"Is your husband a spiritualist?" that was
the question that came from her. She didn't know how sad she had made Ulumma to be with this question, though she meant no harm.
What do she answer the inquisitor? That she didn't have a husband while she had a protruded stomach? What will that say about her? That she was a harlot, at her young age? There was no need pondering over which answer to give her. Afterall, she was just a stranger and she would just have to accept whatever she is told.
"This place belongs to Agumba, the spiritualist."
"You mean you live here with Agumba alone?" she asked with perplexity. Could Agumba be the husband she found so hard to mention? If it were, then she already understand. Now her suspicion grew bigger but she needed more unanswered question to ask to buttress her suspicion.
Ulumma was getting bored and uncomfortable with her questions, not only that but also for the fact that she asked it in a puerile manner.
"No, not alone," Ulumma almost shouted at her, making her startled, "Would you allow me treat your wound?"
She shook her head aghastly like she saw a lioness before her.
"I want to go!" she said with childish sulk. Ulumma wondered if she'd been so harsh to make her feel insecure with her. What kind of girl was that? Just a mere hoarse voice could make her shiver like a pneumoniac child. She saw Olieze standing up to leave, but drew her back to seat.
"I'm sorry for been harsh," she apologised after a pause. Olieze found her nerves calming, looking at Ulumma intently at what she was up to. Of course, it was to cure her wound.
Ulumma deeped a piece of rag in a warm water, touching round the wound.
"Its good to know that you now want to take my place in this house," it was Agumba who had just came in, that was speaking jokingly. His eyes soon clashed with that of Olieze, and the injury on her foot, Ulumma noticed some exchange of glance between them. Like they knew each other somewhere.
"Is it not that your mischievous trap that is the cause of all these? Remove that trap, afterall it hadn't caught any animal, only human beings," Ulumma said with no trace of smile on her face to show that she might be joking, yet Agumba laughed hysterically like she had made a big joke.
"When did I became a hunter that I'll start setting trap for animals, or do I say human beings." he said sardonically before heading directing his gaze back to Olieze.
"Eeyaa! Poor girl. You have really suffered a lot." Olieze had pity for herself, now that someone had acknowledged her suffering.
Why she still had her words in her mouth, the wooden door squeaked open and someone whom she knew very well, not mistaken, was the one behind the door. It was Inene.
She dilated her eyes in amazement, more confused of what was going on. She didn't hide her feeling to herself any longer as she voiced her surprise.
"Inene!"
"My princess!" she still accorded her that respect even though they were very far from the palace. There have never been any feud between them, most likely they were casual friends.
Apart from Inene once being their cook, she'd once also been her personal maid, of which she was responsible of attending to few of her private matters.
Ulumma was surprised at the way her friend bowed before the stranger. She herself wouldn't have done that even though it was a king, as long as they weren't in his kingdom.
But there was one thing Ulumma was yet to come in term with. Did Inene actually said she was a princess? Of which kingdom?
"Are you a princess?" she asked her with a perplexed wince. Olieze was too focus on Inene that she didn't heard when Ulumma asked her that.
"Inene, what are you doing here?"
Inene's heart fluttered as she tried to regain courage to speak with the princess. When she couldn't she would divert her attention towards Ulumma to answer the question she had since asked,
"Ulu, this is our princess," Inene said stammering and wobbling in timidity, "the princess of Ozalla," she made sure she avoided saying "the daughter of Konaso" so that it wouldn't spoil her mood. How was she sure that she wouldn't know that a princess of Ozalla is akin to a daughter of Konaso, or does Ozalla a double kingdom?
Ulumma actually felt bad coming to know the truth about Olieze's identity. Her approach towards her guest turned cold, leaving her with the boiled water and running outside the compound to weep her eyes out.
Inene also looked depressed also because she had a news to break that was likely to put the princess in like situation with her friend. Whatever it may be, she never wanted that to happen else how would she be able to console two weeping women at the same time. It would be one before the other.
She went out to meet Ulumma, but reaching out there, she saw that she wasn't really weeping, just sobs. She came subtly in a way she didn't notice her so soon,
"Ulumma!" the call of her name startled her, as if a shock was sent through her spines.
"Inene," she replied almost absent-mindedly in a befuddled state of mind. She wasn't actually expecting her at that moment.
"Why did your mood changed instantly as you saw Olieze? Is there anything you had against her?"
"No, Inene, you know about me and her brother," she said with deep sorrow, covering her face with her palms.
"You also know about me and her father." Ulumma looked up at her like she regained courage at the instance. Inene always had her way of bringing up life stories which tend to be a soothing word.
"Akunyeli, you don't understand what I go through right now."
"I do, Ulumma. Olieze will really need us beside her now, she has just lost her only surviving brother," her voice became lower as she tried to be discreet from Olieze's hearing.
Ulumma had shock inscripted all over her face. Could she be refering to Aneke? That is what it could be all about.
