EAGLE FROM THE RUBBLE: CHAPTER 5

geniusvic (54)in #story • 6 years ago

On the fourth day, after the birth of Euna's baby, Mama Vicky could no longer control herself. She was now very angry and exasperated. She therefore confronted her daughter for Euna had remained the same, unchanged in any way except that she now ate her food, took her bath and at times sat up on the bed.But she still refused to talk to anyone or to be drawn into any conversation. Her children in their usual manner kept their distance and only interacted with their grandmother or Ezekwe and his family. All these were too much for Mama Vicky and she could not hold out anymore. The kids were already asleep and Euna was sitting up.

"Don't lie down vet, I want to talk to you" Mama Vicky said to Euna as she was about getting back into bed.

"What is it? I am tired and I want to go to sleep," she grumbled as she lay down on the bed.

The wail of the baby distracted Mama Vicky Instantly, Oyibo got up from sleep and made to take the baby.

"Leave her, my child, go back to sleep. I will take care of her" Grandma said and took the baby in her arms, rocking her gently.

"Are you sure you want me to go back to sleep?" Oyibo asked. "You should get some sleep too.

"Yes, I will. Just go back to sleep, my darling. I will soon have her asleep." But this time the baby refused to go back to sleep as she continued wailing. Instantly, as if moved by a force, Mama Vicky moved to where Euna was lying.

"Move over quickly" she commanded.

"What do you want with me? Won't you allow me to sleep?" Euna flashed. Mama Vicky wanted to say something, but seeing that her grandchild Oyibo was watching, changed her mind.

"Breastfeed this baby now and I don't any argument," she commanded as Euna made to protest. Euna, knowing her mother, knew she was in no mood for any nonsense.

"How can I breastfeed her when there is no milk in my breast? The milk has not yet come."

"How will the milk come when you refuse to breastfeed your own baby? Abomination, God forbid I should be a party to this. Put this baby to the breast now, or else..." she said as she laid down the baby beside Euna. Mama Vicky spat on the bare floor.

"If by the time this saliva dries up you have not put baby to the breast, I am going to awaken everybody in this community and tell them that you refused to breastfeed your own baby. I am going to count to three, one, two..." Euna drew nearer to the baby and began to breastfeed her.

"Shame on you," Mama Vicky told her. "You should be really ashamed of your behaviour. And let me warn you, if I ever remind you to breastfeed this baby again, I am going to leave here and return to my home," she said with a note of finality as she sat down on the bed Ezekwe had provided especially for her.

Oyibo slept on the floor nearby with her sisters while Grandma slept with baby. Now that baby was no longer with grandma, Oyibo climbed up to her grandmother's bed and lay beside her. She linked her fingers with her grandma's.

"Please, calm down. Don't go away, stay here with us, we love you," she whispered to her. Mama Vicky embraced her reassuringly.

" I won't go away, I promise to be here till your mother becomes strong enough to carry on alone," she whispered into her ear.

Throughout the night 'baby' as she was fondly called, slept soundly beside her mother for the first time and from then on, she shared the same bed with Euna. But one thing with Euna was that once she fell asleep, the baby could wail as much as she wanted. Euna would pretend to be soundly asleep.
Consequently, through much of the night, Mama Vicky would be up either to change baby's wet nappies or to get her closer to her mother for breastfeeding.

On the evening of the tenth day, Mama Vicky prepared the baby for bed and handed her over to Euna for breastfeeding.

"I thought you were boiling water for her" Euna grumbled," refusing to take 'baby' from her mother.

"I have decided that we won't bottle-feed her again now that you are stronger. You are not going to sell your breast milk, are you?" she said resolutely.

Euna took in her mother's stern countenance and reluctantly collected 'baby' from her for breastfeeding. Mama Vicky drew a seat closer and sat down watching her daughter and grandchild.

"Aren't you going to bed?" Euna asked her mother.
"You have had a very busy day."

"No, I am not sleepy yet. Moreover, I want to ask you a question that has been bugging me for a while now".

Euna's heart missed a beat as she knew that most questions from her mother these days usually led to one form of sermonizing or the other. She was virtually not ready for that this evening.

"Can't it wait till morning, as you can see the kids are still awake? I don't want us to start disagreeing in their presence" she replied.

"Must we disagree? So anytime we talk we are meant to disagree?" she asked.

"Don't misunderstand me; that was not what I meant," she hastily put in.

"Mama Vicky was silent for some time while Euna continued breastfeeding her baby.

"Anyway," Mama Vicky ventured after a while.

"I want to remind you that your baby is now ten days old. I have waited for you to give her a name privately since we don't want any elaborate ceremonies due to your bereavement. But it doesn't seem to have occurred to you, so my question is: what is going to be your daughter's name?"

