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.
******************************************************************************
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.
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.
******************************************************************************
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.
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