CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER NINE

Adaku grew into a fine young woman. At fifteen, she already had her mother’s beauty and wonderful qualities. Since she was younger than Ikem’s children, she was the person that ran errands and performed all the chores in the house. Adaku was the one that does all the laundry, house cleaning and cooking. But then, she showed no sign of resentment or grudges as she does any of her tedious chores. Adaku’s beauty and good nature caused Urunma’s children to hate her. They also envied her for being the most intelligent among them.

Adaku was known for her intelligence when she was in primary school. She wrote and passed the entrance examination into Prime College, which was the most prestigious public school in Lagos. Due to her high scores in the exam, she was given full scholarship. Now that she is in senior class, Adaku was known for her lateness to school. Even though she wakes up very early every morning, she manages to go to school late because her morning chores delayed her from leaving the house early. Adaku also walked all the way to school despite the fact that Ikem drives his own children to school.

Everyone believed Adaku came from a poor background. She uses a pair of school sandals for more than two sessions. She could not boast of two textbooks; she always borrows books from her friends. The truth of who she was successfully suppressed because the only thing Adaku knew about her dead parents were their names.

One day, Adaku came to school later than usual and was punished severely for that. After receiving some strokes of the cane on her palm, Adaku ran to her classroom only to meet Teacher Obi rounding up his lesson.

“You again,” Teacher Obi said and elicited laughter from the class.

“Why are you always coming to school late?” he asked Adaku.

Adaku stood at the corner of the classroom looking at him without saying anything word.

“Did you lose your tongue last night?” he scolded her.

“No sir,” she responded.

Teacher Obi stared at her for a while and then asked her to go to her seat. As she was going to her seat, her eyes met Amara’s, her friend, who offered her a comforting smile. Adaku sat down behind her desk but found it hard to concentrate on the lesson.

During the break period, Adaku and her group of friends gathered at the front of the classroom to gist. Later, Adaku excused herself from the group and went to the school canteen to buy water. Coincidentally, Teacher Obi was inside the canteen taking a soft drink.

Teacher Obi was in his early forties even though he looked younger than his age. He has been teaching Chemistry in the school for more than five years. He was said to be a wife-beater but nobody was bothered about his private life because he was good with Chemistry. Students also rumoured that he has carnal knowledge of some of the female senior students but they didn’t say it out for fear of being asked for proof.

On this fateful day, as Adaku walked into the canteen, Teacher Obi called her and told her to sit down. Adaku sat on the chair facing him and felt uneasy with the invitation.

“Tell me why you always come to school late?” he asked Adaku.

Adaku hesitated. “Our house is far from the school,” she answered.

“Aren’t you supposed to use bus?”

Adaku looked down at the table and lied, “We don’t have enough money.”

Teacher Obi sipped his drink and eyed Adaku passionately. He has always been taken by her natural glowing beauty.

“It’s ok, I will help you,” he offered. “Do you have a phone?” he asked, gawking at her breast.

“No sir,” she answered, getting more uncomfortable by the minute.

“A big girl like you doesn’t have a phone?” he said, pinching her cheek. “Anyway, I will get you one. I will also be giving you transport money and some pocket money,” he said suggestively.

Adaku quickly stood up and said, “Thank you sir, but I don’t need it.”

“Why? I’m only trying to help you. I just like you, hmmm,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry sir,” she said and walked out of the canteen.

Teacher Obi stared at her back and licked his lips, fantasying.

_____———Ω——————

Urunma and Ujunwa were in the sitting room watching a soap opera when Nkechi ran into the room, shouting at the top of her voice.

“Mummy! Mummy!” Nkechi yelled as she ran into the sitting room, holding a white dress.

“O gini? O gini? What is the problem?” Urunma asked, jumping out of her seat.

“Mummy, see! Just look at what Adaku said she washed!” Nkechi said and handed the dress to her mother. Urunma observed the obvious stain on the white dress.

“Adaku!” Urunma called.

Adaku ran in from the kitchen, “Yes mummy,” she answered.

“May thunder fire that your mouth. Who is your mummy, eh?” Urunma fired at her. “Anyway, we will handle that one later. Now, I want you to take a look at what you said you washed. Look at stains all over the dress. How can a big girl like you claim she washed this?” Urunma asked, holding out the dress.

“I’m sorry ma. There was no light when I washed it,” Adaku apologized.

“You are sorry?” Nkechi sparked up. “The dress I want to wear tomorrow is not yet ready by this time of the evening and you’re saying you’re sorry? Mummy this girl is becoming too lousy is this house.”

Urunma threw the dress at Adaku’s face, “I don’t care how you do it, but I want this dress washed and ironed before tomorrow.”

“But ma…,” Adaku started to talk.

“Will you get out of my sight!” Urunma yelled at her.

Adaku left with the dress and rewashed it immediately even though she was cooking at the time.

An hour later, Nkechi went to the back of the house to make sure there were no stains on her dress. She always liked that dress to appear as immaculately white as possible. But that night, she was not satisfied with Adaku’s washing. She saw Adaku’s school uniform behind her white dress and decided to teach her a lesson she will always remember. With an evil plan in mind, Nkechi sneaked into the kitchen and carried the small gallon of palm oil. She went back to where their clothes hung and baptized Adaku’s school uniform with all the oil in the container. She sneaked back to the kitchen and dropped the empty gallon of oil.

The following morning, Adaku could not recognize her school uniform again. She stared in horror at the patches of palm oil that ran all over it. She picked her school uniform with two fingers and went to show it to her uncle. She met Ikem and the other members of the family having sumptuous breakfast at the dining table.

