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Some lessons are learnt the hard way
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"Mazi Izuogu went to their house to complain about the havoc wreaked on his crops by their goats.... You won't believe what Izundu said" The way the young man's cutlass swung into the root of the grasses, sending them off the ground with certain pieces flying over his head kept Arinze's eyes glued to him.

The young man was one of the laborers he had employed to clear a certain piece of his father's land, where he would place a sign to warn off the invaders.

Arinze tried not to show that his interest had grown into the story the young man told his fellow laborer as they rid the farm of its green and grassy occupants. He moved closer to hear the story, it was one of those things he did for his daughter. Weaving stories out of what he heard to solely amuse her.

"Hmm what did Izundu say?" Came the other man's hoarse voice. Arinze's voice strayed to where he stood, his machete distinguished from that of his fellow by a red ribbon tied at the handle. He had shed his shirt which had soaked up enough sweat, that it appeared to have been dipped inside a bowl of water and hung it on a partly chopped slender tree.

"He told Izuogu that he shouldn't be held accountable for damages caused by goats grazing freely. That he wasn't the one that directed his goats to Izuogu's farm"

Trouble making

Arinze thought to himself, still curious to find out how the problem was resolved.

"Inukwa so we shouldn't just worry about herdsmen rampaging through villages destroying crops and life in Nigeria , so we should now add our own brothers to the list too! Mbanu o dịghị mma! It's not right" The shirtless man declared as he pulled stumps of grass which relented to leave the soil. "But wait ooo, did he report to the king?"

The tale teller chuckled lightly, pieces of grass glued to his wet body by sweat trickling down from his head to his body.

"You mean Onyeze fine boy? Leave our Onye eze oo, he has more urgent things to attend to. Like finding a wife for example, everybody is just waiting to hear that he has finally found an Ugoeze"

Arinze restricted his eyes to his upper body and mouth trying hard to ignore the bush that shot out beneath the man's arm, each time he raised his hand to cut grass. He had almost laughed at the king's new nickname.

He never truly saw leaving the armpit unattended as a show of masculinity, unlike his friends who he was certain that theirs could be much longer than the man's own.

"Nwanne sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands if you want a favorable result" The young man continued, both Oblivious of Arinze's interest in their conversation

"The next time four of Izundu's goats entered Izuogu's farm, he slaughtered them and shared it amongst his family members"

Arinze couldn't help the laughter that left his lips as the young man uttered the words.

The two turned to face Arinze who was laughing quite loudly. They grinned at each other before the tale teller continued.

"The goats were incomplete when they returned and Izundu couldn't figure out how they'd gone missing. People hardly steal goats roaming freely in this village. The next day he left his goats with hope that the other ones might return with it.

This time Fourteen of his goats found their way into Izuogu's farm and they ate most of his crops. Izuogu took his cutlass and slaughtered all of them"

"Chineke! Everything!" Arinze couldn't help reacting to the twist in the story.

"Everything ooo, but that's not the best part oo. Izuogu took a sizeable portion out of all the goats, then sent them to Izundu himself. Izundu went berserk and when he questioned Izuogu, Mazi Izuogu told him that he helped both of them solve a lingering problem. He had simply brought them pieces of the goats that died freely in his farm. "

Arinze and the other man were almost on their floor when he finished his tale.

" Izundu and his sons beat up Izuogu and he was practically carried home with bruises all over his body. People found it amusing that he went to Izundu's home but he said he knew that he'd be their first suspect. He still believes he taught Izundu a lesson that hard way, but I do wonder who really learnt from that"

"How badly was he wounded?" The other laborer enquired laughing

"It was quite horrible,his gait was gravely uttered but no goats have been to his farm since then."

Arinze pondered over the words as they inserted his sign in the land and while he left he couldn't help but wonder who between him and Chijioke would be an Izundu. Onyedikachi had opted settling things amicably either at the customary court or the state court but it sounded too tedious for him.

Lessons were going to be learnt, he had decided and he had been quite certain that he wouldn't be on the receiving side. Doubt roamed freely in his mind as to what consequences would be engendered by taking action into one's hands.

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"When did it happen?" Agatha began tears pouring from her eyes. She had been gloomy and very emotional ever since the baby boy arrived her home.

Everyone else seemed to be walking on eggshells around her, they couldn't understand or give adequate reasons for Nnamdi's infidelity.

To most of them he was the perfect husband, devoid of any iota of masculine flaw. He was attentive to his wife and never pressured her for children.

No matter how much Obanma and Chijioke whispered about it, they couldn't place an adequate reason.

Mama and Ngozi took to taking care of the boy and Nnamdi also donated hours to his child. His wife kept to herself and he only saw her whenever he came to check on his daughter.

He could still visualize that shock on her face when his mother had handed the baby over to him. She had turned to him in disbelief, pleading with her eyes for the words to be false while she held their daughter.

His eyes fell to the floor almost immediately and he nodded. Tears clouded her eyes and she walked away, leaving even more shocked faces behind.

"It.. It was one time! The convention I went for" He swallowed, unable to find the right words to explain his actions.

His hands were fidgeting, his lips quivering. Their daughter lay beside Agatha gently breathing while she slept.

"How am I to believe what you've just said? !" Her voice rose instantly and he quickly rushed to her side, hoping their daughter wasn't frightened by the rise in her tone.

"I have been a good wife" She declared more tears seeping out of her eyes.

