? MMESOMA’S
DILEMMA ?
Chapter 15
“That was Nnenna Duru, I didn’t think she would try to be involved in this o, this is so weird”, I said to the others as we sat down at a nearby table.
“Wow, so you told her what you intend to use her pregnancy to do in the entire plan ba?” Ezinne asked and I nodded. I don’t even know why she asked, they all heard that part of the conversation.
“How did she take it?” Dozie asked.
“She was calm, in fact, she even said she looks forward to working with me and she also thinks that Irene is mentally unstable”, I smiled . I like Nnenna already.
“Well, now she knows what’s up, it is left for her to make a move. I hope you are not feeling bad sha, Irene, Afam and her should decide what to do with their relationship, our own is to end an engagement and go back to school, shikena!” Dara said and I smiled.
I totally agreed with her, Nnenna did not sound like a little girl in need of coddling, she sounded self-a-ssured and I guess as the shock wore off I began to see the good in her calling, hearing her voice had made me realize she was capable of taking care of herself, she could face of Irene on her own, backed very well by her family, I still had to worry about doing my Final Year project and graduating with an excellent grade.
“Yes, Dara is right, see let us be going home. I want to sleep well, I have a full body check-up scheduled for tomorrow and I want to be well rested before I reach there, I honestly won’t be surprised if grandma manages to bring Mrs Chibueze along, I sha want all this to be over soon”, I said and we stood up and began walking out.
As we waited for a bus, Ezinne gave Dozie the latest updates on some people at their school while Dara pulled me to the side and began to give me the gist she had for me.
“Ehen, on the matter of baby mama drama, shebi you know Ope?” she asked
. I gave her a weird look then specifically asked: “Which one?”
“The one who they said is Mr Jackson’s side chick”, she sounded so impatient as if I should have a ha-rd drive of these people in my head.
“Oh, that one that never shows up for cla-sses? I know her na, who doesn’t? What about her?”
“Well, she was foolish enough to get pregnant for Mr Jackson, at least they say she said it is his baby, he is denying it up and down and his wife is ready to scatter ground. Have you met the woman? She is huge like this, honestly speaking I don’t know how he will go and cheat on that one, abi is he not afraid of beating? So, Miriam told me the woman came to school to look for Ope o, she brou-ght police sef, saying she wants to arrest the husband snatcher. Me I sha cannot wait and resume, let us see whether they will kill Ope”, she explained and I could not stop laughing at her dramatic demonstrations.
“Come o!” Dozie shouted and we hurried over to the board the bus, during the ride which was quiet I wondered how panicky Afam would be feeling, I hoped that Irene would not hurt Nnenna and her baby because that girl was loco. We alighted and just in time my mom called.
“I have dropped the house key with Dara’s mom, Mrs Chibueze just called us and I don’t think it is advisable if you come with us, go with them Dara, they would drop you all at home.
. Stay in your room, your grandma is very angry, your father does not even care again, your aunts won’t shut up; well least Dubem is still calm. I hope you kids have not done anything wrong o. Later o”, she hung u before I could reply.
Well, we are officially going with you Dara, Afam’s mom just called my parents and my grandma is livid, maybe things would happen much fas-ter than we thought”, I said.
“That is good na, let me call my mom and tell her we are waiting at the park, I don’t have ₦50 for shuttle”, she mumbled to herself as she crossed the road to one of the park benches, dialling her mum’s number while we followed suit.
“Mummy, we are at the park o”
“Yes the one just before the gate”
“Okay, we are waiting”
“They are coming. I need sleep o”, she muttered as she leaned against my shoulder. We all sat there in silence waiting for the vehicle to pick us up and thankfully that happened fast sef.
“Eeyaih, all the excitement has made them tired, oya let us go home ehn”, Dara’s mom said when they got to us. We piled into the car and began to journey home, however long that would take. I dozed off immediately and was woken up when we reached my house.
“Take the house key. Meso, your mother said I should remind you to stay in your room, there is no saying how angry your grandma would be when she returns, let us keep you safe from her mean words. Oya all of you go and sleep in your house”, Mrs Shittu said and I nodded and smiled. I did not need any encouragement to stay in my room, I needed the sleep and I wanted to avoid grandma. My siblings also needed the sleep, we said bye to them and entered our compound.
Dozie opened the door; we got in, locked the door and removed the key as we always did when we were the only ones at home so my parents could open the door when they got back.
