TITLE: THREE GENERATIONS
WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI
CHAPTER 54
Their son was named, Chidindu Bertrand.
The Christmas holiday rolled in. Because of work, Nwanneka had to come back home a few days after Christmas. Okey and Ijeoma were also home for the holiday. Okey had bought a Mercedes Benz 230L which he was cruising around with. Okey was throwing money around which excited his mother. Chike had asked him what he was into that paid off so easily but he refused to tell him anything. Investigation revealed the source and other information.
On the 31st of December, Chike called his family together and told them, “If Okey gets into any criminal problem again, I, Chike will not bail him out and I should not be called or informed as it has nothing to do with me”
Mama replied quickly, “Who is calling you? You that your wife and her mother have to tell you what to do. Leave my son, he is hustling. He will make money and be very rich; far richer than you”
Ijeoma was shocked at mama’s utterances that she said, “Mama what are you saying? Chike has done so much for you and this family, how can you speak to him in that manner? He is right, if Okey gets into trouble, no one should call me too. If one works ha-rd for their money, they don’t lavish it the way Okey is”
“What else will you say? You have come back here again for Christmas while your husband, his new wife and two sons are in his village. Is it my fault you are frustrated? Go back to your husband, you refused. Now you are judging matter that concerneth you not”
Ijeoma shook her head and replied, “it is not what you say to me that baffles me but your hatred for Nwanneka. If it is not Nwanneka, it is her mother. What did they ever do to you? Nwanneka has given you her shop and money to start a business, still, you are not satisfied. Truly, there are wicked people all over the world”
“Are you calling me wicked? Were you talking about me?” mama asked as she stood up posed for a fight.
Chike wasn’t interested in their exchange of words. He announced, “We are leaving for Nwanneka’s hometown; her grandparents haven’t seen our son. Ijeoma, don’t bother arguing with mama, she will be the cause of Okey’s downfall. I am not going anywhere”
On the way to her village, Nwanneka avoided bringing up the issue that happened at home. Her mother had told her to ignore whatever her mother-in-law says to her and be nice to her but she was getting to her wits’ end. The woman always looked for an opportunity to drag her into what doesn’t concern her. She would have told her off but she held her peace because of Chike and her mother. It was beginning to affect her.
Nwanneka’s mood changed suddenly as they drove into her village. She became sad and jittery. She didn’t know what was wrong but she felt it. Then a strong wind like a whirlwind was just in front of the car gathering mas-s and raising dust. She asked Chike to stop the car and not drive into it.
“Drive into what?” Chike asked her.
“The whirlwind in front of the car”
“There is nothing in front of the car”
Nwanneka looked and everywhere was calm. Tears flowed from her eyes when she realized it was a premonition. Something had either happened or was about to happen. Chike was worried at Nwanneka’s change of countenance. He asked her severally what was wrong but got no reply.
When they got to the compound, people had gathered. Nwanneka ran into the house to check on her mother. Her mother was sitting next to her grandmother who was surrendered by other relatives.
“Gini mere? What happened?” an anxious Nwanneka asked no one in particular.
Nwakaego stood up and led her daughter into a room. “My daughter how was your trip? Where are your husband and child?”
“Mma what happened? Talk to me”
“It has been a crazy day. Yesterday, some people brou-ght Ogo to the house. Ogo we haven’t seen in how many years. Nne, she was a pack of bones. I took her to the hospital in the company of her mother. While receiving treatment, she struggled to talk but didn’t speak when those people that brou-ght her were there. Immediately they left, she told us what happened to her. She ran into Isabella in Italy. She knew Isabella had been arrested and sentenced but she didn’t know she was released”
“Released? It is not ten years yet”
“Exactly. So, she congratulated her on her rele-ase but Isabella didn’t seem happy to see her. That was when the problem started. She went to a party and Isabella gave me a drink. She became unconscious. She was in the hospital for months. One of the girls visiting her in the hospital told her to pretend she was still very ill otherwise Isabella will keep poisoning her. She did that. She said before she was brou-ght back to Nigeria, Isabella whispered to her to tell her father and mother this is her payback. She injected something into her drip line and she became unconscious again. We invited the Colonel to listen and record what was Ogo said. She died early hours of this morning. She was with her mother when she died. She told her many things which Chinyere will share when she has fully recovered”
“Are you saying Ogo is dead? Ogo, dead?”
