Withered Flower - Episode 15

Iyeke stood in front of the mirror, looking at her physique. She imagined how she will look with a protruding stomach and used a pillow to under her t-shirt for effect.

“You make me laugh each time you do that, you know?”

She didn’t see him enter the bathroom and quickly took out the pillow from underneath her blouse and threw it at him, playfully.

“What are you doing up?” She said

“I should be asking you that, it is 2am in the morning”. He spun her round to face him.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you? I couldn’t sleep and…”

“And you came into the toilet to-o-o-o sleep, drink water…” he said playfully.

“Don’t be silly, I came to think and besides, I have been very worried about what Mama said, when I called”.

Earlier that day, she had called her grandmother to see how she was doing. Her grandmother sounded unusually strange and then asked that she came home for a bit. She had asked her if there was a problem but she had been unwavering, still insisting that she came home.

A lot went through her mind. Her grandmother was the only family she had, forget all those her wayward cousins, who jumped from one man to the other. She laughed at the thought of that. This was a case of pot calling kettle black, as she wasn’t even sure of who the father of her unborn baby was.

“Babe, let’s get back to sleep. Tomorrow is a long day and we have to get enough rest for the drive to Benin. Kene’s voice brought her to reality.

“We?” she looked at him. She had just told him that she was going to Benin but he didn’t say anything about following her.

“You really think I would allow you take public transport to Benin? Woman, you are carrying the son of Kenechukwu Afam Mezu, thus you cannot be moving around like the common people. We are leaving at 8, so be ready”. Kene said with a straight face.

Laying on the bed, Kene started playing with her body. She knew where this was leading and she didn’t know if she would be able to resist. Her body was tired, after all, they had just finished making love about fours ago but Kene had a gift. His love Making was second to none but that wasn’t what was on her mind.

It has been a year since she saw her grandmother, though she has been speaking to her over the phone. She didn’t know how her grandmother will take it that she had never told her about any man, even the last time she called, the question on whether she was dating anyone surfaced and she had said no. How was she going to explain who Kene was and knowing Kene, he would try to impress her grandmother.

She drifted off to sleep as Kene pounded away.

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“All you need to execute the transaction is all in there. I don’t want her killed, just scare her and if possible, give her a scar on her left cheek to act as a deterrent”.

Ugoeze was a bit disappointed, as this was not her regular “contractor”. She had expected to see him but then he called that he was out of town but would send someone else. This arrangement did not go down well with her but she wanted this done as quickly as possible.

She had called her “contractor” to ask if she could trust the new person she sent. She was a discreet person and didn’t want anything to be traced to her by anyone, especially her husband, the architect of this whole “FBI career” of hers.

Her husband was a very randy person, a dog on heat. Why do men cheat on good women? She had wondered. In the beginning, she used to cry a lot even retaliated by having a few affairs herself but she couldn’t keep up with “Mr Randy” and had to devise new means of coping with this.

It is amazing what you can learn from watching Nollywood movies. She had watched one where Nse Ikpe Etim’s character used to abduct her husband’s girlfriends and bring them home to flog. It was funny but an idea came to her from watching that and that was when she decided to abduct and torture the girls for three (3) days and then give them a stern warning to leave her husband. Of course, this was done in proxy and her “contractor” has never failed her.

Sometimes, she suspected that her husband knew she was the reason why his girlfriends’ suddenly stop picking his calls. She could see it in his face but she never gave him the chance to even trace anything to her.

“Like I said, everything you need is in there. Do a thorough job and you will get extra for successful execution”. She said to the new “contractor.

She got into her car, turned on the radio and “Chandelier” by Sia was playing. She turned up the volume and sang along. After all, with the mood she was in, she definitely wanted to swing from the chandelier.

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She knew it had only been a year but there seemed to have been a lot of difference in Benin. The streets were cleaner but still as busy, not like Lagos though.

The road leading to her grandmother’s house was tarred. She remembered how she was always covered in dust from the park to the house and would have to scrub and scrub till she was thoroughly rid of the dust that caked her body.

