Chapter 4

             I was seriously battered when Aunty Mba dragged me into the house by my ears. "Is that how you were trained? No tell me, we that didn't shuk mouth for matter ( put mouth in the matter) are fools. Isn't it?" She asked as a slap simultaneously landed on my face.

"I will show you pepper today. Go into the store and bring the Cameron pepper for me. M ga agbagi ose taata ( I will apply pepper all over you today)" She tied her wrapper which was almost falling of her waist.

"Aunty please, I will not do it again." I pleaded on my knees. Aunty Mba removed the bathroom slippers on her right foot and aimed it at me. It landed directly on my eyes.

"Aauuntty!!!" I screamed as blood circulated my left eye. I let myself remain on the ground where I kept weeping.

"Will you come here. I'm not even done with you ." Aunty Mba yelled and I crawled to the chair where she sat, shaking her extra large legs. "Open your legs!" She ordered with all authority. I just stayed in front of her shaking like a beheaded chicken. "Oh! You are now shy. Eh? I said open this legs!" She repeated her instruction in a higher pitch.

                       I remained at my position, shivering and scratching my peppery eyes. I couldn't see properly again. Suddenly, I felt two hands put my legs asunder. Aunty Mba's huge hands pulled out my pant and I jerked up when she emptied her whole container of Cameron pepper on my private part.

                      The pains, the itches, the effect was tremendous and unbearable. I started jumping up and down like a full blown lunatic. Worse still, I could barely see as a result of her throwing those dirty slippers of hers on my eye. As my legs flew up and down as if I was dancing Limpopo, a nail Pierced my left foot.

                          I gave a shrill cry and neighbours gathered in front of our house. Some courageous women entered inside and rebuked Aunty Mba.

"How can you be so cruel to hurt your niece like this, Mba!" Miss Ope, a teacher outside the ghetto scolded my aunt.

"Miss or whatever is your name, is it your own niece? Abi you want to do akpiriko?" Aunty Mba snapped at Miss Ope.

                        Everyone shook their head in pity as they all left one by one.  "Make sure I don't remind you to wash the plates" Aunty Mba dropped, before retiring to her room. I kept on dancing Alingo as my body was undergoing pure torture. The eye which Aunty Mba had struck has grown big due to its heaviness. I went outside to wash the plate, since that is where our kitchen is situated at. As I tried to wash the plates while scratching and leaping up and down in pains and discomfort, Aunty Mba's ceramic plate broke into pieces.

                         I immediately felt like going into my room and packing up to run away but every thought of it vanished when in all her fury was Aunty Mba standing in the backyard with a koboko. Tears spoke the words I couldn't speak because I was rendered speechless. Aunty Mba surprised me by calmly saying "Get inside the house."

                         I didn't enter inside until I was convinced that Aunty Mba wouldn't whip me with the Koboko. Immediately I entered the house, I knelt down and raised up my hands without being instructed to.

"Stand up from there. The truth is that  you will no longer be living with me. I cannot continue living with a devil like you who wants to render me wretched. This weekend I will send your mother to come and pick you up." Aunty Mba detailed and I began pleading for mercy amidst tears.

"Aunty please, I will not spoil anything again. I didn't mean to break your plate. Biko ma, I will be good from now henceforth." My eyes could no longer shed tears again. But all I got as a response was Aunty Mba's figure retreating back to her room.

                      I stood up in anguish. The itchings subsided but didn't cease. I blamed myself for being stupid and acting a superhero for a woman who didn't even come to my aid when I was also in a bad situation. Just because of Mama P, I got dismantled physically and otherwise.

☆☆☆☆

                      I didn't sell oranges today because Aunty Mba ordered me to stay at home and help her with the house chores. Under her strict supervision, I thoroughly scrubbed the naked floor that had cracks here and there. I washed the heap of dirty clothes she insisted I wash before doing Justice to her Aba made shoes. After that, I prepared Akamu (Pap) for breakfast which was consumed with three cubes of sugar.

"Olamma! Have you fed the goats!?" Aunty Mba's voice rose as she questioned me. Her hands were placed akimbo.

"Aunty I have plucked the leaves but I have been too busy to feed it." I explained, looking anyway but at her.

"You want me to descend on you before you know what to do, Oro ya? (Isn't it?)" She stared daggers at me.

                     I immediately dropped the broom which I intended to use and cobweb the celling on the ground and ran towards the palm tree where the three black goats were strongly ties. To my greatest surprise, I only saw the ropes, the goats was no where in sight.