STORY BY DEBORAH PAUL
OJO-CHENE-MI MY VILLAGE BRIDE
EPISODE 1
Mrs Paul sat in front of her house picking beans she was going to cook for her dealing husband and daughter who she taught was in school.
only for an angry woman to drag her daughter home, holding her by the shirt.
MRS PAUL
mama ojotule, what happened? what has chenemi done again? and as for you chenemi how come you are not in school?
MAMA OJOTULE
I think we have all had enough of your daughter’s stupid and stubborn attitude in this village.
(she said furiously)
MRS PAUL
I don’t un-derstand you, what has my daughter done again?
MAMA OJOTULE
you know how much cashew nut cost in the market these days …I was at home when someone came to call me that they saw your daughter in my farm roasting my cashew nuts with her friends.
MRS PAUL
Jesus Christ….. chenemi is that true?
she started to ru-b her face like someone who had something on it, the mother immidiately knew her daughter was guilty of the accusations.
MRS PAUL
mama ojotule my good friend, please you have to forgive me…. you know how far we have come…. don’t allow this girl to make us enemies.
MAMA OJOTULE
you know I can take any from people, but what I can’t take is someone messing with what gives me Money.
As they were still discussing Mr Paul drove in on his bike, he packed un-der the mango tree in his compound and joined his wife.
MR PAUL
this one all of you are looking like this, hope my princess has not commit another trouble.
MRS PAUL
I’m just tired of this girl, always causing problem for me wherever she goes to.
MAMA OJOTULE
welcome baba chenemi…..I only came here to beg you to help me warn your daughter because the next time she tries this ru-bbish with me, I swear I will show her why I’m called “evil woman”
she said and walked away murmuring angrily to herself.
MRS PAUL
chenemi what wrong have i committed in giving birth to you? why can’t I have peace of mind because I have you as a child?
MR PAUL
I don’t like it when you talk like this eeh my love.
OJOCHENEMI
papa I didn’t do anything ooh, I only roasted some cashew with my friends ooh, i wonder why that woman is just wicked….after she will come to our house and eat like a hungry lion.
MRS PAUL
are you alright? did you plant the cashew for her? honey talk to your daughter.
she said and got up angrily with her tray of beans… Mr Paul smiled, he doesn’t like to see his wife sad, but ojochemi is his favorite, he doesn’t joke with her…..you rather beat him than touch his princess.
OJOCHEMI
papa are you angry with me?
MR PAUL
of course not my princess, but why did you go to that evil woman’s farm?
OJOCHEMI
she always comes here to eat our food, so what wrong did I commit by reciprocating the gesture?
MR PAUL
(He couldn’t control his laughter)
just go inside and apologize to your mother.
OJOCHENEMI
okay papa.
she went inside to meet her mother why her father sat down on the chair his wife was seating before.
LOCATION: ABUJA, NIGERIA .
Mr Oscar is a very ha-rd working business man, his very wealthy and a no nonsense man….. he doesn’t joke, and he doesn’t have any friends….no man or woman could keep up with his trouble…so he just focus on his work and nothing else.
OSCAR’S POV
I don’t have time to go about explaining myself to you or anyone else, all I care about in this world is money and myself, if you are not talking about money, you are not talking.
oh and of course my mum, she’s my second god, I love her so much and I ha-rdly disobey her….in fact I don’t think I have ever disobeyed her…..there’s nothing I can’t do to make that queen happy.
People think I’m rude and arrogant but I’m not, I just hate lazy people around me.
(someone knocks at his door)
OSCAR
who is that?
Miss Linda came inside holding a file in her hands, she greeted me and moved to my table…. from the look in her eyes I could tell she was really scared…. who wouldn’t he? I’m their boss and I carry seriousness anywhere I go.
OSCAR
what can I help you with Linda?
LINDA
good afternoon sir
(she greeted again)
OSCAR
are you sure you are okay? I thought I just asked you what you are here for? or you left your duty post just to greet me ?
LINDA
I’m sorry sir….. I came to inform you that the file is ready.
