Akwaugo: Episode 1 – 70 : TOPSTER STORIES

Story Written By Ogechi Alabi   INTRODUCTION   The sleepy town of Umuoji was just rustling for the morning. You could hear the cocks crow {Continue Reading}

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 {Continue Reading}

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 {Continue Reading}

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 {Continue Reading}

Uncle Emma’s brother-in-law (his sister’s husband) fell critically ill. They sold all they had to treat his ailment to no avail. When Uncle Emma was {Continue Reading}

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 {Continue Reading}

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 {Continue Reading}

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 {Continue Reading}

That night, after night prayers, mother came into my room. She asked me what the problem with my friends was earlier. I didn’t want to {Continue Reading}

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 {Continue Reading}

Auntie Nneoma was not satisfied with the Chiamaka staying in her home. “The sight of that girl irritates me. “She is a useless girl. She {Continue Reading}

When the pregnancy was eight months, a woman came to the house. She said she was Chiamaka’s mother and she wanted to see her. Uncle {Continue Reading}

Two weeks after that visit, in the dead of the night, Chiamaka went into labour. They couldn’t reach the taxi driver that usually takes them {Continue Reading}

  They all left the sitting room and went to bed. Father never told us what was discussed that night. He didn’t tell mother either. {Continue Reading}

  “I don’t think it is a good idea. I don’t know what your intentions are but if they were good, you wouldn’t stop me {Continue Reading}

      “The guy means business. He is genuinely interested in you. And you went out like this. Let’s help mother serve food and {Continue Reading}

PART 16   Emeka came to take me out two days later. Mother asked Chiamaka to join us. Emeka asked me to sit in front {Continue Reading}

PART 17   When I got home, uncle Chike informed me that uncle and auntie had gone for a condolence visit from there they were {Continue Reading}

  PART 18     He gave uncle Chike ice-cream and shawarma. When we got in, he gave his brother his. Then he dropped some {Continue Reading}

PART 19   “How do we celebrate? I will take you out. Let’s spend the day in Abakiliki tomorrow. It is just that your parents {Continue Reading}

  PART 20   On the 23rd of December, I was at the back of the house when I was called. A young man sitting {Continue Reading}

PART 21   Auntie invited Emeka to join us for dinner. We ate rice and ofe akwu made with fresh fish. Emeka enjoyed the meal. {Continue Reading}

PART 22   Jacinta woke me up in the morning. I was surprised she woke up that early.   “What are you doing here? Did {Continue Reading}

PART 23   I took a bath in their bathroom and dressed up. Emeka called me into the room. He was leaving and I wasn’t {Continue Reading}

PART 24   The next morning, I came out to help but the maid informed me I was not to touch anything in the house. {Continue Reading}

PART 25     I wanted to go and supervise the women as he had said but he refused. “You are off today. You are {Continue Reading}

PART 26   I dozed off before he came back to the room. I knew he was back when I felt a now-familiar hand all {Continue Reading}

PART 27   We went to visit my parents together. Emeka stayed with my father in the sitting room and while I joined mother in {Continue Reading}

PART 28   I faced school head-on. I spent most of my time in class and the library reading.   Every day,I leave the lecture {Continue Reading}

PART 29   In Enugu, Emeka called me. Since he got the job in the middle east, we could only make voice calls. We were {Continue Reading}

PART 30   She didn’t realise I wasn’t interested in who won and who lost. Emeka said she would stay for three weeks but she {Continue Reading}

PART 31   We got to the hotel and Uju went to her room. She actually came to Enugu to meet her fiance’s family. She {Continue Reading}

PART 32   I got a call on a Sunday morning. I had just come back from morning mass and was catching some sleep before {Continue Reading}

PART 33   Emeka left there and came to join me upstairs. He sent Scholatisca away and just sat down. I was also quiet. I {Continue Reading}

PART 34   The doctor examined me and requested for a scan. The scan was done and my baby was gone. I knew already. I {Continue Reading}

PART 35     Emeka decided to be a man now. He camped outside my room for days until he caught me going into my {Continue Reading}

PART 36   Life without Emeka was peaceful. I didn’t believe how easy it was for me to move on. Father asked me what I {Continue Reading}

PART 37   I met Chidubem in the sitting room with my father and brothers while my mother and I came out. He was quite {Continue Reading}

