Chapter 64

MEET MY MOTHER

Obi watched Benjamin like a hawk monitoring even his breathing while he slept. The scare he had given her weeks ago was still fresh and sometimes she felt he'd collapse if she left him for even just a minute.

Benjamin was amused by the whole thing, his wife followed him to the bathroom, the kitchen, the children's room basically everywhere he went to. He had suspected that such would happen as soon as he returned. Benjamin spoke with Obiefune briefly before he left, something told him that Obiefune might end up being a thorn in his flesh, so he sought means to keep him occupied.

Leaving Obiefune and his wife might not have been a reasonable thing to do but he loved Obiukwu beyond reason and wouldn't want her to be unhappy even after he wasn't around. The two barely spoke to each other when Obiefune was leaving but their eyes said everything.

It hurt Benjamin to know that the love Obi had for Obiefune could not be accorded in the same measure to him. Benjamin made Obiefune in charge of his business affairs while Mr. John handled other important issues privately.

Benjamin had been in the living room when his children came back from school. They attacked him like hungry bears with hugs and he fell on the couch. He quickly stood up and pushed them to the chair, "His boys were getting heavier by the day" Benjamin thought to himself. He attacked their sides while they giggled like babies screaming for him to stop.

Obi entered the living room and saw Benjamin playing with the children. She had wanted to scold the boys because of their father's health but on second thought she decided it was better to let them enjoy his company.

Chukwuemeka ran to Obi and held her legs "Mummy! Daddy wants to eat my belly" The boy breathed out laughing. Benjamin stood up and came to where he stood and Obi gave him a somewhat stern look.

"Mummy! He's coming! "The little boy screamed, gripping Obi's leg so hard that she almost fell.

Benjamin smiled before walking to where they stood,but instead of attacking the little boy as planned he pulled his wife to his chest.

“Have I ever told you, that you look even more beautiful when you're worried, your glares make my heart thump furiously and it's not out of fear!" Obi broke into laughter while Benjamin pinched the tip of her nose.

"Seriously you need to rest, you're not well. These boys are healthier than oxen, look at them so energetic! Please don't just overwork yourself"

"I chọrọ Kam bụrụ zie a paraplegic abi(You want me to be a paraplegic), Obi I can't just go on bed rest it will drive me insane. Besides, one must always use his time judiciously, live, love, play. You never know when death will come"

"Okay o, fine. Just live carefully ịnụ, I am too young to be both motherless and a widow" Obi tapped his shoulder before walking away.

She heard her boys scream again and she shook her head in a smile. The boys went still almost immediately and she just ignored them and walked away. Obi had barely taken two steps before she felt her weight being lifted off the floor. She screamed as she was dumped on Benjamin's right shoulder. He whirled around with her on his shoulder and teased her of being afraid.

Ifenna and Oluebube rushed out their rooms and saw the couple playing. They laughed with the boys who teased their mom of being terrified. "Mummy fear fear!"

Obi was only concerned for her husband who seemed to carefree to bother about his condition.

"Benjamin! Ben put me down! Benjamin iwe ga ewe m o!(I’m going to get very angry) Ben I mean it! Biko zie nụ!"

Benjamin chuckled and was adamant to heed to Obi's pleas. "This is so familiar" he declared as he tickled Obi with his left hand, causing her to giggle like a child. "I've even forgotten how ticklish you are... This was what made her fall in love with me!" Benjamin announced whirling a terrified Obi around

The girls were aching from laughter and the curiosity of the boys was suddenly aroused. "Mum is that true? I thought you said it was his cooking!"

"Both!" Obi yelled breathlessly

Benjamin winked at the audience before ascending the stairs with an exhausted Obi. He dumped her on the bed and Obi giggled like a child. "One day those boys are going to lift girls in their school because of this and it will be your fault"

Benjamin laughed so hard before he fell on the bed beside his wife. "So it's my cooking, not my handsome body that made you marry me?" Benjamin taunted hovering over his wife who lay in the position he left her.

Obi reached under his chest and caressed him till her hands rested over his chest. "No, it was your heart, your beautiful heart. Cooking was an added bonus" Obi replied sweetly with a smile

Benjamin gave her a long stare before he dipped his head to kiss her. Obi welcomed his lips gently slipping her hand out his chest and placing them on his neck. "Thank God we don't have agbara leaves around" Benjamin whispered earning him a smile from Obi.

His kiss deepened and Obi returned stroke by stroke, caress by caress with every fervency she could muster but it did not feel the same as Obiefune's. Obi shook the thought away and tried to concentrate on Benjamin who was on top of her.

Her mind kept wandering to the kiss with Obiefune, the tingles she felt, the sensations that swirled in her heart and spread to every part of her body. Obi was battling within herself and her heart was slowly winning. This was what she avoided, Obiefune had crept back into her heart and Benjamin was about to suffer.

Benjamin must have sensed her hesitancy and somewhat stiffness then questioned her. "Tata are you okay? If you're not comfortable I can just.."

"No! no I don't want that!" Obi interrupted, swallowing hard

Benjamin's eyes searched hers and Obi looked away afraid that he would read her thoughts.

She inhaled deeply before speaking "it's just that the last time, you know... I just remembered and it wasn't.. you were..then the hospital" Obi bit her lip out of embarrassment. She was always terrible at lying and she hoped Benjamin didn't see through her. His face became gloomy in seconds and Obi realized that she had just thrown his mistake at his face,that was not her intention.

Benjamin withdrew his hands from her and lay on his side. "I'm sorry about that, I was very stupid" Benjamin caressed her cheek and Obi lay on her side to him more access.