OSCAR
what file?
LINDA
the great steppers orphanage file.
OSCAR
alright, drop it on my desk and get out.
She dropped it immidiately and ran out like a crazy woman….i couldn’t help but sm-irk.
I return back to what I was doing, not long my phone started to ring, I looked at the screen and it was Amanda my girlfriend….I ignored the call, I have told her to stop calling me whenever I’m at work but she won’t here…..shes pushing her luck and very soon I will soon break up with her…i hate women who doesn’t have vision.
I tried to focus but Amanda’s call won’t let me, I picked my phone and answered the call.
OSCAR
Are you so jobless that you don’t know when a man is busy?
(I screamed at her?
AMANDA
why are you like this Oscar? I have been calling, you should have at least pick and know the reason why I’m calling you.
OSCAR
you called the first time I didn’t answer it, a normal person wouldn’t call again because she would know the receiver is busy…..but its you….so you kept calling like the fool you are.
AMANDA
I don’t know what I have done to deserve all this insult from you Oscar….but that’s fine….im taking all this because of the love I have for you.
OSCAR
what nonsense love? you are just after a fine man with lots of money…..you think I don’t know you won’t stay with me if I were broke? remind me what did I get for you last month on your birthday? a Br@nd new range Rover sp-ot…… common mama stop deceiving yourself that you love me.
AMANDA
I didn’t ask you to buy me a car, so why are you using it to insult me?
OSCAR
(I giggled)
but i didn’t see you reject it babe…. that’s by the way, why did you call me? I have a lot of works on my desk.
AMANDA
I’m coming home to spend weekend, I just want to inform you.
OSCAR
you can take your a*s else where for this weekend, I’m busy i don’t think I want you around .
AMANDA
What do you mean by that ? Oscar you are beginning to take me for granted….and I don’t like that.
OSCAR
(I couldn’t hold the laughter)
if you can’t take it, you can leave okay? oops but you can’t because you are enjoying my ha-rd earn money…..my friend get out from my phone.
I hung up and dropped my phone….look at Amanda trying to get all innocent with me ooh, that one that I know is with me because of moneu….let me just ask broke for two weeks now she will Japa (run) is claiming love…..love kee her there.
my phone started to ring again, I thought it was Amanda, without checking I picked and started cursing her immidiately only to discover it’s my……..
STORY BY DEBORAH PAUL
OJO-CHENE-MIMY VILLAGE BRIDE
EPISODE 2
OSCAR POV CONTINUES
I didn’t even check the caller before I started giving out my piece of mind….it was the sweet voice I heard that made me to quickly shut up and apologized.
OSCAR
Good afternoon mum…. I’m sorry
MRS STELLA
you and who is fighting on the phone again Oscar? tell me
OSCAR
no one mum
MRS STELLA
are you sure? because I’m very sure you are fighting with someone on the phone.
OSCAR
(I sm-irk)
how can my mother not know her own son…..mum I promise it’s nothing serious …how are you?
MRS STELLA
I’m very well ……how are you doing?
OSCAR
I’m fine mum, just stressed out
MRS STELLA
that’s why you nee-d a wife…..Oscar when are you bringing her home?
OSCAR
who mum?
(pretending like I didn’t know)
MRS STELLA
Don’t act smart with me boy…..you know what I’m talking about.
OSCAR
mum I haven’t seen any girl that has won my heart, all the girls I have met are just after my money.
OSCAR
and what’s bad if a woman wants money? tell me?
OSCAR
mum you are kidding right? you stayed with Dad even when he had no penny…..so why should your son marry a woman who only cares about money?
MRS STELLA
you can’t be too sure son, there must he one girl who loves you for you.
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, I wouldn’t love myself if I were a girl…..who would keep up with my character if not because of money.
I have anger problem that only my mother knows how to calm me down…..i remember the day I almost slapped my dad because he provoked me….. my mum was the one who calmed me down and saved my dad….. like I said earlier I’m not going to explain why I’m like this….maybe I might in the future that’s if I see a woman who can manage my life or handle me.
it was my mother’s voice that brou-ght me back to reality
MRS STELLA
hello, are you there
OSCAR
I’m here mum…..can I come to the house later so we can talk about this? right now I’m kind of busy.
