Ally

Papa nnukwu seemed reticent to retire for the night even though Chukwuma had insisted that he slept on time. The old man practically recoiled at the fact that he was supposed to leave his grandson for sleep.

Chukwuma who was ready to lead him to his bedroom was left with bringing the locally brewed liquor for him and Onyedikachi to share once more. This time Obanma was included.

Onyedikachi hadn't quite thought of what Obanma had asked earlier. He just knew he had to convince someone in the family to back up his decision when the time came. His mother would not only refute the idea of marrying Obanma, she would completely withdraw from performing any marriage rites with him. Which was why he needed someone who understood what it meant to be kept apart from their loved one.

He needed papa nnukwu because the union between him and their late grandmother as Onyedikachi was told was also forbidden but somehow they had overcome their opposition and led quite a happy life before death took her away.  He stared at Obanma whose legs were neatly folded beneath her laps while she stared at the old man. It made him wonder what was going through her mind at the time. She seemed uncomfortable he could tell from the constant nibbling of her lips and tapping of her fingers on the ancient couch where she sat. She often bit her fingers too.

The brown colored seat with bold leopard like spots scattered around it exhumed every trait of being an ancient artifact in the house. There were stains of food and other materials that Onyedikachi couldn't fathom which made him curious as to what type of life his father had led as a child and how it affected his father. The tears which it bore and the unmistakable smell of snuff that emanated from the chairs.

In all the times he had spoken with his grandfather never for once had he broached the topic of his late father with fear that it would trigger a sense of sadness and loss once talks about him were revived.

Obanma popped one of her knuckles and his attention snapped towards her immediately. He honed in his gaze and when she caught him staring he mouthed words to her that he assumed brought solace.

"I love you too" She mouthed back to him and he smiled so much he felt  like a little boy graced with gifts of chocolate and candy.

"Arinze o na abia? Is Arinze coming?" Onyedikachi's grandfather enquired, his eyes which had completely gone blind shook as he asked and even though Onyedikachi knew he couldn't see, he could feel the emotions and the expectancy surrounding his enquiry. Papa nnukwu was getting very lonely and somehow the death of his father, the feud it brought between his mother and their kinsmen had created a vacuum that needed to be filled.

"Mba   No" Came Onyedikachi's voice on a solemn note. Not even his mother knew he had been visiting the old man. He struggled as a young man and when he desperately sought for a father figure he had run to the only person he believed would reflect things about his father.

The old man nodded feigned what Onyedikachi could tell was a pseudo laughter then beckoned on Chukwuma to come with a drink.

Obanma's face softened a bit but her gaze still focused on the ancient man. She tried to piece together attributes of his that were similar to those of Onyedikachi's. The man's demeanor radiated Onyedikachi's very essence, but being long in the tooth gave him a  tamer manner of expression. His nose stood outrightly like Onyedikachi's and their smiles were too similar.

Chukwuma arrived the scene with a bottle, it's contents unknown to Obanma. She watched him quickly disappear into the kitchen to fetch three glasses.

Onyedikachi poured a little quantity for his grandfather then took some for himself. She found it amusing that he was hesitating to give her some even though there were three glasses present.

"Nne bia ke ne let me see our wife" papa nnukwu called out and Obanma nervously moved to his seat.

"She hasn't agreed to marry me yet" Onyedikachi teased as Obanma approached the old man. He knew papa nnukwu would dwell on the matter

Papa nnukwu groped Obanma's thigh, spread his hands on her shoulder. He felt her soft cheek and she almost chuckled at how warm his hands felt. She felt that same warmth with Onyedikachi

His hands dropped back to her thighs as he grabbed both of her hands and squeezed satisfactory. She didn't understand what he felt from feeling her body but she assumed his hands were feeding his mind of her appearance. They were his new eyes

"Onyedikachi my grandson is a very fine young man. He's very hard-working too... What are you waiting for? Do you want other ladies to grab him?" He enquired, her hands still in the clutch of his.

"Ju ke ne ya please ask her oo" Onyedikachi blurted out his amusement evident in his eyes. He was definitely enjoying papa nnukwu's one sided banter with Obanma.

"Eh nwam?" The old man prodded. Obanma inhaled deeply but before she could utter a word papa nnukwu quickly ordered Onyedikachi to give her a shot of his locally brewed gin. He assumed Obanma's hesitation to speak was engendered by the cold weather.

She gulped the contents of the glass much to Onyedikachi's chagrin, her face contorting in funny ways as the burning effect of the drink continued to attack her cheek.

