Episode 29
âUwanah, canât you obey simple instructions?â, my uncle yelled. âYes, sir, Iâm goingâ, I said and went very slowly to my room looking depressed. If telling me, to pack my things, had anything to do with what happened that afternoon, then my uncle should have listened to my side of the story, not just abruptly instructing me to pack my things. I returned to the living room with my things, I hadnât unpacked, so, it was easy for me to pick up my bagâ. âSir, Iâve brought itâ, [/b]I said. âis that all?â, he asked, [b]âyes sirâ, I replied looking dejected. âOkay, Uwanah, pick any other vacant room in this house of your choiceâ, he ordered. I couldnât believe my ears, I now knew the cause of the sad expression on Stella and her motherâs face. Apparently, Stellaâs mother had narrated a fib to my uncle which still triggered questions from him about what had happened. While I narrated, I had the saddest face on, in order to receive pitiful remarks from my uncle. âWait, did you just say she slapped you?â, he asked, âYes, sirâ, I replied innocently. âWhy did you hit her?â, my uncle asked his wife, âshe was disrespectfulâ, she said trying to defend her actions. âAnd Titi, why did you give her that room?, I strictly gave instructions that no one should stay in that room, it practically has no window and itâs too smallâ, he yelled. Mrs. Martins twitched her mouth in a funny way and gave no response to her husband. He sat on the sofa with his newspaper and insisted, I choose a suitable room in the house. âThank you sirâ, I said, âyouâre welcomeâ, he replied.
Mrs. Martins was astonished at her husbandâs behaviour. Fury was written all over face. Stella had no clear expression on her face, she just stomped her feet and went back upstairs to her room. I didnât know why they hated me that much. Before, I thought the hatred was because of my maid status in their house. Why couldnât they just accept me?, now that, I was part of the family?. I had a smirk on my face as I walked passed Mrs. Martins to my new room, the room I had always wanted to occupy since I stepped foot into the house. It was several times better than the previous room, I was given. My mum called me that night to know how I was doing. âHope, she doesnât disturbing you again?â, my mum inquired, âyes ma, sheâs not disturbing meâ, I assured her, âokay, donât worry, tomorrow, I have come and be beside youâ, she said, âokay, maâ, I responded. âOkay, goodnightâ, she said, âgoodnight maâ, I replied. After the call, I started unpacking my things and David called, âHello Davidâ, I said, âHello Uwanahâ, he said, âhow are you?â, he asked, âIâm fine, Uwanah, you?â, âIâm fine, really missing you hereâ, he informed, I let out a giggle and said, âI wasnât doing anything for you naâ, I reminded him, âyes, you were, your presence here was enough to make my dayâ, he said, âdonât worry, weâll see tomorrowâ, I said, âokay, no problem, goodnight thenâ, he said, âgoodnightâ, I responded. He still hadnât ended the call, âDavid, cut the call naâ, I admonished, âno, you cut the callâ, he said, we argued about whoâd cut the call for a while, till I found it childish and ended the call. I started unpacking my things that same night, my clothes didnât even fill half of the wardrobe, I wanted to call David to bring some of my things the next day, but I thought about it and scrapped the thought, âI will collect it by myself joorâ, I said.
It was the first time, I slept in my uncleâs house but, for some reason, I slept really comfortably and woke up a little late, the next day. I had not taken any siesta since I arrived at Lagos, it had been all round sleeping for five hours at night which would always cause severe headaches in the morning. When I finally opened my eyes, I still lay on my bed lazily with several thoughts crossing my mind. I knew Iâd be taken care of in my new house, but, I still needed something to do, staying at home all day, was so not my thing and I certainly, had no plans of staying in my uncleâs house for the rest of my life. I would be eighteen in a few days. I needed to start mapping out plans for my life.
âUwanahâ, Ngozi knocked on my door, âyes, come inâ, I said. âGood morningâ, I greeted, âehen good morning Uwaâ, she responded. âMadam is calling youâ, she informed. âMadam!â, I exclaimed, âwhy na, what for?â, âI donât know oooâ, she said. âokay, Iâm comingâ, I said and she left. âwhy is this woman calling me now?â, I grumbled because, there was nothing good, that would come out from Stellaâs mum calling me. The day was still young, I didnât need any trouble. âGood morning maâ, I greeted as I entered her room. She stood up from her bed and said, âyou, shebi you, because of you, my husband was angry at me, you think you can just come here and pretend so that everyone will just like you abi?â, she queried, âanyways, my husband said, I should apologize to you and because of the respect, I have for him, I have apologized, so when he returns, if you like, tell him, I didnât apologize to youâ, she said. âMa, IâŠâŠâŠ.â, I was cut short by her yell, âAbeg, get out of here jahreâ, she said. I shook and walked out immediately.
I didnât want to start my day before, I was still planning to sleep more but Mrs. Martins had managed to spoil my morning so, I went to freshen up and have breakfast in a bid to depart to my former house and get the rest of my things.