“Uncle, I don’t know who poured oil on my school uniform,” Adaku held out her school uniform, her eyes glistening with tears.

Ikem dropped the two sliced of bread he was about to eat and looked at the uniform. Urunma also looked at the school uniform and quickly turned her gaze to Nkechi, who was now getting tensed up.

“So what do you want me to do?” Ikem asked. “Or perhaps you poured the oil on your school uniform simply to skip school.”

“No, uncle, I didn’t do it,” she said as tears ran down her cheeks.

“Then go and wash it,” Ikem said and went back to his food.

Adaku ran outside and began to cry.

Later that morning, when every other person has left the house, Adaku went to the back of the house and began to wash the only school uniform she had. She washed it repeatedly until the oil stains were gone. After that, Adaku went into her room and began to study. She was there until late in the afternoon. She then went to the kitchen to prepare both lunch and dinner. It was then that she discovered that there was no palm oil to prepare the meals with. She suspended the cooking until Urunma returns.

Ebuka and Ujunwa, who recently gained admission into the university, returned from school. They called Adaku and told her to serve them lunch.

“I’m sorry, I have not prepared any food,” Adaku said.

“What do you mean you’ve not prepared any food?” Ebuka quried. “What have you been doing all day?”

“There is no palm oil in the house for me to prepare the food with and I don’t have any money to buy it,” Adaku explained.

“Why didn’t you tell mummy before she left?” Ujunwa asked, fuming with anger.

“I thought there was some left, I just found out this afternoon,” Adaku said.

“Can you ever do something without your lousy excuses,” Ujunwa fired at her.

“You mean we should stay without food today?” Ebuka quizzed.

“I’m sorry,” Adaku apologized.

Ebuka angrily left the house and shortly after, he returned with two plates of food. He bought food for himself and his sister, Ujunwa.

By the time Urunma came back, it was already late. She went straight to the dining table and yelled to Adaku to serve her food.

“I have not prepared any, ma,” Adaku said with a broken voice.

“What happened?” Urunma asked.

“There was no palm oil left,” Adaku said, withdrawing gradually into the kitchen because she knew what awaited her.

“Who did you tell?” Urunma asked, slowly approaching Adaku.

“Ma I...I.., didn’t know...” Urunma interrupted her with a resounding slap.

“You didn’t know that there is no oil left? So we should all go to bed without food? Hmmm! I’m talking to you,” Adaku shook her head in response as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Ikem walked in from work and met the two women standing facing each other, one holding her cheeks and sobbing, the other pointing and yelling at the top of her voice.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Obim, you are welcome. Do you know that this girl did not prepare any food in this house?”

“Why?” Ikem asked.

“Ask her,” Urunma said.

“Adaku, what happened?” Ikem asked.

She sniffed and wiped her face with the back of her right palm, “There is no palm oil in the house.”

“And so?” Ikem asked.

“I forgot to check in the morning, sir,” Adaku said with broken voice.

“You are very stupid. You forgot to check in the morning?” he asked.

“Just hear her. Hear the nonsense that is coming out of her mouth. What have we not heard in this house?” Urunma added.

Adaku stood there with her heart broken. She sobbed silently but could not hold back the tears.

Ikem dropped his bag and drove out again. He bought food for everyone except Adaku. She had not eaten for the whole day. She cried all night in her room.

“What have I done wrong? Is it a crime to be an orphan? Mummy why? Why did you leave me alone? Please, where are you? Mummy where are you?” She cried.

The next day, Urunma gave Adaku some money to buy the required foodstuffs when she’s coming back from school. That day in school, Adaku was not seen with her friends. She was quiet during classes and never left her desk. When her fellow students went out during the break period, she stayed behind and placed her head on her locker. A few minutes into the break time, she felt that somebody was in the class. She then raised her head and saw three of her classmates searching students’ school bags, probably looking for money. Adaku went immediately and reported them to one of their teachers.

The three male students were summoned by the teacher and were each given twelve strokes of the cane. They became angry with Adaku and sought for ways to deal with her.

After school, Adaku went to the market to buy the foodstuffs. She went to the stall of a woman that sells palm oil. The woman sat behind a large bowl filled with palm oil. The bowl was placed on a stand that was formed with three cement blocks.

“Good afternoon ma,” Adaku greeted graciously.

“Hmmm… Dafu nwa m. You wan buy red oyel?” the seller asked.

“Yes ma, I want two bottles,” Adaku said and gave her the gallon of oil. The woman began to measure out two bottles for her. Adaku looked at the three blocks carrying the basin of oil and noticed that one was cracked. “Ma, your oil will pour away o! These blocks are not always strong. One is even cracked already,” Adaku said.

“Dey no go break. Somtin wey I been dey use since. I done dey use dem pass one year now,” the woman said confidently.

After measuring out the two bottles for Adaku, she paid and turned to leave. Immediately, one of the blocks holding the bowl cracked and shattered into pieces, causing the bowl and its contents to fall face down on the ground. The woman jumped up and shrieked. Her neighbours gathered, but they could not do anything. Adaku was still standing in front of the scene pitying the woman. As the woman was wailing over her loss, she caught sight of Adaku among the crowd and started raining abuses at her.

“Na dis witch carry her problem come here o. Block wey I done dey use since, nothing do am. Na today dis witch carry her bad mouth come break my block.”

As she want ranting, Adaku turned and quickly left.