She could see her grandmother standing on the porch. She looked healthy, thank God. There was a woman standing with her, light skinned and very beautiful, despite her outfit. Iyeke wondered who she was.

“If not that you were an only child, I would say that that the woman beside the elderly woman, was your older sister. She looks like you, I mean a lighter version of you” Kene said.

Iyeke looked at the woman very well, she could see some semblance but she was none of her business.

“Iyekoetin, e don tay oh. Why you no dey like come see your mama?” Madam Edosa said, hugging the kneeling Iyeke.

“Mama, Ób’ávàn (good afternoon)”. She replied.

“Welcome my pickin. Who be this person?”

“Ah ah Mama, make we enter house nah”.

Madam Edosa offered drinks to Iyeke and the man she brought. Anyone looking at her, could tell she was nervous. She wondered how this conversation was going to go. All day, she had tried to convince Ogochukwu that this was a bad idea but the woman was unbending.

“Mama, are you okay?” Iyeke asked, looking at the strange woman from the corner of her eyes, wondering why she was staring.

“My pickin, I been want make you come because…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence.

“I am your MOTHER!!!” Ogochukwu screamed.

Withered Flower - Episode 14

Mazi Obe moved as quickly as he could. It had been about an hour since he got the “jolt” and the “Jolt” is something he hasn’t felt in a very long time, since he took over from his father.

Anyone looking at Mazi Obe would not only wonder what was wrong but how a man his age was able to move with so much agility. Nobody knew his specific age but if one had to estimate, they would say he was close a hundred years old.

Mazi Obe wished he could move faster than he was. However, for a man his age, he wasn’t doing badly but it could be better because it was a matter of life and death.

He got an abandoned compound that was covered with over grown weed. The mango tree at the front of the compound was in season and rotten/rotting mangoes filled the ground. Trust the fruit flies who didn’t miss a chance to get their hands juicy fruit. If not that he knew this compound, he would have turned back, thinking that no one lived there.

“Dibia Aguocha!!!” he bellowed. Time was of the essence. He waited a while and when he heard nothing, he yelled out again and started walking towards the back of the compound. The grass leading to the back of the compound was so thick that he started looking out for creepy crawlies.

“Who calls out to a Wine Tapper in the middle of a climb?” A deep husky voice replied from behind the house.

The man that came out from the compound was a few years older than him but he didn’t look a day older than thirty years of age. A lot of people believed that since he was working for the spirits, they were keeping him young until it was time to choose a new Dibia. Previous Dibias went into the Evil forest to join the spirits.

“Aguocha, Nno o” he bowed and greeted the Dibia.

“Oh, Mazi Obe. What brings you this early morning? I had barely finished speaking with the spirits. What seems to be the problem?

“Aguocha, my ancestors were promised long live. I was told that no death will befall our lineage. I sacrificed all that was needed and death still came”.

“Mazi Obe, we cannot question the spirits. I understand that you have made sacrifices, but it is not always guarant…” He didn’t finish speaking.

“DON’T TELL ME THAT!!!” He raised his voice. I will not take it. My daughter’s heart gave me the jolt and I know she is dead. So don’t tell me about what your confused spirits want” he shouted.

“Obe, watch your tongue! Just because you are under the protection of the spirits does not give you the right to slander them”

“Okay, I demand to speak with the spirits’ bridge. Summon her now”.

“Obe, you know that is dangerous, it can go either way and you may not like that”.

“I will take my chances. Summon her”.

“Okay, your funeral”.

Dibia Aguocha shuffled to the shrine, with Mazi Obe in tow. He knew this was going to be a big mistake. Summoning the spirits’ bridge was as good as placing a bounty on your head and moving in the open, expecting that you would be killed ant anytime.

The spirits’ bridge had a raging temper and could kill anyone just for summoning her. Legend has it that the first ever dibia was killed because he wasn’t well fortified before summoning her. He was dismembered, his remains had to be scraped off the ground and it took a week to clean out the shrine.