"She is still in school and wants to finish first before marriage. " Onyedikachi continued answering for Obanma who was very much tempted  to haul the glass at his forehead.

"Let her answer for herself" He softly reprimanded his grandson who grew quiet.

"Papa nnukwu he is right. I want to finish school and I think I am too young to get married... I also" Came Obanma's soft voice

"Are you cold?" He asked suddenly cutting her off. "You're shaking" Papa nnukwu enquired while Onyedikachi quickly drew closer to the pair.

"Mba...I'm not cold" Obanma's response made Onyedikachi understand how truly uncomfortable she was.

"Take more of the drink, it'll help relax your body" Papa nnukwu urged with a smile. "This one is very shy" He whispered Onyedikachi who couldn't hold his laughter. Obanma was the exact opposite

She took a sip out of the old man's cup and settled the drink back on the table as he gave more to her.

"The world has changed so much..it is ironic thinking back to the past. Chinyelum and I couldn't wait to get married and you youngsters want to wait"

"That was after the Civil War, lovers who survived couldn't wait to tie the knot. " Onyedikachi chipped in

"The war made us understand how quickly life can change in a matter of heartbeats." The old man shut his eyes and rested his scrawny neck on the couch. Obanma tried not to focus on his words but how quickly sleep had claimed him.

"Let's take him to the bed" She suggested but Onyedikachi quickly refuted the idea and instructed her to observe.

Confused, she waited and monitored the man's face. He had a smile plastered across his face and muttered incoherent words.

"I met Chinyelum on the noon of my uncle's burial day. Uncle Ejikeme had passed on from tuberculosis and everyone blamed it on promiscuity. Still, it had hurt me so much because I was close to him" Papa nnukwu began his tale while Obanma's astonishment was boldly displayed on her face.

"I think he relives the tale in his mind before telling them. I thought he was having a heart attack the first time he narrated things to me...... Kept wincing and grunting" Onyedikachi whispered into Obanma's ears.

She nodded and tightened her grip because she had noticed his hand slipping away.

"Her parents had come for the burial and soon enough they had gone to pay their respects leaving Chinyelum behind with friends. I tried so hard not to cry because uncle Ejikeme said it wasn't a manly thing to do. when I saw her staring at me.... It became easier to do,she was just to beautiful with an aura of peace too difficult to ignore. She didn't speak a word to me she only nodded and that made more sense to me than the countless condolence speeches we had heard. "

Obanma smiled at the old man, she understood how certain wordless conversations made sense. She often had some with his grandson who she couldn't help but stare at.

" I was 13years old and that was the last time I saw her for a long while. She returned to the village from Ebonyi when I was in standard 6. She was in our class owing to the fact that her father was very rich and influential. Only four girls were present in our class at the time and I couldn't walk past her without grinning like a fool.

I spent a lot of time getting into trouble. I had once beaten up a school teacher with my friends because he unjustly punished her. My father threatened to send me to Lagos at the time. I retraced my steps and tried to stay away from trouble "

At this point Onyedikachi's interest began to bud once more into the story.

" One of the days she walked up to me and said... Jonathan thank you... That was it. Our first conversation began and with time our closeness grew. I fell in love with her and she did the same.

She was to continue with teaching practice after school and I knew the next option for me was trade. My father had my other siblings to train and I had to help out".

Obanma couldn't boast of Understanding what that felt like because she had the luxury of coming out last. Her siblings had already begun to help out

"I started as an apprentice under Anayo my father's friend and worked with him for 3 years . Chinyelum worked in a small bank in the outskirts of our village for a while. Her father had shut down the idea of training her further after a suitor came knocking.

When she told me... I almost ran mad. I took my money from my settlement and met my father. I told him of my intentions and he blessed me.

Her father said to me on the very day I approached him that he was marrying her off to a man who would give his daughter a better future. It seemed as if he spoke with some sort of animosity. Chinyelum met me on the eve of that day and advised that we leave. I agreed and began to prepare for the next day but sadly she never came. " papa nnukwu chuckled as if the turn the tale had taken was amusing.

He rubbed Obanma's palm gently and continued with his tale.

Obanma was disappointed when papa nnukwu told of his heart breaking tale. It made her understand why Onyedikachi believed he would understand their plight. He had witnessed first hand such unfair judgment.

However, Onyedikachi also forgot that his grandfather wasn't the son of a murderer.

Papa nnukwu spoke of leaving without Chinyelum and how empty he was. Anayo's business gave him an idea of how to manage businesses paving his way to the north where he got established.

