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The drive to the village had been a difficult journey for Onyedikachi. He had been plagued with a vexatious traffic jam that left most vehicles lined up on the road. He had often stepped out of his car to check if there were signs of movement up ahead but was left with the rage of disappointment.

The cars had been moving initially at a snail's pace, different vehicles trying to forcibly overtake each other just to get ahead. He had lost count of the verbal abuse that flew around, some from him and others from other incredibly vexed drivers.

Most commercial vehicles he noticed were much carefree on the road and they didn't seem deterred by potholes that he had carefully avoided by maneuvering his vehicle the right way. It seemed as though the more expensive a vehicle was, the more careful the driver became.

The drivers had left their vehicles, each standing at close proximity to their cars. Some passengers had even stepped out after a while and helped themselves to snacks being hawked around by villagers that lived nearby.

Onyedikachi stood beside his car, tapping his key gently on the door which he left ajar. The children who were hawking seemed elated with the predicament as it brought them many customers to purchase their merchandise.

He didn't share their in their Joy and felt quite selfish for wishing that other vehicles disappeared so that he would leave. The children ran into excitedly from one car to the other selling items that ranged from fruits, vegetables to even meat.

He had laughed heartily when he saw a young man whom he noticed earlier, which he assumed he had gone back home to kill carrying a dead grass cutter around. Who was going to purchase that?

The meat had been purchased by an elderly man in front much to his chagrin. Lots of women had bought enough food items that he was certain a meal could be made in the different vehicles were utensils and a source heat to be present.

Two children charged Gayly at him, each flashing fried breadfruit and coconut secured in transparent nylons. He didn't find the nuts appealing but he felt bad about turning the children away.

"Ego oné? How much?" He asked the much younger child, a girl he was certain was only scarcely older than Adannaya his niece.

"Ke na mbu 200 naira. This one costs 200 naira"

Onyedikachi knew the price wasn't as high as the girl had spouted but quickly fished out a five hundred note and purchased two pieces, one from each girl. They left happily after he relinquished his supposed change to them. He tossed the item to the backseat amongst other edible items he had purchased for his mother, Olivia, Arinze and his little niece. The little girl's Igbo dialect reminded him of Obanma. He often teased her about the way they sounded but he could tell bits of Enugu had infiltrated her tongue, causing her to sound slightly different.

She had always gotten back at him with the L and R factor, that most of his Anambra denizens struggled with. He didn't pronounce rice as lice but still felt taunted when ever she mentioned it.

He sighed for the umpteenth time after glancing at his wristwatch. It was supposed to be a two hour drive but it had almost taken the whole day.

"Chairman! Abeg you sabi wetin dey happen for front" A lanky bus driver bellowed approached Onyedikachi.

He shook his head in response and the man sighed.

"Nawa oo"

He quickly beckoned on another driver who explained that a large vehicle fell on the road and was taking an eternity to be towed away. He had also complained of the barricade the soldiers had placed as their checkpoint further delayed vehicles that happened to squeeze by.

The driver quickly engaged in a banter that he often withdrew from. Speaking tirelessly about conditions of the society without making impacts irked him. So he turned on his phone and began to play a game which he was certain Obanma had installed in his phone.

A smile found its way to his lips when he thought of their last encounter. Relishing the memories of their kisses sent a pulsating need to his groin which began to ache. He quickly stepped into his vehicle to avoid sharing with the world what thoughts of Obanma did to him.

The craving to truly make love to her had begun to build up and with each encounter it was harder to pull away. Obanma he had discovered was quite passionate despite the veil of innocence. It seemed nature had presented him with a tempting gift and still instructed him to leave the item unwrapped.

Onyedikachi directed his thoughts to his mother and it seemed to quell the momentary excitement. How would she react if she found out about his romantic entanglement with the daughter of the man who murdered his father,worse the daughter of the woman who might have had an affair with his late father.

It seemed his manhood also fretted with the same thought and relaxed quickly beneath his underwear. His love life had gone from the state of Hakuna Matata to
heavily complicated.

"Na lie! Chesea dey fuck up!" A young man spat aggressively. Onyedikachi was tempted to walk over and keep shouting the correct pronunciation into his ears.

