Obiageli - Episode 9

 

One year later

Obiageli was helping her mother weed her farm when Uche passed carrying a cutlass on his shoulder with Ego beside him, he usually went to his fathers farm which was just a farm away from her mother's own so she wasn't surprised to see him that morning, they were gisting and laughing. Obiageli continued her weeding.

Ego was a year older than her but they were of the same height and size, they were termed the village beauties but Obiageli never wanted to be associated with her in anyway, especially now that she had set her sights on Uche . She and Uche had never been friends because he felt he was all that, he was very arrogant and she hated that in a man, not that she was looking, she had only started growing breasts and men were already looking at her weirdly...She had her click of female friends and was more comfortable with them.

Uche was hanging at a big iroko tree with his three friends Kelechi, Nonso and Kalu, they had gone hunting and had caught nothing, now they were playing with Kelechi's flute.. Kelechi was teaching Kalu, Uche was not interested, he just sat on a tree branch, Nonso was sitting under it

"Here, try this" he played a familiar tune then gave it to Kalu to play who took it and did rubbish, Uche burst into laughter

"You are useless"he said

"At least am good in bed"Kalu said puffing his chest

"Who told you that?'Uche asked with a smirk

" Those village girls have been deceiving him..try Ego and see"Nonso said

"Well I would but.." he coughed and pointed at Uche who broke a stick and threw at him, as they laughed Kelechi whistled, and they all looked. Obiageli was walking on the path without looking up, she held an empty basket, they imagined she was  going to join her mother in the farm, and decided to tease her a little

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/obiageli

. Kalu squatted and blew another whistle putting his fingers in his mouth to gain her attention, she turned back but didn't see them, she walked on, Uche took his catapult and stone and shot at her. She stopped, looked at the bush where the stone had gone and turned to look at them, when she finally saw them, she hissed and continued her walk. Kalu went after her

"Where you going?"Nonso asked

"To try my luck"

"Useless" Uche said shaking his head, he jumped down from the tree

"I'm tired..I want to go home and sleep"he said

"Yeah..I have to join my father in the farm"Kelechi said

"Who hears you now would think you are very hardworking, not knowing you just going to learn how to climb palm trees" Uche teased

"That's work"Kelechi deadpanned

Nonso had been laughing"which one are you sef Uchenna..hunter or farmer"

"Both"

"Pick one"

"Well I'm good with both..I can't blame me"

"You mean the gods, one day you would be thrown down from your high horse" Nonso said taking his cutlass and walking away

"Which horse am I riding, I am just stating a fact..."

The three friends walked on the path before they went in different directions.

Obiageli dipped her pot in the water to fetch more water for she and her friends who were washing at the stream, other children were playing and there were adults too, they had been working since morning and Obi wished it would end, she wasn't used to such strainous work but couldn't complain lest her friends thought she was lazy

Chidinma was gisting Chiamaka about the village dance that was coming up but Obiageli was not interested, it was all about touching boys at night and she wasn't interested in that, her mind was far away as she pounded the wrapper

"There's so much heat..I need a swim" Chidinma suddenly said as she  left them and went into the water

"You can join her I ll finish here, I can see you are tired"Chiamaka told her

"No..I'm fine" Obi said not looking up, Chiamaka stared at her

"Why don't you ever swim?"

"The water is too dirty"Obi said

"But you drink it.. that's funny"

They stood up and squeezed the wrapper in between them

"Dont worry we would soon be done so you can go home and suck your mother's breast"she said

Obiageli left the cloth for her and she laughed and went to spread it, everyone knew of how she was being pampered by her mother even though she was all grown now, as Chiamaka looked for where to spread the cloth, Obi let her eyes wander, the stream was full today with most persons swimming, her eyes fell on the boys who were playing in the water on the other side of the stream, Kelechi, Kalu  and Nonso were already in the water, Uche was sitting and laughing at their antics, she wondered why he wasn't swimming. When he suddenly looked at her like he knew he was being stared at, she looked away at Chiamaka who had found a space and was coming towards her

" I think we can go now, Chidinma would bring the clothes"

"You know she wouldn't, let's just wait"

"You sure?" Chiamaka asked sitting with her

"I ll survive..am not so fragile"

"Let's just take a dip then..while we wait, the heat is strong"

"No you go ahead"

"But why.."

"Come and join me, I feel so alone..Obi" Chidinma suddenly called out, Chiamaka stood up and went to join her, the girls laughed and played around.

Obi sat at the bank and stared at her friends swimming, wishing she could join them but knew she couldn't....not yet.