âUwanahâ, David called breathlessly after I picked my phone call, âyes, David, any problem?â, I said, âno, no problem dear, I just got to work now, I woke up late this morning and I brought all your things, so you have to come and collect them, before madam will notice that I just came inâ, he said. I was not expecting him to do that for me. Getting my clothes for me, without asking him to do so, was just very nice of him. After thanking and collecting the clothes from him, I informed him, that my mum would arrive that evening with my uncle,and that, she had probably left Boma by now. âoh, wow!, Iâd love to meet her, if she doesnât arrive too late tonight, I can wait a while after work but, if she arrives late, then seeing her would have to wait till tomorrow morningâ, he said. âOkay, thanks again for the clothes, by the way, have you eaten this morning?â, I asked, âno, I havenâtâ, he replied, âWhy na?â, I questioned looking worried. âI just didnât want toâ, he said, âwhy?, itâs past 9:00am alreadyâ, I said. He laughed out loudly and said, âUwa, you know, I donât joke with meals, of course, Iâve eatenâ, he said. I was actually offended that, he made me ask several questions of why he had not eaten, till he said, âUwa, thank youâ. âFor what?â, I asked, âfor getting worried when you thought, I hadnât eaten, it really means a lotâ, he informed. âDavid, youâre not serious, you are very funnyâ, I said. âOkay, see you laterâ, he said and ran off. Those words from David actually struck me, me worrying about him, meant something to him, it was thrilling to know that, he was one of the most special people in my life, if not for him, I would have never found uncle Bassey, he was someone with a rare and genuine attitude, which was very difficult to come by. And from that day, a little spark, lit up in my heart for David.
I called my mum after breakfast, she informed me, that she was already on her way, âI for have called you, but credit have finished in my account of phoneâ, she said. âOkay, ma, safe journey, get here soonâ, I said, âokay, you tooâ, she said and I ended the call laughing noisily. âwhy would she say, âyou tooâ, Iâm not on any journey naâ, I said aloud laughing. I couldnât wait to see her, it had just been a few months but, I missed her. I didnât want to stay in my room all day, then, I remembered there was a television in the living room, that I could keep myself busy with. The T.V was always dormant, no body came out to watch, so, I assumed, Iâd have the living room all to myself. I got to the living room and changed my mind.
The house was really messy, Mrs. Martins had not found any maid yet. Sheâd have ordered me to clean, but for fear of her husband, she didnât. I had to forgo watching movies for tidying up the house. I did my same work in the house, only without the usual maidâs attire.
âWhat are you doing?â, Stella asked, I was with a mop and a bucket, why would she ask me that kind of useless question?, I didnât want to be rude, I just answered, âStella, Iâm moppingâ, âwhy are you mopping?â, she questioned. Now, she was really getting on my nerves but, I still decided to be polite. âThe house is dirty, thatâs why Iâm mopping Stellaâ. She sarcastically mimicked my words and laughed me to scorn. âGood girl indeed, pretenderâ, she mocked and entered the kitchen. Her actions just displayed what she was, âA kidâ, who needed growing up and if she didnât watch her speech, Iâd help her grow up in the hard way.
After the dayâs work, David called my phone and said, he wouldnât be able to wait any longer for my mum. âBut, itâs just 6:00pmâ, I said, âyes, I know, but a friend is waiting outside for me, he doesnât have a place to stay for now, so I have to goâ, he said and hung up. âWhat friend is coming to his house?â, I asked myself.
Nothing popped into my head as, I had no idea whom his friends were. Three hours after he called, I went into my room with the intention of calling Yemisi when I heard a car honk, I was certain, my mum had arrived with my uncle. I jumped out of my bed and ran outside. The car stopped and I raced towards it. It was truly my mum, they both came down from the car, I greeted my uncle and hugged my mum passionately. She didnât really respond well to my hug, as she just patted my back gently. I didnât blame her at all, she was probably as astonished and amazed as I was when I stepped foot in Lagos and in my uncleâs compound. âHelp your mum carry her things insideâ, my uncle said laughing. âYes, sirâ, I replied.
Then, like my mum was released from a powerful spell, she screamed, âUwanahâ and gripped me tightly. âLetâs go in firstâ, my uncle said. Stella and her mother were already seated in the living room, pretending like, they didnât see my mum. Mr. Martins signalled them severally to greet my mum but, they ignored. My mum noticed their backwards attitude towards her, she moved closer to Stellaâs mum and asked, âare she the person who have slapped your face?â.
âNo, mummy, donât worryâ, I said, âmoving closer to herâ, âis your ear not hear, are she the person who slapped your face?â, she asked again. Stella laughed uncontrollably, obviously because of my motherâs use of words. âSo, you even told your mum, I slapped you?â, Mrs. Martins asked me. âwhy arenât she telled me?â, my mother questioned furiously.
Stella let out another scornful laughter.
This time, nothing and no one could relinquish the rage building up inside my mum, from the look on her face, I knew Stella was in for trouble. âAre she this woman daughter?â, my mum asked, âyes, yeâŠ.sâ, I replied stammering. My mum drew closer to Stella, jacked her up by her dress and slapped her furiously. âEkaete!â, my uncle exclaimed, âMum!â, I exclaimed.
âOh my God!â, Mrs. Martins exclaimed. I rolled my eyes in anger, Yes!, they were disrespectful and insolent, but my mum slapping Stella on her first day of arrival, wasnât just cool. Mr. Martins wasnât looking happy at all, he looked like someone with regrets. My mum kept on yelling and warning Stella that she would deal with her mercilessly.
Then, I thought, âdeal with her mercilessly in her own house?â, I thought it was impossible until the next few days, when I saw submission, respect and fear for my mum, from both Stella and her mum.
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