He went to the barn and picked out a healthy white goat. Grabbing the goat by the horn, he took it to the shrine and made some incantations. He plunged his knife into the neck of the goat and drained the blood into a white basin.

Grabbing his white tie-on, he dipped it into the blood and started smearing his body with it, whilst making some incantations. He sat on the goat skin in the middle of the shrine.

“Na ko ku ma joro. Me na nu ba no ko ku. Eruhpo the wise one, I call on you to come before us. Nai ka nai ka nai ka. Eruhpo, the mother of all the beautiful ones, I bid you come before us”.

He had barely finished his incantation when a whirlwind filled the entire room, scattering thigs about. Then a bright light filled the room and a very beautiful woman appeared before them. She was known as Eruhpo, the beautiful one. Legend has it that she was once a mortal being, until she was turned down the marriage proposal of Oroki the great and she was turned into an immortal being, destined to be alone for eternity.

“Who dare summons the great Eruhpo?” she screamed.

Dibia Aguocha could see the anger in her eyes and knew that she was about to make a mincemeat out of him. He quickly bowed his head without stepping out of the protection ring he had created.

“Oh beautiful Eruhpo, we have summoned you because it is perceived that a great injustice has been done”. He said with a shaky voice.

Eruhpo, knew he was scared. She loved it when people, especially men feared her. This was the source of her power and she loved making them cower with fear. She moved closer to the dibia, totally ignoring the other man.

“SPEAK!!!” She ordered.

“Mazi Obe here is from the Oguru family of Agu land and needed to speak to the spirits”.

“Does he know that speaking to the spirits is no child’s play”? She asked, still not acknowledging the presence of Mazi Obe.

“I have explained that to him but he is adamant”

“Then let him come forward and make his intensions known”.

Dibia Aguocha motioned to the now scared Mazi Obe to approach the shrine.

Eruhpo looked in his direction for the first time since she was summoned. Good, he looked scared and she liked that.

“You dear summon the great Eruhpo? State your purpose or you die”

Mazi Obe swallowed before advancing. He thought about running away. This woman was menacing yet easy on the eye.

“Oh great one, my daughter passed on to the spirit world hours ago and this contravenes the treaty with the spirits. Our family has been making certain sacrifices for long life but she was barely half the guaranteed life span for the Oguru family”. Mazi Obe stammered.

“If I recall, she was supposed to pass on the information to her offspring before she attained the age of two decades and seven but that time elapsed at exactly the stroke of noon. So what is the injustice there?” Eruhpo said.

“Oh great one, she gave out the child before she knew about the treaty herself and she has been trying to right the wrong ever since. Please sure us mercy”. He knelt and bowed his head to the ground.

“Arise and go bury your daughter for there is nothing that can be done for her and as for your daughter’s daughter, she shall die in a fortnight. Go make your house ready to bury your dead”.

Mazi Obe was downcast. He could not lose his lineage. This was not how it was supposed to end. A light bulb lit in his head and just before he could say something, he heard Dibia Agouti’s voice.

“Oh beautiful one, it is the bloodline of his family that sustains the spirits of Agu land. If that bloodline is wiped out, the spirits of Agu land might as well become in-existent”.

Mazi Obe was glad for this intervention and looked over at Eruhpo, who was still. She didn’t utter a word and seemed to be staring into space. Her eyes were white and unseeing. She must have been that way for about 10 minutes before opening her eyes.

“It is done!!” There was a rush of wind and Eruhpo was gone in a flash.

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Madam Edosa didn’t know what to do. One Minute, Ogochukwu was alive and the next she was not breathing. She called out to her granddaughter but there was no answer. As she made to go get water to pour on her.

“I have to speak to my daughter”. Oguchukwu said.

Withered Flower - Episode 13

“I still don’t understand how she escaped? This is what happens when you get incompetent people to handle your business”. Chief said.

“I still don’t get why you had her taken” Emem asked

They had just finished making love and as is customary with them during liaison, they catch up on everything.

“I don’t want her marrying my son. Mbanu!”

“Will that be so terrible? They are both single and adults…” She didn’t get to finish what she was saying.

