Uju had later got to remind herself that she spoke with Konaso's son, Mba, which was the younger to
Aneke. She had addressed him as royalty earlier but then, she wasn't too sure. Uju felt a wave of embarrassment transported through her veins. She fidgeted at Mba's command. She wasn't even bold enough to dance before her man, talk less of someone else, a prince for that matter.
"Please, i'll have to go, i'm late already." she pleaded.
"Not until you've done what i ask you to do."
"Please, my mother is waiting for me." Uju tried using a lie which she would regret later that she'd never used.
"Don't worry about your mother," he said as he tapped her chin, "she would be proud of you that you won the heart of a prince, and next, it could be negotiation between our families." he winked.
"No, i'm married," the lies kept on flowing subconsciously. All she wanted was to get away from the troubles of this monster. She had heard about his ruthlessness towards women, and how he has done harm to many of them emotionally. He was the type that uses all means available to get what he'd wanted.
Now she had met her unluckiest moment, and woe betides her if she don't look for a means to get away from there.
But how? She would have obliged to do the wish of the young man, but what would be her fate, if her man comes to find her dancing in front of another. She would have no excuse to give, even if he was a prince. Ifenna too was a prince.
Mba was already lost in admiration, he saw a beautiful and hardworking woman who could stand to be the best choice for any man who wanted to settle down.
"Please, i beg you in the name of the gods, let me go," she pleaded almost in tears, she was no longer comfortable with the stares she got from the three men.
"Please, tell me your name, and who your father is, and i'll let you be."
This was indeed a time to be smart and creative, in order to churn out false information and feed him with it. She hoped that, that day would be their last day in that secluded environment, she would ask Ifenna to take her to his grandfather's place at Amihie, she won't bother if they'll accept her at the moment. But at least, that will be better at the moment than getting into the hands of wolves.
"I'm Ihuchi, the daughter of Okonta, a palmwine tapper from this village." that was the quick lie she could just snap out.
"What surprise! I thought i've seen all the maidens of this kingdom, but i've not seen any as beautiful as you." he smiled jovially.
"Thank you, your highness. Can I go?" she minced out.
"Not so fast, and please can you call me by my name "MBA"?" he was taking her time unnecessarily, and she was getting impatient. Her impatience wasn't because she was in a hurry to go home, but because she wanted to prevent Ifenna from coming to the farm to look for her and on the process, fall into the hands of these dangerous men.
She had completely ran out of patience, and her feet was fidgety, waiting for the next step to take. That is, she would try her speed, she believed that it would be successful, even if it was not, but at least, no harm in trial.
She slightly drew backwards as Mba was approaching her. He was such a mischievous one, having no respect for a woman's dignity.
He fastened his arms round her waist and drew her closer to have a feel of her bosoms on his chest. Uju twitched, moving her body side to side in discomfort.
It had now gotten to its critical stage, she had now be overwhelmed by the ever-wanting prince, but she could see that one of her leg was free, so she could make good use of it.
With her knees, she raised it up, holding her half-length skirt with her hands. The troublesome prince illusively thought it to be concession and was already making loose his genitals.
How wrong, but too late to realise, he had his scrotal sack been aggressively hit by her knees. He saw himself down to the ground, were he had laid unconsciously for minutes.
He wriggled from side to side on the floor for several minutes, he felt like one of his testicle had sank into his stomach. His guards were still making all efforts to revive him and get him back to his feet.
**************************
Ifenna was left alone in the hut, he wondered what kept Uju all this while in the farm. She had promised to be back in a jiffy but the day was getting dark and noone was back, both Uju and Ulumma. Ulumma had gone her own seperate way to the left, where she went in search of firewood, to use for the dinner. If not for her respect for Ifenna, as a prince and also a mediator in the midst of their crisis, she wouldn't even shake her feet to help in any chores. Uju was nowhere close to her in the act of negligence, so they could go on and on in their break apart, where everyone will 'answer his/her father's, name'.
Ifenna had known how united they'd be right from when they'd suffered accusation and sentence to prison by his father. Their sisterly love had incredibly died, and what was thought by Ifenna to be mere sibling rivalry had been proved wrong. It was pure hatred, which was quite glaring, which all boils down to the seed of discord Aruma had planted in them against each other. The hatred had in one occasion, gone into exchange of blows, triggered by Ulumma's bellicosity, which she indeed ceased the advantage with. With the few minutes of combat before Ifenna's intervention, Ulumma had already inflicted injury on her left elbow.
Uju had never been humiliated like this before in her entire life, even when they got more issue than this. Uju had mistakenly poured poured her boiling soup to the floor one night, claiming she never knew it was there. She could be right, because Ulumma had set the tripod close to the entrance to the kitchen, in the way that one of the firewoods which was long had its lenght run across the kitchen door. Uju stumbled on the piece of wood making her feet collide inadvertently with the tripod and the soup was on the floor. Ulumma was the first to bump into the scene, with her mouth open in fury. Uju was sorry but was too proud to express it, also coupled with the fact that she also got her foot injured in the process. Uju instead accused her of deliberately setting trap for her, if not, how would she run a long firewood cross the kitchen entrance. Ulumma in turn thought it was also a deliberate act by Uju to send her to bed that night, hungry.
