UNOMA BECOMES AN ORPHAN
"Madam, congratulations on your baby", said a smiling nurse to Mrs Okehi who had just delivered a baby.
"Oh I thank God for his mercies, is it a boy or a girl?" Mrs Okehi asked.
The nurse, thinking that Mrs Okehi was one of those women desperately looking for a male child because of maltreatment from their husbands and in-laws decided to cover the fact from Mrs Okehi.
"Madam, we should be happy with whatever baby God gives us whether boy or girl. After all there are many women out there praying to bear a child whether make or female," the nurse said.
"No, no, nurse, I understand where you are going. The opposite is my own case for I already have four boys and have been crying to God for a baby girl," Mrs Okehi replied.
"Oh thank God, the world is indeed a strange place for people are never satisfied with what they have," the nurse said with a shame of her head.
When Mr Okehi visited the hospital and saw the baby girl he was overjoyed.
"Now, I'm truly happy for no family is completely except it has females in it. A man is never truly happy except he has at least a female child, my God I thank you," Mr Okehi said proudly.
"So you want ti have in-laws?" Mrs Okehi teased him.
"No, you dint like it, as if you are not the one that will enjoy going to look after her when she gives birth to a baby. You'll feed fat, our in-law will buy lace and hollandaise for you but he will manage to buy hot drinks and tobacco for me, "Mr Okehi teased her.
The friends and well wisher that came to see the baby and other people in the ward in the hospital roared with laughter at this.
Mr Okehi was a very humorous man who kept his family and others happy with his numerous jokes.
"By the way she resembles me and as such she is so beautiful, I will buy a machete and keep it by my side. Woe betide any man who dares to come near her when she becomes grown up."
The people around laughed at this saying. This was the type of family Unoma was born in. It was a peaceful and lovely family. Unoma's parents loved her very well. Her brothers, Emaka, Udoka, Kanayo and Ifeanyi also loved her.
Unoma didn't lack anything. Her parents, even though they were not rich, bought a lot of dresses, toys, shoes,books, etc for her.
When Unoma was four years old, her parents enrolled her in a nursery school in thir town, Ezira. Unoma never knew that they were pain and hardship in this world untill one day when something bad happened.
That day started like any other day for Unoma's father but he did not know that it would be hos last day on earth. As he prepared to go for business that day his wife who was pregnant begged him not to go.
"Darling, please don't go, remember I had a very bad dream about you last night," Mrs Okehi said.
"My dear relax, jf we all continue to think about the dreams we have nobody will have the heart to ho anywhere," Mr Okehi replied.
"Norhing will happen, it was just a dream," Unoma's father Said. He patted his wife on the shoulders, then took his bag and left the house.
Unoma's mother knelt down and prayer for his safety before her children woke up to disturb her prayers.
It happened that Mr Okehi usually crossed a mighty river on his numerous business trips. He used to cross safety before but that day the river overflowed it'd banks due to heavy rain. This together with the winds,waves and storms o. The river caused the speedboat in which Mr Okehi was travelling to capsize. The passagers in the boat and their foods were thrown into the river. Many of them who could not swing drownd before the lifeguards arrived to rescue them.
Mr Okehi was among those that drowned in the river. When the news reached Unoma's family all the members became sad and unhappy. Unoma's mother who was heavily pregnant mourned their father because they will miss him a lot.
"Oh God, why me? Why not take my life so that I would die and join my husband," Unoma's mother cried. Many people tried to console her but she refused to be consoled.
Not quite long after her husband's death, Unoma's mother died while trying to give birth to a baby. A double tragedy had occurred and Unoma and her brothers became orphans.
TO BE CONTINUED... CHARPTER 2 COMING SOON GUYS.....