“Mei chionu there. Don’t you know that it is an abomination for a father and son to drink from a cup at the same time?” He retorted.

“And sleeping with a married woman isn’t?”

Chief Mezu took one look at Emem, hissed and turned his back at her. She was right but he hated admitting it. Deep within him he knew why he didn’t want Iyeke to marry his son or any other man for that matter and that was because he was in love with her. He never imagined that it was going to be very hard to let her got. Ever since she escaped, she had been calling him but he purposely refused to pick because he wasn’t sure of how to act with her. Maybe it was time to let her go.

Emem laid there looking up at the ceiling. She suspected that chief was in love with Iyeke and that was why she even consented to having Iyeke kidnapped. She was green with envy but why was she? She had everything a girl wanted; a loving husband, a beautiful home albeit no kids yet but she and Nkem were happy. So how did she get here, she wondered.

It had started a few years ago. She and Nkem were having some real problems. She was so sure her marriage was going to fail. A few weeks later, she found out the reason… “Iyeke”. She had been so mad and thought of ways of killing them both. Finally, she had settled on poisoning them and had all her plans set.

Two weeks after, she was still unable to carry out her plan and found herself in the dressing room of Marks and Spencer crying profusely after not being able to get through to Nkem all day. She knew he was with Iyeke and yet she felt helpless as to what to do. Confronting them was out of the question as she was scared of losing her husband to her supposedly best friend.

After a good cry, she was on her way to pay for the items she had bought. The voice was so low and she missed it the first time.

“Excuse me please”. She finally heard it and turned round to see this older man beckoning to her. She had placed his age at early 60s or late 50s…she couldn't care less.

From the way he was dressed, she knew he was from Nigeria. He had that baggy jeans, a sweater hugging his pot belly, a face cap with the initials "NY" on it and a waist pouch.  Why do Nigerian men dress like this outside the country?

"Hi" she replied the strange man before her.

"Sorry to disturb, please can you help me pick some things for my wife and daughters? I am very lousy at these things and really hope you will oblige me"

Emem looked at him. He was kind of handsome in that daddy-ish sort of way. He also looked like he had money to help maintain whatever he had going on.

"Sure. What kind of things do you think they like?” She asked.

They had gone round for about 20 min's picking things for his wife and daughters. It was from their talking that she realised he was the father to her husband’s best friend.

He had paid for her goods, though she hesitated a bit but considering she was saving over a hundred pounds. Dinner was on him and she really enjoyed hanging out with him. It wasn't long when a harmless hug led to a harmless peck on the cheek, then a kiss and then they were meeting once or twice in a month for a "romp in the hay".

She turned and looked at chief’s form on the bed. She really liked him and wished they could take their relationship forward but both of them were encumbered and besides, she knew that chief was in love with Iyeke. She saw it in his eyes every time they made love and she could swear that she heard him call out Iyeke’s name during one of their love making sessions.

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Iyeke and Kene sat waiting for the doctor in his office. She was not being able to convince him to let her go out with his driver, so had to open up and tell him why she wanted to go out.

“Are you nervous?” she turned and looked him in the face. She wasn’t good at reading expressions but he seemed indifferent as he fiddled with his phone.

“About?” He replied, not taking his eyes off the phone.

“Kene, you are not focused and I really need your body and mind here”. She said and was glad when he dropped his phone to look at her. “I asked if you were nervous”.

“And I said about what?”

“That I might be pregnant, as this was really unplanned”. She asked, searching his face.

“Why would I be nervous? I am an adult you know and I take responsibility for everything I do”. He grabbed her hand. “Why are you nervous?”

“I…1…am not nerv…I don’t know, I’m confused”. She buried her face in her face in her hand and started crying.

“What is wrong? Why are you crying?” Kene was confused. He had heard things like this but never experienced.

“I don’t know, I guess I am just overwhelmed and besides, I have always been very careful and don’t understand how I got pregnant”.

