of how she was going to face her (Mgborie) mother. Nwabiala was shocked, and had pity for her co-wife, Ahurone. She'd lost all she had for Madueke, and now she was as good as childless.
Ahurone would have to depend on the two sons she had for her ex-husband. She got married to him when she was sixteen, and they seperated following unrest in the family after her husband took a chubby woman as second wife, of which his main motive was to curb Ahurone's rebellious attitude and nagging lifestyle. Ahurone had never given her husband breathing space especially when she saw that she had given him two sons. The poor husband in turn swore to make her stay in that house full of regrets, hence his reason for bringing the corpulent woman, who hadn't make it easy for her either. After much oppression from the tubby, she just had to abscond from his house. Since she was still young, Madueke found her attractive and decided taking her for a second wife.
Ahurone's lifetime in Madueke's house was just null and void, but no thanks to Madueke whose evil acts have landed her in these troubles.
Ifenna was feeling weak and sleepy, having spent the whole evening almost saying nothing.
"I want to go and sleep, may the day break!"
"You can't go to Amihie this late, why not spend the night with us," Akwanwa said holding him back.
"Fair princess, you'll have a lot of issues to discuss with your mother, giving you the space will be the best I can do for you and mama." Akwanwa smiled sheepishly, dashing out to him her hand to give a farewell.
"May the day break, prince!"
The door squeaked close and Ifenna was gone, leaving Akwanwa and her mother facing themselves without words being mentioned.
Akwanwa was first to break the silence, moving close to her mother and patting her back from her lower neck down across her spines. Nwabiala didn't know what she was up to but she remained calm patiently waiting for her next action. She had gotten accustomed to the attitude, whereas she wouldn't even mind waiting the whole day for her to break the suspense.
"Mama, what I want to ask you is not a good question," she said turning her face away from her to the ground, as if she was watching out for an eruption from there.
"Whatever it may be, my daughter. That is why you have me as your mother?" she was now the one patting her daughter's back.
"That is what the problem is now, nne ," her face was clouded by a moody countenance making the old woman getting more worried, that she couldn't withstand the suspense any longer, even though she thought she had gotten used to it.
"Akwanwa, do you want my heart to fail, please tell me what the problem is?" Akwanwa didn't wait for a pause before snapping in.
"Is that really what you are? My mother? Am I your daughter?" She supported her chin with her palm, not looking at her, definitely strict.
Nwabiala was momentarily shocked by such question. She didn't know whether to take it as a question to answer or a rhetorical one.
"What is this you are saying?"
"Exactly my words."
"And why did you ask such a ridiculous question?"
"Like I told you, we went for solution somewhere for Mgborie's illness, and after losing her. I had some sort of trance of a woman claiming to be my mother, and it didn't get any funnier when I saw myself in her. I can't just explain further." she said with face downcasted.
"No my daughter, Its not true! She is one of those familiar spirits who wanted to take advantage of you in that land, by impersonating me and giving you food which you know its forbidden to eat in the land of spirits." Akwanwa eyes were wide open as she could see sense in what she said, but she couldn't completely erase the feeling of suspicion on the woman, as a statement of exoneration.
Akwanwa nevertheless, nod in acquiescence,
"Something like that came to my mind, and I told the spirit to leave me alone."
"That was so thoughtful of you, my daughter. Stay here, relax and be comfortable while I make a welcome meal special for you." she said cuddling her gently.
"Ihei, nne, you're treating me like you just found a child lost for years." she said giggling.
"My daughter, you're no different from such person," she went away leaving Akwanwa to her thoughts.
Akwanwa was left thinking of Ifenna and his lost kingdom. She really felt pity for him. He was a king seeking refuge in his kingdom, he has been intimidated to leave his father's throne by the traitor. But now he is dead, she expected him to stand up and reclaim what is his.
Where she'd went to, she had received some extraordinary powers just as she'd been made to believed by a strange woman she'd met there. She hadn't made use of it because she felt guilt in her. It would sound like she gave her sister's life in exchange for powers, instead she chose to be discreet with it. Maybe she could help Ifenna to recover what is his, only if what she was made to believe was the truth.
While she subconscious with her thought, an undulating wave of breeze blew past her, to the opposite direction where she was. The sight of it appalled her, as she could not see any opening from where such air emerged from. It must be something diabolical.
"If you've come to harm me, I want you to know you're embarking on a futile mission," Akwanwa challenged panting heavily. The strange wave soon appeared to be a woman, that same woman she met somewhere.