What was the need of L in the club's name if they were going to toss it away.

"Una governor don use jazz tie everywhere. Nwanne m this state no go ever progress oo until dem commot all that nonsense that man carry put there. I even hear say Jazz dey even for ordinary garedge".

Onyedikachi slammed his door shut after the word hit his ear drums.

Garage! He had almost screamed.

He saw men rushing back to their vehicles and thanked God for the rescue from word murderers.

He arrived Umuikpo at night and was thrilled to know that Obanma had also arrived. She had told him about her uncle's demand for her to leave immediately and promised to see her the next day.

His mother had not been at home when he got there and he moved to Arinze's house instead. Olivia had been thrilled to see him and Adannaya had excitedly hopped into his arms while he twirled her around.

"Uncle Onyi!" became the song on her lips for a while before he picked her up again.

"You are growing taller everyday. Very soon you'll be taller than me oo" He had handed most of the items he bought to Olivia before scooping the little girl up

The young girl beamed a smile at him and affirmed his statement by hopping down from his arms to measure her progress.

"Last time my head was just here" she gestured at his hip "Now its here!" she rested her head on a spot slightly above his hip

"Mummy said it's because of beans" The grin on Olivia's face showed how happy she was that her trick got her daughter to eat her beans.

He knew of a dwarf whose favorite food was beans but it did little for his height. Growth did not just depend on food but also vastly on genetics.

"Uncle Onyi my daddy had an accident! His face is big" She hurriedly pulled Onyedikachi to the living where Arinze sat. Onyedikachi knew the accident she was referring too and smiled at the fact that Arinze had lied about the fight.

"Daddy! Uncle Onyi is getting shorter" She excitedly declared

Olivia couldn't hold her laughter and Arinze laughed as well. Her being taller automatically meant he Onyedikachi was shorter. She plopped into Arinze's arms, the beads which were used to decorate her hair making jingle noises.

"Adannaya your uncle is not getting shorter"

"Daddy see!" She rushed to Onyedikachi and pulled on his thumb causing him to hop up for the sake of the little girl proving her point.

She smiled with satisfaction when her father noted her point. She ran back to him and patted him excitedly. Arinze turned her around while fixing one of the beads that had fallen off, his eyes were trained on his younger brother who seemed to be smiling a lot.

Onyedikachi told Adannaya of the goodies he brought her and she quickly ran to meet Olivia whom her uncle had entrusted the gift to.

"She's growing up Ari.. Very soon you'd have boys lurking around. Boys that'd want to teach her how to ride a wheel like you taught her mother"

Arinze glared at his younger brother, his eyes glinting with amusement. He knew Onyedikachi was deliberately taunting him.

"Except they want to be castrated."

Onyedikachi quaked with laughter as he reconciled the young man his brother had been with the man he became.

"Adannaya has you wrapped around her fingers. Her mom taught her very well"

Onyedikachi could see the love radiating in his brothers eyes when he looked towards the direction his daughter had run to.

Olivia had been a blessing in disguise, she had truly tamed his brother.

"How was your journey? I heard the roads are blocked."

"They were blocked, would have arrived since 2pm. I tried calling mummy her line wasn't reachable and she's not even at home. O dịkwa mma?"

"Yes, she probably went to church. She switches her phone off whenever she's there"

The two men stared at each other quietly for a while before Arinze broke the silence.

"We fought but I didn't stab him" Everyone seems to believe I had a hand in it but I didn't "Onyedikachi could see the subtle plea in Arinze's eyes begging for him to believe him and he nodded.

" It seems Chijioke outgrew bullying. His punches did a remarkable job on your face. O nyere gi face lift "

A grin appeared on Arinze's face, as he touched the bumps which were slowly varnishing.

"Well I'm still not as ugly as he is" He retorted causing Onyedikachi to chuckle.

They discussed about the impending case which could be brought up against them and Onyedikachi truly feared for his brother.

"I have searched for those men that led me home, but I haven't seen any of them. I've sent out word too, I need them as my witnesses should Chijioke accuse me wrongly. I have this feeling that he would want to spin this to his advantage. I have so much more to lose now, I can't have my daughter and my wife suffering from that family's wickedness. "

" It won't come to that Arinze. I promise you"

Olivia and Adannaya rejoined the men who eagerly welcomed their company. Olivia passed the snacks Onyedikachi had gotten around and they happily dove in.

