[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 07)

Episode 07.

It didn’t take about two weeks for the feelings to dissipate from my heart. Guess why?

It suddenly dawned on me , he was not Yoruba. Though he was not Igbo, he was not from Yoruba either. I reminded myself of the torture I went through in the hands of my in-laws.

I also realized that my Spiritual life was gradually reducing..I decided to focus my attention on my reason for coming to Church.

The only problem I had was Joan. Joan was always on my neck about making myself visible for my Pastor, but I didn’t take her advice.

Exactly few months to two years of losing Chike, Joan called me one evening…

” Mayowa, Chike’s family wants to have a service of Remembrance in honour of Chike, I believed they have reached you as well” Joan said

” Rememberance ?” I asked very surprised.

” Oh! They are yet to call you?”

” Yes!”

” Well that’s shocking, I got a mail this morning from his younger brother, Tobe.”

” I guess they won’t be calling me, not after how they raped me” I said with the wound in my heart suddenly becoming fresh.

” They raped you?”. Joan was taken aback by that…

” Joan, Chike’s death took a lot from me. Don’t let start recounting it. Long and short, I was subjected to a lot of torture in the name of widow’s rite.”

For the first time, Joan was not chatty self. She went quiet…

After a while , she eventually spoke…

” I am sorry you had to go through all these”.

It seem like the conversation between Joan and I had, was too hard for her to bear, because unlike her I did not hear from her a whole week. I called her, my children called her but she didn’t pick up , and neither did she return our calls.

My phone rang one Saturday evening while playing chess game with my children. It was my Father in-law calling me. Since Chike died he had not called me once. It was only my mother in-law that made it a duty to call every first day of the month. I know my mother in-law longed to see me and the Children but I couldn’t let her fulfil the longing. I was scared of the men I saw at Chike’s burial..

” Hello Papa…” I said on picking up

“Mayowa, Kedu”

“ọ dị mma Papa”

” Mayowa, your husband’s brothers are planning to do a rememberance service for their brother, you have to be there, it is in two months time. Make sure you bring the children with you. Ị na-anụ na?( Do you hear?)”

I replied in Igbo as well… Marriage to Chike for a decade had made me Igbo by marriage, I understood the Igbo language in bits and pieces and likewise I could speak in that same measure..

” Papa, I have heard you..I will be there”

I ended the call with my right hand shaking. I had to use the other hand to stop it from shaking. I should have told him I couldn’t make it, but did I the ‘liver’ to say that to my authoritative father in law…

Two months passed so fast.

I was not planning to stay with my children in the family house. Instead, almost a month ahead of the rememberance service, we searched online and found a self service apartment in a G.R.A close to my In-laws hometown. From the apartment, we would have to drive thirty minutes to get to my in-laws place.

As a way of watching my back, we came to the town a week earlier. I didn’t want any ambush set on the road on the day of the arrival.

We also travelled by road. My mother in-law had suggested that we fly in and my Crime novel instinct told me to change the plans.

As the taxi drove us into the GRA. I Was happy I made the choice of the apartment. The environment was serene.

We further drove through another gate. On getting in, we saw similar blocks of flats. We alighted , paid the fare and dropped our boxes.

We looked lost, not knowing where to go. I brought out my phone, dialed the number of the agent. He directed me to the office of the person in charge.

I walked into the office, to find a plumpy woman seated…

” How can I help you?” She said with the sweetest voice ever…

To be continued…