The frightful mind

Agatha marched into her sister's bedroom furiously after she bade Mr. Obidike farewell.

She knew her sister was keeping a secret but she hadn't expected her to lie blatantly to her. Her mind recalled the things Iheanyi had mentioned in the past when she visited him.

"Everyone calls me a demon because I pulled the trigger but nobody has really considered what made me pull that trigger"

"Iheanyi there is no justification for murder no matter what you think you saw"

"Did she tell you what she was doing with Dozie before I walked in?"

"She is not even conscious anymore, right now what I want is to find out why this happened. Someone seems to be after you"

The cold glare Iheanyi had rendered seemed to shut Agatha's lips

"It is just her! Nobody else "

Agatha shook the thought away as she pulled the door knob. She had stood so proudly for her sister defending her honor only to find out that she had cheated .

She saw Ngozi pacing around the bedroom muttering incoherent words to herself. Fear gripped her as she got closer but Ngozi was still engulfed in her words.

It didn't seem right , her sister appeared restless and terrified yet determined as she sauntered about. Agatha didn't understand the look of determination she wore or what it implied.

She noticed Ngozi's eyes were glued shut as she muttered to herself.

"What is wrong with you !  Stop it! It was a mistake! Please don't tell Iheanyi! Please !

Do whatever you wish !"

"Ngozi!" Agatha's voice tore through her trance and she blinked. She wiped the beads of sweat that clung to her face with her trembling hands . Her feet sought out their bed and she rested her derriere on the surface .

"There was a man , his voice ...I could hear his voice. He threatened to tell Iheanyi the truth. I don't know how he saw... He was with a gun"

Agatha tried to make sense out of what her sister spoke but failed woefully.

"Who is this man? Do you know him?"

"No.. I couldn't see his face "

"He said Iheanyi didn't know the truth and he wanted to.... He "

"He wanted to force you ? Ngozi was it Dozie?"

Deep down Ngozi knew the prejudice that would be held against her if she ever truly revealed the truth about the passionate day with Mr Obidike and so she held her own.  Her children who were already swinging to Agatha's side would loathe her and they would blame her for her son's death . Chidozie was dead and the dead couldn't defend themselves,not from harmless lies. But were her lies harmless?

"Dozie forced you " Agatha muttered repeatedly.

"Chai! Chineke m !! All these years we thought otherwise. "

Ngozi remained quiet not certain she knew what else to say .

"How did his clothes get to the backyard? " Agatha questioned as she thought more

"I don't.. don't.. know . Maybe someone was watching"

"That explains it all! Years ago in the village someone told me to take the children away. He insinuated that there was a ploy against Iheanyi. Now it all makes sense ! Someone used your misfortune against Iheanyi. They made him believe you had committed adultery and Chidozie was just a useless pawn in all of this !"

Agatha paced around the bed her hands tied to her waist.

"I knew it ! I have asked myself questions over and over again!

Do you know what Iheanyi revealed to me ?

Can you remember he was supposed to go to the market to get the goat for the new year?"

Ngozi nodded quickly having recalled her husband's words that morning . Iheanyi had told her that she would prepare goat pepper soup for the guests he had been expecting later on.

He had mentioned they were coming because of a discovery on his land .

"He didn't buy the meat " Ngozi recounted slowly

"Of course! Ngozi do you know why ? " 

Ngozi shook her head quite clueless about where her sister was headed with her revelation.

"Iheanyi told me that he stopped briefly at a bar where he met Osisioma and they discussed about the land . A child came in and relayed a message to him which made him race to the house "

Ngozi's eyes widened with shock as she began to process the turn out of events .

"He locked us in" Ngozi muttered as she recalled more

"Isi gini?" Agatha enquired as her sister got drowned in her own thoughts.

"Someone locked us in , Dozie couldn't run "

"Iheanyi already knew what had transpired before he arrived and that was why he took the gun after he had opened the doors "

"It was all a plot " Ngozi reiterated slowly

Agatha laughed so hard as she sat on the bed, recounting how she had thought of different ways to explain what exactly transpired on that day . The clues that always left room for more questions.