"Akunyeli, don't tell me that it's Aneke you are talking about!" she bursted out.
"That's the problem I wish could be reversible," she made a very long agonizing hum sound. Ulumma screamed loudly like she was actually weeping for a deceased husband.
Olieze was quick to overhear them screaming the name of her brother. Why should that be?
She leaped to where they were, but was surprised to see them halted. They were actually pretending like nothing happened, but Olieze was not dumb to not notice that all wasn't well.
"What's happening here!" she asked, panting heavily like she'd battled a lion. Inene was very much down in the dumps, breaking such news. She felt totally embattled within her, she couldn't summon that discretion to tell her what she needed to know, hence putting the poor princess in suspense. But she wouldn't do this forever.
"Princess Olieze!" she regurgitated, "I'm very depressed to say this, but but," there was a slur coming from Inene there which made Olieze more furious.
"See, Inene if you have nothing to tell me, why not keep it to yourself," she said grimly as she wanted to move back to the hut. This was where Ulumma had to come in, since Inene didn't have the grit to break the news.
"Your brother is dead!" she cringed why she let out the heart glitching news. Olieze looked back at her with a scowl, as if she was going to do something bad to her.
"You have to stop that play," she retorted, "I've seen a lot of death already, and I don't joke with it. Besides weren't you the one asking me few moments ago, who I am?"
"It's true, princess!" Inene confirmed as she patted her back to mollify her.
"Even if I should give in to this staged up story of yours, why should it be coming from someone who don't know me anywhere." she spoke with distraught.
"No, I told her," Inene would just have stopped at here if she knew what would be the consequence of what she was about to do, "notwithstanding, you would know better when I tell you about her." she said with a faint smile. After a pause, she held Ulumma's hand to introduce her to the befuddled princess.
"This is your sister in-law," she managed a wink.
Olieze pulled away from them, because she was already angry with them for playing tricks on her as she still felt within her, now they want to come up with another.
"Even you the tricksters are confused!" Olieze said coldly.
"No, its not trick. You should know better that she, Ulumma, is the only sister of Uju, your brother's wife!" she said alightedly.
"What? Is that true?" she asked, anticipating a reply from Ulumma herself.
"Yes!" she answered with a smile and then back to the mood of the moment.
Olieze cringed back in disgust as she spat on the floor,
"Why didn't you tell me this before giving me the food and water you gave to me," Inene felt embarrassed with Olieze's act towards her friend.
"Princess, how could you be so mean to a lady, who is also carrying your...." Ulumma rushed, almost stumbling on her feet, and held grip Inene's lips tightly together.
The day was cloudy on an Orie day, and it looked like it was going to rain but that was how it'd been all day.
Mourning still hadn't ceased in the land of Ozalla over the death of Konaso's son who had died mysteriously.
Despite the fact that the mystery behind his death was still unknown, the ball of blame was still tossed. First, it was Ararughi, who was harangued on count of incompetence, which saw the prince die right under his watchful eyes. And then Uju on so many count allegations. They accused her of witchcraft, which was used in exterminating the lineage of Konaso maybe to revenge what he'd done to Umudioga during the war, else, how could they explain the numerous deaths recorded in the family of Konaso all happening during her stay in that palace.
It was really a tough one for her. How would she be able to face the family members and council of elders with noone to come to her defence. She'd received this allegation against her with shock and bewilderment. Was she not held hostage in prison when Konaso died? Was she not far away from Aneke when his death met him? What would even make her to take the life of her own husband when she should be basking in her newly acquired fame as the new queen of Abodioga kingdom.
Knock, knock, knock. A hard knuckle banged at the strong door of the palace at night, when Uju had almost gone to bed. The fierceness of the knock startled her, that she woke immediately with aghast. She was quite certain it would be those same troublesome elders who was there at the door. Who knew what they had in their mind this time around.
The door was banged harder once again. She'd almost lost her memories to fear, not knowing there was someone at the door. She scampered to the door and pushed its bolt open. The force at which the door was pushed from outside, made her stumbled and almost fell, but she regained her stamina.
"So, you this witch, had the guts to keep us waiting and knocking outside," it was Ocheogo, Konaso's brother, who barked at her while she was standing close to the wall, holding it like she would run into it if she were attacked by the apoplectic old man. He had really been the thorn in her flesh, been the spearheader of all the allegations made against her. It was obvious that he was keen to ascend the throne of his late brother, but couldn't he do that without torturing her like a rebellious slave.
She had her heart in her mouth, when she saw about six other elders walking towards her with contemptous stare. The look on their face scared her almost to unconsciousness, until one of them barked,
"Will you close that door and stop staring at us like a pelted she-goat!"
She banged the door with her jittery and clammy hands, not quite sure of what next to do. She start moving towards the room because she couldn't stay where elders were discussing because it would be a contumacious offence on her side. It wouldn't be wise for her to do such amongst men looking for all means to nail her.
TBC AT 10PM
