Withered Flower - Episode 9

Iyeke surveyed her surrounding, she struggled to see in the dark. Her head was pounding and everything seemed fuzzy. She tried to stand on her feet, an explosion of pain hit her and she fell back to the ground and blacked out for a few seconds. She realised that she was lying under a concrete slab and had hit her head when she tried to get up.

Slowly, she crawled out of the space till she felt she was away from beneath the slab before making attempt to get up. Her ankle hurt. I must have twisted it somehow, she thought but she didn’t know how or where.

She groped in the dark, trying to locate the door. The room was hot and she was sweaty and sticky. A warm sticky liquid flowed down her forehead and she reached out to touch it. Instantly, she knew she was bleeding and she traced the blood to her head and touched a wet patch. Oh my God, I am going to bleed to death, she thought. Immediately, she started screaming for help, whilst still feeling her way in the dark.

“Screaming won’t help you at this time my dear, so save your breathe”. The voice at the other end startled her. She didn’t recognise it, as it was muffled. The whole of her being knew she was in trouble and so she started begging.

“Please, don’t hurt me”. She said. “I haven’t done anything wrong. Please I beg you in the name of God”. She kept pleading and only stopped when she couldn’t hear another word from the person on the other side of the door.

She leaned against the wall and slid down into a sitting position. How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was laughing with this cute guy, taking her home. The details were fuzzy but she remembered trying to run away, she remembered being slapped…her head hurt from trying to remember so she laid down on the ground and started crying.

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“So why are you here?” Madam Edosa asked the beautiful woman sitting next to her. It had been 15 years since she saw her but the woman was still as beautiful as the day she found her.

27 years ago, she had taken a few things to market and was on her way back, after a disappointing day of dismal sales. She decided to take the bush path as she was told that a terrible accident on the road had caused a gridlock. She was not the type that could stand the sight of Mangled bodies, so she chose to take the bush path to her home.

She had been walking for about 15minutes, when she heard what sounded like a woman in pain. Common-sense told her to move along. I mean, you never know these days. There were many bad people in the world. She had started moving along, when a scream stopped her in her tracks. Looking at her life as a Christian, she walked towards where the sound came from with prayers on her lips.

Nothing prepared her for the sight she saw. There, lying on the bare grass was a young girl covered in blood, her legs widespread and the head of a baby crowning her vagina. Having worked as a Midwife before, Madam Edosa ran to the young girl and braced her back with the load she was carrying. She couldn’t understand why the young girl had blood all over her face. Maybe she was a victim of an armed robbery attack, she thought. Nevertheless, she had to be delivered of the baby she was carrying.

Ten minutes after, a beautiful baby girl was born. Madam Edosa quickly used the knife she always carried around for her sales to cut the umbilical cord, cleaned and wrapped the baby with the second wrapper she was tying.

The young woman was crying profusely and refused to old the baby. Madam Edosa kept pleading with her to at least try breastfeeding the baby who was crying as if she was trying out her new lungs. After so many refusals, she brought out her aged breast and thrust it into the baby’s mouth. Immediately, the wailing stopped as the child tugged and bit her breast with her gums. It wasn’t long before the child slept off.

Asides the cuts on her face, the young woman was very beautiful. Madam Edosa watched the young Lady sleep. She had a lot of questions to ask her but it will have to wait till the next day.

When morning came, the young woman had disappeared without a trace until 12 years later.

“I have come because of my daughter, it is time for Iyeke to know who her mother is".

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“Who is this girl to you and why did Koba take her?” Nduka asked.

Kene had been waiting for this question. It would have been a surprise if it didn’t come up. Nkem had helped him gather the “brothers”. They had to strike. This was definitely “crossing the line”. Both groups had had a truce and decided that they would live peaceably without any fracas but someone went and broke the treaty.

“She is my friend”. He replied. “And that is all I’m going to say”

“I am not going to go out there to fight blindly. If I am going to put my life at stake, I may as well know what I’m dying for”. Nduka replied.

Kene had always hated Nduka. They have been rivals for a long time. Kene even believed that they had been rivals from the womb, seeing that their mothers were rivals as well.

“Look Nduka, I didn’t call you, you did that of your own volition. You don’t have to be here just because you are a “brother”, you have a choice and you can leave”

Nduka made to respond but sat down. One could tell that he was fuming but he wasn’t in the mood for a fight.

“As I was saying…” Kene continued. “…my friend, Iyeke was taken by Koba. I have a fair idea as to why he did that but we will have to wait to hear from him”.

Nkem cleared his throat. “As we have heard, one of us is in need and we have to help. While Kene will have us deal with Koba, I do not share the same idea but instead will ask that we approach this with dialogue. The days of causing rift in this town are behind us, we are more matured and should behave that way. Kene will call Koba and we will start discussions and possible negotiations”

All who were present cheered Nkem, some even clapped.

“Let’s get to work” Nkem said.

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“I have the girl Sir” Koba said.

“Great, keep her there until I give you further instructions. Make sure nothing happens to her”.

“Okay Sir”.

Koba dropped the phone. He was happy with himself. Always nice being a double agent. Chief Mezu had already paid him to take the girl but he was hoping that he will make some money from the son as well.

He picked up the remote control and tuned to MTV and nodded his head to Jaywon’s ‘This year’.