Chapter Five

Akunna was a spider who weaved her webs gradually and tactically ensnaring her victims while speaking soothing words to them and making them feel like they were safe. She was a spider who once you got trapped in her web, she wouldn't let you go until you are devoured and consumed wholly. Her suitors were flies who got trapped in her web of beauty and they fell completely without even noticing the danger they were walking majestically into until they were stranded. If she was a hunter, she would never go out of game.

There was a boy from secondary school whose name I can't remember. He was dark and very handsome. He was tall and had a body of an adult. He was very intelligent and outspoken that whenever there was a competition or a debate, our school knew who to call. Before he got to Senior Secondary School 3 (S. S. S 3), we already knew he would be the senior prefect when he got to that class and so it was no surprise to anyone when he was announced as the Senior Prefect when he finally attained S. S. S 3. His life was perfect until he met my sister. He admired her just like every guy did and he went on to show that by showing her favours. When he punished everyone in her class maybe because they had been noisy or they had done something wrong, he would spare her, when everyone was told to clean up the school, he wouldn't let her do anything. They grumbled among themselves but weren't bold enough to say anything out because he was the Senior Prefect. Many times he sent for her during break and would send a junior student to get her lunch. He stayed after school to talk to her and even though I didn't particularly hear any of their conversations, I knew what he would say. Once I had asked Akunna what was going on between them and she told me he was just being a man, that was the way men behaved, they were attracted by what they saw. "What about you?" I had asked. "Are you attracted to him?" Akunna chuckled and walked away leaving me wondering and without an answer.

This consuming affection and quid pro quo favours would go on for sometime that everyone got used to it and no longer talked about it. Then one day, we would hear there have been a scandal and Akunna was accusing him of attempted rape. She would cry and swear that he had sent for her to meet him behind the cafeteria and then he had tried forcing himself on her had she not ran away. No one had been surprised (especially the junior students who he had wounded to please Akunna). Witnesses had been called to testify, questions had been asked and he had concurred that he had truly called her to meet him behind the cafeteria but had not attempted to rape her, neither had the idea crossed his mind. When he was asked why he would invite a girl to meet him in such a discreet place if he didn't have any nefarious agenda up his sleeve, the boy had been speechless. Students had testified against him, talking about how he had been so obsessed with Akunna that he treated her differently from others. Akunna said he had been pressurizing her to date him but she had told him on many occasions that she wasn't interested. He agreed that he had asked her to date him but she had said she would think about it and that was why he had sent for her to come meet him behind the cafeteria and give her reply. After all the investigations, he was called out on the assembly ground and the issue which was the headline in school then was discussed and he was expelled that very day just some weeks before his secondary school leaving examination. I don't know why I had looked at Akunna while everyone was looking at the boy, some sympathizing with him, others saying it served him right, maybe because he was looking at her too and not saying anything or trying to defend himself any longer because all odds were against him. All I know was that my eyes went to my sister and even though it was almost invisible, it was there, that infinitesimal smile was on her lips and if I'm not mistaken, it was a smile of one who had triumphed.

Uzo came the next day with his uncle who looked like he could actually be his father. They were putting on traditional attire like they were here for the traditional marriage. Uzo looked different from how he had always looked those times he had come to visit Akunna. He looked more mature and more serious with his life, he was looking more refined and looked like he could actually be something more than what he was. His uncle on the other hand looked like he had been forced to put on the clothe. He was slimmer and the attire looked a little out of place for him. Like Uzo, he was dark and had a long face.

"Sit down, sit down." Father said smiling and shaking hands with them starting from the uncle. "You are welcome."

"Thank you brother." The uncle replied and sat down comfortably, his legs appearing longer than they were because of the couch.

"You are welcome." Father smiled.

"How is the family?" The uncle asked.

"We are all fine."

"Thank God for that."

"That is so, my brother. With the way things are going, I am grateful we can still find money to eat." Typical of father to direct every discussion towards the state of the nation.

"I am telling you my brother. It is only God that is seeing us through."

They went on to talk on trivial matters until mother and I served them their meal. It wasn't until they were done eating that they went on to discuss their reason for coming. "We were here yesterday but your wife said you went out."

"That is true, I went fuel hunting." Father joked and the man laughed.

"I hope your hunt was successful."

"It was, after a very strenuous search."

"That's good, so as I was saying, the matter for which we came cannot be discussed with a woman so we decided to go and come back today."

"I hope there is no problem?" Father looked serious. I know these are just formalities even though the both parties are aware of the other's agenda but they pretend like they are not just to fulfill all that should be.

"No, no, not a single problem, my brother." The man said waving his hand like he was bidding someone goodbye.

"Okay then, I am all ears."

"The matter for which we have come is one which I believe would bring happiness to both families." He said and father's interest was piqued. "My nephew here has requested I come with him to your home to inform you that he has seen a flower in your house which he would like to pluck." The number of times we have all heard that line in our house is immeasurable and as I heard it one more time, I tried to stifle a laugh and hold myself from muttering 'cliche'.

"My brother," Father said, "the way with which your words are well adorned is admirable but if I may, I would be pleased if you can be more specific."

Uzo's uncle nodded. "Okay what I am trying to say is that my nephew here has come to ask for one of your beautiful daughter's hand in marriage." He said and father was also nodding thoughtfully.

"I have heard you my brother but I would like to hear from the young man. What is your name?"

"Uzo sir." He answered for the first time since he has come with his uncle.

"Do your uncle speak your mind?"

"Yes sir. I have come to ask for one of your daughter's hand in marriage."

"I have two daughters, which one has caught your eyes?"

Uzo smiled. " Your first daughter sir, Akunna."

Father nodded again thoughtfully, ruminating on their words for sometime but not long enough so the silence wouldn't be strange. "Okay, I have heard you and I must say I am pleased with what you both have said here and if it was left to me, I would say there is no better suitor but it isn't up to me." Uzo's uncle muttered 'true' "I will have to call my daughter and then she will decide." Akunna was sent for and she came out after a few seconds. "Are you familiar with this young man here?"

"Yes Father." Akunna replied.

"Okay then, what is his name?" He asked and Akunna called his name and Uzo smiled alongside his uncle. "This is his uncle and they are here to ask for your hand in marriage, what do you have to say in respect to that. Would you want to marry him?"

Akunna was quiet for a while, not just her but us all and at that moment it felt like I could hear father's heartbeat in anticipation of the answer or maybe it wasn't father's heartbeat but mine. I was waiting for the reply and also dreading what it would be. I feared the cycle was about to begin or maybe it had begun already while I was trying to believe it hadn't. The house was silent and the silence was deafening. It was a very few second but it felt like it was for centuries and Akunna was keeping us hanging on the line, intentionally keeping us hanging so she could gloriously bask in the knowledge of time and attention wrapping themselves around her like satin and sticking to her body like a perfectly sewed gown.

"Akunna, did you hear me?" Father asked, the palpitation of my heart clashing with the silence that ruled the house and creating an atomic bomb that wanted to blast me into nothingness.

"I did father."

"I said what do you have to say?" He asked again.

"No, Father, I do not want to marry Uzo." She said stoically and I realized (either i believed it or not), the cycle had begun.