"I have loved you with every... everything in me. Nna m why now? You made me believe that you would stand by me through my childlessness!" She sniffed, cupping her face with her hands as she cried more.

"Agatha I love you, you know that! It was a mistake. I wanted to tell you so many times but I couldn't. At the convention I got drunk and some how got entangled with a student of mine.

She did it on purpose, because she wanted grades. Nne m you have to believe me... I.. I.. didn't plan it. "

Agatha finally withdrew her hands from her face releasing a bitter chuckle.

" Hewu Chi m! You got entangled with your student Nnamdi! A student!
You're putting the blame on her! Were you raped? Tam jugodi gi Nna m,did she shove your penis into her Vagina by force? Biko answer me!"

"Agatha I am truly sorry. I wish I can take this all back"

"Take a son back! Take what I couldn't give you back! Deep down you and I know that boy is the answer to your mother's prayers."

"Please forgive me, I truly didn't know this would have happened."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" She asked with a renewed rage

"I wanted to tell you so many times and.. and..... I was afraid because I couldn't bear to hurt you. I found out she was pregnant the day we fought about Iheanyị"

"That was why... You acted the way you did.I wonder what you have done now if not breaking me" Agatha shook her head in disbelief

"Please forgive me, my love"

The pain only increased as Agatha stared at her husband pleading. She knew the boy had come to stay.

"Where is his mother?"

"She... She left the country. That was what her mother told mama"

"Okay..... I'd like to rest now" She promptly replied laying close her baby. The girl began to cry almost immediately as if she could feel the pain exhumed by her parents.

"My love.." Nnamdi began trying to assuage his wife's pain

"Biko leave me, I need to feed our baby and rest."

He nodded gently then walked away. He could hear footsteps retreating as he pulled the door knob. He knew it could only be Obanma and her elder brother. They hadn't spoken much to him but he knew they were also expectant of explanations and answers. They must have been eavesdropping, something they always did as children. They also hated seeing their aunt in pain. His mother had scolded him more times than he could remember but it did not change the fact that she welcomed his son openly.

Nnamdi felt his mother would have spanked him for causing his wife pain, she was too fond of Agatha, a truth rather too obvious.

Ngozi hadn't said much but she seemed most understanding.

Nnamdi warily walked into the room where his son lay sleeping peacefully and slumped on the chair beside the bed. It had been his sleeping place for a while.

"I have ruined things, haven't I?" he muttered to himself rubbing his hands on his head.

"I foolishly thought I could hide you. I feel so disappointed in myself that I brought you into this world this way" . The little boy blinked and he moved closer to the bed.

He made a move to yell, his little mouth quivering but Nnamdi held him. Nnamdi lifted him up and cradled him gently. Humming songs he had heard his mother sing to him at a tender age.

"The women are not so happy with me. Try not to make me face them soon. Just go back to sleep" He whispered into his baby's tiny ears. The boy stared at him clueless and for a while seemed to go along with his plan, just staring.

A loud wail that sent Nnamdi out of the room to find his mother convinced him that the child only cared about his meal. He met Ngozi on the way who took the baby from his arms and sought to bring him food.

Nnamdi watched silently while she fed him, she almost appeared to be delighted while the boy ate.

"I feel happy around the babies, they remind me of the boy that visits my dreams"

Nnamdi swallowed hard, not quite certain he knew how to respond to Ngozi's statement.

"Is it your son Obinna?"

"I don't think so, I have seen Obinna's pictures. Besides Obinna isn't a baby, this one is a little baby."

Nnamdi's son had begun to sleep but his mouth continued feeding from the food source, a bottle filled with milk.

"He didn't see the world but Obinna... I believe Obinna is home" She declared finally handing over the sleeping boy to his father, who walked away unnerved.

Obanma could hear Chijioke yelling across her room as he spoke over the phone with someone.

"Is he mad! Ara o di ya?"

She stepped out of her room where Kelechi was engrossed in a movie to question her brother.

"That land is my father's land, I need you to go back there and remove everything and I mean everything! That bastard kept there. If it's trouble that he is looking for, I am ready for him"

Chijioke ended the call still raging, pacing angrily around his room.

She had hated sharing a room with Adaugo while he had a room to himself but when adolescence kicked in, she was grateful Chijioke had gotten his own bedroom.

"O bu ngiri? What is it?" She enquired as she picked up a pair of his trousers littered on the floor, folded them neatly and placed them on his bed.

"Arinze will see that's all I have to say!" He walked out angrily leaving Obanma terrified and slightly curious.

Kelechi came in almost immediately with her phone. She handed the phone to Obanma and mouthed Onyedikachi while Obanma gave her a grateful smile.

" Please don't mention anything about Arinze" She began while he inhaled deeply

"I wasn't going to talk of our brothers Mma, atleast not now but we'll have to soon enough"

"Yes but not today" She added running her hand through the cloth she had folded.

"No, not today. Today I am going to tell you just how special you are"

She chuckled lightly, exhaling all the troubles that had plagued her mind all day.  His voice had truly been what she craved and needed. It was so soothing that she fell asleep immediately their conversation ended. His words that kept ringing in her ears even as sleep claimed her

"You are my destiny Obanma, be kind to me"

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Hello Everyone!

Happy Father's day to all the amazing fathers out there, God bless you all.

An update as promised, please comment and share your thoughts.

Is Nnamdi to blame for his infidelity?

Who do you think Ngozi meant?