"Ngozi all I have said explains why Iheanyi was enraged but there is something that both of us have missed . That is what I believe that man came here to prove today "

Ngozi turned to her sister who wore a solemn expression.

"You have been lying to us all " Agatha declared angrily.

Ngozi's mouth widened as she stared at her sister .

"Chidozie did not rape you ,did he?" Agatha enquired angrily

Ngozi shook her head with tears streaming down her face .

"He did not rape you ,but you had an affair with him. Isn't that why that doctor's appearance shocked you. He was your doctor right? " Agatha shook her head in disappointment

"Yes he was my doctor but believe me I never had any affair with Chidozie"

"How am I supposed to believe you eh? Do you know how much I have fought for you ! Everything your children went through because of what happened!"

"Agatha I know! I should have been better ! I should have walked away sooner and I shouldn't have involved Dozie in any way "

"What are you talking about? Do you also want to lie about this !"

"Agatha you have to believe me , Chidozie only wanted to help . " Ngozi sobbed clutching her chest

"After Iheanyi beat our son out of me , I wanted to leave but I couldn't . I was terrified for my life , I couldn't tell you what I was going through. I didn't want to burden you . And when I found out I was pregnant again I thought it wise to stay.

The beatings stopped for a while and after a short while it resumed. It's easy for everyone to crucify me but no one has ever questioned Iheanyi about everything he's done . The countless concubines,the disrespect and maltreatment.

I was a very miserable woman .

I told Chidozie everything the day he came to visit me at the hospital with Chidiogo. He told me he had no right to meddle with another man's family.
"

"You being miserable doesn't justify your actions" Agatha declared with a scowl

"That's easy for you to say Agatha, you have no idea what it means to be in an abusive marriage. You think I wanted any of this ! "

"And hopping into a married man's bed fixed all your problems right? "

' I had nothing, no money ! You do not understand"

"Ngozi you had me ! Do you think I wouldn't have helped? "

"You and I know everything changed after we got married. I couldn't be your burden " Ngozi shook her head amidst tears

"My burden? Gini ka I na ekwu ihe a? What are you saying?" Ngozi couldn't help but notice the slip in her sister's native tongue. She was sounding just like Nnamdi with the way she spoke .

"I couldn't stand being the way I was and feeling .... Jealous because of what you have with Nnamdi. All I wanted was to go away with my children and Chidozie helped "

"You plan to leave with the twins , you would have left Chijioke and Ada behind . Yes ! We all saw the love letter Dozie sent you "

"Why on earth have you decided to just make this difficult eh? Iheanyi would have turned me into a corpse . I was being eaten up from inside and all you care about is the affair!  Agatha I am telling you now , I didn't have any affair with Chidozie"

" Oh please stop the lies for God's sake, it is irritating that you are playing the victim at this moment. Do you even know the damage this has caused! Your daughter is miserable because of your affair and you keep lying to my face!"

" What exactly are you even talking about? " Ngozi enquired infuriated by her sister's adamancy at listening to her

" The fact that Obanma is Chidozie's daughter! We all found out from the test "

"Agatha that is not true ! I had an affair! Call me a whore but don't just make a ridicule out of this very sensitive situation.  Chidozie opted to help me with the deed to the land. He was also to help arrange a buyer before his demise. But not once did that man request anything of me .

What I did, I did of my own free will . Agatha I swear with my own life that Obanma is not Chidozie's daughter. "

"You were ready to accuse Chidozie of rape , few minutes ago and now you've quickly changed, how do you expect me to believe you?"

"You have to because Obanma's real father wants his daughter now. You and I know that my children will never look at me the same way they did after everything comes out in the open. Agatha I see the way they are with you ,the things you share. Things that I missed and you think it's easy "

"Ngozi , I think I have had enough of your lies and this new found emotional blackmail . Those children will always be yours no matter what,maybe you should have really considered them before you made this mistake. We will talk when you are ready to make things right " Agatha as she made her way to the door. Her steps were halted as Ngozi's voice resounded . The door also pulled apart to reveal a very stunned Obanma at that instant"

" Obanma is doctor Obidike's daughter "

Agatha retraced her footsteps to direct am astonished face towards her elder sister who gasped at the sight of her daughter.

