Change

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Change is the only consistent thing in life.

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The children had slept peacefully as Agatha and her husband drove them through the village. Moving their clothing and other important items had gotten them so exhausted that they had fallen asleep in her husband's blue 505 Mercedes.

Agatha felt a surge of relief as they left the boundary linking their village to the town. She felt like she had successfully taken her family from the lion's den .

Chijioke snored softly and her husband Nnamdi grinned. Agatha knew she was the luckiest woman on the surface of the earth to have married him.

The understanding they shared, she knew was divine. They were simply fated to be and the only obstacle being her inability to reproduce.

"Nke a bụ kwa dimkpa! He's a strong man o! See how he took the position at the center" He teased as Agatha stared at the children.

Agatha only gave a weak smile before turning to look at the silhouetted figures they sped by. Nnamdi noticed her melancholic state and gently rubbed her shoulder while maneuvering the vehicle with his other hand.

"Nne don't worry ịnụ, we'll take care of them. Everything will be fine, ọ ga adị cha mma"

Agatha withheld the gripe that almost escaped her lips as her husband's consolation turned effectual.

He hadn't even complained about their situation and seemed excited to have the children come to their house.

They had been married for ten years and hadn't been fortunate to bear children after endless consultations at different hospitals.

Agatha had resigned to the fate that procreation wasn't for her. It often baffled her at how understanding her husband was.

She had always heard cases where mother in laws, even husbands made the lives of the spouses a living hell because they couldn't birth children.

Hers was a different story, her mother in law only called her to remind of ODM (Our daily manner) devotionals and how blessed she was by each lesson.

They arrived Nsukka in Enugu at the crack of dawn. Nnamdi moved the children's things into the house while Agatha woke the children. She carried obanma on her shoulder, leading Adaugo and a very sleepy Chijioke into their house.

It was a three bedroom flat, a bungalow situated very close to the University of Nigeria Nsukka. Her husband's job led them to acquiring a house very close to the school.

He was a lecturer at the University and his wife had her beauty salon business close to the school as well.

"I fixed the two rooms for them. Your things are still in the other room, I just moved some to our room. The girls would share a room while onye eze here would have this room to himself" he pointed at Chijioke who was yawning.

A broad smile spread on his lips as he teased Chijioke who was standing and sleeping. It amused Agatha that he could sleep in such state.

"Thank you very much" Agatha declared suddenly drawn to tears. Nnamdi always had a way of making her feel happy.

"For what kwanu? Your family is my family nne m. Besides these children have been through so much. They need this change of environment"

The two of them led the children to their rooms, settling them on the beds.

A permanent grin on Nnamdi's face told Agatha that he enjoyed the sudden role of being a parent. It gave room for melancholy as she was reminded of what was denied of her husband.

A quick kiss on her lips brought her out of her thoughts.

"God will give us our own too. Don't worry ịnụ. Will they be eating? I prepared jollof rice"

Agatha quaked with laughter as he led her into their kitchen.

"You think I'm joking, I made it the same way you taught me"

"eh kwa! Let me have a taste of this your rice"

A smirk was plastered on Nnamdi's face as his wife dove into the food. She had commended him on the appearance while he waited for her to comment on the taste.

Agatha had barely eaten two spoons before she reached for the bottle of water in their refrigerator and emptied it.

She began to fan her mouth with her hands while he fought the laughter that almost escaped his lips.

"Jesus! Nnamdi did you empty the container filled with pepper into this rice. Nna this one can cause a pregnant woman to lose her baby, it is too hot!"

Nnamdi was quaking with laughter by the time Agatha had finished.

"I only used four spoons o! Wasn't that what you used in cooking that day?"

"That day I also mentioned that the pepper wasn't even spicy or hot didn't I?

" Eziokwu! Next time I'll do better "

" Nna m please keep this food away from the children inu"

Nnamdi laughed so hard and embraced his wife. He showered kisses on her faces causing her to giggle.

