Close to the stream in Umuofia, a nubile damsel dashed off from an adjacent bush, she quickly adjusted her breast swaddling and scanned the environment. After a while, a young man peered from the window of the bush created by his hands. At her signal, he dashed towards the opposite direction and at a safe distance stopped, looked back at the nubile damsel, who uneasily waved him to go on and before he ran off, he blew a kiss and swirled his hands above his head; she reckoned and nodded urging him to go as she frenziedly looked around. As he ran off out of sight, the nubile damsel smiled coquettishly and shyly fondled her fingers as she hopped home singing.
******
At the backyard of a mud house; a thatched structure was erected, it walls were smeared by dark soot pilled up for years.
There Adaeze was sitting on a stool, plucking leaves from a chopped off branch while her mother attended to the steaming pot.
She jerked, ran off to the side of the thatched structure and vomitted severally. She later dragged her feet to the stool and sat down. Her mother stood looking at her for a while and walked up to her.
She tilted Adaeze's head backwards and peered into her eyes for a while, then later took Adaeze's breast in her hands and pressed it tenderly and instantly shouted;
"My enemies have finally robbed me with shame! Adaeze! Who did this to you?"
"Mummy; did what?" Adaeze retorted perplexed.
"Who got you pregnant?" she shouted with her arms akimbo.
"Pregnant? Mummy, I am not oh! It is fever. No – oh! I am not …" Adaeze said as her mother struck her on the face.
"You think I am a child? An elderly woman knows a pregnant fellow without delay! Now talk!" she shouted as she twisted Adaeze's ears.
Adaeze quickly knelt down and started pleading;
"Mummy, I am so sorry; it was a mistake!" Adaeze said weeping bitterly.
"Chai! The worst has happened!" Adaeze's mother shouted with her hands folded underneath her breast while gazing at the sky expectantly.
"So, you are pregnant?" Adaeze's mother inquired as she struck her severely on the head.
"So, who is responsible for this pregnancy?" she asked. Adaeze was still on the floor crying and writhing in pain.
"So, you have become deaf and dumb! Speak, before I send you to meet our ancestors!" she yelled as she leapt like a prized athlete.
"Mummy, it is the son of Mazi Okonta!"
"Who? Uchenna? That village loafer and never do well – rascal!" She inquired with disgust; Adaeze nodded swiftly.
"Tonight, you would take me to his house! He must take you as his wife because I won't harbour a bastard under my late husband's roof. Oh! Agu, if you were here – I know this wouldn't have happened!" she said reminiscing as tears freely flowed down her cheeks.
*****
Months later, news of Adaeze's pregnancy and paternity rejection of her unborn child by Uchenna spread like fire in harmattan around Umuofia and every of her peers refused to associate with her as was the custom of the people.
As time went on with the baby growing in Adaeze's womb, she became depressed and her health began to fail.
She was bedridden for several weeks, as she recovered; her mother spoke to her about the delicacy of her condition. With the needed assurance and support from her family, Adaeze braced up.
******
Adaeze's mother was returning from the farm, with large firewood on her head as she walked with aplomb. On getting to her compound, she could hear a faint sound of distress.
"Adaeze! Adaeze!!" she shouted throwing away the firewood as she ran to the backyard.
On getting there, she saw Adaeze sprawled on the floor in a pool of blood, with a baby between her legs. She rushed to her side and held her daughter.
Adaeze's eyes was bloodshot but drowsy, she breathed fast and uneasily.
Adaeze looked into her mother's eyes, pressed her hand softly, flashed a quick glance at the baby and mumbled.
"Mama!" with that she fell down with her eyes closed.
"Adaeze, Adaeze!! Help me oh!" Adaeze's mother's voice echoed…
*****
Six years later, as Adaeze's mother was sweeping her compound, a car drove into the compound. She abruptly stopped, folded her wrapper firmly to her waist and she started dancing with joy.
Two men of striking semblance came out of the car beaming with smile – they joined her in her jubilant song and after a while, one said;
"Mama! How are you doing? You never change!" Obi said as he let go of her.
"Obi and Ugo! You are highly welcome!" she said pulling them towards the balcony.
"Mama, wait! Let me unpack our luggages from the car." Ugo said trying to free himself.
"Stop it! Come inside first let me give you food. And then you can have enough strength to do that!" she protested as the young men burst out laughing.
They accompanied her to the balcony and after eating;
"Mama, how are you doing?" Obi asked smiling.
"You don't need any one to tell you – don't I look like a sweet sixteen?" she asked girlishly.
"Mama! Of course!" Ugo responded winking at Obi mischievously.
"So mama, when are you coming to the city?" Obi asked.
"Me? To do what? Here is my home. No – city – me? I can't go oh!" she protested.
"Mama, come on! You said when Ngozi starts talking you would come. And she has already started talking. This is the sixth year since her mother – our sister died during childbirth and I think it is time for you to have a change of environment!" Obi said and paused.
"Yes, you are right; my son. But taking care of my child's daughter isn't a burden to me and if you are talking about change of environment. Oh! That one – my farms is the best of it." She said as she looked perplexed by their laughter.
"Ok, Ok! Mama; how about we give you a maid to take care of you and Ngozi, at least Ngozi in her present condition and age would be a tedious task to carry out; considering your age!" Ugo said.
"Yes. I know Ngozi is getting taller by the day and soon enough, I won't be able to carry her on my back any longer. But then, I would be fine. I don't need any maid that would come and hurt her for me. She is the only gift that reminds me of my Adaeze, oh Adaeze!" she started sobbing.