Obanma stared at the two women for minutes,her lips quivering and her hands trembling.

Agatha rushed to her side and led her to the bed. Ngozi was quite hesitant as she feared a rebuttal from her daughter.

Obanma sobbed quietly,her tears dripping from her palms which she had used in shielding her face.

"Oba o bu ngiri? What is it?" Ngozi managed to ask

"She is dead ... He killed her " She managed to say sobbing louder than she had been.

Gripped by fear at the utterance Agatha quickly grabbed her niece's hand.

"Nne who is dead?"

"Oluchi's mom . He killed her this afternoon. How can someone be this inhumane? Now those children are left without parents! Oluchi is inconsolable right now! I have to go to their place "

Agatha shook as the words resounded in her ears. She had known the woman in question and all that she dealt with in the hands of her husband.

Her eyes met her sister's and at that moment she feared whàt her sister's state could have been .

Tears clogged Ngozi's eyes as the memories of her being battered came flooding back . The loss of her child broke her that day and for the first time she had a glimpse of a dark future.

"You just came back from the hospital,nne you need rest"

"Oluchi is not sounding sane anymore. I have to help her ..I need to "

Nnamdi knocked on the door ,announcing the arrival of Onyedikachi whom none of the ladies were expecting.

"Onyi will take me " Obanma declared as she got to her feet with her mother and aunt trailing behind.

Obanma met Onyedikachi in the living room playing with her little cousin who seem uninterested in his attempt at making her laugh.  She stretched severally for Nnamdi to hold her but her father refused teasing her with a smile.

Onyedikachi grew terrified when he saw Obanma's reddened face and the tears that streamed down. He quickly handed the baby to Nnamdi and rushed to her side.

"Let's go outside" She muttered to his hearing and he held her swallowing hard. She seemed to be devastated and he knew why . The new turn of their relationship was enough to render one insane.

"Onyi you need to take me to Oluchi's place. Something terrible has happened."

Onyedikachi nodded quickly quite hesitant to state why he had come .

They left after he bade the rest of the family goodbye .

Their journey had begun quite silent with Obanma staring at the road while he fought for words to speak.

"Mma ... This may be the wrong time but there's something we need to talk about"

" Okay " She had answered turning to face him.

"What if there was a mistake? I've been thinking... And I think we should go for a test. The two of us.... Just to'

"Onyi there's really no need" Obanma interupted cutting him off.

"Mma please listen....I know you don't want to get your hopes high and neither do I. But we just have to make sure ...we have to be certain that we are actually related.."

"Onyi there's no need .."

"Why do you think so? Don't you want to know if there's any hope of us being together?"

"You didn't let me finish" Obanma retorted in her defense with a wry smile

"There's no need for a test because I am certain that we are not siblings"

Onyedikachi stunned by her revelation seemed takes aback because even he had dreamt of such .

"Mma I understand that you're very hopeful about this but let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's a possibility that you might be my sister ,that's the point of the test"

"Onyi you're not listening , you're not my brother and the man I knew as my father is not ....he is not my real father.  I heard my mom reveal the truth to my aunt , I couldn't let them know I heard the truth.  My real father is doctor Obidike Ukaegbu" She ended with a chuckle. Onyedikachi was elated by the news but could see the sadness laced in her eyes even as she tried to smile.

Uncertain of the right words to use , Onyedikachi resorted to exhaling and inhaling . He couldn't help but chuckle at the revelation even though it felt surreal. This was what he had been wishing

"I love you so much Mma" He declared with a smile. She only nodded blinking away the new tears that had begun to form anew. Onyedikachi couldn't tell if he had expected her to say the words back to him of not but it did hurt him that the words never came. None of it mattered when it was crystal clear that he could marry the woman he loves.

"Maybe fate is on our side after all" Obanma muttered to herself with her eyes glued to the road.

Hello Everyone

Hope you do enjoy this chapter!

It seems our lovebirds conquered after all.

Domestic abuse is a cancer that has killed many women and some men too. Being with an abusive partner has led to many atrocious crimes .

I do wish someday it'll be tackled properly in Nigeria.