Chapter 6

                            My travelling bag was half filled with few ragged clothes and torn shoes. Aunty Mba let me know that my mother would arrive by noon to take me back. I didn't know if I should be happy or not about leaving ghetto and its notorious indigenes, but I was definitely glad that my stay with Aunty Mba has come to an end.

                               That faithful morning, She insisted that I do all the house chores so as not to be used by the devil as a workshop. Her exact word were, "Olamma get up and scrub the house, for an idle man is the devil's workshop."

                            Stella came around and helped me out do the chores so that, by the time I set out for home, I wouldn't be worn out. Aunty Mba kept following Stella around, in the areas she did the cleaning alone, probably so that Stella wouldn't steal her pot or plate. Everybody is a suspect, to Aunty Mba. When I and Stella were done with the chores, we went to rest on the long wooden bench outside.

"Olamma, bring that travelling bag. Let me know what you have stolen from me." Aunty Mba ordered me.

                          I became surprised because since my whole stay with her, I haven't stolen a Kobo, why will she now think I stole something today. What is there to steal?? Her old smelling wrappers, her worn out shoes and bathroom slippers or her Okirika wears. Besides, I was given home training. Contentment with whatever I have, however little or big; is my watchword. I exchanged glances with Stella and she nudged me to just do it.

"Shame the devil by making her find you faultless." Stella whispered to my ears.

                         I shrugged, stood up and made for the corridor, where my grey travelling bag laid on. I carried it to where my aunt sat, casting glances around.

"Ma, here is it."

"After the resurrection of your senses did you deem it fit to bring what I ordered you to, isn't it? You think that you have suddenly grown wings of Angels, just because you will be leaving today. Just believe me, believe that I wouldn't hesitate to cut off those silly wings because they do not fit you. Come on, open this bag before I dismantle you." Aunty Mba sparked like electricity.

                        I shivered as she ranted. Her voice always have that powerful and fearful effect on me. I immediately rushed to open the bag but she threw my hands off and sent me a spine chilling hiss.

"Will you remove this fingers or I will break them like broom sticks. I know that you are a thief, God just wants to use today and show the neighborhood that you are a kleptomania." She spat out harshly.

                        After rummaging my neatly arranged travelling bag, she left it in a sorry state. None of her properties was found in my custody.

"One day monkey go go market, e no go return. Just because you were smart enough to hide my things, doesn't mean that you wouldn't be caught someday. And you know how village people are, they will just use you for sacrifice." Aunty Mba bluffed with a scrunched up nose.

                     I went back to where Stella sat, staring at me in utter disbelief.

"Babe na so you dey suffer?" Stella asked with a shocked expression. My answer to her question was a deafening silence.

"Olamma, I hope you are already dressed up, I will be the person taking you to the park. Your mother is waiting for you there. " Aunty Mba informed me before dashing into her room for a change of dress.

                     We boarded Keke na pepe which took us to the park, my mother awaited me. After some minutes, we got to our destination. Aunty Mba paid the man five hundred naira. 

'Be a good child. All this shout I dey scream on top your head, no dey sweet me. I wan make you be beta pikin. You be seventeen years, and like you take fine, men go want write on top your innocent life, but take time, get sense and use your brain. You hear?? Oya take this small money o. Tell your Mama , time no dey . I for come greet am." (All my yelling on you is for you to be a better child. You are seventeen years and because of your beauty men will want to ride on you. But beware, be canny and wise. Do you understand?? Now take this little money o. Tell your mother that time is not on my side. If not, I would have come to greet her.) Aunty Mba spoke to me and I was stunned. One thing I knew about Aunty Mba is that she is kind but her emotional problems turns her to be a horrible woman.

Left, right and left again, was all it took me to cross to the other side of the busy road. 

                  I watched out, to know if I will see Mama but she was no where in sight. When I gave up and began wondering if Aunty Mba didn't have an ulterior motive of selling me, I saw my mother dressed up in a big white lace blouse and a deep blue wrapper that was firmly tied around her wide waist. On her foot was the famous Aba made sandals that wouldn't last any long before it spoils.

"Mama!!" I ran like a spoilt rich kid to my mother who had suffering written all over her.

                  I ran and hugged her tightly, taking in her scent of palm oil which is her Vaseline in the village. She was shocked at first but still went on to reciprocate the hug.

"Olamma! O gi bu iha??" (Olamma! Is this you?! ) She broke the hug, marvelled ; her hands were on my shoulders and she had a motherly smile on.

"O mu nu." ( It is me na.) I turned round in circles for her to check me out.

"Olamma my daughter, you have grown o. See how you have grown into a damsel, just within the space of two years, living with my sister. I hope you enjoyed her??" She inquired but I frowned.

"I..." I was interrupted by a loud shout

"Oraukwu!! Last Chance!!" A dirty looking boy announced and we ran towards the bus before we loose our seats, which was already booked by Mama; earlier.

                    When we got towards the commercial yellow Mercedes bus, it almost filled up. Although two attachment seats were available for I and Mama. The tall, dirty looking, lanky conductor took my travelling bag and tied it on the top of the bus since the boot was already filled up with either other passengers goods or properties.

                The conductor showed me where to sit down and it was in between an old man and a fine looking guy of about eighteen that caught my interest. He was on a well pressed white and blue stripped short sleeve shirt and a black trouser that was firmly held in place by a leather belt. His healthy looking black hair which freshly barbed, was in an Afro style. He gave me a smile when he caught me taking in his manly goodness. I sheepishly smiled back without wanting to. But what do you expect from a hormonal young girl of seventeen, like me?

              We exchanged names. He went by the name Emmanuel. from our discussion, I found out that he was also going to Oraukwu town. According to him, his grand ma resided in Oraukwu and he would be staying with her till he gets admission to university. At a point, I burst into laughter when he deliberately made a joke of how clustered we were in the bus. From the front where Mama sat, she threw me a mean look which I immediately took note of and comported myself.

             The journey lasted for about an hour because of the bad roads and the break down the bus had immediately we got to Idemili North Local Government Area. We got stopped when the Signboard 'Welcome To Oraukwu ' was in view. My mother and I took a bike from the junction to Otta. As the bike sped on, I saw the great 'Ifite Awka Hill' that stood aside. Our people believed that it possesses supernatural powers, therefore homage is usually paid to the hill at periodic intervals and festivals, especially the Ijele Masquerade Festival.

           When the bike man dropped us right at Otta Village, we alighted and I carried my travelling bag on my head. I missed village life back at the ghetto and now am home, I long for the ghetto life.

"Are you not happy that you are at home?" My mom asked with surprise.

"I am, Ma o."

                 When i finally settled down at home, my immediate younger sister Ojiugo kept screaming and promising to fill me in on what has been happening since I was gone. Adaora the last born was sleeping while Obinna the one before Adaora was using his coconut head to do big boy for me. They told me papa went for a meeting, the Ottaeke kindred held. They all demanded an explanation of what happened and I detailed everything  to them like a voice recorder.

"I told you before you left to ignore her bad character, do you know the main reason while she is always being a  sad person?" Mama asked me and I gave her a negative reply.

"On her wedding day, her to-be husband ran away, and then she was a month pregnant for Ijeoma her child. That man was said to re locate to Port Harcourt. When our people was sent to his parents for an explanation, they just kept beating around the bush. Do you know what it means for a woman's husband to forsake her on their wedding day?" Mama asked me almost in tears. She loves Aunty Mba more than her other siblings.

                    After our dinner of Abacha (African Salad) I went to sleep as peaceful as a new born baby. 'Kpor!' My million dollar sleep was interrupted by a faint thud on my aluminium framed window.