The Child of Thunder 22

By
Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

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“What did you just say?” Adaku asked Uhammiri to be very sure of
what she heard. “Because if it is what I heard, then it is an
impossible mission”.
Uhammiri smiled sheepishly.
“I said I want to have Ebuka all to myself”. Uhammiri repeated
herself again as she stare at Adaku. “Do you have a problem with
my choice of man, Adaku?” Uhammiri added.
“What!! No, is just that Ebuka can’t love any other lady in this
village if you’re not Ogbanje. They have been friends from
childhood and I think they are also lovers, so you see where I
was heading at”. Adaku quickly explained to her daughter.
“I see”. Uhammiri mused to herself.
“We don’t have much time again, let us start going. By now Okoro
would be getting worried as I have not returned”. Adaku said as
she began walking towards the direction of her home, Uhammiri
following suit.
*****
Okoro’s Residence:
Okoro was alone when Adaku and Uhammiri walked into the compound.
Uzochi and her twin sister, Ugochi, had followed Ogbanje to
Ibeiwe forest to fetch some firewood.
“Is she the person you’ve told me about?” Okoro asked to be sure
as he stare at beautiful girl in front of him.
She must be older than Ogbanje at least. She is beautiful, I hope
my kindness won’t bring me trouble.
Okoro thought to himself as he answered the greetings from her.
“Yes my dear, she is the one. Her name is Uhammiri”. Adaku said.
“Such a nice name”. Okoro said “You are welcome my daughter. I
hope your journey with my wife wasn’t stressful at all”. Okoro
added.
“No it wasn’t Papa. I enjoyed the company of her”. Uhammiri said
in pretense.
Ugochi, Uzochi and Ogbanje decided to make their appearance as
they were seen coming back from Ibeiwe forest where they had gone
to fetch the firewood they would use for that day. Each girls has
their own potion of firewood laid on their heads. Their father
had earlier told them that they were going to have a visitor who
was going to stay with them for the time being.