"Hahaha, noone is here to hurt you, my daughter. I've come to tell you what you should use your powers for." Akwanwa paid attention, so she could catch every single word, "I am Nee Ajuka, whom you met at Ogbalanto river, and also your mother." this was were Akwanwa cut her short by waving her hands at her.
"If you want me to listen to you, you'll have to stop such impersonation, do you get it?" she retorted.
There was a moment of silence before Nee Ajuka retorted back,
"Don't take me for a liar, you're breaking my heart more. If I weren't my spiritual daughter, I would have taught you a lesson for despising me," her voice sounded angered. Akwanwa had to be passive here, so her rage could be petrified. But what she couldn't decipher was how she got herself into all these, warranting the strange being to refer to her as her "spiritual daughter", that was preposterous.
"Spiritual daughter?" she asked confusingly.
"Akwanwa, who are you talking with?" Nwabiala said with utmost perplexity as she came out from the kitchen into the sitting room with two calabash full of pounded yam and antelope sauce.
Akwanwa was startled beyond words, her lips trembled and heat was all over her body. She expected the stranger to vanish into the thin air on the arrival of her mother, or could a spirit be also taken unawares?
"Don't shake like a pneumoniac child, she can neither see nor hear me," Nee Ajuka reassured.
"Emmm, I was thinking aloud about what that strange woman told me where I went to," she legerdemainously dispatched a lie.
"You already told her! That's a good start!" the invisible exclaimed with excitement.
"Oh keep quiet!"
"Akwanwa! Who are you talking to?"
"Myself!" she said almost screaming.
"Are you sure you are not having fever? This your hallucination is turning to something else."
"Nne, I'm alright." she was getting angry, "I thought you brought food for me, why do you want to kill my appetite now?"
The tone which Akwanwa used made Nwabiala fear for what may have happened to her. Akwanwa had never used that tone for her, even if she was angry. Something must definitely be wrong.
She however, served her the food and made her way for the door.
"That was a good act, my daughter!" the invisible said again in excitement.
"I forbid you from calling me that!" she retorted.
"Akwanwa!"
Oh! Nwabiala hadn't left the door yet, she thought she'd left. Now she'd given her mother the real impression that she was not saying all that to herself.
She bowed her head shamefully to force her appetite on her meal.
*****
Several weeks had gone, and Konaso had already been buried. Mourning was still the mood in Ozalla as many couldn't let go the painful thought of the king's sudden death. Many have sworn to get to the root of the issue, no matter what it takes.
They'd gone to several spiritualist, and they were getting different results. Aneke being weary of the incoherence of the spiritualists, decided to wave aside every further investigation.
For Uju, she was no longer bothered about where she was, she received the best of treatment, like a queen. She was addressed to as "the queen" by the palace guards, following Aneke's command.
Olieze, Aneke's sister, felt however marginalized by this new trend. She was treated as though less important compared to Uju. She would give an order to a maid to do a minor chore, but they would despise it when a higher order from Uju comes. Whenever she forwarded her complaints to her brother, he would always give silly excuses, telling her to understand.
Understand what?
She was very disappointed in him, and one day, threatened to leave the palace and go to where noone would find her. Her mind was to go to her maternal home at Aro and stay, no matter what implication. It is better to be slave away from home, than being a slave in one's father's house. But she wasn't one though, only that she couldn't accomodate this new trend of Uju been treated like a queen.
Aneke was soon present besides her, watching her for some time, but she didn't notice because of her deep thoughts.
When she wanted to stretch her arms and feet which was going numb after several minutes of sitting in one position. She was slightly startled by Aneke's presence besides her which she didn't expect.
"What are you thinking?" he asked teasingly, but the young lady was too moody to even give a faint smile.
"I'm I talking to stone?"
"Oh, Aneke leave me alone and go and face your queen. Of what value am I to you?"
"Stop saying that as if I treat you as a slave. I've always pleaded with you to see reasons why you should accept Uju as your ọgọ , but you still have this bitter hatred for her."
"What type of hatred does the killer of my brother don't deserve?" she rose up in anger and came in eye contact with Uju who probably may have came out from Aneke's room. She hissed and rolled her eyes in despise, moved away, hitting her out of the way with her shoulder.
Aneke's eyes were directed to Uju's body, the part of her uncovered back, and fair legs.
He walked up to cuddle her, to make her feel at home, Uju halted his advances with her palms pointed up in the air to stop him from moving further.
"Uju, what is it?" he asked gently and keenly.
"Your sister. She keeps calling me a murderer, and that I can't take. Allow me go back to my people, you've kept me for so long." she moved away from his side with hands akimbo, with mean frown all over her face.
"I'll let you go, only if you agree to be my wife." he said smiling.
TBC AT 6:30PM.