"I missed you " He whispered huskily into her ears gently nibbling her earlobes and she slowly turned leaning into hold him.

"How much?" Her enquiry came with a naughty glint that sent messages to his groin.

"Very, very very much" The words left his lips slowly as he sought her lips.

He gave her a deep kiss on the lips, pressing her closer to him. His eye lids fluttered opened and he was greeted by four eyes twinkling in front of him. Their mouths wide open, shock written all over their features. Chijioke  slowly raised his hand to cover Obanma's eyes. The little girl pushed his hands away almost immediately her curiosity over shadowing modesty.

Startled, he abruptly withdrew from his wife.

"Ọ gịnị? What is it?"

Nnamdi cleared his throat and gently turned his wife so that his arousal wouldn't be visible to the children who were hesitant to walk away.

"They are now awake"

Chijioke was the first to speak as the shock wore off.

"Daa I'm hungry"

"Ehe, I will make indomie for you"

Obanma moved slowly to where the pair stood and signaled for her aunty to stoop to her height.

She whispered into Agatha's ears, her eyes still staring apprehensively at Nnamdi. The man didn't understand why he felt like he had committed the worst crime by kissing his wife. The conversation the little had with his wife seemed covert as they were too hushed for him to understand.

"Daa was he biting you?" Her question was accompanied by a glare that was directed to Nnamdi. Agatha almost laughed at the little girl's protective instinct.

"Mba o, we were kissing"

"kissing? That is not how mummy kisses my daddy. Daa are you sure he was not biting you?"

Agatha shook her head, a bit confused because her husband had nibbled her lips with his teeth while they kissed.

"Mba o"

"Dee Chigọzie told me not bite anybody again"

Agatha didn't quite understand the statement.

"I wanted to bite your husband for biting you" she whispered her eyes trained on Nnamdi's thighs. Her mind assessing where her mouth would get to

"Ewoo! Mba o do not bite anybody ịnụ!"

She nodded slowly in acquiescence her eyes straying from Nnamdi's body.

"Daa I saw Obinna in my dream, he said he is coming back in this house"

"this house? But he hasn't been here before"

"That was what he told me"

The statement did it sit well with Agatha so she sought a way to change the conversation.

"I ga eri indomie? Will you eat indomie ?"

"eh, should I ask daa Adaugo?" she excitedly replied. Children's fascination with noodles often intrigued Agatha.

"Ngwanu o, I'll make for everybody. Chijioke, please follow obanma go and wake your sister ịnụ"

The children walked away Obanma throwing looks at Nnamdi as she fell in steps with her brother.

"I don't think that little one likes me" Nnamdi breathed out as soon they were earshot away.

Agatha chuckled at her husband's opinion.

"She doesn't dislike you either"

"I hụkwara anya o lere m? Did you see the way she was looking at me?"

"I didn't actually but she did tell me she wanted to bite you"

"Ihula nụ! She even wants to bite me"

"You didn't even ask why she said that. I don't think they are used to couples showing affection to each other openly the way we did"

"Weren't they staying with their parents? They must have seen them kiss once or twice"

"That I'm not sure about. My sister was quite religious,I won't be surprised if she never exhibited any form of intimacy with her husband"

"Our children will definitely see us do this often" He reached out cradled her face and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Agatha was pleased that he spoke about their non existent children with a strong conviction. He was very certain they would have children even when it didn't seem so.

"She thought you were biting me" Agatha murmured against his lips

The two of them fell into a fit of laughter.

"We really need to educate them on things that couples do"

"Ọ kwaya, nna biko help me beat the eggs. Let me make noodles for them"

"For them alone? What about us? Are we not eating with them?"

"You will be eating your pepper rice" Agatha teased

"Biko kwa that was just trial and error. Next time I promise it will consumable"

"Ngwanu o till then nwokeoma"

Agatha prepared the food and they ate together seated at the dining. She was used to eating alone or with her husband. This time it felt different watching the seats which were usually empty filled with children munching food.