The girls has to sweep, clean and arrange a hut that was beside
Adaku’s own for the said visitor.
So they weren’t surprised when they saw their father and Adaku
with a strange lady with them.
Okoro was the first who sighted them and announced proudly.
“Here comes my children. Go and drop those heaps of firewood in
your head and come back”.
Greeting their father and mother they all rushed to the back
towards their kitchen to drop their firewood.
“Did you see the way the girl was looking at you Ada?” Uzochi was
the first to break the silence that has engulfed them as soon as
they entered the kitchen.
Dropping their firewood where it is usually kept Ugochi turned to
face her sisters
“I also saw it my sister. The way the girl was staring at our Ada
you’d think she wanted Ada dead”. Ugochi answered sheepishly.
“You both are imagining things. How can a girl I barely know
would want to do as you have said?” Ogbanje asked. “It is simply
unbelievable. Didn’t you noticed how pretty she is? I am no where
near her league”. She added.
“I don’t know why mother would bring in such a girl to us to live
with. I don’t like that girl sitting with papa and mama”. Ugochi
said.
“Is it only you. I just pray she doesn’t stay too long in our
house. And Ada, you are more beautiful than her, 100 times. Even
a blind man would know you are the morning sun. If you want to
compare her beauty with someone else you can do that with me”.
Uzochi reprimand Ogbanje.
“Yes, I am in support with my twin sister. Ada is more beautiful
than her”. Ugochi said in support to what her sister has said.
Ogbanje smiled at her sisters lovely.
“We should not jump into conclusion yet. For all we know the girl
might be a good person”. Ogbanje said trying to reason with them
but to no avail
“Not with the kind of eyes she feasted on you back there. I am
not blind, her eyes was filled with hatred”. Uzochi said, adamant
with what she saw
“Okay, let us head back to see what father want from us”. Ogbanje
finally said when she saw that Uzochi wouldn’t be convinced
otherwise.
They left the kitchen.
Truth be told, Ogbanje had seen it but decided to leave it at
that after all she hasn’t met the lady neither has she offended
her before.
Okoro started off the introduction by introducing them to her and
her to them respectively.
After that, Adaku took Uhammiri to her new hut.
“Papa I want to visit Ebuka, I will be back before Adaku starts
preparing our meals.
“Ada, stop referring to your step mother by her given name biko”.
Okoro said gently.
“I will only stops if she also stops calling me Ogbanje”. Ogbanje
reply her father
“I have told her she won’t ever call you that name. Now, make
sure you returned as you promised, you can go”. Okoro said
softly. Okoro knew that if Adaku wouldn’t stop calling Ada,
Ogbanje, then Ada wouldn’t stop calling her by her given name. He
wouldn’t blame Ogbanje after all it was Adaku who had started it
in the first place.
Ogbanje saw the look Uhammiri was given her but choose to ignore
it.
What is wrong with this girl?. Ogbanje thought as she went
towards the road leading to Nnenna’s compound.
*****
Adaku was surprise when she saw a-not-so-good look on Uhammiri’s
face.
“Ogini – What is it?” Adaku asked Uhammiri. “Did Ogbanje
challenged you?”
“No, she dare not”. Uhammiri answered.
“Then why that sour face on you?” Adaku questioned.
“That girl carries a bag of beauty around her. She is so
beautiful to the core, haven’t you noticed it?” Uhammiri said out
of blue.
Adaku looked at her in surprised and shocked. “Are you trying to
saying Ogbanje looks more beautiful than you?” Adaku said with
her eyebrows lifted up.
Uhammiri didn’t answer.
“I will ruin her beauty for her that Ebuka will reject her”.
Uhammiri told Adaku in a very serious tone.
“Can you really succeed in this mission of yours Uhammiri,
because if only her beauty has done this To you. That means
seeing her powers and the stuff she is really made off would make
you go mad”.
Adaku told Uhammiri.
The look Uhammiri throw on her made Adaku scared.
“You don’t know me that much Adaku. You just watch and see how I
will kill Ogbanje and have Ebuka all to myself. I pray you would
live to see that day”.
*****
Nnenna’s Residence:
“There is something Odd about that girl”. Ebuka began softly.
“There is something she is hiding”.
As soon as Ogbanje came, she assisted Nnenna with the cooking and
helped her dished out the food of cooked plantain with palm oil
(red oil). They soon finished eating.
Ebuka and Ogbanje left for his hut. He brought out a mat and lay
it in his frontage and they sat down. Ogbanje laid her head on
his laps and narrated what had transpired in her house.
“I know she must be hiding something from us and my guts tells me
Adaku also know that secret”. Ogbanje said.
“You have to be very careful in whatever you are doing now”.
Ebuka said as he kissed Ada on her forehead in a lovable way.
“It is one of the reason why I am also here too”. With the
confuse look on Ebuka’s face Ogbanje elaborate more. “You need to
see the way she looked at me when I mentioned your name. It is
you that should be careful and not me”.
“She can’t do anything to me. But I will ask my brother to keep
an eye on her, speaking about my brothers, has Ikenga disturbed
you again?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you what he did the other day to me”.
Ogbanje quickly narrated what had happened between she and
Ikemefuna.
“He did what?” Ebuka shouted.
“Hussh, your mother will hear you. Not only did he forcefully
kissed me he also said he knows about you and me and we know he
is Ikenga”. Ogbanje said.
“He has eaten more than he can chew. If I don’t kill him with my
ba…”
Cutting him off with one of her fingers resting in his lips.
“Don’t say a thing like that. Remember he is your brother. We
shall prevail against every evil sent to us. They are only
jealous of what they cannot have. Our love shall prevail all”.
Ogbanje said with a smile.
Ebuka smiled.
“I love you Alaolisa”.
“I love you Amadioha”.
Nnenna smiled at those words. She was hiding behind her sons
hut. The time is coming for them to know about the Ancient
Secret.