Outcast - Episode 29

Obiefuna's Narration

I spent a whole six years abroad before I completed my education. I was twenty four and the best graduating student in all the programmes I finished from. Few days before my Twenty fifth birthday, I informed everybody about the day I'd come back to Awka. Ifenyinwa was particularly happy. I presumed they were so expectant about it, from the way they all reacted.

When I finally arrived Awka, everybody was happy to see me. Ifenyinwa's mummy had prepared special delicacies for me. There was rice, fufu with egusi soup filled with assorted meats and abacha. Ifenyinwa's brother, Emeka, and daddy, bought the finest bottles of wine which they served on the table, and we all rounded it, and ate together. We chatted and discussed so many things. I told them I'd have loved to visit Mummy, but I don't know where she lived. I also wish I can meet Mama Ebuka. 

"Getting to know Mama Ebuka is easy, you know they live in the ghetto and there are two popular ghettos here in Awka", Ifenyinwa said.

"Which and Which?", Emeka asked.

"The one he lived in, before coming here and the other one. I guess that's the one Mama Ebuka also live in", Ifenyinwa replied

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

. We all agreed.
The next day, I went to the ghetto with Ifenyinwa. Everywhere had changed. It was still a ghetto but few nice houses were built newly. We asked people about Mama Ebuka, but they said they don't know about their whereabouts. The last person we met told us their story. She said that Mama Ebuka daughter, Chinyere, got married and cut them off. Ebuka was arrested for armed robbery long ago and was taken to the prison. When Mama Ebuka couldn't pay rent again, she was evacuated and she returned back to her village. Interesting! Ifenyinwa exclaimed and I shook my head. We went back to where our car was packed, Ifenyinwa told me she would drive. She did.

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We fixed a date on the day we would return to the village. Ifenyinwa was the only one who agreed to follow me. Her brother and sister were busy with works. Well, it wasn't their business and they aren't that needed. Ifenyinwa's father didn't follow, either, because he got a contract and again, he wasn't needed, anyway. Ifenyinwa's mummy did. She wanted to know who Mama was, and greet her. We bought lot of things we would take to the village. I drove, Ifenyinwa sat at the front with me, and her mummy stayed at the back. There was an unusual traffic congestion and we got delayed and finally arrived Ukpor after three hours journey. On our way to the house, I lowered the window to see children going about their normal activities. It sent nostalgic feelings down my vein. Good old days, I said to Ifenyinwa and her mummy. Instead of stopping at my house, Ifenyinwa's mother requested we stopped in their own house. Which we did. They had a tenant who lived there with his family and a gateman who shepherded the house and they paid him. He helped us to bring down the loads from the car into the house. I was worried, though Ifenyinwa noticed it and asked, I told her it was nothing. While we passed my father's house, I looked from the window and the house looked scanty. I saw shrubs that had overgrown the compound and the garden we had, looked like a mini forest. I told Ifenyinwa that we should go to my house to greet Mama. 

"But..... Later? What about the food stuff we bought?", she said all at once.

"Don't worry, we will be back", I told her. On our way, some kids were staring us. They were looking because I tucked in my shirt, had tie on, and wore a shoe. Ifenyinwa wore trouser, and a polo. I guessed they were admiring how we dressed. Some played at the playground while others watched. It reminded me of when we would all stare at nicely dressed men and women from the city.

We got to my house. Everywhere looked scanty. Like what I saw from the car. I looked at Ifenyinwa and she stared back. I told her to come, we went to Papa's house and shouted "Mama!" but nobody answered. We shouted again, no answer but the door was open. A minute after, as we were about to turn back, we heard "What?". We turned back and it was a naked man that looked unwell. His hair was unkempt

"What are you doing there in my mother's house?", I asked.

"What? That's my house", he shouted back. He pointed at the graves. It was three graves. I remembered where Papa was buried. The sandy grave was going extinct and the other two looked old but recently.

"Let's leave here", I told Ifenyinwa and dragged her to the car. I remembered Adaeze and told Ifenyinwa about it. She agreed we should drive to her house. We got there, and we saw two kids playing in the compound. One looked ten and the other looked like one or two. The older one wore a shirt I assumed she had been wearing for the past weeks and a skirt. The younger one wore only pant, with a protruding belly.

"Hello, where is Adaeze?", I asked.

"Is it her mummy?", the older one asked pointing at the younger one.

"Her mummy?", I queried.

"You are looking for Adaeze?" an old woman sitting down by the corner with walking stick at her side said. She could barely see.

"Yes, Ma", Ifenyinwa retorted and we moved to where she sat.

"Who is looking for me?", a young woman with a wrapper tied around her waist came out and said. I assumed she was Adaeze. She saw us and smiled.

"Hmm, they are looking for me", Adaeze said facing the woman I assumed was her legendary grandmother.

"You are Adaeze?", I asked with a teary eyes.

"Yes", she replied calmly.

"I'm Obiefuna and this is Ifenyinwa", I said.

"What??!!", she said feeling ashamed. She looked outside. I guessed she was staring at our car packed there. We sat down and she explained everything to us. I gave them money and zoomed off the church.

St. Vincent De'Paul Catholic church was looking bigger and more beautiful. We packed at the church compound. I asked a catechist I saw about Nwakaego's whereabout, he pointed it for me. I got at the entrance and saw a Rev. Sister who told me the room she was in. As I entered the room with Nwakaego, I saw another Rev  Sister with her. She looked up, it was Sr. Rebecca.

"Obiefuna!", Rev. Sr. shouted surprisingly. She recognised me.

"Yes", I replied.

"No!!!!!", Nwakaego fell on the floor and started confessing. While she was at it, I was crying while Sr. Rebecca consoled me. Ifenyinwa looked sober.

Read " The Thorny Path " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. Rev. Sr told me that Nwakaego's problem wasn't spiritually again, but mentally. The day we left to Awka, I took her along and she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Ifenyinwa mother promised to be going there every week to visit her.

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I got married to Ifenyinwa the next year and we relocated to America were we gave birth to three boys.

THE END

My people, My people, sigh! I'm damn tired. It was stressful. Thank you all for bearing with me. Your comments meant a lot. Thank you so much. You all should comment please. Even silent readers, lol. Thank you everyone, it was worth it...