Before Uju could finish saying her words, Ulumma gave her a slap that she didn't anticipated. Uju was too slow in her retaliation, while Ulumma who saw it coming dodged her face as Uju's palms flinged pass her, while she grabbed her fist and brushed her feet from the floor.
Uju's noisy fall drew Ifenna's attention from where he had already fallen asleep. As he approached the scene, what he saw was annoyed him so much, seeing his much valued and loved Uju being fed with the sand by that monster of a sister. That has being her way whenever she was in a wrestle with anyone, she made sure she humiliated her counterpart.
Ifenna couldn't no longer play neutral or be a mediator, not after what he had scene. He helped Uju out of the paws of her assailant, he consoled her and led her in.
Ifenna had now waited for Uju, and wanted to go himself, to avoid a possible clash with her sister again.
Then she saw her running with all her energy towards the hut. He thought it was Ulumma that was chasing her, Uju herself was too exhausted to mention a word to him, only heavy panting with all part of her body.
"What is it?" he asked worried, while Uju kept pointing towards that same direction she had been pointing at, trying hard to regain her breath.
"Konaso's men are after us." she said finally.
Ifenna eyes were wide open, he was confused, looking for the next step to take.
"Please, let's go immediately, they're almost here" Uju alerted.
"But........"
"What?" she cut in impatiently.
"Your sister."
Uju hissed in revulsion,
"You know that you're their prime target, the life of that she-goat is not as important as yours now. Please let's go away from here."
Ifenna held her hands, and they hurriedly moved away from the hut. Ifenna was still concerned about her sister's safety, but Uju hypocritically assured him of her safety.
Uju sighted Mba and his guards, searching for where she had run to, she beckoned on Ifenna to see whom she had being running away from.
Fear gripped Ifenna that he ran through the back door, almost forgetting Uju who had been his side, Uju ran after him.
Ulumma came back very tired, following her stressful day of firewood fetching, she had managed to go while it was a bit sunny, because it looked like it would soon rain. She was deeply apoplectic with rage when she came to meet the whole properties in ramshackle, like where beasts held their wrestling challenge. Who else would it be if not her silly sister?
"She thinks she's doing this to offend Ulumma," she muttered to herself, that would be her last day of running the house maid, while Uju sit doing some childish stunts with the prince, as queen or whatever. She arranged her portion where she was going to sleep for that moment, leaving the rest for Uju to come and tidy it. If she refuses, she was going to force her to it. She took pride in herself, how she had thought her a lesson, the night before, she was willing to follow that trend, until she learnt her lesson the hard way, maybe after she have finished bleaching her pale skin with scars, that even her so called lover wouldn't recognize her from afar. Only if she knew how wrong she was.
Fatigue made her uncontrollably drop on her little bamboo bed, shutting her eyes in hibernation. She was going to sleep and wouldn't look towards the side of anyone who would come to query her for not preparing dinner.
She soon heard footsteps, coming from outside the hut.
That's she, she thought, she gave an insouciant hiss, but she never knew how wrong she was.
It was Mba who had just walked in, moving round the hut like he lost his way. He signaled his guards to remain outside, waiting for him, while he proceed into the inn. He suspected the hut to be where that escapee of a girl had run into. If that be true, she was going to get her lesson learnt the hard way.
He came to see how unkempt the whole house was, making him double-minded, thinking there was noone in the house, because no sane person would leave her house in this shamble.
He almost turned his back to leave, but he convinced himself to check the door which was partially locked.
She could be hiding here, he thought to himself with a silent smile. He pushed the wooden door gently but it fell noisely on the ground, making Ulumma who was in there half asleep, jump to her feet. He smiled wildly, she wasn't whom he looked for, but close to that. Maybe she could have information of her whereabout. Ulumma was too weak to look at the stranger who stood before her. Mba got impatient, and suspected reticence in her attitude, seeing how she leaned from one side of the mud wall to the other.
"Did you see any fair skinned lady here?" he asked.
"No! There's no such person here."
He grew angry, what sort of lie could that have been? That was the only building raised in that vicinity, and he was sure that she ran towards this direction, and certainly this house.
"Will you tell me, please?" Ulumma totally ignored him, as she laid on her bed, chest up, and eyes shut.