Onyedikachi felt a sense of loss as he slightly felt envious of what his brother had. He had begun to crave for his own family and could vividly see Obanma filling that role. He had even pictured her holding their daughter who looked like her.

"From Kakachi to Onyi ... God knows that my daughter doesn't like stress. Olivia was insisting on Uncle Onyedikachi something Adannaya couldn't pronounce" Their boisterous laughter drew him out of his thoughts and he quickly joined.

"Tell him to stop giving our daughter whiskey" Olivia had warned as her daughter whispered "Gimme daddy's drink" into her ears.

Onyedikachi couldn't stop laughing even after everyone did.

The next day, he set out to meet his mother. He hadn't met her in the house again but was relieved to find her at the back yard. She had been arguing with a strange man whom he did not recognize and he was forced to climb down to rescue her.

He met his mother alone when he got to the spot and when he enquired she said he had been one of her debtors at the market.

"I can involve the police, if you want"

"Mba oo...I'm tired of  them meddling. I already have your brother's issue bugging me"

She took a good look at her son and pulled him into her embrace.

"Nna kee kwanu? You look so thin and worn out. Hewu nwa m.. Don't you think it's high time you found yourself a lady that would take care of you."

Onyedikachi laughed heartily pulling away from his mother.

"Very soon mummy.. Very soon. I just hope you will like her"

He watched his mother's face brighten up within minutes as she led him back into the house.

"Wait oo, there's a woman now eh kwa Onyi. When are we meeting our ndi ogo?"

"Our ndi ogo are very close to us we won't have to go far" Onyedikachi declared bearing an a grin that she termed suspicious

"It seems God has chosen Enugu for this family" Onyedikachi knew his mother thought of the closeness being the proximity of their states, if only she really knew what he meant.

"Onyedikachi I know there's no woman yet but biko just find one. How can there be a woman when you look like osisi? Lee nu nwa m" She reached out to caress his face and he quaked with laughter. Her eyes still assessed his person, lingering on his arms.

Onyedikachi entertained his mother with stories about work and she encouraged him. She also complained bitterly about the resentment that had begun to float around Arinze because of the incident.

"They all think he was avenging his father. I don't know when this family will stop suffering because of Iheanyị and his family" The tears that threatened to fall from her eyes drew him to her side. He consoled his mother and promised to take care of his brother. She gave him chocolates that made her laugh so hard. It had become a ritual to purchase sweets and chocolates for her after he found out she had eaten the ones his father got for him.

"You want to kill me with sugar okwa ya?" She teased playfully after unwrapping the item and taking a bite. She left the remaining for Adannaya while Onyedikachi set out to meet with his woman.

Obanma had agreed to meet him behind the old primary school they had attended as children. He had decided to leave his vehicle behind and happened to come across villagers who kept asking after Arinze.

Some of them made snide comments about him attempting to kill a son of the soil and it made his heart boil.

His late father had been taking away from him by a son of the soil.

His anger was quelled momentarily when he saw Obanma standing beside a yellow building. She seemed to be distracted by her phone and was startled when he hugged her from behind.

She laughed after he teased her of being skittish and they were soon drawn to kissing each other senseless. It often surprised him of how intoxicated he had become with kissing her and how he never seemed to become sated after each one.

She told him about his uncle practically driving her out of the clinic and he agreed that her own safety might also be on the line.

They conversed for a while before he decided it was time for her to go. He knew leaving on time would save her the troubles of being stuck in traffic.
Onyedikachi could see the conflicted emotions playing on her face while they trekked to the junction and was quite skeptical about probing her.

Thoughts of her problem being Chijioke's welfare crossed to his mind and he quickly asked about him. He hated the fact that he felt terrified about hearing a bad news about Chijioke. He hated that Chijioke had instigated this issue by trying to claim a land that rightfully belonged to them.

What is it? Did.... did something else happen to Chijioke?" .

She shook her head violently probably to convince him further that she seemed quite unperturbed,but he could sense that turmoil inside of her.

