Tongue tied

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Just like a coin has two faces, so does a story have two sides. Do not draw conclusions by listening to one side.

Truth is, nobody will ever paint themselves black!
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Obanma stared at the transparent bucket filled with fried groundnut, her mouth watering, but her hands without a single note to purchase one.

The brown colored protein filled peas were neatly tied in a clear nylon and arranged in the object.

The level of trust amongst the villagers accorded them the privilege to leave their goods hanging at their "Ámá" compound without being manned.

Most villagers attached the price tags of the items to be sold beside their containers, the consumers picked the items and left enough cash in the containers. Those who purchased on credit sent word around about the items which they had taken.

The issue of theft was never heard of as the understanding that ruled their mode of ghost business stood strong amongst the natives.

The little girl turned away from the item and headed to the track road that led to their home.

The grasses partitioned the little road and her eyes often wandered to the cassava plants whose leaves danced to the tunes of the soft afternoon breeze.

Her brother Chijioke knew how to play with the leaves in a way that not only aroused her curiosity but also amused her.

He would pluck the leaves not leaving out the branch, cut out the edges of the star shaped triangular leaves before rolling the item expertly around his pointer finger.

The movement mimicked the circular motion of fans. Chijioke had even told Obanma that they were hand fans.

She stopped abruptly as the idea of trying out what her brother always practiced occured to her.

She marched into one of the farms laying beside the road, assessing the heights of the plants hoping that one of them would be within her grasps.

The last "jiakpu" cassava plant that she had spotted seemed only fairly taller than she was and she began to jump frantically in order to reach the leaves.

Jumping left her exhausted with fruitless results and she opted to try another means.

Somehow the thought of her dead brother helping her crossed her mind. They would always lift each other to get things higher than them when he was alive.

Her sister Adaugo had gone to purchase "Nzu" which she had been craving for all day and Chijioke had gone lizard hunting with his friends.

The round greyish substance served so many uses, including being a local sweet that the children kept their mouths busy with. It was made out of a special clay and turned white when particles of it mixed with water touched the body.

The "nzu" had a unique taste that most pregnant women craved, it often served medicinal purposes as some testified of it being able to reduce heartburn.

It was used to ward off spirits, check the spread of measles, ground and inserted into rolled papers and smoked by children who mimicked touts in the village.

Chijioke her brother had once received a heavy thrashing after he was caught by their father.

Obanma often thought about her father's absence, he had been the one who always instructed her siblings to look after her as their last child.

Obinna had made it into world few minutes before her making her their "ịme ụso" last born.

Obanma had readily agreed to staying put while her sister went in search of the baked clay, after she had agreed to relinquish half of the nzu to Obanma.

Daa Agatha had instructed Adaugo prior to her outing to always stay with her younger sister, as the issue of their safety tugged her nerves.

Obanma had wandered out of their compound after she sighted a colorful bird that had semblance to a parrot.

The bird fascinated her so much that she followed behind as it hopped from tree to tree.

She had lost the bird at Mazi Anyanwụ's compound after being momentarily distracted by their fried groundnut which was up for sale.

She had decided to finally to use an "ngu" a stick to aid her in lowering the leaves but it also seemed to no avail.

She tossed the stick aside and tried climbing the cassava plant. The loud creaking followed by the lowering of the cassava plant gave her the signal that she had broken it.

She quickly plucked a leaf and began to cry at the offense she had committed. She had sneaked into a stranger's farm and destroyed the plant.

With the leaf clutched by her side, she settled beside the plant and began to cry profusely.

The last encounter with Obanma and her brother left Onyedikachi quite confused when he saw her that afternoon.

He followed her quietly and was tempted to speak to her when she stopped to stare at the white bucket. He couldn't make out the contents of the item but could sense it was edible as the girl stared longingly at the contents.

On close inspection he saw what she wanted and quickly purchased two for her,leaving behind 40 naira notes. He had seen Ekene, the youngest son of Anyanwụ walking into the compound and decided to avoid appearing suspicious by increasing his pace. Almost everyone knew they weren't in good terms with Obanma's family.

