"Oluchi " Obanma whispered as her friend seemed lost in her thoughts . Their hands had been linked together with her younger siblings scattered in the chairs in their living room.

Tears welled in Obanma's eyes as she fought to be strong for her friend. Onyedikachi took the last child by her hand and fished out his phone which he handed over to her to play with.

"She will break it " Oluchi managed to croak. Her voice ,she had lost from incessant wailing .

Her eyes were reddened,her face swollen and gloomy . Obanma took note of her lips which still quivered as she spoke .

Obanma also took notice of her younger brother who was huddled beside the chair, he had been speechless since they came and she feared he must have also witnessed the gruesome murder of their mother.

"I need to feed them " Oluchi muttered ,sniffling and wiping tears that threatened to fall.

"I'll get something for them " Onyedikachi opined as he quickly got to his feet. He felt overwhelmed with emotions as the death of his father began to replay in his mind.

The things Oluchi had described earlier triggered that memory that haunted him for years. He looked to his left to stare at Oluchi's brother who had refused to speak and feared a grave trauma brewing . He had witnessed his father being murdered by a friend, the little boy's was much disheartening.

"Would you like to drive my car ?" Onyedikachi had asked the young boy who nodded quickly.

He followed Onyedikachi as he stepped out of the house with Obanma trailing behind. Onyedikachi sat in the car and encouraged the boy to climb in . He settled on Onyedikachi's laps placing his trembling hands on the steering wheel.

"Be careful" Obanma declared softly to him and he nodded with a smile. They drove off leaving behind a brewing dust from the sandy compound.

Obanma noticed two figures approaching and ran quickly to embrace them .
Joshua and Eberechi had arrived earlier than she had expected them to.

"Kkkkkedu ebe Oooolllluchi no? Where is Oluchi?"

"She's inside the house " Obanma answered,her expression cast down from the momentary excitement.

Joshua left the two ladies to themselves while he practically raced into the house.

"I think he'll help her " Eberechukwu opined as they gradually approached the house.

"I hope so... She is devastated. I am completely terrified for her "

"She is strong Oba, I know she'll be okay"

"Ebere she lost her mother, being strong won't stop her from being shattered. You haven't seen how she is , she is still shaken by everything"

"What actually happened? Why did he do something so terrible? We've always known he is insane but killing her !"

"He claims it was an accident ,that he didn't mean to do it. Jonathan said he punched her twice on the face and pushed her . She fell to the floor and never woke up again."

"Jesus! This is too much ! You mean to tell me he was beating her infront of the children! "

"That was what jonathan narrated to Oluchi. He's a child , there must have been more . I am just worried that he saw all of that , I'm afraid of what it could do to him "

"Obanma you once witnessed such , you turned out ...well."

"I could see my brother's ghost for months , my family thought I was possessed and sometimes I get nightmares from that day. Nobody turns out well from something like this ,it haunts you forever"

Eberechi not certain if she knew what else to say diverted the conversation to another topic.

"How is Chijioke?"

"He is fine, he's in the village working on his gas plant. "

The worry on Eberechukwu's features reflected boldly in her eyes. "The same place he was stabbed? Why would he go there ?"

" He has a job to do and he's assured us that there's protection this time . Even though that doesn't keep me from worrying "

"Will...he be coming back anytime soon?"

"I don't think so , he might , I can't really tell. Why do you ask?"

Obanma fairly took notice of the blush that crept on to her friend's face and disappeared almost immediately. She had always known of her crush on Chijioke but her brother she knew wasn't quite suitable for her friend with his womanizing ways.

"When he comes home, I'll let you know"

They walked into the house to see Oluchi sobbing in Joshua's arms and stepped out quickly.

"She needs him more than she does us" Ebere declared with a sigh

"I have missed you Ebere, I've missed us"

"We're growing apart because of life and studies ,well... except our love birds inside. Sometimes I often wish things just remained the way when we were younger but you know life is more about ,"the more you look ,the more you see" You won't see much if you're stuck in one phase"

Obanma nodded slowly staring at the compound they used to visit as school children. She could remember Oluchi's mother teasing them of being ready for marriage when they got to senior secondary school and how disgusted they had been .

She had been wearing a smile as she stared at her daughter Oluchi, she had been a proud mother.

Obanma broke down in tears not able to reign her emotions anymore and soon Eberechukwu joined in . Both sobbing uncontrollably and failing so much at consoling each other.

Onyedikachi arrived much later with Jonathan bearing the items he had purchased in his hands. The little boy led the way with him trailing behind. He had insisted that Jonathan makes the orders of what he wanted instead of pointing at the items in the restaurant because he had suspected his refusal to speak as trauma.

The boy stuttered several times as he made his orders often looking up to Onyedikachi for approval.

"As much as you want" Onyedikachi encouraged with a smile

The boy had pointed out the things his sister's liked and disliked while making the orders . Onyedikachi requested for extra packs of food for himself, Obanma and their intending guests.