“You got pregnant because you opened up your heart to love”. He got up from his chair and knelt beside her. “I was going to do this after getting the result from the doctor, pregnant or not. I love you Iyeke, from the first day I saw that picture of yours, I knew I didn’t want to play with you but to keep you by my side forever. Iyekoetin Osasere Erharuyi, will you make me the happiest man today and marry me?”

For Iyeke, this was a new one. Nobody has ever proposed before. Yes, they all wanted to be with her, but nobody actually asked to marry her. Then she started crying again. She held Kene’s face, gave him a kiss on the lips.

“Yes, I will marry you with all of me”. She said, still crying.

“Well, since the good news has started already, I guess I have to keep in line with that”.

None of them had noticed the doctor come in.

“Congratulations, you are 4 weeks’ pregnant”.

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The fire in the midst of the “first of Agu Clan” changed colour and they all shuddered. A curse had been activated. The child-like deity spoke up in his snake-like voice;

“Ssssecerrrss”

They all hissed, whilst making scratching sound at the fire.

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Ogochukwu screamed and held on to her chest. She knew this was the end. She could see madam Edosa running around, trying to help but she knew it was too late and she had to drop a message for Iyeke.

“Tell my daughter…that…” She didn’t finish her sentence for she had departed from this world.

Sunset on Love?

Nonso picked up a sharp stone and started carving on the tree he was leaning on. It has been a week since Nneka had agreed to go out with him. He was over the moon and could not believe his luck, Nneka was the prettiest girl in Nkworo Village. She had long slim legs that went for miles, a full head of hair, pointed nose, big bright eyes… he could go on and on.

He had first spotted her on the way to the farm. She was just coming back from the stream with the clay pot firmly balanced on her head. She wasn’t walking with the other girls and that is perhaps the reason why he even noticed her (beautiful girls tend to go unnoticed within a bevy of other beautiful girls). He stopped for a while to look at her and then muttered;

“Nna, umu omaricha nwanye julu uwa”.

Fate smiled at him a week later when he saw her going to the stream. He immediately started following her, as he wanted to study her first before making his move. He watched her fill her pot with water, then washed her face, hands and feet before proceeding to lift the pot over her head. He dashed down to help her.

“Can I help you with that”? he said.

At first she ignored him, like she didn’t realise anybody had spoken and continued with her quest of lifting the clay pot.

He moved closer, looked into her face and asked if he could help. It seemed to work because the girl looked up with a startling look on her face. She looked behind her before asking;

“Are…rrr…you talking to me”?

She looked nervous and kept looking around as if she was looking out for someone.

“I don’t see anybody else here and yes, I am talking to you” Nonso replied.

“Nobody ever notices me” The strange girl replies and then start moving away from him.

“It’s Okay, I won’t hurt you. Just wanted to say hello and maybe walk you home”.

After a lot of back and forth, she finally agreed and he walked her home. Technically not home. She asked him to not to follow her home, as she didn’t want her father to see her with any man and he obliged her.

The weeks following that was trying to convince her to be his woman. His joy knew no bounds when she eventually said yes and here he was carving their names on a tree.

He had been waiting for a long time when he realised that she had not surfaced yet, which was unlike her. She usually was there within 5 minutes. Maybe she had to do something, he thought and he sat down by the tree and fell asleep.

A sweet voice woke him from his deep sleep. As he struggled to open his eyes, he thought he saw Nneka and quickly jumped up. The lady that was looking at him was Nneka but she wasn't Nneka.

"Are you waiting for someone?" she asked.

"Why do you ask?". This girl is rude does the tree belong to her or cant someone rest under a tree again?

"I'm sorry, it's just that i want to clean the surrounding" The young lady replied.

"Does the tree belong to you? Why are you cleaning its surrounding?" he was beginning to get upset.

"I'm sorry i didn't mean to upset you. This is where my mother was buried and i usually come here to sweep and weed the area".

"Oh i'm sorry about that". He apologised and moved away from the tree.

"Maybe i can help you. I know everyone around here". the strange girl persisted.

Nonso didn't know whether to trust her but then, she looked accommodating.