Ekene's father had once received a terrible beating by Iheanyị after he was supposedly caught staring into Ngozi's bosom while she was clad in her white vneck lace shirt.

He inserted the items into his pockets and increased his pace as to catch up with the young girl.

A grin appeared on his face as he remembered how she had sunk her tiny teeth into his thighs.

They were quite sharp and he had hidden the truth from their mother, so had his brother. He considered himself lucky that he had not bled and thanked his stars that it was in a hidden area.

Onyedikachi found himself admiring the girl's protective instinct, she was tender but knew how to defend her own even if he wasn't the cause of her brother's woes.

His brother rarely stood up for him and almost always got him into trouble.

He was slightly amused as he watched her jump and almost spoke to her but uncertainty made him withdraw. The cries that emanated after the cassava stem broke got him rushing to her side.

"Ọ gịnị? What happened?" He enquired with concern

Obanma flinched at his touch and he took a step backward stunned by her reaction.

She only sniffed in response and fiddled the leaf in her hand with her thumbs. Turning her back to him

"Did you wound yourself?" He asked the second time filling his pockets with his hands not certain his touch would be welcomed the second time.

She turned to face him with her glassy eyes, but only uttered one word.

"Gawa*go"

"Do you want me to help you?"

"Mba* No" She replied amidst her tears.

Onyedikachi broke the remaining part of the stem, plucked out their leaves and sat beside her.

"Ọ gịnị mere? What happened? " This time she could see the concern written over his face as he spoke and hesitantly explained herself to him.

"I'll tell them I broke it" He suddenly declared as  she blew her nose.

"Why?"

"I did break the cassava, didn't I?"
She grew quiet as she stared at him stunned

The color of her eyes caught him by surprise. He had never really stared into them before. They were rich brown in color, which reminded him of the color of the chocolate his father used to purchase for him.

He reached out into his pockets, fished out the ground nut and handed it over to her.

She shook her head vigorously as she rejected the gifts while she tried to rotate the leaf like Chijioke always did.

"You want it, don't you?"

Silence was her response and she kept her gaze on the object in her hand.

He picked up a leaf and began to expertly roll the leaf around his finger. Her amazement left him amused and he began to do the rotation with two fingers.

" Onyi I chọrọ ịkụziri m? Do you want to teach me?"

The laughter that escaped Onyedikachi's lips drew a smile on Obanma's.

"Yes I'll teach you, if you take the groundnut. Why did you bite me?"

She reluctantly agreed to his terms and began to peel and chew her gift.

"Chijioke said you and your brother made him get those wounds. I will not let anybody beat my brother again." She retorted with such vehemence that surprised him.

Onyedikachi had wanted to interrupt but her last statement got him tongue tied.

"He's now the only brother I have"

He tried teaching her so many times but failed. Onyedikachi accompanied her back to their house through their backyard,then left almost immediately.

It was much later in the evening that his mother came to drag him by his ears from his room.

She was rendering curses calling Obanma a liar and a thief as they marched from their house to Iheanyi's compound.

Arinze's face held a permanent and annoying grin as he walked beside him.

"They are liars!" Arinze chipped in, raising his mother's fuming temper

"Imagine that brat! They want to put my son in trouble"

Onyedikachi was utterly confused but too terrified to enquire anything from his mother.

When they got to Iheanyi's compound, he was surprised to see Ekene and his father. The man and his wife were busy exchanging words with Agatha.

"My son said he saw her steal the ground nut! " Ekene's mother yelled

The words caused Onyedikachi's heart to boil. Ekene had seen him pay for the groundnut he bought and he was well aware that Obanma had left with nothing.

Something wasn't making sense.

Agatha suspected fowl play when a loud banging brought her out of the house.

The accusations that slipped out of the couple's mouth made her want to bash their heads.