"Obi are you... Are you happy with me?" Benjamin questioned

Obi was surprised with the question but after she thought deeply about the years spent with her husband she agreed that she was. Her happiness grossly depended on that of her children and her siblings and Benjamin had done a good job with them. Did her happiness matter? They were her happiness?

Obi nodded "yes I am"

"I just want you to be happy, that's what matters to me. I love you very much and I always will. I just need you to promise that you'd be happy always, because that's all I want to do. "

Obi's eyes grew misty but she felt strange about Benjamin's confession. "Why was everyone suddenly interested in her happiness? Didn't Obiefune mention something like that?"

"I know you may not have loved me like you loved him but I've never felt as happy as I've been these past few years with you and the boys, Tobe and the girls. Thank you for giving me a family, it's what mother would have wanted" Benjamin added with a grin. “She would have loved you”

"And there will be more years, more children... your children" Obi replied feeling suddenly concerned with how Benjamin was sounding.

"I'm sorry I kept the truth from you, I should have said something from the start but I didn't know how and I didn't want you to say no to my proposal."

Obi paid attention to what he said "The day after you were discharged I went back to the hospital. I had forgotten an important document there, you know father was interested in purchasing lands at your village. I left some of them in your room and while I went to recover them I bumped into a nurse. She assumed I was your brother and gave me the original test results.

There had been a mix up and the first result your father had gotten was for an Old man. I checked them and it turned out that you were pregnant. I know I should have told you but Obi I really thought you to be my salvation and I wanted so badly to marry you.

I told your father that you were pregnant because I was afraid that you would start showing. I think nature was on my side because you didn't and fortunately for me you didn't even know you were pregnant. I was supposed to tell you after delivery because I knew then it would be obvious that they weren't mine, but the time came and nothing happened.

I was terrified, I thought it was God punishing me for trying to claim another man's child. Then finally you gave birth to these beautiful boys. I watched you deliver them and I must confess, I have never been so.... terrified in my life. And when I held them in my hands, they felt like mine. They became mine and there was no way I could tell you otherwise.

Funny, they even looked like grandma, nature really did me good.

But all I did was selfish and I have to make things right. Obiefune has rights over the children and I had to tell him. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you, I just want to be at peace with everyone and be honest with you. I am so sorry for lying to you and keeping you in the dark. "Benjamin ended on a grim note.

Obi was speechless, she couldn't think of a possible course of action to take. She had always wanted to hear from Benjamin's mouth the truth and it had just come. She was sad, disappointed, happy, angry, concerned and tired

"Nne say something now" Benjamin urged

"I don't know what to say, Obiefune has already told me about this. It is just.. I don't know if I should hit you or just hug you"

"Maybe you should hit me, Do you hate me?"

"No, no of course not. I'm just disappointed that you weren't honest and I am quite angry, deep down. But most of all I am confused! How do we tell the boys? People? Your father?"

"I think Obiefune has to decide, he's their real father, it's all up to him"

Obi was about to make another statement before a knock sounded on their door.

Chukwuebuka had been sent to announce the arrival of his father's guests. Obi recalled that Benjamin had called a family meeting because he wanted to make peace with his relatives.

The two of them came down after both Benjamin and Obi appeared presentable. Obi and her husband made their way to their guests, greeting them one after the other. Funmi and her husband Jude were present, Obi saw Benjamin's aunts and was shocked when she saw Chioma with Mr. Obidike and his wife. Obi watched them enter the living room and hoped anxiously to see Obiefune but he didn't arrive. Chioma introduced Obi to her mother, right after Mr. Obidike pulled Obi into an embrace.

"Mom, this is Obiukwu" Chioma said gesturing at Obi. Obi observed how beautiful the woman looked. She was aging from the wrinkles beneath her eyes but the woman must have been clearly stunning when she was younger. Obi saw her eyes and noted where Obiefune had gotten them from. She had always wanted to meet the busy, doctor mother of Obiefune who was barely around and she got to.

The slender woman reached out and shook Obi, Obi had been smiling after the introduction but her smile fell when she realized that the admiration was not mutual. The woman was clearly not fond of Obi, who could blame her? The scowl on her face was evident.

Chioma was not pleased as her mother walked away to greet other members of the family. Chioma apologized for her mother's somewhat rude behavior. Obi enquired of Obiefune's whereabouts but she claimed that he did not want to be part of the meeting and went away.

The meeting began when Benjamin's father arrived and Obi prepared kola for everyone. She barely paid attention to what they spoke because she was always mobile, moving from her living room to her kitchen.

Chioma helped her a little before she became engulfed by the arguments that went on.

The family must have not been too happy with Benjamin's father. Obi found out that his late mother was their first daughter and they had adored her before she fell in love with Benjamin's father. They all blamed him for getting her pregnant so that he could marry her. Obi was shocked when she heard that and exchanged Stares with her husband who glared at his father. It turned out that Benjamin was told the wrong story. Chioma's mother was passionate with the way she threw her accusations at Mr. ìgwè.

She moved to where her husband sat and held his hand, reassuring him. All through the times their voices went up and down, Obi couldn't tear her gaze off Obiefune's mother.

Benjamin was the last to speak and after he deliberated on the matter, with Chioma's support some members of the family realized that they were only tearing themselves apart by not burying the hatchet.

The meeting had almost ended before Obiefune walked in. He rendered a quick apology before taking a seat across Obi and her husband. Obi and Obiefune exchanged stares and she became suddenly uncomfortable especially with Benjamin seated close to her that she decided to excuse herself feigning sickness. She had wished for Obiefune to come but she realized that it was the biggest mistake of that day.