Obanma was silent throughout the ride from the hospital back to the house. She had been stressed and underfeeding for days which led to her passing out ,the doctors had opined.

Her eyes were glued to the window while they drove . The brief stops at the mall to fetch items needed in the house seemed to have breezed by her as she barely took notice of all that happened.

Her mind kept reflecting on the words Onyedikachi had spoken to her and how her relationship had turned from bad to non existent. Maybe it had been easier for her to believe Onyedikachi had walked away and hope they would somehow come together in the future, than knowing they were related and couldn't ever be together anymore.

She couldn't cry anymore,her mind seemed to be afloat ,fighting hard to suppress memories that she had come to cherish.

"I love you " The words didn't bear the strength they used to anymore. She loved hearing him say that he loves her. She enjoyed the way his eyes lit up in her presence, she loved the gentlest of ways he caressed her .How could they not have known?

How could love have set a trap so steep that neither of them could have avoided? Why was fate cruel ?

"Onyi I don't think I am going to ever be okay after this ,I don't think I'll recover"

"We have to try Mma, we need to . " He had replied patting her hand.

"How does one live after this ? It feels like my..my heart has stopped" A tear slipped past her eye which he wiped away with his thumb

"Mma ...a day at a time . You take it one day at a time. I know how strong you are . You're the girl who will move mountains to keep her family safe, you are beautiful and smart . You bring joy to people even without trying . You picked yourself up even though you were little after witnessing the most horrendous tragedy . You came out strong Mma. I know you can get through this "

He cradled her face with his hands causing her to stare into his eyes. Somehow all he could think of where the kisses they had shared and how much he had longed for more ,when he prayed for a favorable result. Why did it have to be so? Would he ever love another woman like he did her?

Obanma cleared her throat causing a startle from Onyedikachi. He quickly withdrew his hands and shook his head wearing a small smile. She knew he forced it ,it didn't get to his eyes.

"Onyi ..maybe we're not so strong after all. "

Onyedikachi grew somber not even capable of speaking.

"Onyi ..do you want to rest a little?" She enquired with a small smile. She could tell he needed the rest . His hooded eyes ,which had grown enormously sunken gave his bad sleeping habits away.

"I could never say no to you " He replied with a grin. He pulled his shoes off and sat closer to the wall,resting his back on the wall.

Obanma smiled at his action leaving him confused .

"I meant lying on the bed with me "

She could see the battle in his eyes as he thought deeply about her request. Was it right for half siblings to lie on the same bed?

After a short contemplation Onyedikachi gently lay his back on the bed which croaked and shook. It seemed too slender to accommodate the two of them but he didn't know why she felt it would be good for them to rest there.

Obanma gently lay on the bed,both their faces looking at the ceiling of the room. Onyedikachi withdrew his hand from the edge of the bed because he felt it showed a level of intimacy which couldn't be accorded to them anymore.

He kept his hands by the side and she did the same. The only sound in the room being the occasional croaking of the bed .

"Everything will be alright" She had whispered and he held on to her words.She never knew how much he had wanted to hear those words.

Slowly he felt more relaxed even though he knew his body would cramp after the rest . His eyes fluttered slowly and sleep engulfed him.

Obanma woke to an empty bed ,she turned to see her cousin wearing a smile as she sat on her mother's leg.

"Nne,how are you feeling now?"

"Better " Obanma replied sitting up .

"We'll be leaving soon, your uncle went to fix the car. He got a flat tyre"

Obanma nodded then turned to the food that was placed on a stool beside her bed.

"O bu ke m? Is it mine?'

Agatha urged to eat as they had bought the food before they met her sleeping.

"You have to eat better now inula. They said you're very malnourished and you need rest "

She nodded as she took the food . She opened the flask to see rice and ofe akwu. She ate slowly quite enjoying the taste of the meal.

"What of Onyi?" She asked Agatha who dragged her baby's thumb out her mouth .

"He left not long ago. He said something about work but he promised to visit the house soon"

Obanma brought her face back to the food she had been eating .

"Maybe it will be better if he didn't come at all" She muttered to herself

"Oba .... He is also a victim. Maybe you should let him visit,you two can heal ..."

"Daa you don't understand this " Obanma interupted as her eyes bored into her aunt's worried ones.

"It would be better if we avoided each other so that we can heal. I feel so dirty right now and even at that I can't help but want....." She pauses to inhale deeply "You don't understand"

Agatha's lip grew shut as her niece's words hit her. Of course, she didn't know it meant to be in their shoes.

"I need to unlove him and learn to love him the right way as a brother. I don't think I know how to do that without hating myself in the process. I feel disgusted by myself"

"This is not your fault nwanyi oma. You have to understand that. None of you asked for this. You are not disgusting, you are ....Nne you are just a victim of a mistake that you had no hand in.Never blame yourself or even him for any of this "

Obanma nodded grabbing her spoon to eat more as she had tossed it aside to speak.

