chapter 9

Ifeoma was trying so hard to sleep despite the sleeping pills she used, she had called her boss that she wouldn't be able to come to work that day and her boss been a very understanding woman told her to take two days off. When sleep seemed not to come, she decided to fill her tummy up with the large bowl of ice cream that her husband brought home the previous night.

She turned on the TV and sat directly in front of it, her eyes were on it but her mind was elsewhere. She just couldn't understand why her womb have refused to hold a baby for at least six months. Why miscarriage seemed to dwell in her marriage, she was just tired of it all. She had tried pills, injections, herbs and even prayers but nothing seemed to work, was God punishing her for not keeping her virginity till marriage? A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she only wondered who could be knocking instead of using the doorbell that has just been repaired.

She unlocked the door and in came her Mother in law followed by a young dark-skinned lady dragging a big box behind her.What is mama looking for early in the morning for God's sake? She thought before greeting her.

"Keep your greetings to yourself, Ifeoma. Keep it to yourself! Why have you made it your life mission to just ruin my son's life, ehn? So after my son have worked hard to put a child in that useless womb of yours, you just had to kill it again? If I call you a witch or ogbanje now, you'll say that you are not. With that your evil cat eyes, the moment I saw those eyes of yours, I knew you are not ordinary but my son had fallen stupidly in love with you!" Mama ranted angrily.

Ifeoma was certainly not in the mood for banters nor did she have the strength to fight so she just carried her bowl of icecream and attempted to go into the master's bedroom until mama stopped her.

"And where do you think you're going? So what I'm saying makes no sense, abi? You want to walk out on me?" Ifeoma ignored her and proceeded into the room but stopped abruptly when the woman beside mama talked.

"What kind of disrespectful woman is that? So full of herself!"

Ifeoma turned to her and then spoke, "who are you?"

"She's Ewatomi, the new wife I brought for my son. And you have no say in this, you either shift for her to sit or you stand up so she can sit, your choice!" Mama said smirking.

"What makes you think I'll share my matrimonial home with this woman! Why would I share my own husband with any woman at all? My husband and I had no such agreement, our marriage is for better for worse, mama, not even you can put asunder!"

"Keep decieving yourself! Tomi, that's your husband's room, take your load in there."

"You keep looking for ways to just drown this relationship, mama, what have I done to deserve this from you? Please, why won't you leave me alone?" Ifeoma started crying as she fell to her knees pleading.The pain she was feeling had overwhelmed her and her defence was breaking, all she suddenly wanted was peace.

"All these crocodile tears means nothing to me, all I know is that, Tomi is here to stay!" Mama remained adamant.

Ifeoma suddenly got up from her knees in a way that startled mama, she walked into her room and began to pack her clothes into a small box.

Her face was devoid of any emotion and tears have suddenly stopped flowing down her face. She closed the zip of the box loudly, grabbed her car keys and began to walk towards the main entrance of the house, mama watched her with satisfaction and happiness but it soon vanished when Ifeoma turned back and said,"You have the house to yourself for now, but not my husband."With that, she sauntered out of the house gracefully.

TO BE CONTINUED...