" No... Nothing else happened. He's weak but receiving and responding well to treatment. The surgery should have given me a scare but considering I met him after that.." She chuckled nervously, tucking strands of the wig she wore behind her ear, the wind had caused them to dance recklessly before her eyes and even he was tempted to capture them with his fingers . They had wandered up to the junction where they had previously met on certain occasions . He still remembered the place being close to the spot where she had fainted.

His eyes stayed on her face, partly on the wig she wore that made her appear quite mature. He still preferred her naturally curly and almost silky hair to the straight haired wig she wore but had kept it to himself. Obanma was so beautiful that she would appear gorgeous even in sack clothes.

She stopped walking abruptly then turned to really look up at him.

"That piece of land......" He didn't know he had dreaded what he assumed she was going to say as much as he did until she began talking.

"You think Arinze stabbed your brother don't you?". He hated that everyone was quick to judge his brother, not considering what he was going to lose if things got out of hand. When his mother had complained of shop owners showcasing certain attitudes towards his brother he knew that there were at risk of falling deeper into trouble.

"Arinze is not a murderer! My brother is not a murderer atleast not like some people I know " He thundered, startling even a little girl hopping excitedly on her way. She stared briefly at the couple an continued on her voyage.

"I didn't say..."

"Obanma that was what you implied! The stupid land they fought over was the land your murderer of a father gifted my father! The same land Chijioke is forcefully trying to take! Every damn time something happens between our families it's my family that gets to suffer! ".

He took a deep breath and calmed himself, regretting immediately how insensitive he had sounded. The hurt that reflected in her eyes as she stared at him, told him that he had also practically stabbed her in the chest.

He seemed utterly disappointed in himself and didn't even know the right words to say as she walked away. He kept calling her but she seemed like she truly didn't want to be around him and so he let her go.

Onyedikachi arrived Arinze's house angry and disappointed in himself. Olivia was the only one at home, she was busy with preparing soup for the family and he opted to help her just to get his mind off his stupidity.

She welcomed him in the kitchen and they began to discuss about her school. She had begun classes at the primary school as part of the teaching practice  which fell under her industrial training process .

"Onyi ... I don't really mean to pry but was that Obanma I saw you kissing today?"

The knife which Onyedikachi had been dicing an onion with gave him a cut as the weight of the question hit him

He turned slowly to face her, not certain of the answer he would give.

She noticed his bleeding hand and quickly set out to assuage it.

"I'm sorry about this but I couldn't help but ask. I came by the school to pick some materials up and had this terrible urge to pee. Let's say the closest hidden spot was taken and the school toilet wasn't an option" She offered a smile and Onyedikachi could feel the kitchen get hotter than it was.

"Onyi I won't tell Arinze or anyone. You're not a child and you deserve to be happy with anyone you deem fit. Besides I am truly tired of this feud that has gone on for too long.

You were a friend when I didn't know I even needed one. You helped build this marriage that I am enjoying now with your brother. Just know that I support whatever you do as long as it doesn't involve knocking the girl up or breaking her heart "

Onyedikachi chuckled lightly as her words brought relief to him. He shook his head to denounce the other things she had mentioned." I think I love her". He had even absentmindedly blurted out in his defense. His conscience didn't fail to slap him immediately with "And you showed her today, didn't you?" but he chose to focus on Olivia's happy expression.

" Very good then" Her response showed she was convinced he had good intentions

Onyi eh that girl is so beautiful. God knows that I used to think she was an ọgbanje as a child "

The two proceeded to discuss about so many things about their childhood and Onyedikachi found it exhilarating that someone who was also part of the family knew about Obanma.

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Hello everyone!

How are we? So @maramartha has succeeded in beating a chapter out of me this night and has even promised to recruit an army of readers against me 😂😂😂. I don't know that girl's plan but her method is working sha. Do not be a part of this army against me, else I'll kill off your favorite character 😈😈😈

Don't mind me😂😂😂😂

Hope we enjoyed this chapter

Who else is thrilled that Olivia found out?

What do we think of Onyedikachi's reaction?

Who else wants to probe Chidiogo?

This chapter is over 3000words and I'm quite happy that I've finally begun to feel the story like I should.

Don't forget to kiss that star with your thumb,comment and share 😘😘😘