Partial Obedience – Episode two

 

Episode 2

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Junior’s POV

“What is it junior, you are making us scared” Maria chipped in

“It’s Samson (Eliza’s other brother, who is 13yrs), he has been bitten by a snake”

“What!!!Where” Eliza asked

“At the bank of the stream, some people are attending to him; they asked me to call you”

“Oh my God, my enemies has gotten me at last, come let’s go. Oh! MY poor brother, why will a snake bite him?” she said almost crying while Maria followed behind trying to console her.

On getting to the stream, we found out that Samson has already been taken to the hospital by Mama Ejike, who is our good Samaritan neighbour.

We wasted no time in fetching our water and headed back home in haste after saying goodbye to Maria, who promised to visit Samson soon.

I sighted my mother at the front of our house and wasted no time, running to hug her

“Mummy, welcome Ma” still hugging her

“How are you my baby and where is your brother”

“Ahh, mummy, Samson….” I was interrupted by Eliza approaching figure before I could complete my statement

“Elizabeth, why are you just coming now I thought I asked you to hurry up and get back in time, hun”

“Mummy, it’s not Aunty Eliza’s fault, she was delayed by….

“Delayed by what, she cut in, and why is your face like this Eliza, have you been crying?”

“Yes mummy, Samson was bitten by a snake in the stream” I explained before Eliza could talk

“What!!! As how, snake??!! Where is he now, where is my son”

“He has been taken to the hospital by Mama Ejike” Eliza said before her I could talk

“Hei, hei, hope it’s not serious, why will a snake bite him, what were you two doing in the stream, what if the venom destabilize him” she yelled, already panicking

“Noo, mummy it’s not serious, we were picking snail close to the stream but unknowingly to Samson, he delve his hand into a hole to search for the snail that fell into it, but the snake came up and bit him”

“You see what I have been telling you two, I don’t know why you will be going out round the village like homeless children, picking snails” Juliet said

“But mummy, we do sell the snail and use the little money to solve our financial problems” I whined

“How much, how much do you two derive from that useless business?”

“I still use the little money I earned, to buy the note book I needed for school”

“We will manage the little money I earn from my petty trade to fend for the family, instead of risking my son’s lives. Ever since your father left us, I have been the one taking care of you all, I don’t want to lose any of you” she said bursting into tears

“Mummy please don’t cry” I tried consoling her “Mother please don’t cry, we are all here for you no matter the situation” Eliza said

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

Eliza have been watching the talk between mother and junior, she wasn’t really moved until she saw mother crying, looking at her she saw pains and sadness in her eyes.

Ever since their father left them, things have been upside down. She remembered the day he took his things and went on a journey 5years ago, junior was only 4yrs as at then.

She still remember how her mum begged him, telling him not to leave, but he insisted on going, calling her a witch trying to tie him down with hardship. He believed that their mother was cursed from her childhood and she and those who live with her will die in misery, but it was not true, it was the handwork of that witch Nena, she twisted the mind of her father being her only son.

“Mother, please don’t cry, please” Eliza said almost crying

“Hmm, it’s ok” Juliet said wiping her tears

“Let me go and meet Samson in the hospital” she said, arranging her dress

“Thank God for Mama Ejike, may God bless her. Eliza prepare the food before I come back and try to peel the oranges I bought on my way home, we will sell it in the market tomorrow”

“Ok mother, I will, take care” she said waving at her mum

“Bye Mummy!! my regards to Samson ” junior yelled after the exiting figure of his mother

“Junior, come let’s quickly peel the oranges before preparing lunch”

“Ok Aunty Eliza”

Eliza opened the basin containing the oranges only to find out that the oranges are gone, finding a little carved image wrapped with red clothes, with a little inscription written on a paper, stating “THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING”

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa” she screamed, jumping on her feet….

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It’s been a week now since the outrageous incident befall the Adigwes (Elizabeth family), taking them into deep thought on the sudden occurrences that happened in the past week. The snake bite and sudden disappearance of the oranges is the current topic on the family’s lips.

Eliza’s mother, Juliet however didn’t take it likely with Eliza due to the sudden disappearance of the oranges, but she calmed herself after seeing the message left in the basin, she has a strong feeling that it was Nena’s handiwork and also the prophecy, but she refuse to admit it.

Eliza on the other hand, has been having countless nightmares since the incident but decided to keep it to herself. The dreams started getting scarier that she couldn’t take it anymore, so one evening, while having the family dinner; she decided to confront her mom about it to get the truth from her.

“Mum how is the food this time, hope the pepper is not much, because I tried my best to minimize it” Eliza asked her mother, taking a cup of water from the table

“Hmm, it’s ok at least you are coming up in your cooking skills” Juliet replied

“Which cooking skills is that one, huh your head is already swelling just because mom praised you this time, abegi” Samson mocked her

“Shut up joor, what can you cook, simple indomie you cannot prepare and you are insulting me, so is it because you are well now that you have mouth to talk, when you were at the hospital, you were crying like a baby just for ordinary snake bite” Eliza said almost laughing

“Which ordinary snake bite, if you were the one will you survive it” Samson reply already getting annoyed at the mockery laugh his sister and younger brother were trying to avoid

“Anyway I don’t have your time this night” Eliza said in-between the laughter

Juliet was just picking on her food not noticing the argument going on between her children; she was lost in thought not until Eliza called her on top of her voice.