"I am looking for Nneka the daughter of Anayolisa"

He must have said something wrong because the girl recoiled with a surprise look on her face. He searched her face.

"Have said anything wrong?" He asked.

"You need to come with me" She said and without waiting for an answer, started running in a particular direction.

Nonso was confused and wanted to go back home but it felt like a certain force was pulling him in and he started following her.

They got to a big compound and they girl was calling out to her father, who came running out like he was possessed by some evil spirit.

"Uloma! Ogini?" He yelled at the top of her voice.

The girl he had come to know as Uloma looked at him and asked that he repeated himself.

"Look, i don't know what is happening and dont mean to put anyone in trouble. I am looking for Nneka" Nonso said, regretting he ever spoke to the girl.

"My son, why are you looking for Nneka?" The father asked.

"We were supposed to meet at our usual spot, under the tree but she didn't turn up. She even said she was bringing her sister along. Please where is she?" Nonso replied.

The silence after he spoke could be sliced with a blunt knife. The girl named Uloma was sobbing and the father looked and shook his head.

"My son, is your name Chukwunonso?"

Nonso was still confused but was also happy because it meant that Nneka had spoken to people about him.

"Yes Sir. Chukwunonso Madueke".

"You have to sit down my son. I need to tell you something".

Nonso, still confused, sat on the nearest chair and waited for Uloma's father to speak. He looked towards the crying Uloma. she looked so much like Nneka, well...a more beautiful version but his heart was set with Nneka already.

"My son, what i'm about to tell you would be surprising but i need you to keep an open mind". He paused a bit and then continued. "Uloma is my daughter and Nneka was my wife, her mother".

Nonso was even more puzzled. The girl he was looking at was young but definitely too old to be Nneka's daughter.

"It is puzzling i know but let me continue. Nneka, my wife died about 18 years ago when Uloma was a year old. If my memory serves me right, she died on this day, 18 years ago".

Nonso finally found his voice. "But i saw her yesterday. Are you sure?"

"I am very sure my son but that is not all. Nneka fell ill seven months after Uloma was born. We tried everything but nothing worked. Just before she died, she told me that she will send a husband called Chukwunonso Madueke to our daughter on her 19th birthday. If i may ask, are you from Nkworo?"

"No sir, i am from..." The older man didn't allow him finish and actually concluded for him.

"Igodi village".

Nonso was perplexed and kept looking on in wonder. He has never heard of a thing like this before. He turned and looked at the beautiful girl that is to be his wife and shook his head.

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In Ogude Village, a young woman is on her way back from the stream with a clay pot firmly balanced on her head. No one can see her but that is not a problem, she doesn't need people to see her.

Withered Flower - Episode 12

She squatted, hoping the tall grasses will shield her from her pursuers. She could hear them moving about and speaking to each other. Something crawled on her leg and she closed her eyes praying that it would be anything but a snake. She pressed her hand against her mouth so a scream doesn't escape her mouth.

Slowly her eyes opened and she saw a big snake crawling across her leg. She was about to let out a scream when strong hands grabbed her and she screamed and jerked awake.

It had been three weeks since she escaped from where she was being held by people she didn't know. For fear of what might happen next, she had remained in Kene's house. He had moved all her things to his house and she didn't mind as she had a month before her rent was due. She had tried reaching out to Chief but he had still refused to answer her calls.

She stood up and went to the bathroom. As she looked in the mirror, the events of the night she escaped kept replaying in her mind.

The hole she made was large enough for her to squeeze through. In the process, she had injured herself and blood started gushing out of the deep gash on her arm. The moment her leg touched the ground, she started running and only stopped when she got to a busy Street.  A lot of people thought she was crazy but she wasn't perturbed.

The Taxi man didn't ask questions and she was glad about that. She just wanted to get to where she was going and wasn't in the mood for small talk. Besides, she was very tired, having not eaten for a week. If anything good came out of this whole episode, she was sure she had lost the last 10kg her body was holding on to.

Entering into Kene's Street was a major relief to her, even more when she staggered into his arms. The guy was such a nice person and has actually been looking for her.  Maybe it was that singular act or the fact that Chief has been ignoring her that made her finally agree to date him.

