Some days later, Mama Vicky needed to go to the market to buy some food items which Ezekwe had provided money for. Oyibo offered to go with her. Mama Vicky could not dissuade her so she gave in though she would have preferred her staying around to look after her younger sisters, especially Nwamaka. They left together and on their way, they were joined by other women also heading for the market.
After walking with this group for a while, Oyibo told her Grandma that she was pressed. She entered a nearby bush while her grandmother waited for her by the road. The other women walking with them moved on.
A little while later, Oyibo emerged from the bush she was amused over something her grandmother suspected.

"What is amusing you?"
"I tricked you," she declared. "I was not pressed. I just wanted to make the other women move on without us.

"Why?" Mama Vicky wondered aloud.

"I wanted to be alone with you because there is something I need to tell you," she replied.

"Go ahead and tell me," Mama Vicky prompted.

Oyibo looked at her grandmother, wondering whether to confide in her or not. She wore a worried expression

"Talk to me, my child. If there is anything you want, just let me know," she urged. Oyibo sighed.

All I wanted to beg you is that you and my mother should stop quarrelling with each other. Each time you quarrel it makes me remember my father," she said almost in tears.

"No my child, you misunderstood us. Your mother is my beloved daughter and I mean well for her. I am only trying to talk some sense into her. I don't quarrel with her because I hate her or anything like that. Do you understand?"

Oyibo nodded.

"But why does that remind you of your father?" Mama Vicky asked.

"It is because towards the time he died, he was constantly quarrelling with my mother. He wanted us to come back to the village but my mother refused. She insisted she would not come home to this bush village and live. My father told her that Uncle Ezekwe had given him money to transport us back home but she demanded that the money be used in securing another accommodation elsewhere. They quarrelled so often about this that I became scared of coming back to the house whenever I was at school."

"Few days before we were thrown out, they quarrelled far into the night and finally started fighting. My sisters were all asleep but I could not sleep and I could not also let them know I was awake. So I just lay there crying. My mother complained and nagged at my father for not being able to procure another place while he complained that there was no
money. They were at each other's throat and I was devastated. I wished to God they would stop this constant quarrelling and fighting. I cried silently through the night. The following morning, my father fought with our neighbour Okon because he wanted to beat up my mother. He said my mother insulted him. After that fight, we were thrown out. There was not enough money for us to travel back home. My father by now was visibly ill, but he still went in search of money and did not return." She was now shedding tears.

"It's alright. I am sorry for reminding you of this gory experience. You are too young to be going through this type of traumatic experience," she said as she held her, wiping her tears. When she calmed down, Mama Vicky continued.
"But please, my daughter, I want you to do something for me. Don't tell any other person what you have just told me. If you do, you might incite the whole people of Nneri against your mother. This was not what she told me and she did not tell your uncle the whole truth. So please, try not to mention it again. Do you understand?" she pleaded

"Yes, I do. I won't mention it to any other person.I just told you because it kept bothering me each time you quarrelled with my mother."

"I am promising you it won't happen again"

"Okay," she replied, nodding her head.

Mama Vicky had begun putting things together in preparation for her departure after her long sojourn at Nneri. Nwamaka was at this time three months old. Euna was getting a strong hold over her feelings. She o longer pretended to be sick, but her resentment for Nwamaka still lingered. Though she no longer had to be prompted to breastfeed her, there was still that lack of interest in her attitude towards Nwamaka which bothered Mama Vicky constantly.

When Mama Vicky intimated Ezekwe about her intention to go back home in a week's time, he was visibly disturbed. As an elder, he was quick to notice Euna's resentment for her baby and her general lack of interest in the welfare and well-being of her children. He had observed that she had little or no likeness for either him or his family, especially his wife. He noticed also that she was self-willed and unappreciative of other people's sacrifices and efforts for her well-being.
All these notwithstanding, he resolved to overlook her shortcomings, and to accept her and her children as his responsibility. Yet, he suddenly discvered that he had not prepared with Mama Vicky's departure. He unconsciously accepted that she would always be here to cushion the hard facts of having to contend with Euna's difficult character. Mama Vicky's announcement brought him out of his euphoria and jolted him out of this fantasy world into the present.

After thinking it over, he decided that the most important thing now was to see that his in-law was properly sent home as was the custom, regardless of the fact that Chikezie was not alive. He made plans about buying her a piece of wrapper, shoe, handbag, a bag of salt and some money. As he was thinking this over, Mama Vicky walked in.

"My in-law, I greet you," she said, sitting down.

"I greet you too. I thought you went to the parish house as you said you would," he enquired

"Yes, in fact that is where I am coming from. I have registered the three of them Nkechinyere, Natachinyem and Nwamaka for baptism and it is coming up next Saturday morning. I want to let you know that I will leave on Sunday after Mass. I also
want to ask for your permission to go with Euna and her children so that they can spend some time with me over there." She added, as an afterthought, "I know as someone still in mourning, she is not supposed to sleep outside her home, but her case is an exceptional one. We have to overlook some traditions for us to help her get back fully on her feet."

"Hmmm. About how long do they intend to stay? You know schools will soon reopen," he asked.

"They will return towards the end of the holiday."

After a pause, Ezekwe said:
"My in-law, our elders say that he who inherited his dead father's wife doesn't realise how hard it is to marry a wife. I can't thank you enough; only God will reward you for your efforts. We will see how things work out before then."
"One other thing I want to ask of you is that you should not bother yourself trying to buy this or that for me. You tried your best to see that my daughter and grandchildren were well provided for and that is what I am still asking for, that you should continue to love them no matter the odds. That is the greatest gift you can give to me"

"My in-law, you can count on me. So long as I am alive, they will always be taken good care of."

Thanks for reading! Check my blog often for subsequent chapters.

LINKS:

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5