Chidubem who preferred to be called Dubie proved to be patient, kind and very loving. He spoke to me every day. He talked about his {Continue Reading}

I took in all the information. My second informant is Scholastica. We talk sometimes. She gives me some information she is preview to. I try {Continue Reading}

She introduced me to the other bride’s maids. All of them were older than me but I flowed with them. One of them asked if {Continue Reading}

PART 41   My phone ringing woke me up in the morning of the wedding. I picked it up and saw it was Dubie. I {Continue Reading}

PART 42     We drove down to the mainland. We drove through third mainland bridge towards the toll gate. We continued down the expressway {Continue Reading}

PART 43     Dubie came back upstairs. He went to have a bath while I sat bored changing the channels on the television hoping {Continue Reading}

PART 44     By this time, I was very hungry and angry. I came downstairs in search of his boy so I could make {Continue Reading}

PART 45   He continued in his gentle seduction. He whispered to me, “Tell me when you want me to stop”. My mind screamed “Stop!” {Continue Reading}

PART 46   Towards Christmas, Emeka came back for Ugonna’s wedding. He came to see me at auntie Nneoma’s bearing gifts. I was happy to {Continue Reading}

  PART 47     I had caught Dubie unawares and I watched him trying to explain this to me. He didn’t attempt to.   {Continue Reading}

PART 48   Dubie wanted a date for the wedding, both traditional and white wedding. I asked for permission from work for it but was {Continue Reading}

PART 49   After Dubie left, auntie Nneoma dragged me into her room.   “Akwaugo, do you want to die young? What are you doing {Continue Reading}

PART 50   I had suitors. Emeka and Dubie were child’s play compared to Abuja men. I met the rich, the wannabes, the smart and {Continue Reading}

PART 51     I joined them to the village to see Ugonna. I went with Emeka and Obinna while the rest went with their {Continue Reading}

PART 52   The worse happened two years later.   Auntie Nneoma received a call to return to the United States (US) that night. She {Continue Reading}

PART 53   We (the two boys from THE US) remained in the village after the burial so auntie Nneoma can come back with us. {Continue Reading}

PART 54   I needed to get a job in a Psychiatric hospital while studying. I had shared this with Amanze and Chiamaka because I {Continue Reading}

PART 55     When I got back to my room in the night, Samuel was still there fast asleep. I couldn’t believe it. He {Continue Reading}

Part 56     The next morning, I warmed the food Samuel gave me a day before and went to work. I worked all day {Continue Reading}

PART 57   He did start. He moved even faster than me. I had to write a board examination while he had looked for a {Continue Reading}

PART 58   I don’t know what happened while I was in but when I came out, both men were by the side of the {Continue Reading}

PART 59   Our friendship blossomed as time went on. I went back to Abuja to pick up my visa. I went alone this time {Continue Reading}

PART 60   I went to see Scholastica. She was happy to see me. She even prepared food for me. I hadn’t eaten anything all {Continue Reading}

PART 61   We arrived at Umuoji. A small crowd had gathered in our compound. I greeted them and Samuel followed me into the house. {Continue Reading}

PART 62   When everyone had gone to bed, auntie Nneoma called me for us to talk. I knew she wanted to convince me against {Continue Reading}

PART 63   Uju lived outside London. We got to her lovely home which sat on quite some land. I loved it from outside. It {Continue Reading}

PART 64   We woke up to knocks on the door. Samuel went to answer the door. It was Uju. She asked us to come {Continue Reading}

PART 65   The impact of not having a father presented itself when my people were informed about a new suitor. I knew there would {Continue Reading}

PART 66   The way everything was falling into place was unbelievable. When I called   Samuel, he was excited. He hadn’t received a mail {Continue Reading}

PART 67   We went into my bedroom. I knew as husband and wife we could do as we liked at that moment but, I {Continue Reading}

PART 68         From the time I agreed to marry Samuel, he had everything mapped out. The funds that would sustain his {Continue Reading}

  PART 69   I believed her. Not because I had faith but rather because I had no choice. It was a very sad period {Continue Reading}

PART 70   My mother wasn’t happy Samuel attended to my daughter and me himself. Their only duty was to care for the baby and {Continue Reading}

CONCLUSION         I am two years older than my husband but he acts as though he is my father. I learnt about {Continue Reading}