Chapter 72

WELCOME HOME

Obiefune's mind wandered to the story he had heard from Mma when he was young, as he lay beside Obi in her bedroom.

Why the lizard nods its head

The lizard was an animal that gaited with pride because of how good looking he thought he was. His appearance boosted his ego and soon the wise tortoise was irked by his attitude. The tortoise was the chief advisor to the king, lion and when he had requested a feast to be thrown the king quickly obliged his request.

The tortoise had an ulterior motive and only wanted to host the feast to hurt the lizard's pride. Tortoise relayed the information about the feast to all the animals, including the time of the event but when he got to the lizard's house he told him a different time.

The day of the feast came and the animals availed themselves to merriment and when they finished eating, there were only bones left of the delicacies. The lizard arrived at the scene just as the other animals were leaving and they were surprised at his lateness.

"We've finished everything, why did you come at this hour?"

"This was the time given to me by the tortoise" The lizard replied

When the animals left, he met the tortoise who was pleased with how he had disgraced the lizard who seemed to be oblivious of the tortoise' motives.

The tortoise vainly apologized for his mischief and told the lizard that the animals had finished the meals. The lizard was a glutton and decided to settle for bones and scraps left by the animals. The tortoise obliged his request and brought the bones to him which he began to chew. To the tortoise, the proud lizard settling for scraps was satisfying enough but things got even better.

One of the bones that he devoured got stuck in his throat and the lizard tried to get it out with no avail. The jealous tortoise was pleased with the turn of events, he had succeeded not just in humiliating the lizard but also maiming the body that boosted the lizard's ego. Even after many years the lizard still nods trying to get the bone out of his throat.

Obiefune smiled as he remembered the story, he felt so much like the lizard. He used to feel the same way the lizard did, he had everything. The good looks, the girls and much later Obi. He could remember nights when he'd only think of how he would kiss her the next day, caress her and make her his. He did get what he wished for, but he was regretting every bit of it.

"Why didn't he just go back to boarding school? Why did he get attracted to a girl being chased by his dog? Why did he feel so susceptible to her charms and requests? Why couldn't he get Obi out of his mind? Now things had turned downhill for him and even Obi had wished him death.

The words replayed in his head over and over "And you are here". He never wanted Benjamin to die, he has always wanted her to be happy. Life was like the tortoise, it was unfair to him and he needed time to sort himself. He wanted to be far from everyone, sadly even his children for his sanity.

She clearly didn't care about him as much as she used to. But hadn't she kissed him back weeks ago? Was he mistaking lust for love? Maybe what Obi had wanted was intimacy, he brushed the thought aside.

It didn't matter anymore, he had gone. He rolled out of her bed where she lay and quickly went away after checking on his sons.

All he could think of while she slept in his arms were thoughts he was supposed not to have for his cousin's widow who probably didn't care about him. He wanted to kiss and caress her, to comfort her but he just couldn't. It was morally wrong and he was done putting himself out there for Obi. He'd call her after a while to tell her when he'd want to look into the matter about his children.

But he was done being the victim, he was going along with aunt Judith's plan. Maybe it would have been better if he had gone with Chioma that day. And he intended to remedy that error. He would go to Lagos first then proceed to the states from there.

Obi slowly packed her belongings including her husband's cologne. She intended to figure out how to deal with the losses she had felt. Her pomade and the cologne were kept side by side inside her travel box.

After she finished, Tobe helped her load her clothes into the vehicle while she bade her sons farewell. She still hadn't heard from Obiefune and she felt terrible because of the way she had spoken to him before the burial.

Of course she didn't want Obiefune to die, she loved him too a fact she had begun to accept. Chioma embraced her and so did everyone before their driver moved away.

Obi couldn't still get Obiefune out her mind, she wanted to know if he was doing well. She quickly brought out her phone and texted him hoping for a response but she got none. She didn't blame him, she wasn't always fair to him and maybe he had grown tired.

If only Benjamin had stayed longer, maybe she wouldn't be this restless. Her siblings and Chioma checked on her by calling almost after every thirty minutes as she journeyed, they were all worried about her she could tell. "Madam we Don reach o"

The driver tapped Obi after she had drifted off to sleep on their way to the village. The man helped her move her things into the house while she adjusted her black gown. Black had taken over because of the state she was in.

Obi quickly greeted dee Ogbo, daa Nkem and her sisters then Mma before turning in. The driver left almost immediately and she settled in.

She did not know how long she planned to stay, but she knew she had to figure out her life and possibly how to move on. Obi sat at the verandah watching little children hop around the compound trying to catch grasshoppers. Obi threw her head back and thought of the times she did the same. She had caught so many grasshoppers while Tobe squashed so many in the act of catching.

"You'd have to be gentle and quick so that they don't hop away. Remember to detach the limbs, these ones don't fly for long so they’ll be needing their legs to get away”. Obi instructed as she pounced on a green grasshopper. The little boy beamed with excitement while Obi filled his own container with the grasshoppers she caught.