“Yes, my daughter. Killed by Isabella. But not only that”
“What else?”
“Your grandfather suffered a heart attack when he heard about it. He was holding his che-st before he collap-sed”
“Heart attack? Where is he?”
“He is in a bad shape; he is not talking or moving. It is like he is in a coma”
“Where is he?”
“In his room. Mama wouldn’t let us take him to the hospital. She said we should allow him to go in his bed. The way Chinyere screamed when she entered the compound caused the problem. We would have quietly broken the news to them. Papa is not responsive at all.”
“How do you know he had a heart attack?”
“The doctor was here. He said he is also in a coma.”
“Let us take him to Port-Harcourt to see a specialist. He could get better”
“Nwanneka, mama won’t allow us to take him anywhere”
“Mama doesn’t have the final say when it comes to papa”
“Yes, she does. He is her husband and I believe they must have spoken about death a number of times. Papa is in his late seventies now if not eighties. Why move him to unfamiliar territory when he can be with loved ones.”
“What are you saying mma? I am going to get papa out and take him to Port-Harcourt” Nwanneka stormed out of the room. Mama wasn’t in the sitting room with the other mourners. She knocked on her bedroom door but there was no answer. She went into papa’s room. Lying on the bed beside her husband was mama. She was lying still making no movement. Nwanneka went to her to wake her up, she realized she was never ever waking up again. Tears flowed from her eyes as she covered their bodies with the blanket. She came out of the room shedding serious tears.
Uncle Onyedika was talking to Chike in the sitting room when she came out. One look at Nwanneka, he rushed into the room. From there he ran out shouting for someone to get the doctor. Nwakaego rushed into the room and let out a wail. That was what attra-cted attention.
The doctor came and certified both of them dead. Three lives had been lost in one day. It was no longer a joyous occasion. Everyone was sober. Uncle Obi never left his room for days. He blamed himself for everything. Auntie Chinyere also stayed indoors. Her heart was heavy with grief. She didn’t know whom she was mourning anymore.
The burial was fixed for the end of January. Uncle Onyedika wanted it done immediately but uncle Obi asked for more time to enable him to perform his rites properly. It was a sorrowful beginning of the year and Nwanneka prayed the rest of the year will be filled with joy and happiness.
Chike informed his family about the loss in Nwanneka’s family and when the burial would be. He discussed with his father and uncles what they were supposed to do as in-laws. “The burial will be an expensive one. They will be burying the man and his wife together. Burying a married woman is very expensive. But then, the woman has capable children and grandchildren. You will make your contribution like the man you are. Do we go with one cow or two?”
“Their daughters’ husband’s families will bring also. There would be so many cows. It will be a festival. I won’t miss it for the world”
The first-night Nwanneka and Chike returned from the village to Lagos, Nwanneka had a dream. In the dream, papa was visibly upset while mama was trying to console him. Nwanneka asked mama why papa was angry. She replied, “he had told his sons that when he dies he doesn’t want to be put in a mortuary but buried immediately like Anozie was but they have failed to heed to his request. He doesn’t like the mortuary; he wants his body laid to rest immediately. He does not want a fun fare at his burial”
‘And you, mama, do you also want to be laid immediately too?” Nwanneka asked her.
“I want to be buried when my husband is buried”
Nwanneka woke up that morning and immediately called uncle Onyedika. Before he could say anything, she said to him, “Papa wants to be laid to rest immediately. He is very unhappy. Also, he doesn’t want fun fare at his burial. He wants it private and intimate”
“No wonder I have been having strange dreams. What of mama?”
“She wants to be buried the same day and way her husband is buried”
“He mentioned this several times but I allowed Obi because I know he feels very guilty about everything. I will travel down in the evening and we will begin preparations”
The burial took place a week after. It was a quiet and peaceful burial. Three graves were dug and three people buried. In-laws and well-wishers were entertained without music. It was a solemn affair that Nwanneka knew her grandfather would have loved wherever he was.
