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.