Now, to continue that amazing sleep.
****
“Mmesoma open the door, there is wahala and you are still sleeping?!”
I could hear Ezinne screaming and I just wanted to die, this was legit the worst dream in the world. Something was buzzing against me, and combined with Ezinne’s screaming, someone else was ban-ging on a door and screaming even louder.
Just kill me. Do I have to offer special sacrifices to the gods of sleep before I can get any sleep in this house?
I dragged myself out of bed to the sad realization that this was no bad and noisy dream, but was in fact my reality and Ezinne was not only screaming she was also ban-ging against my room door, right now she was saying something along the lines of Afam Chibueze.
Wait, what?!
I hurried to the door and opened it, she fell into the room and I had to catch her.
“Woman, you sleep like a corpse! I have been ban-ging on this door since and calling you . See ehn, there is wahala o, mummy, daddy, the entire
Arsenal and the Chibueze’s are here and that screaming voice you here is Mrs. Chibueze threatening to kill you”, she explained, p@n-ting while doing so. Dozie jogged upstairs, he was seriously frowning.
“Finally she is awake, See ehn, I do not want to be the one to open that door o, because the way she has been ranting and raving like a mad woman, one cannot know what she will do to whoever opens the door”, he said.
“I am not even going to go downstairs o, Meso, you have to open the door, I am so sure she is here to see you sef.
. See ehn, when you open it like this, just jump, don’t wait for her to slap you first o, just jump behind a chair or start running upstairs like you did the first time they came here, you hear? Don’t die young o”, Ezinne advised and I groa-ned audibly.
“So, you people are leaving me alone to go and suffer”, I muttered to them as I walked downstairs
. As I got closer to the front door she became very audible and blood of Jesus, I will so run when I open that door or she would kill me.
I opened the door very fast and ran behind a large chair, she tried to get to me but I had age and agility on my side, she however had anger and a thirst for my blood on hers. What did I do now?
“Patience, you are in my house now, please stop attacking my child o, this thing is not funny, how is it her fault that people are talking about your son’s actions, is he not the one who got someone pregnant? Is he not the one with the mad ex-girlfriend? Why is she being attacked? Biko, respect yourself here o, just respect yourself”, my mother said, surprising everyone. I went to stand behind her and then my wonderful immediate younger siblings came downstairs to stand with us.
“Mummy, I am very sure this is not Mmesoma’s fault in any way o, why don’t you attack Afam instead”, Tobe said.
“What did I do sef?” I asked, finally feeling courageous but also ready to run if necessary.
“Interesting, she is even asking me what she did. Uju, your daughter is trying me o, she is trying me”, the woman was on a roll tough.
“Patience, you heard her, tell her the crime she committed na, let us hear whether it was my daughter that affected your son’s reputation. I don’t know how it is her fault that your son chooses to be useless, biko don’t drag her into this one”, my mom retorted and punctuated her statement with a hiss.
This whole time, the Arsenal has just been standing there looking speechless, even my father was not saying anything, he definitely did not expect my mother to go all bada-ss on Mrs. Chibueze considering how she is always telling us to be respectful and all.
“Uju, is that so? Okay, Mmesoma, you have been spreading rumours about how my son is getting girls pregnant and making them get ab-ortions ba? In fact you even added that there is one who is currently pregnant for him. You thought I would never hear about it ba? You thought you would destroy my family’s reputation ba?” she was asking me questions I could not keep up with.
Clearly someone had informed her of the Nnenna situation and what I am guessing are some of the things Irene might have done to keep Afam but who is telling her that I am spreading them about? I was even unaware of the ab-ortion part sef.
“Ah! I did not do that o, biko; check your source, whoever is telling you this is a liar! I am not a gossip and I did not spread rumours regarding Afam or pregnant girls and ab-ortions. And why are you attacking me sef? I am not spreading the rumours o, but people say that in every rumour there is a semblance of truth, why don’t you ask your precious son, Adam whether or not he knows about any of those things?” I retorted. She gasped in shock and my mother was smiling so ha-rd I was sure her face would split in two.
Take that old witch!
“Well, you have heard her, please you people should leave”, m mom ordered.
“No o, my source is here, this matter will end today!” Mrs. Chibueze insisted and I sighed.
“Bring her then”, my father said, sounding amused.
I wanted to laugh too but my laughter died in my throat when Irene walked in, even Afam gasped, clearly we all never expected it.
Tbc…