It took three months but eventually, Isabella was repatriated back to Nigeria. Her father knew he couldn’t call in favours at this time. All those involved in her escape were severely dealt with.
Isabella was brutally tortured. Her bones were broken and she was left unattended. She was shot in the leg and then in the hand. She was left in isolation without light or sunlight for three months. When she came out, she had badly deteriorated and was mentally unstable. Her wounds had been badly infected.
It was then and only then she was released to her family. She was no longer of sound mind. Her wounds had affected her bones and caused very bad infections. She had to have her leg and hand amputated. She began to hallucinate and had many episodes of violate outburst. She wasn’t human anymore and that was the best punishment that could be meted on her.
The prophet her father had used to help her in the past told him, she would never be cured, this was her life now. All she should have done was avoid Ogo when she saw her but she was out for revenge. She forgot she was never to do evil against Obi or any of his family. That was the agreement. This was the punishment for disobedience.
When auntie Chinyere finally spoke, she said all Ogo told her. In conclusion, she quoted Ogo saying, “Tell father not to blame himself for what happened to me. It wasn’t because of his relationship with Isabella. I knew what I was getting into and did it anyway. Please forgive me for not returning home when Chioma did. I enjoyed what I was doing. I have all my money with my friend Isioma, her phone number is in my bag. She will give you all my personal possessions. I made money mama, but see me here now. Isabella poisoned me so she can get her revenge. She said she was also going to kill Nwanneka also. She wanted her mother to be sorrowful. Tell mama Nwanneka to be careful. I hurt you the most mama, please forgive me. You are a good mother but we never appreciated you. We were lured by the desi-res of a good life. Tell my younger ones to look at how I ended and not make the same mistake. I beg you. Don’ let any one of them fall into this trap. Don’t let them be a waste like me.” There were no dry eyes in that place when she shared Ogo’s last words. Nwanneka wished to deal with Isabella; what she didn’t know was that Isabella was in a condition worse than death.
Obi recovered from his self-inflicted sorrow. He was never his bubbly self again but with papa gone, he took over the family’s responsibility. He did very well in handling the family’s affairs but everyone knew he was a broken man.
A year after the deaths of Ogo, papa and mama, their possessions were brou-ght out. Papa and mama had left a letter in their money box giving instructions on how everything they owned would be shared.
Uncle Obi inherited the house but all the grandchildren were entitled to live there at will or whenever they visited.
All papa’s possessions were to be shared amongst their two sons. All the money he had in a brown envelope marked grandchildren belonged to all the male born grandchildren he had. The envelope marked daughters was for his daughters. Another envelope had the name ‘Nwakaego’ on it. It was to be opened by Nwakaego only.
All mama’s expensive georges, abada, laces, shoes and bags were to be shared amongst her daughters which included her daughters-in-law. Her trinket box was to be given to Nwanneka. All the money she had in her trunk box and other items she owned were to be shared amongst her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Everyone wondered why Nwakaego was given something special by papa. Nwakaego opened the envelope, in it, she found a landed property doc-ument with Anozie and Nwakaego’s names on it. Apparently, Anozie had given his father money to buy landed property in the village before his death which he did. He didn’t mention it during the dispute over sharing of Anozie’s property. He kept it and instead secured the property by registering it in Anozie and Nwakaego’s name. He had planted palm trees on the property for years which everyone partook off without realizing it belonged to Nwakaego. At his demise, he handed it over to her. Nwakaego cried at this show of selfless love. Even when Papa was in hu-ge debts, he didn’t sell the property to offset the debt but instead kept the property for her.
Nwanneka was baffled that she received her grandmother’s trinket box. She wondered why she was given such a gift. It was mama’s eldest daughter, her aunt, who told them why mama gave her the trinket box.