"Your mother made a mistake,it doesn't define you "

Obanma nodded then grew quiet . She managed to eat half of the food in the container before they were called by Nnamdi.

"I'll have to buy more vegetables and fruits for you. We have to get you back to look like a human being"

Obanma managed a small smile as her aunt led her away .

Onyedikachi couldn't help but admit that Obanma had helped him get the best rest he could have in weeks. His predicament haunted him and kept sleep at bay but somehow he had gotten quite enough huddled beside her.

Papa Nnukwu's call startled him in the room where he had lodged. He had been avoiding the old man because of the marriage he had planned for  . Onyedikachi knew he couldn't run forever he had to reveal the truth to the old man.

After he had finally revealed the truth to his grandfather the old man's response was a cackling laughter .

"I know my spurn when I see one" He had reiterated. Onyedikachi tried to so much to convince him about the test they had taken but he wanted to hear none of it.

"Ndi umunna have agreed to postpone our arrangement because of me don't disappoint me. You're getting cold feet now , I can vividly recall how  hot your groins were when you drove sleep from my eyes and that of that poor girl! now you're making stories up! Your father raised you better Onyedika!"

The old man began to cough incessantly until a voice spoke and handed water over to him.

Onyedikachi was rather speechless and decided to maintain that till the end of the conversation.

Onyedikachi was exasperated by the time they hadn't finished talking but his mind dwelled on one of the things Mma had asked.

He had never carried out any test with Obanma to prove their relationship but rather held on to evidence from his father's letter and the paternity test from Iheanyi and Mma.

What if there was a small possiblity of them not being related ? Was it wrong to want that ?

Onyedikachi shook the thought away,he believed it was simply cravings as such that had overwhelmed him in the hospital that led to the thought.

He couldn't let his feelings overshadow his judgement. Mma was now his sister,nature had willed it so.

On arriving to the house Obanma stepped out of the car .She helped her aunt remove the items they had bought from the car while Nnamdi took their daughter inside.

Chijioke had gone to the village to begin the construction of the gas plant as he had opined. He had promised his aunty to be very cautious while in the village and the fact that his uncle had been arrested for his crime seemed exhilarating.

Agatha's heart wasn't at rest even though Chijioke had suggested the use of private security.

Obanma walked in with her aunt to meet Nnamdi,her mother and his cousin with the man she had met at the Ukaegbu's residence.

It had occured to her that the man had requested for their address but she hadn't expected them in their house .

"Obanma how are you doing ?" He had asked getting to his feet

"I am fine " She had answered curtly still hazed by the astonishment of his presence.

She turned to her mother who seemed riled up and struggled to conceal her freight.

She had been shocked to see him at their door when a knock had sounded earlier.

Ngozi remembered who he was but had lied when he asked if she could. She had briefed him of her predicament which led to him asking

"Maybe you'll remember something with time" Mr. Obidike resigned after series of questions.

"Is Obanma home?" He had enquired almost immediately but she relayed the information that she was still in school.

The entrance of Obanma, Agatha and her husband with their child was quite unexpected.

Mr. Obidike introduced himself to the family but he didn't mention his reason.

His gaze lingered on Obanma's person and he teased her of trying to evaporate.

Ngozi saw the introduction as a cue for her to walk away and recover from her plight.

Nnamdi and Obidike were left in the room as they conversed heartily . Obanma was instructed to rest in her room while her aunt prepared a dish for the visitor. Agatha unable to handle the distraction caused by her daughter finally decided to bring her in to the room where Ngozi lay.

Her sister absent mindedly paced around the room taking in bouts deep breath.

Agatha couldn't help the question that troubled her mind the moment she set her eyes on Obidike.

"Ngozi o bu ngiri?" What is it?"

"Nothing " She had replied promptly

"Who is that man in the living room?"Agatha had enquired finding her sister's attitude suspicious

"I don't know who he is " Ngozi replied unable to move her gaze from the floor .

"Daa please tell me the truth ,is there something I should know? "

"Agatha I don't know, I don't know!"

"Do you know that man ?"

"I don't remember him , please just go . I don't feel too well"

Agatha was forced to walk away as she found her inquisition fruitless. She couldn't help the urge to investigate and even after Mr. Obidike had decided to leave she had stopped him and requested for his contact.

Obanma was too exhausted to bid the man farewell even though he had deliberately lingered ,hoping she would.

"If there's anything you need from Ngozi,we'd help out . " Agatha had suggested as he walked back to his car.

"She hasn't remembered everything about her past and it often rattles her when they are spoken about"

Mr. Obidike nodded but quite resolute on his intention to speak to only Ngozi and nobody else.

"I'll keep coming,till she remembers something. Please my regards to Obanma, I hope to see her some other time"

Agatha respected the man's decision and bade him farewell.
Everything within her being whispered that her sister hadn't been honest when she denied remembering the man and she marched into the house to truly discover why she had lied.

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