It was at his third year in Kaduna when he was but 23years old that the Civil unrest began.

"nineteen hundred and sixty six came the first revolution after Nigeria became a republic. Power play between leaders for maleficent reasons led to the coups that led body trails in all parts of the country.

The north became a predator to the easterners present at the time. I had managed to scale through for few months before I was woken up by a cry in July 1966. Apparently Aguiyi Ironsi had been overthrown and killed.

It was Ahmed, an hausa trader who came to warn me of the death threat that was imminent.

Unknown to me my shop had been razed to the ground, people were being massacred like birds.

He made sure I left even before the mob arrived. I owe that man my life. "

Papa nnukwu chuckled again and Obanma stared deeper at him to ascertain if he was aware that his story wasn't a tale people laughed to. Obanma could remember countless times in history class where she asked questions about intent of the military rule and the soldiers who posed coups till democratic rule was engendered in Nigeria.

"I saw lifeless pregnant women whose babies had been harvested from their wombs. Bodies trailed along the rail station where we tried to escape. Our brothers were shot as they tried to board. Ejikeme a fellow trader and I barely made into the train with our lives. When we got to Enugu, I discovered that he had died. And that was just the beginning of the strife"

A tear slipped past Obanma's eyes and  she quickly wiped them away. More tears emerged as papa nnukwu described the horrors of being conscripted into the Biafra army with the head of state being Odumegwu Ojukwu.

And when the war was finally over in 1970 when the Biafra forces lost to the Nigerian army he started his life from beginning.

His family was killed by a shell that had destroyed their home. His friends massacred, starting life over again was difficult.

"One morning I saw Chinyelum standing in front of my house or what was left of it. I had begun to rebuild what was left of the rubble just to have a place to sleep. I thought she was a ghost and when she called out to me, I couldn't contain my joy.

I believe I almost squeezed the life out of her and the tears that flowed from her eyes touched me so much that I couldn't help shed a few myself.

Her brothers were killed but her father remained alive, heart break led to her mother's death. Her husband had fled to Ghana and never spoke of returning.

She always thought I had died in the north since I kept no correspondence with her. "

Obanma was sniffing and crying uncontrollably at this point while Onyedikachi kept patting her back.

" The remaining months we spent rebuilding what was left of the rubble while she continued to tender to the children that were made orphans in the catholic church where we worshipped. One night she took me to her father and asked for his blessings and he refused. I remember being so angry and I confronted him. I meant to enquire what I had done wrong but he simply said that my father denied him of having a blissful marriage by stealing his bride and he was punishing me for that.

It was so disappointing to hear but Chinyelum stood up to him that time.

Aso ka ta eze anya, ekpulu nkata gwa ya okwu"

She said we were going to marry with or without his blessings and since she was his only surviving child it was his decision to be a part of her life or not.

Two weeks later, we got married in the church. Two years later we had Chidozie and lost Chinyelum's father.

Three years after that Chinyelum died while birthing our second child who died few weeks after his birth. Life makes you value time spent with loved ones, no matter how short it was. I chose not to dwell on my losses and trained my son to be a good man. I have other children too with Vivian my second wife. My friends called me a broken man and feared for Dozie, but Vivian treated my son like hers. "

" Where is she? "Obanma blurted out even before she could think properly. She hadn't meant to intrude

" She left... I wasn't the best husband. Something was broken in me after Chinyelum died. I don't hold it against her. Someday... A very close day I'll meet both Dozie and Chinyelum. That's the beauty of old age, it means a day closer to death"

Papa nnukwu dozed off immediately after his last words and Chukwuma who stood by the door came to take him to bed.

Obanma wondered how many times he had told his sad tale and how many times Chukwuma had heard them. He was also Papa nnukwu's grandson.

Onyedikachi placed a kiss on her forehead and rubbed her palms as more tears flowed from her eyes.

"My father took the only thing left of his wife"

"My father left us and I believe there's a huge part of her in us. I learnt Arinze is more like grandpa than I am" Onyedikachi retorted and Obanma chuckled.

"It was quite interesting to find out"

She turned to face Onyedikachi, cupping his face into his palms she placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Thank you for bringing me"

"It's my pleasure... I love to see you cry to very sad tales about the Civil war" He taunted and she slapped his shoulder.

"Onyi..... There's no going back after this right?" She enquired with much trepidation in her eyes.

"No... But we will have ourselves and that is more than enough"

Onyedikachi led her to their room after she washed her face. He helped Chukwuma lock up the house and switch off all the appliances that weren't needed.