“When Anozie began to work with the white men, he brou-ght this beautiful trinket box for mama. Inside the box were a mirror which was studded and a comb. Anozie promised mama he will fill it up with precious jewellery for her. The following year he bought her white coral beads. He strung them himself and gave them to her. Then he brou-ght beautiful pearls. He did all this so mama wouldn’t disturb him to get married. It worked until she had had enough. She told him to give her a granddaughter to who she will leave these beautiful pieces of jewellery. The next year he married Nwakaego. Later, Nwanneka came onboard. She promised Anozie his daughter will inherit the trinket box and she kept her word”
Truly there was so much jewellery inside the box. Most were bought by her mother, Nwakaego, for mama which she ha-rdly ever wore. Nwanneka was grateful. Even though her father was dead, one way or the other his impact was felt.
Nwadiuto was in J.S 1 Federal Government Girls’ College Abuloma. She was extremely intelligent. She had conversations that were far ahead of her age. Her grandmother insisted she went to boarding school because she felt she was getting spoilt being at home.
Nwakaego visited her every visiting day. She came with food not just for her but also for other students whose parents didn’t visit. She also brou-ght some provisions for them too. Everyone wanted to be Nwadiuto’s friend. She stood out in every way. She was intelligent, good looking, had a nice height and very as-sertive.
Senior girls avoided bullying her in school. A call to her grandmother and the students involved getting into trouble. Even though she had people falling all over for her, she was still kind, generous and ha-rdworking like her grandmother and mother. Unfortunately, she was also unforgiving (she could keep malice for ages), cunning, and proud.
Her grandmother made some promises to her if she succeeded in maintaining the first position in her clas-s for the six years she will be there. She stuck to it and put in her best. She was someone who pursued her heart desi-re with a pas-sion.
In her JS 2, the school invited Nwakaego for a meeting. Her daughter had qualified to be moved to a Gifted Children school in Suleja. They wanted Nwakaego’s approval for Nwadiuto to be transferred there. She would be on scholarship. Nwakaego asked the school to place a hold on the transfer so she would discuss it with the mother and father of the child.
Nwanneka told Chike about it. Even though Chike liked the idea of her competing with other highly intelligent students, he was worried about the distance and visiting. He was comfortable with her being in Port-Harcourt because of Nwakaego.
Nwanneka shared the same views with him. Another issue was the whole idea of scholarship. Since they could afford the fees, why should they deprive another child who was equally intelligent but couldn’t afford it?
Nwakaego asked Nwadiuto what she wanted after laying their concerns. Nwadiuto said she wanted to be near home. She had been with her grandmother all her life and she wanted her grandmother to visit her anytime she wanted to. That settled it. She stayed back. She maintained her position in clas-s effortlessly.
Nwadiuto went to Lagos on her long holidays. She stayed with her mother for a week and then stayed with her cousins in uncle Onyedika’s house. She never looked forward to the one week she stayed with her mother because her mother made her work and take care of her younger brother, Chidindu. But in uncle Onyedika’s house, she was treated like a princess. She wasn’t allowed to do any work. She and her cousin Chigozie had a very nice time together catching up. Uncle Onyedika took them to fun places in Lagos. She always went back with tales about her adventures in Lagos.
Competition became steep when a new girl joined them in SS 1. She came from a school in London and she had many of the girls hovering around her. Nwadiuto felt displaced. She began to trouble her grandmother requesting to go on holidays abroad. She told her grandmother how she nee-ded to broaden her horizon. Mama Nwanneka agreed but the problem was that Nwanneka was smarter than her old school mother. Nwadiuto had to find a way to convince her mother to allow her to travel abroad.
Nwanneka was against it. She told her mother Nwadiuto was spoilt and she had spared the rod with that child. She refused to give her consent for her to travel out of the country. Nwakaego promised to go with her on the trip but Nwanneka couldn’t un-derstand why Nwadiuto was so desperate to travel out. Eventually, she succ-umbed to pressure as Nwadiuto was able to get Chike on her side.
Nwakaego went to France with her granddaughter. They stayed with a friend of uncle Onyedika during the period. Nwadiuto visited so many places and took dozens of pictures. She also shopped for her besties and herself. It was Nwakaego that shopped for everyone else.