She picked up the home pregnancy test. The package said that a double line indicated that the person taking the test was pregnant. Here she was, holding the strip with all indications that she was pregnant. How was she going to tell this to Kene? How will he react? How did this happen, as she had always been very careful. She tried to count backwards but gave up and decided to get a proper test done before speaking to Kene. The only problem was how she was going to leave the house without his knowledge.  She has been very scared of going out since her escape. 

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"How is she doing"?

"How is it that you keep asking me about your friend? Can't you call her? Even better, go and visit her, after all you know where she is"

Nkem had barely closed the door when his wife asked him about Iyeke.  She has been doing this since Iyeke was kidnapped. He had asked her if there was a problem between them but she had denied it.

"You better sort out what it is between you two. You have been friends for too long to allow whatever it is keep you apart".

"Mbok, I just asked you a simple question and not a lecture" Emem responded in anger.

She had not spoken to Iyeke since the day she revealed that she knew about her and Nkem. She was also sorry about what happened that day but she was very upset and jealous of her friend. It was no doubt that they have been “Cat and Mouse” from when they were young.

Iyeke was always the pretty one, getting all the boys, including her husband. Seriously, how could one person be that beautiful? It is true what they say that “Life is really not fair”. Iyeke was tall, long legs, Beautiful pointed nose, full lips, a head full of hair etc. She could go on and on but to what purpose. The fact remained that Iyeke was beautiful and she was not.

“At least one thing came out of this, the ugly girl got married before the beauty queen” She muttered lowly to herself.

Looking at her wrist watch, she picked up the phone, scrolled to the number she needed and dialled. The phone didn’t ring for long before the receiver at the other end picked. They spoke for a bit and agreed to meet in a few hours.

She had to find an excuse to give to her husband and one was already forming in her brain. She smiled as she made her way to the room to prepare for her outing.

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Ogochukwu sat by the fire place and looked as the red flames crackled. She had been in Benin for the past three weeks and hoping that Iyeke will call and she could move on from this.

A sharp pain in her heart, caused her to double over and she threw her hands out and used the wall to break her fall. She tried to take in small burst of breaths till the pain subsided. This episode was more painful than the rest, the “doctor” had said that it will get even more painful and there was telling the one that will eventually send her to the grave.

She got up from where she was sitting and decided to take a walk. The “doctor” had said that walking could help in alleviating the pain but that would only buy her a little more time. A silent prayer escaped her lips, as she asked God to keep her alive until she had spoken to Iyeke. She could feel that there was no time on her side but Iyeke had to know this secret.

*************************************************************************************

Room 528 held memories for Emem and she was about to make even more memories. She walked straight to the girl at the reception, spoke to her for a few minutes, then collected a key card and started heading upstairs to the room.

She went straight into the bathroom to take a shower. Thank God it was a warm shower and she didn’t need to call anyone in to see if the hot water faucet was bad.

“Great, they are beginning to listen in this hotel”. She said to herself.

Walking back into the room, she went straight to the Air Conditioning socket to switch it off. The cold was unbearable. She took out a pink teddy gown and the accompanying panties from her handbag and laid them on the bed. She will put them on after she perfumed her body.

She had barely finished dressing up when the door to the room opened and in walked in her companion.

“Hello Chief” She said and walked towards him to give him a deep kiss.

Chief Mezu held on to the small statured girl and returned her kiss. Oh how he missed this body and even better, the “Calabar” sex with her. He allowed himself to be guided to the bed.

Withered Flower - Episode 11

“What are you doing here”? She asked, looking suspiciously at Emem.

Without saying a word, Emem walks towards Iyeke, pulls out a Revolver, aims it at Iyeke’s face and pulls the trigger.

Iyeke felt an excruciating burning sensation and a feeling of the hot blood pouring out of her mouth and down her back. She felt frozen to the ground and couldn’t move or breathe well and then she started falling to the ground.

As she was falling, all she could think about was what was going to happen to her Grandmother. She was comforted with the fact that if her grandmother was to die as a result of shock, they would meet on the other side.

