DETHRONED
Episode 31
By AMAH’S HEART
” Olamma… where did you and your brother sneak out to again..?” I asked with a high-pitched voice whilst looking at my seventeen year old daughter who begun stammering in fear.
I was slightly angry when I checked their huts and found out that they went out yet again without letting me know.
” mo..mot.. mother.. Ammon and I went to get some water from the stream!” Olamma replied with her eyes bent low.
Whilst standing in front of me, Olamma was practically fidgeting with her fingers presumably out of fear. And I know my daughter very well so from her frightened demeanor I could tell that she is hiding something from me.
” What are you hiding from me Ola…? You aren’t looking me in the eyes which means something is up with you.. what is it..?” I asked as I referred to Olamma by the pet name I carved out for her.
When no reply was forthcoming from Olamma, I had to ask a second question
“…by the way.. where is your brother Ammon..?” I inquired and at the same time begun looking around for my son.
I heard a light cough behind me which completely startled me since I hadn’t expected anyone to be behind me
” I’m right here mother… I’m so sorry if I startled you!” Ammon said regrettably as he walked over to stand in front of me and beside his sister Olamma.
” You sure startled me Ammon.. and where exactly are you coming from…?” I asked still wearing an angry expression
” Oh mother! I went hunting and the gods has favored me with something huge today!” Ammon said excitedly raising a big bush meat up for me to see.
I am happy to see the bush meat Ammon caught but I am not pleased with the fact that their stories do not contrast, which only means Olamma is lying as I had presumed.
Actually, the recent happenings of her sneaking out and then coming back to cover it up with flippant excuses started a week back.
Initially, I thought it was one of those teenage girl fever but now I do not know what to think of it anymore.
We live deep into the forest slightly close to a village by name Asa Land.
It is from this Asa Land we do sell herbs for money or we purchase foodstuffs and other essential things from whenever we need them.
Or wait! could it be that my daughter has started making friends with maidens from the village even after I warned her to stay off people…?
Or could it be that there is something entirely different that is bringing about all this recent bad behaviors from her…?
I thought inwardly but I couldn’t ascertain which is actually true.
Oh the gods! what’s happening to my only daughter…?
” You did well Ammon… thank you for the meat I’ll use it to prepare bush meat pepper soup for dinner.. but do not leave the hut without telling me next time. And also did you in any way see your father while coming back home…?” I asked slowly shifting my gaze from Olamma to Ammon
” No mother I didn’t see father… But didn’t he tell you where he was going to before he left..?” Ammon asked worriedly and I nodded affirmatively
” He told me he wanted to assist in gathering the firewood since it is almost finished from the shade but then he is taking too long… I’m beginning to feel worried!” I answered sighing deeply.
I was truly feeling worried for Nonso who is now my husband.
It was after I left my village and journeyed into the forest that I came across a fine hardworking young man; Nonso.
Sadly, he is a banished villager like me and had erected an abode in the forest where he resided by himself until I came along and begged to join him.
It is in the forest I found out that I didn’t lose the pregnancy that I bore for Eze like I earlier thought I did.
Oh! the joy I felt when I saw my baby bump growing day by day.
My baby was still intact in my womb and since my powers were no more, giving birth to him wasn’t so hard.
Eighteen years passed and I’m proud to say that my child is now an adult whom I had named Ammon after his birth.
Despite my pathetic situation and story, Nonso was so caring, loving and thoughtful towards me and Ammon.
He treated me well as a woman and loved Ammon as his biological son such that I begun falling in love again.
Thankfully, Nonso was also genuinely in love with me and he even asked me to be his wife which I accepted.
After Ammon turned a year old, we had a private marriage between ourselves and our union brought about Olamma.
Honestly, I haven’t regretted loving Nonso like I did with Eze because Nonso is still the same loving, caring, and thoughtful man he was from the very beginning.
So far Nineteen years has passed, and yet I am really thankful for the fact that I am still alive to see the light of today.
Indeed time truly flies but then the memory of that day I escaped dëäth has forever remained stuck in my mind.
That day, Great Uba made the whole village fall into a deep slumber so I could successfully escape without notice. But sadly, since that fateful day I haven’t seen him till date.
Oh! How I miss him so much and wished I could get to see and talk to him again.
It still burdens my heart to know that I am the sole reason such a consequence of not seeing each other for years was passed on him in the first place.
I sometimes wish I could turn back the hands of time to correct certain past mistakes I made, but sadly I can’t.
I’m glad that the gods gave me my son as a consolation for my pains. And despite the fact that Eze is his father, I love my son so much and not once have I ever regretted birthing him or Olamma.
It’s Olamma voice that brought me out of my reverie into the present day
” I’m sorry for lying to you mother… Ammon was not with me nor was I at the stream as I claimed earlier.. I know you taught us against telling líes and I’m really sorry for telling you líes mother” Olamma said with an inaudibly voice
I heavily heavily as I turned my gaze to Olamma again but this time my eyes softened and had this glaring motherly love in them.
In truth, I love my two children a lot and since I wouldn’t want them to make the same life mistakes I made as a maiden without proper mentorship, I ensure to always correct them with tact and love.
” …go and freshen up Olamma so you’ll join me in the kitchen to prepare dinner before your father returns… even you Ammon I want you to freshen up too so you will assist me in the kitchen… I do need you both with me!” I said softly to the surprise of Olamma who probably thought I was going to try forcing the truth out of her against her wish.
” It’s okay Mother.. I’m perfectly fine the way I am.. I’ll just join you in the kitchen then after we are done with the cooking, I’ll take a bath.. I think that will be much more preferred for me” Olamma replied and I shrugged in total surrender
” Okay Ola.. do what works better for you.. I really don’t have a problem with it and how about you Ammon..?” I asked with my eyes now staring at Ammon
” I think I’ll prefer to take a bath mother so I’ll feel more refreshed.. let me drop this meat in the kitchen then I’ll take a quick bath and join you and Olamma shortly!” Ammon said and quickly dashed into the kitchen situated at the center of the forest.
Immediately Ammon was completely out of earshot, I heaved as I fixed my gaze intently at Olamma who is still fidgeting with her fingers out of fear.
” Olamma tell me the truth… is there a man you are secretly seeing without my knowledge..?” I asked looking at Olamma without batting my eyes.
Olamma lifted up her face and looked at me wide-eyed. I suppose that it’s because she was not expecting such a direct and blunt question from me
” Ah! No mother… I.. I..I..” Olamma blurted out and then slowly begun revealing something that I found so shocking and unbelievable.
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