When they came back, Nwadiuto showed off to Chigozie what she bought. It was then she confided in him why she had to go on this trip. She told him the other girl who had lived in London had more friends than her. Now she had travelled out of the country, she would have far more friends.
When Nwanneka found out what was going on, she was very disappointed in Nwadiuto. She seized all she bought and threatened to pull her out of the school. That was when they had their first altercation.
“You love your husband and son more than you ever loved me. All I asked was an experience and now you take away what gives me joy? You didn’t want me, you can’t make decisions for me”
“I didn’t want you? I was sixteen when I had you and I didn’t want you? I would have ab-orted you but I suffered to have you. I faced the shame and disgrace so you can be alive. This is how you repay me?”
‘I never asked to be born. I don’t even know who I am. You got married and never took me to live with you. When I come to Lagos, you are quick to send me off to Chigozie’s so you can hide me from your family”
“Is that so? Ok. You will come and stay with me from now onwards. You will transfer to a school in Lagos so I can carry out my responsibility to you. You will follow my rules. I chose to have you and I will give you the right discipline you nee-d. I will send you to a Catholic secondary school where you will learn discipline, respect and responsibility. That’s my decision”
Nwadiuto couldn’t believe she just shot herself in the foot. Her mother, Nwanneka, was very angry with her. She ran to meet Nwakaego, her grandmother, to help her beg her mother. Nwakaego was sure Nwanneka didn’t mean what she said. She as-sured Nwadiuto that Nwanneka was just trying to threaten her.
Nwanneka came back the next day for Nwadiuto. That was when there was a big problem. Nwakaego didn’t want to rele-ase Nwadiuto. She asked Nwadiuto to go upstairs and wait for her so she would discuss with Nwanneka. Auntie Uloma was also present.
“Nwanneka, the child made a mistake and you want to punish her by moving her away from the school she loves? Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill?” Nwakaego asked.
“Mma, thank you for taking care of Nwadiuto when I couldn’t but I would like to take it from here. I am mature enough to know what is best for my daughter and what she nee-ds is a mother and father in her life. She has grown up to believe she can get all she wants; that was not how I was trained. I don’t want to be filled with regrets in future; I have lost enough time with her”
“You want to take the child I nurture from childhood up until this time from me? Why? Because she made a mistake? Blame me, I will correct the mistakes but don’t take her away from me”
“Nwanneka, you are being unfair to your mother. She has taken very good care of Nwadiuto to the extent everyone believed she is her child. Why do you want to break the bond? Nwadiuto acted like a child which she is. Why take such drastic decisions? This will affect your mother”
The women didn’t observe Onyedika had entered the house and was listening to them. He had to clear his throat loudly to gain their attention. When he succeeded, he asked all of them to sit down. Then he said, “I have to agree with Nwanneka, Nwadiuto nee-ds to hear ‘no’ more often than she hears ‘yes’. I gave in to the pressure of her new experience travelling abroad without realizing why she was doing it. Now we know, we have to un-derstand there is a problem at hand. Nwadiuto gets what Nwadiuto wants. That is an extremely dangerous way of bringing up a child and mama Nwanneka of all people should know this. I have no doubt the school she attends in Port-Harcourt is excellent but I have a problem with the values they are imbibing in them. Nwadiuto is spoilt and nee-ds to un-derstand that things aren’t handed to her, she has to work for them. Mama Nwanneka, if you are no more there to indulge Nwadiuto, what do you think she will do next? You are giving her too much room to ruin her life and bring shame to you.” He turned to Nwanneka and asked, “Nwanneka, what is Chike’s view about Nwadiuto living permanently with you?”
“He has agreed to it. In fact, he suggested it”
“Then, it is settled. Nwadiuto will school in Lagos where her mother will closely monitor her. She will spend her Christmas and long vacation with her grandmother. Mama Nwanneka, you are free to visit your granddaughter in school on visiting days. You have a right, but talk to Nwanneka first before you come and agree on what you are taking to the school”
Everyone was silent. Onyedika had made very valid points. If Nwadiuto fails, it will be a big shame to Nwakaego and her family. All hands had to be on deck to ensure she succeeds.