"Mama, mama! It is enough, please!" Obi said tenderly as Ugo rushed towards her and patted her on the back.
"Mama, your welfare is our concern! Ugo and I are only worried about you. You are the only mother we have and we don't want to lose you. So please try and listen to us on this!" Obi said calmly.
"My son, I am Ok the way I am!" she said.
"OK. Mama, Ine Nneka –your friend, told us you have refused to go for the final test to know the condition of your cataract? Mama, you can go blind oh, if you don't act quickly!"
"Obi, you are still a child. None of my ancestors had eye problem. So why do you think I would be different? See, those doctors are only hungry for money, they don't know what they are talking about!" she said smiling assuringly.
"Mama, com on! This is no play; first thing tomorrow morning, we would go to that hospital and do that test!" Obi shouted.
"Then, consider me dead! If I set foot into that hospital, I would die. You know me and how serious I am. I would die – so you want me dead?" she said weeping.
"Mama – we must go there tomorrow!" Obi said and stamped out in rage.
"Mama, please don't cry. I would talk to big brother, I am sure he would let you be!" Ugo said trying to console her.
"Ok; My son. If I go, I would die, oh! I would die oh!" she sobbed.
"Mama, you won't die. Don't worry; I would talk to brother Obi."
Weeks later Ugo and Obi left after giving their mother money for upkeep.
******
On Eke Umuofia – market named after the first market day – Adaeze's mother wore a bright orange wrapper with black flowery spots with a flannel white shirt with the edge of her waist wrapper raised because of stashed cash. On her back was Ngozi, in an awkward full stretch with her long thin legs protruding from the bottom of the wrapper.
On passing the fifth stall to enter a pathway, she was mesmerized by a group of children playing in the sand and as she looked for some time, was about moving on; when she heard;
"Ine Obi!!" the voice echoed.
She turned and recognised the face and swiftly ran towards the woman with opened arms. Both women hugged and exhibited a mild acquittance drama.
Then, Adaeze's mother quickly took Ngozi from her back and sat her on a chair close to the group of children and instructed the eldest amongst them to look after Ngozi and walked a short distance to chat with her friend.
"My friend, you forgot me!"
"No oh! I am busy these days!" Adaeze's mother replied.
"Busy with what? To even forget your childhood friend?" she asked expectantly.
"Sorry, but you know Ngozi is getting bigger and so is the task of catering for her. To be honest; I am getting tired oh!" Adaeze's mother said looking at Ngozi, who sat on the chair peering at other kids as they circled her in unison.
"So, you want to kill yourself because of that Ogbanje – mysterious child? Look at how beautiful she looks but yet can't walk or move any of her muscles." She blurted.
"Stop it! You are talking to my grand daughter oh! It is not her fault; she is only a child suffering from Palsy!" Adaeze's mother said feigning disgust.
"You say what? Pal-sy! Come on my friend, that child is cursed. She has brought misfortune to you and your late daughter." She said as Adaeze's mother lost interest.
"If I was the one; I would have killed that little witch!" she whispered into Adaeze's mother ears.
"OK, OK! That is enough! Thank you. I blame myself for stopping by to be ridiculed by you!" Adaeze's mother stamped off towards Ngozi.
"Oh, sorry oh! I am only being a friend!" she sneered.
On getting to Ngozi, she scooped her and tied her firmly to her back and left the market in rage.
Close to the compound of her house, there was a conspicuous steep along the road, Adaeze's mother treaded it, lost balance and fell on the floor. Ngozi gave a loud cry as her knees were bruised while Adaeze's mother looked at her helplessly.
*****
At night, Adaeze's mother cooked and the food was salty, with rage, she poured it away and she and Ngozi slept without eating.
During her morning chores, she couldn't find the broom and later in the day, on returning from the market; she was almost hit by a moving vehicle. When she got home; she walked into the house, only for her to step on Ngozi's leg. She was startled and as Ngozi yelled in pain, she was annoyed and started beating Ngozi up.
Later that night, she carried the sleeping Ngozi to the children's room and lit a hurricane lamp close to the door. She returned to her room and slept off.
Some hours later, Ngozi woke up and saw the hurricane lamp burning uncontrollably, with some packets of spark escaping through the openings. The room was covered with smoke, and the glove of the lamp heated up to cracking.
"Grandma, grandma! Fire, fire!" Ngozi shouted as she tries to move her stiff body down the bed.
Adaeze's mother was fast asleep and couldn't hear Ngozi's faint call.
After a long struggle on the bed, Ngozi eventually landed on the floor with her stomach. She rolled close to a table near her bed and tries to support herself up; but she fell down. After several attempt, she was on the floor weeping as she stared at the heated up hurricane lamp.
On her last thrust, she jerked and staggered with uncertain steps supporting herself at intervals. When she was close to the hurricane lamp, she lowered the wick with the help of a piece of cloth wrapped around her hand.
On getting to grandma's room, she woke her up;
"Grandma – fire! I …"
"You are walking Ngozi? Thank God!" Adaeze's mother exclaimed with joy.
Ngozi nodded.
"Where are you? My daughter, where are you?" Adaeze's mother asked as she tries to feel Ngozi in thin air.
"This room is so dark! Where are you?"
"Grandma, I am here!" Ngozi replied perplexed as Adaeze's mothers hand missed her shoulder and immediately looked behind and saw the lamp in the room brightly on.