to Ogechi. Why did you get those women arrested?”
“Mama, look at your daughter in-law. Just take a good look at her? How did you expect me to take it easy on them when they have inflicted her with so much injuries? In fact, I don’t have time for all these, we are leaving” Ndubuisi said, heading inside and then grabbed their bags and left.
Okwuchi tried all she could to stop them but all proved abortive. Ndubuisi left, ignoring her rants.
Okwuchi and Nkechi sat, looking at each other.
“Nkechi, you allowed him to leave? Why didn’t you try to stop him?” Okwuchi angrily asked
“And what does that supposed to mean? Were you not here when he left, why didn’t you stop him? He doesn’t listen to anything you say, how did you expect him to respect me?”
And Okwuchi paused, thinking over all that happened.
“And now, the whole villagers will be on me for this singular act Ndubuisi has committed, how do I face them now? I think the best thing is to go to that police station and show them how sorry I am for what my son has done.”
“Okwuchi, I think we should return to that priest first and explain to him what is happening. I think he is in a better position to explain to us why the charm has refused to work on Ogechi. As for the women, we will handle their matters later.”
“But Nkechi, do you still have faith in that fake priest? In trying to send Ogechi away from my son’s life, I have succeeded in creating a distance between me and Ndubuisi. What if I end up loosing him forever? What if my worst fears end up coming to reality?”
“Okwuchi, this is more reason why we should meet him, don’t loose faith in him yet. And moreover, he owes us explanations on why the charm is not strongly effective on Ogechi. Don’t loose faith yet, I have seen with my own eyes how Ogechi is manipulating your son and if care is not taken, you will loose your only child to her and I don’t want that to happen.”
Okwuchi hummed, thinking on whether to go to the man’s place or not.
“Okwuchi, no need thinking on whether to go or not, let’s go now”
And Okwuchi reluctantly agreed.
When they reached and narrated everything to the man, he told them not to worry that the charm will still trap Ogechi one day.
That the reason why the charm was coming on and off on her was because she had no spirit of stealing in her.
“If she is among the people who enjoy stealing, the charm would have enveloped her entire thinking and be controlling her actions, but because she is free from that type of lifestyle, the charm wasn’t that strong on her. That was why she has been able to get rid of all the evidences that would have exposed her, but you don’t have to worry, because soon, she will fall into a trap that will swallow her for good” the native doctor assured
After their meeting with the native doctor, their faiths were rekindled. Okwuchi placed her faith on what the man said.
“Okwuchi, I think soon, you will be vindicated. If Ogechi finally fall into our trap like the priest said, then your son will hate her for good. He will then realised that it was all Ogechi’s plan to make you look bad in his eyes.”
“Nkechi, I feel like dancing already. Oh wow! I did not even see it from this perspective. He will say that I have been right all along. And the market women, he will regret ever getting them arrested. Ogechi was busy making things complicated for herself thinking she is smart. Nkechi my friend, I can’t just wait for that day to come, the day my son will look me in the eyes and ask me to forgive him, that I have been right all along.” Okwuchi said, becoming cheerful.
Ndubuisi and Ogechi had safely reached their house in the city. He couldn’t get his anger off from the way Ogechi was mistreated.
“You have to forget everything my husband, those women were only doing what they thought was right.” Ogechi said, trying to calm him down.
“But there is something I’m still yet to understand.” Ndubuisi asked
“And what is that?”
“When those women were beating you, you didn’t try to defend yourself. You knew quite well you were oblivious of why they were beating you? In fact, you were so calm, looking so guilty. You didn’t say anything to your defense, I didn’t see any surprise look on your face, why?”
“My sweet husband, how do I explain to you that those women were actually right? How do I explain my predicaments to you? And getting those women arrested has ruined every chances of telling you what I’m passing through. You will regret yourself for ever getting involved. You will regret your life for talking to your mother the way you did today. You will regret your life for not believing your mother. You will also hate me, thinking that it was my plan to make you see your mother from the bad side. You will have every reason to hate me if I tell you that everybody has been right all along. I’m trapped in my fears, I should have told you the truth earlier, now, things have gone out of control for me. What am I going to do now?” Ogechi thought, looking lost.
“Why is she so quiet? She is looking scared as if she is hiding something” Ndubuisi thought and then went closer to where Ogechi was sitting and held her hands: “You know you can tell me anything?” Ndubuisi said
And Ogechi looked up with tears dropping from her eyes.
“Hey! What’s that? Why are you crying?” Ndubuisi asked, looking so concerned.
“My heart is heavy, this burden is killing me inside. I just wish I can share them with you, my husband, I know you will be willing to help me just that things have gotten more complicated. You will find it difficult to believe me” Ogechi said in her heart and then looked straight to Ndubuisi’s eyes and told him that it was nothing.
“Nothing, but you are crying?”
“They are tears of joy my husband, I was able to see the good in you today, the extent of your love for me and I have come to realise that it has no bound. You were asking me why I kept quiet when those women were beating me? It’s because, I was marvelled at your magnificent appearance. How you appeared to save me from my enemies. No one has ever done that type of thing for me before, no one has ever believed so much in me. You believed so much that I was innocent, that those women were on the wrong” Ogechi continued professing her admiration for her husband.
And Ndubuisi interrupted her, appreciating her for loving him.
2 hours later, Ogechi then began making plans of going to the church to discuss her problems with a Reverend Father.
She then asked Ndubuisi to take her to the church, that she doesn’t know her way yet.
“But it’s 3:48 pm, it’s not yet time for evening mass, what will you be doing in church by now?” He asked
“I want to visit the Blessed Sacrament. There are so many things I need to pray about” she calmly said
“I don’t know, but she is hiding something, she looks troubled. I’m convinced that something is bothering her. How do I find out what it is?” Ndubuisi said in his heart.
“OK don’t worry, I will take you to the church, but I won’t stay there with you, there is something I need to take care off this evening. You can call me to take you home whenever you are done, you know you are new here, you still haven’t known the way”
And Ogechi nodded.
Few minutes later, Ogechi was taken to the church. She first went to the Blessed Sacrament and prayed her heart out.
After that, she began asking for directions on how to see the Parish Priest.
“He is no longer in the office now, he has closed for the day” one of the person she asked said
“Please Sir, I really need to see him. It’s urgent, my marriage will be destroyed if I don’t see him this minute” She said, sounding so desperate.
“Why not have his number and call him?” The man said
“Better” she said, began saving the number as the man called them out.
So after the third dial, the Reverend answered and she began telling him her problem.
Noticing how serious her problem was, she asked him to wait for her in the church, that he was on his way to the church.
“OK Father, I am not going anywhere, I will be here” she said as they ended the call. While waiting for the Rev. Father, Ogechi began battling with the urge again. While trying to control it, the urge was getting stronger. She then remembered a super market she saw on the way when Ndubuisi was driving close to the church.
And the urge led her to the supermarket where she began stealing petty things, things that were not even relevant to her, candies and biscuit, hiding them in her private parts without knowing that the CCTV camera was capturing her.
To be continued..
Mama Why? By Ngozi Lovelyn O.
Warning: No part of this work should be use, copied, redistribute, reproduce either electronically or manually without permission from the author.
Copyright ngozilovelyn.com 2017
Contact Ngozi Lovelyn O @ Xperiawithngozilove@gmail.com