Onyedikachi noted how quiet the whole room was but urged Jonathan to lead him to the dining room.

He hadn't bothered to ask why no relative had come for the children but chalked it to the fact that most of them must live in far places.

"Mmesoma! Leave the phone and eat with your brother " Oluchi had commanded bringing her little sister to her feet.She turned to Onyedikachi and thanked him .

"Where are your mother's siblings? "

"They'll be here soon. Abuja is quite far from here "

"Oluchi you also need to eat something" Joshua declared as he saw that she made no attempt of joining her siblings.

"I can't ... I need to brush before I eat and I can't...can't go into that bathroom"

"Everything happened there, her bl..ood, her corpse. Josh I can't go there"

"You...you means she's still there? " Eberechukwu enquired with fright

"He told Jonathan to clean the blood, he told my brother to clean our mothers blood " Oluchi began to sob anew ,while her siblings joined in despite having food in their mouth.

"He carried her out that's where I saw him . I could tell something was wrong and I ran to the verandah. There was blood dripping from her hair, her lips were broken . Her eyes shut and swollen ,her body was cold and she wouldn't answer. I knew even before I placed my ear on her chest that she wasn't breathing. He killed...her. "

Joshua held Oluchi's hands so firmly that the strain could show on his face.

"I yelled , I screamed so hard that people were here in an instant. It made me wonder why they hadn't come when she was screaming, because she must have been screaming! Okwa ya Jonathan? Mummy was screaming right?"

The little boy nodded and turned to face Onyedikachi. "Y...y..yes"

"They took him away,our neighbors, they took him to the police station ,he kept begging,pleading for forgiveness. You should have seen the look on his face. He never seems petulant for any of his misdeeds!

She was supposed to leave with my siblings. He found out and it resulted to this . Tell me, how am I supposed to continue? How am I supposed to keep on living? Do you know that I took her to the mortuary and she didn't stand up . She didn't say "Oluchi take me out of here! "

She just lay there !"

"Nne ozugo! Please take it easy . You just have to be strong for these ones please"

Oluchi nodded with a bitter smile as Onyedikachi's words resounded in her ears.

"Josh please get me a toothbrush and water " She requested immediately which Joshua did .

Obanma and Eberechukwu were still in tears even as Oluchi's lips seemed to have glued shut after her request.

Onyedikachi seemed powerless and sad. He truly did not know how to help any of them but he knew speaking about the incident only made it harder for the young children.

"You won't sleep here tonight " Onyedikachi opined as Oluchi's gaze caught his.

"We will find someplace you can stay for the meantime. Your friends can stay there with you but it shouldn't be here , atleast not for tonight "

Oluchi nodded as she got to her feet. She stepped outside to brush her feet while everyone waited patiently.

Everyone ran outside as they heard her yell "Chai!"

Onyedikachi told them to step back while Oluchi stooped low to begin brushing . She muttered several incoherent words as she spat ok the ground and shook her head violently.

"We'll need to take her to the hospital, she needs help" Joshua declared as he made a move to get her

Onyedikachi's hold stopped him and he gave him a look that set his feet firm on the ground.

"She needs to let everything out first , everything is overwhelming maybe yelling is exactly what she needs"

They watched Oluchi finish her actions then saw as she began to weep. She did so for few minutes before she began to brush her teeth.

The children were asked to go inside and finish their meal . When Oluchi joined them ,they were all seated in the living room . Each with a pack of food except Obanma whose appetite had refused to surface.

Onyedikachi couldn't stop staring at her even as she made herself available to Oluchi's beck and call. He knew she also needed rest and looked quite exhausted from her features.

They all watched as Oluchi began to chew slowly . One would have assumed that she chewed something as bitter as bile with the disinterest she showed in her eating but they quite understood her predicament.

"Mma would you like to eat with me ?" Onyedikachi had enquired as her gaze met his . Obanma seemed quite abashed because she had caught Eberechukwu taunting her with a smile.

"Onyi.... I .I am not really hungry" She had replied not certain if rejecting his offer openly would hurt him.

"Biko" He pleaded with his eyes boring into hers. Obanma grudgingly stood from her seat and joined him . He fetched a spoon for her and they began to eat. She was surprised that she ate as much as she did even when her stomach showed no signs of hunger.

"Do you need water?" Onyedikachi had asked as she halted her eating. Obanma shook her head then swallowed the food in her mouth.

"Should I get you juice, we got some of it and there's chocolate for you " He offered with a smile . Obanma couldn't help but feel uneasy with the attention he generously poured on her.

"Onyi I am fine , really...thank you for everything"

He gave her a smile which she knew was a struggle as it didn't quite reach his eyes. Obanma exhaled deeply then continued to eat.

"I told them not to come ,I'm very certain they would be happy she's dead. They never liked her " Oluchi spoke over the phone as her siblings moved some items that they would be needing into the car .

Onyedikachi helped out with Joshua while Obanma and Eberechukwu locked the house.