He assumed Obanma was asleep when he returned. He knew she was exhausted from the long journey and listening to stories .

He climbed into the bed and placed a kiss on her cheek then gently covered her body. Onyedikachi peeled off his shirt and joined her in his underpants. His voice softly whispered "Ka chi Foo" as he prepared to sleep

Her hands sought his and held them while the winds blew harshly causing the trees to whistle. Loud banging of windows and doors could be heard. The brown colored zincs used in roofing the house was not left out as it shook violently. A thunder rumbled loudly and a huge lightning tore across the sky.

Obanma's hands trailed along Onyedikachi's thighs and she whispered to him in a teasing manner.

"I'm surprised you haven't started peeing already I'm quite surprised "

He pounced on her and she shook with laughter trying to escape from his grip.

"It's our weather, I'm not supposed to"  came his husky voice.

Obanma stilled momentary then ran her hands up his strong arms as he hovered on top of her.

"Our children will come after school" She whispered back to him

"Is that a yes?" He declared excitedly

"Papa nnukwu was quite convincing" She replied with a smile. "Yes"

Onyedikachi captured her lips in a deep and sensual kiss before leaping off the bed to ransack his clothes.

He came back with a ring and practically hopped on to the bed like a child.

"Hold me" He requested and she reluctantly did so eyeing him warily.

"is this not supposed to be the other way round?" She asked

Onyedikachi only chuckled, capturing her lips in another kiss.

"You held me like this the first time we met and your tears turned into the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. And today I promise with my life to ever keep that smile on your face. To protect you with my life and to love you till my last breath.

This ring is a mere symbol of my love because the greatest, you now have in your hands.. My heart.

Even in my imperfection I will strive to give you the perfect marriage that I am certain you deserve.

Thank you Mma for choosing to be with such an unlomantic man like me.

I love you"

He fixed the ring in his hand onto her finger and she smiled. She took deep breaths to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I promise to love you unconditionally and to cherish what we have. To be a good wife and most importantly your one true ally. No matter how unlomantic you are"

Onyedikachi chuckled at the last word, he drew her into his arms and relished her presence.

"I think I make better decisions when I don't overthink things... " She whispered into his ears

"I agree"He replied while she pulled away from his embrace, slowly pushed him to the bed so that she was striding over him

She could see the uncertainty in his eyes but this time the passion that burned in them gave her courage thrived on.

She placed kisses on his chest which trailed to his neck and rested on his lips. Onyedikachi quickly turned her over putting the same amount of sensuality into the kisses he gave. His hands fondled her breasts as her soft moans of pleasure filled the room.

He loved the sound of her voice coupled with the chattering noise of rain pelting on the roof.

Onyedikachi helped her out of her nightwear as her hands caressed his body.

He stopped momentarily and gave her the sweetest smile.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen"

His words brought a warmth on her cheeks and the longing in his eyes further heated up the want within her.

"I won't stop this time" He whispered into her ears, trailing kisses on her neck, his hands eliciting sweet pleasure from her bossom down to her stomach teasing her very feminine core.

"I know" She whispered breathlessly, her husky voice alluring

"Nature finally spoke to me" the passion in her eyes smoldered with every word she let out and Onyedikachi couldn't wait to take her.

"What did she say?"

"This is the weather for the two of us"

"Mma I told you first" He replied with a grin

"I know... But I love hearing it from her" Another lightning tore across the sky illuminating the bed where she lay. Onyedikachi drank in the image he had been blessed with,still bewildered by the thought that she had finally agreed to be his.

"I love you Mma"

"I know.... I'm just waiting for you to show me how much. Onyi will you show me? " She retorted with a devilish grin

His kiss gave her promises of how well he meant to show her. "Yes my seductress"

Hello everyone

How are we? Hope we enjoyed the chapter. It's a very long one owing to papa nnukwu's tales. Most of the people who lived during the Civil War bore the horrors it came with. This is why I believe war is the worst thing that can happen to a place. I hope we didn't bore you with the stories, it was only to pass a message across.

This chapter ended with lovey lovey by our lovebirds  which I intend to to develop in the next chapter. 😉

I still find writing smut totally exhausting but it's certainly long overdue

Writing sometimes is the most amusing thing to do. I spent close to an hour muttering to myself on how best to put this chapter. 😂😂😂Most writers are crazy trust me

Do well to vote, comment and share.

I can't thank you enough for the award on at war ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. I love you all