Story Written By Ogechi Alabi INTRODUCTION The sleepy town of Umuoji was just rustling for the morning. You could hear the cocks crow announcing the dawn of a new day. The harmattan breeze was always the first to strike once you step out in the morning because it left you chilly and shivering. …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi We were seated in front of the Sacred Heart altar as we said our morning prayers. As Catholics and members of Sacred Heart of Jesus Society, we had an altar that had a light on at all times. The light was never to go off. The altar …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi Suddenly everything changed. In order to deliver jobs promptly, father visited his sites regardless of the weather conditions. Well, he fell terribly ill. He had a cough which refused to go. He grew very lean and couldnβt move around anymore. He refused to visit the hospital saying …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi Early the next morning, I went to work. I cleaned up the entire house before they woke up. Auntie Nneoma met me cleaning upstairs when she came out. She praised me and went about making food for her husband. The house had changed and it was …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi Uncle Emmaβs brother-in-law (his sisterβs husband) fell critically ill. They sold all they had to treat his ailment to no avail. When Uncle Emma was informed, he took him abroad for treatment that was where it was discovered it was end stage cancer. There was nothing they …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi Two girls were trying to outdo themselves to impress me over Amanze. They bought and brought gifts for me. I got a teddy bear from one of them. The other bought me a beautiful lace top. I showed them to auntie when she came back but I …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi I refused to think about what Chiamaka was describing in her letter. It was disgusting to say the least. I was a staunch Catholic, I missed early morning mass because the church was far from the house and my school was very close by. There was …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi I told Obinna to buy a few drugs for father for now. We had enough to eat and drink. Father gave mother money to add to her business but asked her to put it in gradually so it wonβt raise eye brows. I caught up with the …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi That night, after night prayers, mother came into my room. She asked me what the problem with my friends was earlier. I didnβt want to give her details so I limited it to what they said about Amanze. βHas he tried anything with you?β βNo …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi Two weeks after we had resumed school, early on a Saturday morning, someone banged on our gate. I was up already cleaning the house when I heard the bang. I rushed out to check if uncle Chike was still sleeping but he was awake. He stood …
Story Written By Ogechi Alabi Auntie Nneoma was not satisfied with the Chiamaka staying in her home. βThe sight of that girl irritates me. “She is a useless girl. She is staying with Akwaugo and will soon spoil her. Why donβt you send her to one of your family members to stay? …
When the pregnancy was eight months, a woman came to the house. She said she was Chiamakaβs mother and she wanted to see her. Uncle Chike called uncle Emma to receive the woman. I saw the woman and I was surprised. She was nothing like the Chiamaka I knew in school. She was slender, of …
Two weeks after that visit, in the dead of the night, Chiamaka went into labour. They couldnβt reach the taxi driver that usually takes them into town so mother rushed out that night to call a midwife who lived a little distance from our house. She went herself so she could get the woman to …
They all left the sitting room and went to bed. Father never told us what was discussed that night. He didnβt tell mother either. The next morning, Amanze laid on the floor to apologise to mother after prayers. He went to auntie Lovethβs house to apologise to her for disrespecting her daughter. …
βI donβt think it is a good idea. I donβt know what your intentions are but if they were good, you wouldnβt stop me on the road, in the middle of the night and talk to me in the presence of others. It doesnβt speak well of me and my upbringing. The right thing …
βThe guy means business. He is genuinely interested in you. And you went out like this. Letβs help mother serve food and then we will shower and get properly dressed. We can even go out and he will find usβ We did as Chiamaka said. …
PART 16 Emeka came to take me out two days later. Mother asked Chiamaka to join us. Emeka asked me to sit in front with him. I was reluctant. Chiamaka pushed me to the front to sit. I was sceptical about people seeing me in his vehicle. They would talk about it for a …
PART 17 When I got home, uncle Chike informed me that uncle and auntie had gone for a condolence visit from there they were going for church meetings. I was happy because it gave me enough time to talk with Emeka for two hours while he drove home. I quickly called my parents to …
PART 18 He gave uncle Chike ice-cream and shawarma. When we got in, he gave his brother his. Then he dropped some for uncle Emma and auntie Nneoma which I took to them. He took his share and handed me the rest which consisted of two wraps of shawarma and ice-cream. I …
PART 19 βHow do we celebrate? I will take you out. Letβs spend the day in Abakiliki tomorrow. It is just that your parents would not accept, if not, we would have gone to Owerri to catch some funβ I quickly replied, βThey wonβtβ Chiamaka came with pepper soup and drinks for …