Apparently her niece had stolen groundnut. Agatha knew her Nieces and nephew well enough to vouch for them and was shocked to her core when Obanma had agreed to eating groundnut purchased by Onyedikachi.

The Ekene's consulted Chidiogo who Rained insults on Agatha before storming off to get her son.

Obanma's eyes were filled with tears as they cursed her family including her dead brother.

Agatha was unmoved by their words, all she waited for was the young boy to confirm the truth.

Ekene's heart thudded furiously as Onyedikachi approached. He had used the money the boy had inserted into the white bucket to repair his broken catapult for lizard hunting.

He had immediately lied to his parents to cover up. Only that his lie had some how reopened old wounds and escalated into a big quarrel.

He had thought the money would be insignificant to his parents.

"Ngwá Onyedikachi, tell them the truth!" His mother commanded with a glare.

"Did you steal any groundnut to give this girl? in fact did you even see this girl today"

To Chidiogo, Obanma hinting that she had received the item from Onyedikachi meant her son was a thief.

Beads of sweat clung onto Onyedikachi's face as he struggled to speak. He couldn't reveal the truth to his mother without being beaten thoroughly and he couldn't lie against Obanma.

Ekene clutched his shorts as drops of urine trickled down his legs. Onyedikachi confessing the truth would mean being flogged butt naked with his father's belt. He clenched his teeth and prayed for a way out, silently cursing his bad luck.

" I didn't steal any groundnut" Onyedikachi finally spoke.

"Have you seen it! One man is not enough for you heartless people okwaya. Now you're trying to frame my son. Chukwu ama nkwe! God will not allow your evil plans to come to pass!"

Obanma's glassy eyes Haunted Onyedikachi's mind as he uttered the last words his gaze partly on his mother and Ekene. He was swearing continuously to beat the boy to pulp.

" I did not see her today"

His mother's screams and further curses rained down on Agatha and Obanma drew tears to his eyes. He wanted badly to scream the truth out, but if meant hurting his mother. He was tongue tied and felt like a coward.

"She is just like her stupid mother!

" You are very stupid Chidiogo! " Agatha retorted immediately

The two women exchanged reviling words amongst themselves and Agatha ended with" We are leaving for you people before you kill my family off "

Agatha must have spoken in the heat of the moment, Onyedikachi thought. He had to find a way to right his wrong

More tears seeped out of Obanma's eyes as the betrayal suddenly hit her. He looked into her stunned eyes wishing to apologize and make things right

Onyi had lied to them,Chijioke had been right all along he was an enemy.

More word exchange ensued as Chidiogo walked away with her children.

Onyedikachi could hear Agatha claiming that he had lied which was the truth. She paid for a whole bucket of groundnut to settle matters with the Ekene's but was disappointed in her little niece.

She had recognized Onyedikachi as the boy who gave her eloaku, but didn't utter anything in the heat of the moment. His nephew had always claimed that the losses turned Chiodogo's sons from good to bad.

Her husband arrived later that night and they packed their things into his car. The experience was a final push for her, she was moving with her sister's children.

Onyedikachi couldn't sleep as his conscience plagued him. He wished he could turn back the hands of time.

Sleeplessness was one of the effects of the battles. He went to their balcony and stared down at Iheanyi's compound. The light bulb in front of their house gave enough illumination to disclose their movements.

He was surprised when he saw them entering a vehicle. The vehicle left their compound and he couldn't help but stare at them moving away.

Agatha had really meant what she said. Onyedikachi couldn't help the tears that seeped out of his eyes as he thought of Obanma. He had really disappointed the little girl and now he couldn't make things right.

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Hey everyone!

How are we? Hope we enjoyed the chapter!

Who else is disappointed in Onyedikachi?

Do you think the attack was merely vengeful on the side of the Ekene's?

Was Agatha right by taking the children away?

It's my birthday today🤭🤭 and since I can't share a cake to all of you, I made this chapter available.

Happy birthday to me!!!!