The most natural inclination of Euna would have been to drop the baby and walk out of the room. She did not do that. Instead she restrained herself against this impulse and ignored the question. She maintained a stony silence.

"You have not answered my question," Mama Vicky reminded her after a while.

"I don't have any name in mind. As you can see, I am still sick. When I get better I will think of a name," she managed to say at last.

"What is the nature of your illness? You had your baby easily and there were no complications. Tell me the nature of your sickness, is it spiritual or emotional? You are healthy enough to eat your meals, take your bath and move about the place without anybody's help. You talk with your mouth, so tell me what is hindering you from giving your baby a name? Show me an evidence of ill health and..."

"Enough of this, enough. Stop shouting at me," she interrupted.

"I will shout at you. Euna, I would even have smacked your face if not for one thing."

"Then go on, smack my face. Go on and do it. Why do you hesitate?" she challenged her. All her children were now awake.

"Shame on you. I repeat. You should be really ashamed for resenting your own baby. An innocent child, given to you by God. You have resented her ever since she was born. You wouldn't even look at her face while breastfeeding her. You let her cry her fill during the night, you wouldn't even hold her if not for the time you breastfeed her just because she turned out to be a girl. What are you? Were you not born a baby girl? You reject an innocent child simply because of her sex. What other crime has she committed to warrant this? But let me remind you of some of the pains you caused me for which I forgave you because a woman does not resent the child she bore."

"Of all my six children, you are the one that broke my heart. You were the dissident among them all. You refused to be controlled, challenging every instruction, flouting every order. It was because of you that I was removed as the president of the CWO, and later made to make a public penance. This was because when your husband, Chikezie, came seeking your hand in marriage, I warned you to be patient so that we could find out more about him. Your brother, Emeka, also cautioned you to beware of his sophisticated behaviours for they might be mere acting. But what did you do? As we were trying to find out more about him, you rebelled against us and eloped with him to Enugu and both of you started living in sin without a church wedding. The youngest of my four daughters, I could not comprehend what was happening. Your sisters all respected themselves and our family and wedded in the church but you were different. You had no regard either for the church or for your family and as a result of your waywardness I was removed as the president of the CWO. My Ezinne title was withdrawn from me. I was ostracized by all the sodalities I belonged to in the church and worse of all, I could no longer receive communion. I nearly died because of the shame and shock the whole incident caused me."

"After all these, I had to trace you to Enugu when you refused to come home and see me. By then you already had two daughters whom you had refused to baptise in the church. I dragged you down here and arranged a wedding with the help of your brothers and sisters who complied just to see if I could be cured of my mysterious ill health by being reabsorbed into the church. I had your daughters baptized and what happened after all that? You returned to Enugu and
refused to to visit home for several years. You didn't care if I died or lived."

"Did all these make me resent you? No, because a woman cannot resent a child she bore. But with you, the reverse is the case. Your resentment for this innocent child is the only sickness that is eating you up. And if you don't purge your heart of this resentment, it is going to be a breeding ground for greater evils. I am sure of that."

Mama Vicky got up and took the baby from Euna who made no move to stop her. The baby was now wailing at the top of her voice. Mama Vicky sat down, wiped the tears from her face with her wrapper and started rocking the baby gently in her arms.

Euna sat without betraying any outward emotion, supporting her head in her palms. Oyibo, Obichi, Nkechinyere and Natachinyem all gathered around their grandmother, affected by her sadness. Some hugged her while others just sat holding unto her with the baby staring silently at the little gathering. After a long silence, Mama Vicky raised 'baby' up in her arms gently.

"She's so cute" she whispered.

"Yes, she is" the children chorused one after the other.

"I am naming her Nwamaka," she murmured softly. Nwamaka literally means beautiful one. It can as well be used in praise of the beauty of childbirth.

"Y-e-e-e-e" they all cheered, jumping about. "It is a nice name. We will call her Amaka for short," Oyibo added.

"What is going on? Can I join in the fun?" Ezekwe asked from the doorway.

"We are giving 'baby' a name Nwamaka," Obichi replied.
Oh, what a nice name for a beautiful baby. Wait, let me offer her something." He went out and soon returned. He fished in his pocket and brought out some money which he put into baby's clenched fist. He put another on grandma's forehead and turned towards Euna but to his surprise, she had her face towards the wall. He turned back and looked at Mama Vicky in silent enquiry.

"You have done well, my in-law. Euna is already asleep. She's not been too well today," she said, trying to explain her daughter's behaviour but judging from Ezekwe's prying look, she knew he did not quite believe her. In any case, he made no further enquiries and later left the room.

Days after this incident, Euna was still wearing a long face. She refused to talk to any member of the family including her mother, children and Ezekwe. She went about sulking and lamenting. Her mother did the best she could and then allowed her to be the way she wanted to be. Mama Vicky took good care of her grandchildren and they were happy in spite of their mother's sullen looks.