"Your boyfriend is quite attentive " Eberechukwu began with a smile

"He is I guess , I don't think I'm the one that needs the attention now" Obanma replied watching as little Mmesoma dragged his phone around with him chasing after her

"He has a thing for children too" Eberechukwu whispered

"Ebere I see what you're trying to do " Obanma chuckled patting her friend's cheek.

"We found out that we were supposedly related in the past and today we discovered that we're not . It is so much to take in , everything that's happened including this incident, I don't know Ebere, I just don't know how I feel anymore. I feel confused,lost , tired . So many bad events keep circling around me ..."

Obanma could tell Eberechukwu was quite astonished by her revelations with the way her eye lids rose but she quickly pulled herself together.

"That's the thing about life Mma, good things happen,bad things happen. These bad things happen so that we can appreciate the good ones when they come. Life is all about balance, it can't be all good or all bad . There's always a little bit of both . The wrong thing here is you letting these things break you . They've happened already ,you can't change that . What you can control is what happens next . Even a blind man can see that this man is so in love with you. He doesn't even need to talk about it ,it's written all over him. You do know he's been staring at you since we began to talk right?"

Obanma nodded tearing her gaze away from Onyedikachi" He is very attentive" Obanma spelled out slowly

"The two of you are alive ,that's the first victory. Now fix your confusion and make him feel thankful for sharing this life with you. Some of us don't have anyone that'll stare at us the way he looks at you,we only wish and dream "

Obanma couldn't help but chuckle at Ebere's words ."I stare at you that way "

"Liar!!!"

Onyedikachi drove to the apartment he had retrieved from his boss. A place he had once recommended for him to spend the night . It made him think of his apartment in Uturu and how much he was pleased that everything was good.

Obanma seemed distant from him but he felt it was the incident with Oluchi's mother. Maybe it had brought memories back just as it did with him.

She had once witnessed the murder of two people.

Onyedikachi instructed the housekeeper to show them around the house and where to keep their things . He was assured there was enough food to serves as dinner and spoke briefly to Oluchi and her siblings before he stepped outside.

Obanma followed suit and met him standing beside his car.

"Will you be staying her with them ? " Obanma could sense the plea in his words .

She couldn't help the thoughts that ran through her head as she stared mindlessly at the ground.

"It's fine ,I'll come check on you in the afternoon. I have to go to work in the morning" Onyedikachi appeared beaten as he slowly approached to place a kiss on her forehead.

Obanma wrapped her hands around him ,basking in that warmth that had been denied her for weeks.

"Onyi , how far is your hotel?" She could see the excitement in his eyes as he pulled apart.

"Not as far as you've been from me the whole day"

Obanma chuckled as his words sunk in as a tease .

"I'll have to call your aunt and tell her,you're leaving with me "

"Don't bother Onyi, they don't know that I heard them earlier "

The pair drove silently to the hotel . He gathered the items he had gotten in the car as they arrived and got into the elevator.

Obanma's lips were tied as she couldn't help but wonder how different everything seemed .

"Were you going to leave with the chocolate you got me ?"

"Of course not, I forgot them in the car. I would have brought them back to you" Onyedikachi replied as he tossed the items on the bed and began to undress.

Obanma sat quietly on the chair, slightly amused and concerned about the awkwardness between them.

"Would you like to shower now or do I go first?" He had asked as she seemed lost in her thoughts .

"You can go first "

Obanma had her shower much later after he did . She slipped into the bed quietly as she noticed Onyedikachi already in bed.

The frustration in the lack of sleep caused her to turn to different angles on the bed. Onyedikachi on the other hand seemed satisfied and amused by her actions . It had seemed that he had been the only once concerned about the state of things between them.

"Onyi are you asleep?" Obanma had enquired after bouts of endless tossing on the bed.

"Mba, I can't sleep not with the way you've been vibrating on the bed"

Obanma smiled noting how familiar those words were.

"How do you feel about us?" She had enquired as she turned to face the ceiling.

"Like I've always felt , what about you? "

"I don't know Onyi, I don't think I know"

"Mma is there a way I can help?" Onyedikachi asked as he moved closer to where she lay .

Obanma turned so their faces were merely inches apart .

"I love you Mma" He declared carressing her face "And I know you love me too. You're not confused, I think you are terrified. You have felt what it's like to lose what we have and now you're heart is cautious. But I know that this love you have for me is fighting to burst out of where it's been hidden for a while now"

"How would you know that I still love you?"

"You're trembling beneath my palm and I know what you've been dying to do "

"And what exactly would that be Onyi?"

Onyedikachi chuckled lightly as he sat up on the bed and Obanma followed suit.

" I won't tell you, I think it is better to ask you this time. Mma do you want to kiss me?"

Obanma seemed speechless for a while then carressed his face gently drawing him closer to her before her lips claimed his . He was right all along , she had been terrified and being with him began to clarify things once again. She loved him so much that it frightened her.

Hello everyone!

How are we?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter

So our love birds are back together and we've discovered certain things about Ngozi's past .

We're getting closer to the end of this journey