Mba's eye was driven towards her heaving breästs, and to her hairy legs, and then to her hips. He savoured every sight of her physique. Ulumma squinted to see him still standing, she rolled towards the other end of the bed, totally backing him, he would be the one that would get tired of standing and leave, but she didn't know much better that she was giving him a reverse view of what he had been seeing for some moments. This was the side that excited him the most, she was indeed curvaceous, her polished dark skin was impressive. Instead of going like he was expected to, he remained watching her sleep. He had totally lost control of himself, and had also forgotten that he was keeping some impatient guards waiting. That was what came to his mind first, the guards. He went outside the hut, and saw that they were actually comfortable chatting and laughing. He called them and whispered something to them, and they winked and smiled at his inventives, but were not too happy that they were still strictly instructed to remain outside. He was going to spend another whole day inside there once again.
Mba came back to continue from where he had stopped, now it's gone beyond viewing, and it's now action time. He made sure this time around that he was discreet in his action, especially going through that noisy door of the room of the new found fish.
Ulumma had gone into deep sleep and she hardly knew what went on in the world. Mba moved towards her and gently caressed her laps and was moving upwards. Ulumma felt some touch moving all over her body, she breathed deeply turning to the other side opposite her, and was shocked to her feet when she saw Mba sitting by her.
"What are you still doing here? Won't you go away?" she barked at him. Mba hushed her and gripped her fist instead.
"What's wrong with you? Leave me alone." she shouted and kicked. Mba was wary of his testicles like a butler guarding eggs from been smashed by children casting stones at birds. He never wanted make the same mistake he made earlier, it's only a foolish person that will make that mistake. The way he guided his testicles slowed his pace, coupled with Ulumma's bellicosity.
This one is a tigress, he thought. He was sweating profusely, likewise Ulumma, but nothing done. This girl was unlike many that had gone through this ordeal chaired by him. And to his greatest shock, she broke loose and had ran away as fast as she could.
Mba was full of anger, all his restless attempt had been rendered non and void. He rose to his feet to dust his cloths which Ulumma had soiled to the dry red mud. He shook his head in rage and left.
But his excitement happiness was restored soon, as he moved to the sitting room to see one of his guards, the powerful one indeed, lifting the same girl that had broke loose his grip.
What wonders! he thought excitedly.
"She collided with me when she was running through the pathway of that cassava farm, she didn't see me." the hairy chest boasted.
"Thank you very much, you deserve a honour." he praised. The guard handed her back to her assailant, the poor girl screamed aloud, calling on her mother, father and grandmother to come to her rescue.
"You two can continue your business." the guard laughed mischievously, but Mba called him back.
"Please, don't leave, lest she beats me up this time around." they laughed hysterically.
They led the poor girl back into the room, now her movement was under restriction because she was held by rigid hands.
Mba was fast this time, to avoid losing the only fish in the net, he ran his hands closely into her laps across to her nether parts where he loosed the knot of her ogodo dressing, right before them she was stripped näked.
Being unable to stand the shame, she protested aggressively, closing her two legs tight together.
Mba's guard drew out a foot long sword and pointed its edge on her throat,
"If you prove stubborn, you'll have this lost in your neck." he threatened.
"Kill me, Kill me, Kill me" was all she managed to say amidst her screams, but all her effort was all wasted as Mba's rigid man below belt had pierced through. She gave a loud weep of defeat as Mba's manliness was going in and out, ignoring the pain his victim went through in the disflowering which saw the unrestrained flow of blood taking its route down her laps to the bed.
Mba pushed in and out until the poor girl was finally exhausted. Then he was out. His guard was turned on already, and begged for a showdown. Mba gave him a green light and left the room, while the guard unclothed and kept his little sword by his side. The girl was unshaken this time, like she had totally lost her voice. The guard made a grope round her sensitive regions, rapt in the aura of pleasure of the moment. Ulumma regained consciousness, and stretched her hands to reach the weapon that the tyrant guard had kept aside. He was too rapt to know what happened around him. This would the best transcription of her bitterness and trauma on the perpetrator. She finally laid hold on the sword, and pierced it through the left side of his rib ensemblement, and he fell slowly off her on pool of blood. She hurriedly clad herself and defied all her fatigue of her mind and body to evacuate the room. She drew the sword swiftly out of his rib, and he groaned aloud and went motionless. She heard a racing footstep towards her direction, and she laid wait for whoever it maybe. Mba was the one coming to the rescue, having heard his loud scream. He thought that Ulumma had probably put up another mischievous stunt, maybe going to help out to put her back to where she's to be for the business to be finished would be the right thing to do now.
As he raced to open the door, with no delay, Ulumma sent the sharp object down his lower abdomen through his duodenum, she pressed it further as it went past his inner body to come out of his spine to his back. He fell to his knees with Ulumma's hand moving slowly out of his pierced side.
"You stabbed me?" Mba cried.
"You're so heartless, my father will have your head for this." that's all he could breath out, before he finally breathed his last.
There was remaining a guard but he was fast asleep down the shade of the mango tree, she thought of doing to him, what she had done to others, but she have a second thought and declined her incentives, to avoid being caught on the hop and outwitted, so she put the sword besides the fallen, and took the next step, which is of course, ESCAPE!
TBC AT 10PM.