Then she hit the Ground and woke up startled. “That was a hell of a dream” she muttered to herself and then got up and started pacing across the room. She couldn’t remain here, if she was to survive. She had to find an escape route, otherwise she would be dead soon.

There was a glimmer of hope when she saw that one of the burglary proof in the room was badly rusted and with a little effort, could create a small hole to allow her size 10 frame out of the room. 

Armed with that knowledge, she frantically looked around for something to work with. She soon settled for a piece of cloth and her the heel of her shoe, thank God she had worn Wedges.

Before starting work on her escape route, she had to make sure that the door was firmly locked. Slowly she grabbed the handle of the door and pulled down quietly. When she was sure it was locked, she proceeded to the window. She wished she had a chair to use in supporting the door. Well, she had to work smart and very fast.

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Ugoeze stared out of the window as she waited for her husband to come home from work. They have been married for 34 years and she still loved him like they just got married yesterday.

From the first time she set eyes on him, she knew he was the one but she had to do small “shakara”…did she just say “small”? She did a lot of “shakara” and eventually agreed.

Uzomaka, their first daughter had come a year after and being proud parents for the first time, they dotted on her and made sure she lacked nothing. Ukamaka, their second daughter had come a year after her sister. It was a funny story. During Uzoamaka’s delivery, she had very bad tears and was told to stay off sex for about a month and then come back to certify that she could start having sex again.  A month after she was lying on the table waiting for the verdict on whether she could start having sex again (even though she knew she had resumed 5 days after). Upon examination, the doctor told her she was pregnant already.

After Ukamaka, Ugoeze and her husband waited a whopping 3 years before they had Kenechukwu. There was no way she could contain her joy. In Igbo land, a mail child solidified your place in the family. She had named him after a friend of hers (of course with the permission of her husband).

She walked towards the bed and picked up the package she had received earlier that day. The first time she had received one of these, she had cried, blasted her husband and even packed her things and children back to her father’s house. He had apologised and begged that it wouldn’t happen again. Of course, it was okay for a while and then she had to find a way to cope because it was never going to stop.

The girl in the picture must be in her 20s and seemed younger than the rest that her husband has always been with. She was a beautiful girl and had that twinkle in her eyes like a teenager in love. Ugoeze smiled to herself, picked up the envelope and dumped them in a box with all the other ones. These girls never learn.

The sound of the horn signified that her husband was back. She locked the box and returned it to where it was. She will have to deal with this later, she had a husband to take care of.

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“Nkem, we have to strike. This guy is asking for N30Million and there is no way I am going to release that amount to him. The guy is a rogue”. Kene said with a raised voice. He hated being this angry and someone was seriously getting on his nerves.

“Oh boy take it easy. We can’t be behaving the way we used to, when we were in school. We are adults now and should act that way”.

“So what do you propose we do? Pay? Do you have that amount of money to pay?” Kene said.

Nkem hated when Kene threw money at his face. Guarantee, the guy was rich. In fact, Kene was born clutching a Silver spoon and a Platinum spoon in his mouth. He had rich father and was even rich on his own. It was not his fault.

Giving him a look a disgust he continued “Let me speak to him first and if he doesn’t respond, then we will decide on the next thing to do”.

Kene was just going to say something when they heard a knock on the door. They both looked at each other. Nkem looked at his wrist-watch, the time was 12midnight. Who could be at the door at this time? He wondered.

“Are you expecting anyone at this time”? Nkem asked.

“Nope. You?” Kene asked.

Nkem gave him a weird look “Idiot, nah my house be this?”

“Who is there?” Kene asked with a raised voice.

The voice of the person on the other side of the door was very faint and sounded tired but Kene could make out his name. He looked through the key hole and saw a rather skinny that bore the same resemblance as Iyeke. Immediately he opened the door and Iyeke collapsed on him. He wondered how she got here and he lifted her to the couch.

Nkem shut the door and looked at Kene before both of them turned to look at the beautiful girl lying on the couch.