Ever since Amaka was buried, everyone has acting weird around me. Everyone suddenly is nice and very careful. Some even go the extra mile not to mention an igbo name that start with A around me. My family actually makes sure I’m never alone like I would kill myself at the very first opportunity I get. I get you know I’m in pain and want to help but coming at me and saying sorry all the time errrh isn’t exactly helping or telling me you know how I feel Tsk… I hate this one. You don’t know how I feel and I pray you don’t actually.
This fateful day, I was peeling cassava for my mother something I and Amaka would have done together on a norm. Tears threatened to slip… but no, Amaka doesn’t want to be mourned. “Ngwa hurry up na do you want to sleep there?” mom asked. “I’m the only one here mom” I said as gently as I could reminding her that Amaka was no longer here to assist me but I regretted it immediately it came out from my mouth because she started saying sorry… So much it annoyed me. Just as I wanted to give her a long speech on how to stop telling me sorry every single time, a jeep stopped just in front of our compound.
I squinted to see the occupants of the car but, hard as I tried, I couldn’t see them but this jeep looked quite familiar. I was trying to remember where I saw the jeep when the door of the driver’s seat opened and a richly dressed man came out then it clicked. This was the man Emeka was begging in the market place. The other door opened too and oh my world Ada? Ada? My elder sister? Ada that eloped with an Alhaji two years ago? This is not even an Alhaji. What happened to the Alhaji? What happened to her?. She has changed drastically well, in a good way.
“Chimo! Nwam!” my mother screamed as she ran towards the car. “Mama, how are you?” Ada asked. Was that an English accent I heard? I chuckled for the first time since Amaka died. Ada? English accent kwa? Ada that used to call rice,lice or correction, collection. This same Ada has an English accent in just two years wawu the Lord is mighty. I chuckled again as I walked towards the car.
“Oh Ngozi” she came forward and hugged me. “I rushed down here as soon as I got the message that your friend died. I’m so sorry about that” she said. Somehow I didn’t believe that. Since she left, we have been through series of hardship all of which Amaka made sure she heard about through her wild girlfriends connections but none of them moved her. Why did Amaka’s death matter?
“I’m really sorry” she went on and on. “Ada come inside” mum offered. “oh I’m not really staying for long” she replied “I just wanted to know if Ngozi would like to move in with me after this incidence” did I hear correctly. “won’t you at least… ” mom started but was interrupted. “Mama but you know I can’t enter this house na, I’m sure cobwebs are everywhere… Moreover, I just arrived. I need to get lodged into an hotel. I would see you tomorrow ” she turned as if she wanted to go then clicked her hands like she just remembered something “…and oh mama, meet Cletus he is a very very good friend” she dragged the very with a silly smirk on her face and made an annoying sound with the gum I didn’t even notice she was chewing. I took a good look at the Cletus. Pot bellied fat man. Sighs. Old man like this. Ada. The house that raised her… Cobwebs infested.
Mama sighed sadly “Ngwanu let tomorrow come” she said and began to walk back into the house. I took a very long look at Ada before replying. “I am actually not in the mood to give your reply. See how you have changed. Whatever changed you I actually don’t care. Hear the rubbish coming out of your mouth. House that you were raised in Cobweb infested. Well if your offer would make me just like you. I spit on you and your offer” I finished and started walking back. What even annoyed me is the way Cletus or what did she even call him stood there like a mannequin with his stained teeth and fat neck. Mchteeew. “see mumu I’m trying to help oh” she called after me and hurled insults at me as I walked away. I had not gotten back to my abandoned cassava bowl when I heard “let’s go abeg” and the car roared back into life and out of my compound. I really had to go and visit Emeka later. I needed to know who that man was but first, where was mama?
I ran into the house only to find mama sobbing on her bed and my heart broke. “where did I go wrong? She kept on asking herself. I just held her because at that moment my words failed. She didn’t deserve to be treated like this. No mother should be treated this way…with disrespect. She might not be the perfect mother figure but, she chose to keep you when she could have aborted you. That is enough reason. She is a mother not an angel… She would definitely have her flaws. But her love makes up for it all. I hugged and rocked her till she fell asleep in my hands. Ada SMH. If she comes back here! I would give her a piece of my mind nothing would make me stoop so low to follow her back to oh wherever she came from or so I thought…
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