Chijioke stole the eggs on Obanma's plate whenever she gulped water. It was amusing to watch. It was almost the same thing she did with her elder sister who was now in a coma.

Once they were kids, then they became teenagers, grew older got married and began to lead separate lives.

Her elder sister became a mother, that was the only thing that seemed not to change with her, or had it?

Adaugo said something amusing which she didn't hear but smiled along. Her husband quaked with laughter, slowly reached out to her hand and rubbed it slowly.

Nnamdi extracted the eggs on his plate and handed them over to Chijioke who smiled in appreciation before voicing the words out.

"Dee thank you"

Her husband couldn't tear his eyes off the children, a smile playing on his face.

Their house felt alive, the echoes of voices that reverberated in his house seemed strangely familiar and soothing.

Maybe they hadn't birthed any children but the circumstances they had found themselves in had made them instant parents.

Wasn't she a mother by taking care of those children?

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Onyedikachi finished his chores earlier than he expected. His mother hadn't stopped talking about how their stupid neighbors had moved.

His brother had even boasted in school about how he had literally chased them out of their compound.

He was the only one who didn't find Arinze's Jocose attitude the whole day pleasant.

He had walked through the playground and had seen children playing on the merry go round. They all made memories of the little girl flood back.

He quickly shook them off and walked away. Beside the school field he sighted Ekene speaking with his friends.

The sudden rage that engulfed him made him run to where the boy was pummeling him to the ground and rendering endless blows to his face.

He was dragged off the boy and punished severely. His mother also scolded him and made him do all the chores in the house.

Arinze's voice startled him as he made his way to the balcony.

"So they ran away just like that! Onyi don't you think they ran for a reason? "

"I don't know" Onyedikachi replied gruffly

"Even that your small ọgbanje Chai! That's the only one that I didn't plan on beating up...... yet." He slowly added

That Adaugo almost entered my trap sef"

Onyedikachi's heart boiled with anger as he mentioned bullying Iheanyị's children especially Obanma.

"Bịa why did you even beat that Ekene?"

"O nweghị, nothing" Onyedikachi suddenly fixed his gaze on Obanma's house.

It was dark and empty. His mind went back to the look the girl had given her. Why had he not told everyone the truth? Guilt gnawed his conscience and it made him uneasy

"Are you sure?" Arinze prodded

Onyedikachi nodded slowly his eyes still on the house.

"She didn't steal that groundnut, did she?"

Arinze declared suddenly gaining Onyedikachi's attention.

"I.. I.. I don't know" Onyedikachi stuttered rubbing his hands together.

"You bought it and gave it to her. That was why you couldn't say anything. You knew mother would be very angry. Ekene must have spent that money and lied against the little girl and she had hoped you would come to her rescue "

Onyedikachi nodded in acquiescence as he turned stared at his brother's face,amusement dancing in his eyes.

Was Arinze enjoying his discomfort?

"Who told you?"

"You just did. I had my suspicion right from the moment mother came to call you"

"You suspected the truth but you didn't even let mother know. I thought you enjoyed when I got into trouble"

"Enjoy kwa! You are my brother,besides it was better watching her cry. Now they're gone for good" Arinze finished with a wry smile heaving a sigh of relief

His brother's wickedness made his lips clamp shut. His brother was changing from bad to worse and it felt like he was the only one seeing it.

Onyedikachi watched his brother walk away the change even evident in his stride.

Not only did guilt plague him, now he felt very stupid for strangely dancing to the tunes of his brother.

Onyedikachi dreamt he had spoken the truth in his dream and even apologized to Obanma who had only ended up biting him.

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Hey Everyone!

So there we have it! Arinze is turning out to be the worst character in this story!

What do you think of Agatha's husband. Would you want a chef like that? 😂😂😂😂

Remember to vote and comment ❤️❤️❤️❤️