MRS STELLA
I hope you come……and please act well around your father.
OSCAR
I will try mum….i’m sending you i’m ki-sses.
I blow her a ki-ss and ended the call, the mentioned of my dad just ruined my mum.
OJO-CHENE-MI POV
I wonder how my mum would look at me and say she regret giving birth to me….the whole me like this….I’m a very peaceful and lifely person.
the only problem I have with all this people in my village is that they don’t un-derstand me….I don’t like trouble but If you find my trouble I will give it to you double.
after mum scolded me this afternoon I went inside to apologise to her just like my dad said but she refuse to forgive me
she even told me she wish she didn’t give birth at all than having me as a child.
my feelings were hurt but what can I do? I can’t hate her because she’s my everything.
dinner was ready too and I refuse to eat, I was still angry….she came to inform me that dinner was ready but I refuse to come out from my room.
I heard a soft knock on my door and I immidiately knew it was my sweet father….even with the hurt I still smiled.
MR PAUL
ojochemi…..why are you not coming out for dinner?
OJO-CHENE-MI
because I want to die dad, I want to dad so mum can have peace of mind….. because she’s never going to have that so long I’m alive.
MRS PAUL
So she’s not coming out because I scolded her? she’s not hungry, honey please let’s go and eat.
MR PAUL
honey, why are you talking like this? we are trying to make this girl to eat and you are still making her angry.
OJOCHEMI
papa, go and eat…..i must die this night.
MRS PAUL
(I Heard my mum laughed)
really? please come out let me mix posion for you to eat and die quickly.
I couldn’t believe my mum would say that to me, I was even more hurt than before but I’m going to shock her….. I open the door and came out, went straight to the dinning table and started to eat….. why should I even be angry with food when it was not good that insulted me.
As expected my mum started to laugh at me but I didn’t care….all I care about at that moment was to fill my stomach.
The next day I didn’t wake up early, mum came to my room to wake me up….the way she was knocking on the door I knew she was still mad at me for what happened the previous day and If I act funny I might end up been beaten.
I quickly got up and opened the door for her to come inside.
MRS PAUL
Are you not going to school today?
OJOCHEMI
I’m feeling sick mum, I can’t go today
(I replied her in our dialect)
she laughed and clapped her both hands like amebo market women.
MRS PAUL
where is paining you?
OJOCHEMI
all over my body hurts mum…..but my head hurt even more.
MRS PAUL
(She shook her head)
what kind of a child are you chenemi? all your mate have finished from secondary school but you are still there and you are not even bordered
OJOCHEMI
why should I be bordered ma? is it my fault that those teachers don’t see my potentials? beside you guys know how much I hate going go school…..send me to your elder sister’s place in Abuja so I can start learning a trade or start working and earning money.
MRS PAUL
what do you know about money? beside you want me to send you to my sister who already have seven children that she is taking care of? are you sure you are normal?
OJOCHEMI
I’m normal mum…. you guys just don’t see it….beside who said anuty can’t take care of me…..is not like I eat much.
MRS PAUL
I’m too stressed to start arguing with you this morning……before I reach outside, you should be ready for school.
she said and storm out like john Cena.
I don know why my parents won’t just let me live my life….very soon I will run away from the house and go to the city.
OSCAR POV
I woke up very early as usual, I took my bath and went to the living room to have my breakfast, I had an early appointment.
to my surprise breakfast was not ready, I felt my heart boiling, all I wanted to do was beat the living hell out of maria.
OSCAR
Maria!! Maria!! Maria!!!!
( I screamed her name)
she ran out trembling like an almost dead hen
OSCAR
where is my breakfast?
MARIA
Good morning sir
Her greeting got me even more angry, she ignored my question and said something else….I gave her a dirty slap…..she went quickly went down on her knees apologizing.
story continues
not edited