"Keep it safe ịnụ, tomorrow we'll make sand houses and keep them there. We'll train them, feed them grasses" Obi excitedly declared

That night her brother Tobe had sealed the container afraid the grasshoppers would escape if he left it open. The insects died due to lack of air and Obi was devastated. She felt so bad about their deaths that she refused to catch grasshoppers again, their deaths haunted her.

Obi's eyes fluttered open and she breathed in the scent of the flower that had begun to float around the compound. "The queen of the night”. She stood and entered their house in search of what to eat. Her appetite was slowly resurfacing and her cravings too.

She prepared yam porridge and decided to give Mma some. The pair chatted while they ate and mma complained of how horrible her nurse was at making Achara tea"

While she came out of the hut she found out that the environment was chilly, she proceeded to her house but saw a spot where she had once kissed Obiefune.

The memories replayed in her mind and she relived them. She looked at the cane chair and smiled at her somewhat bold and scary move. She had given Obiefune a wrapper which he used to cover himself and even kissed him." One of Mma's wrappers" she thought. Obi's mind went to the night of the burial and recalled as her eyes flew open that Obiefune had covered her with one of Mma's wrapper too. Had he kept that cloth because of her, after so many years?

She quickly moved into the house and locked her doors. She proceeded to her room and as she stared at the bed, she remembered her late husband.

How terrified she had been when he pranked her with rape and how surprisingly responsive she had been when they made love for the last time.

"We'll buy new sheets" he had told her after she complained of the stains. She could hear the sound of his voice as her mind replayed the memories.

Obi climbed to the bed after applying her pomade on her hand. She wanted the fragrance everywhere just like she needed her mother and it came with memories.

Her mother had been teaching her how to wear a bra and Obi chuckled to how focused she had been."Ngwá once you hook it, you can now turn the cups to the front before slipping your hands in"

Obiukwu was lonely as she hugged herself on the bed feeling exhausted, tears slowly left as her mother’s voice echoed around. “You need to where them, your breasts are that of a grown woman. They’ll help keep your breasts firm and you will appreciate what I’ve taught you then, so will your husband” Her mother teased with a smile which didn’t change the permanent scowl on Obi’s face.

“You’re going to be a strong woman Obiukwu”

Her mother’s voice reverberated in the room even as she picked up her phone and dialed Obiefune's number which wasn't reachable. She decided she was going to ask Chioma about his whereabouts. Obi found it surprising how she suddenly wanted him around despite having pushed him away.

She was really a tata(A child), unsure of what she actually wanted. An owl hooted far away and Obi decided she had to turn in for the night. She was home and her home did welcome her

That night as she slept, she dreamt of the first time she made love with Obiefune, how he had taken care of her and how much love she felt for him. She had given him herself and somehow it was difficult to erase how wonderful it had felt.Obi woke up furious with her subconscious for replaying a memory she felt was absurd. She had come home to grieve not think of a man, not just any man her late husband's cousin. Sleep disappeared from her eyes and she tossed and turned on the mattress restlessly.

"You need to rest Tata, I'm not going anywhere. Besides if something happens to me tomorrow, you'll have all the help you need. You know, he still loves you and will take care of you"

She could still hear Benjamin's voice in her head as he made that statement. Obi knew perfectly well who he meant, but it didn't feel right. She stood up, walked out to the verandah to clear her head. She didn't know why her mind chose to betray her husband but she was not going to allow it. She decided she was going to mourn her late husband and wipe thoughts about Obiefune out of her mind once and for all.

"I feel exactly the same way Obi, there's no other way to explain the happiness I feel around you, the constant thinking about you, basically everything that I love revolves around you. I love that you are shy and reserved and very feisty and overprotective when you want to be. I love your small nose, your brown eyes, those tiny dots on your nose, I love your wooly full afro hair. I love you Obi and I'm not thinking. I am sure about this"

Obi shook her head trying to drown the thoughts in her head

"Pulling you to the ground is not strenuous, even Ifenna weighs more than you do. Besides nothing can cause me pain, not even this scar"

Why? "

"Because I love you and you love me, it just makes everything better"

Obi smacked her forehead in exasperation after it seemed like the universe only wanted to punish her with memories.

"How does love make everything better?

Obi angrily marched into their bathroom and splashed water over her head. She thought it to be ridiculous, Obiefune was probably sleeping peacefully where ever he was not even bothered about her, hadn't he left? So much for the clarity she had intended to get at home.

Obiefune gave up on sleeping after his mind wandered aimlessly. He was either thinking of Obi's lips or her scent or words.

"I think I like you too"

"I think I do love you".

When had Obi ever been sure about her feelings? She always needed a nudge or some clarity before she fully came out of her shell. Obi looked tough but she deep down she was a scared little girl just like a snail.

Obiefune slapped his forehead out of frustration and yelled at the self -inflicted pain. Why was his mind making up reasons for her?

He quickly stepped into a bathtub and turned the cold shower on. Whatever trick nature was playing wasn't going to work. He was better off without Obiukwu, he was going to move on. He was determined to and not even the tiny voice whispering that he had made a mistake was going to bring him back to Umuahia . Obi was probably sleeping peacefully or thinking of Benjamin, his late cousin. The universe was speaking but this time he was ready to ignore, he was home that was all that mattered.