“Mother, what’s wrong. You have been lost in your thoughts since forever and I’ve been calling you”

“Sorry dear, I was just thinking of something, so what were you saying”

Eliza, not fully convinced on the excuse her mother gave decided to let it slide and asked her question

“Mother, what is going on I’m kind of confuse”

“Confuse on what, is there any problem” Juliet said

“Everything happening around us is enough to be a problem, first it was the sudden snake bite and the missing oranges, apart from that something dreaded has been happening to me, I’m scared of even saying it”

“Please tell me, wait are you pregnant? who impregnated you, hope it not that stupid Village Palm wine tapper, what is it?” Juliet yelled almost losing control of herself

“Mom calm down, Eliza is trying to explain herself let her talk, what if she is pregnant for a rich man, we will be free from this poverty life, at least her husband will send me to the city and I will become a big boy” Samson said already bragging

“Shut that dirty mouth of yours, stupid boy ehn, pregnant for who” Juliet hissed

“But mom, ain’t you gonna accept it” he chipped in, interrupting his mom

“Samson, Samson ehhh, don’t interrupt me again or I will send you back to that hospital you came back from”

“Eliza what is it, hope it’s not what I’m thinking, I don’t have money to feed another mouth, hmm, so know how to table your matter”

“Mummy…….., Haaaaaaa, you both should allow Sister Eliza to talk let’s hear what she has to say, junior chipped in

“Okay..” Samson and his mother said in unison

“Hmm, as I was saying mother” Eliza continued, it’s nothing about pregnancy, in fact I’m still a virgin, how do you expect me to get pregnant” she wined

“Heeeeeiiii, virgin dey get Belle (Virgins also gets pregnant)” Samson chipped in

Juliet looked at her son with a deadly glare telling him to stop the mockery, same with the other two siblings

“Mother, I have been having nightmares about…..”

“Chaiiiii, nightmares again, I hope you have not collect witch in the school from that witch girl, this one that you are having nightmares, please don’t give me witchcraft, I’m not ready to fly ooo, or is it not witches that have nightmares? Samson said referring to junior, only to receive a resounding slap from Juliet.

He struggled his way out of his mothers grip, running into his room while laughing. He has taken it as a habit to make fun of his mother and sister; that was why the house is always boring without him.

“Samson, if you know that your name is Samson, let me see your come back to this table to take your food, idiot!!” Juliet yelled

Eliza and junior were already rolling on the floor, laughing their eyes out, forgetting about the issue on ground.

She was scared of sleeping that night but decided to be brave, and tell her mother about the dreams the next day, since Samson has succeeded in ruining their dinner that night.

She knows that talking about it that night will only increase her fears so she decided to let it slide, but how will she sleep alone this night again…..

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

“Maria, Maria haaaa where is that stupid girl, where is that good for nothing bas***d” Mama Nneka, Maria’s Stepmother roared her name

Maria couldn’t help but tremble at the mention of her name, she knows that she is already dead for making the food to get burn, although it was not totally burnt, only at the bottom but her stepmother won’t take it likely with her.

She only went on the errand that Nkechi, (the elder twin of her stepmother) sent her, promising her that she will check on the food she left on the fire, only for her to come back and meet Nkechi chatting with one of her boyfriends, and the food burning on the fire.

She knows that she won’t be able to explain herself, it will only make things worse because Nkechi will deny it plainly; all she needs to do is to endure the beating

“So you are here and I’ve been calling you since, and you turn deaf ear right?” Mama Nneka yelled, already setting the whip she wants to use on her

“Haaa, mother please I’m sorry, it was not my fault” she said already crying and trembling

“Who is your mother, ehn over my dead body will I mother a child like you, you this bas***d, your mother was a prostitute, idiot. So it’s now my fault that you burnt the food I suffered to buy, even your stupid father cannot afford that rice I bought” she said already flogging Maria with the whip

“Mother, please I will not do it again” she screamed, crying profusely

Nkechi and Nneka were just staring at Maria with hate in their eyes, not minding the beating their mother was giving her, instead they made jest of the way she cries. The twins are the worst twins in that village; they are found of making troubles and acting weirdly.

Maria will call them wicked step sisters, Eliza calls them ugly frogs, due to the shape of their legs, while Samson do call them witches, the queen of the ogbanje kingdom for that matter, but he dear not say it in their presence

“You are not sleeping nor eating anything in this house today, you will have to find your way, get out” Mama Nneka yelled and pushed Maria out locking the door behind

“Oh God, what have I done to deserve this, what have I done. Is it a sin that my mother abandoned me, oh God where will I run to this night” she said crying and checking out her body………

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

The Adigwes were still laughing and chatting over what transpired between Juliet and Samson, when they heard a sudden knock on the door, junior was the first to jerk up running to meet his mother out of fear, when they heard the knock the second time

Who could that be, they were not expecting anyone that night, it was already 10pm. They were all scared to get up and open the door, staring at one another to see who will make the first move……

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Tbc.

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Love y’all

Vickie Dora