MY SISTER'S WOES

It was the night of 5th july in 1993,that rainy night, i was
busy scribbling on a paper, ideas on how to set up my new
business as i had been settled by my Oga after serving him
for four years, as papa couldn't afford to send me to a
secondary school, i had just returned to the village to
announce the good news to my parents who were so happy,
i didn't see my sister and was too tired but decide to visit
her the next day.
As i wrote my ideas down, i heard a knock on my door, it
seemed more like a tap, then it came again. I wondered who
it was at this hour, it was almost 11pm and anyone who
needed anything should be knocking on mama's side of the
house not here.
I hesitated, then i heard my sister's voice "Emenike, its me",
it was Ugonma, i quickly ran to unbolt the door, she was
there, wet and shivering. I gestured her to come in, gave her
my wrapper to cover herself and made to get the ointment
on my table for her to inhale before dabbling into all the
questions running through my mind.
Ugonma was my only sister, she had been given out to Mazi
Ize four years ago, the richest palm wine tapper as papa
usually hailed him, my sister's marriage was all because
papa didn't have enough money to pay for me to learn a
trade, i wasn't bothered because i didn't want my sister to
do something that's against her will. It was also at a time
when we couldn't afford even food as papa's crops had
been affected during a great flood in our village as such
mama didn't have anything to sell in the market, we were
just managing to feed.
Then suitors began to come for my sister's hand in
marriage, she was only 16 and didn't want to marry then,
she had dreams, i remember when papa would call her into
his room to plead with her to consider the proposal of one
the men coming for her as that was they only way we could
start up again through what he'd get from her bride price.
Ugo had to be bait for our survival, she cried for many
nights but she decided to marry Ize after papa threatened to
disown her, he was tired of pleading with an "inconsiderate"
child, he'd always say then.. As i remembered, tears began
to trickle down my eyes.
I summoned courage, wiped my tears and asked her "Ugo,
what are you doing here at this hour, what happened, what
was chasing you, what about your husband?" there was so
many questions that needed answer. When she finally found
her voice she told me she was going to run away. My jaw
dropped and i demanded to know why, she explained how
she wasn't happy and couldn't come back home as my
parents won't accept it, my mother was even the worst,
she'd begin to scream "go back to your husband's house
and leave my own husband's house for me". I heard news
about my sister's ordeal while i was with my Oga but i didn't
know it got to where she had to run.. I held her, we cried
together and then fell asleep.
I woke up and couldn't find Ugo, i looked at my wrist watch
to see it was 6am.. She had left, i didn't know what to do,
then i had voices, it was Mazi Ize and papa arguing, i
jumped out of bed because i already knew what the
commotion was about, my sister had ran away as she
promised. I felt so bad that i couldn't do anything about her
situation.
As i got out, Mazi Ize was fuming and shouting on top of his
voice that papa should return his wife from wherever he had
hidden her, he didn't even respond to my greeting as he was
screaming like a man whose balls had been cut by a sharp
object..
I just prayed my sister was alive and had somewhere to get
shelter, i was pretty worried but then i couldn't do a thing,
everyone was worried but we couldn't do much.
Days, weeks,months and years had passed without word
about my sister, we lost hope of seeing her again. I had
started my business and was doing well and i was even
planning on getting married soon.
*******************
It was a sunny Friday afternoon in August 11th 2010,i had
gone to visit my wife to be , she is educated and works in a
big office,she was already out to meet me before i got to
the office, Chiamaka is a very good woman, she is all a man
could ever dream off though stubborn in a way. We
exchanged hugs and i asked that we go have lunch but she
declined saying she wanted to introduce me to her boss as
she'd been on her neck to marry her husband's younger
brother, Chiamaka wanted her to know she was serious
about being in love with someone. I obliged, i am a very
jealous man and i was thankful my woman understood we
had to do things in a certain way.
As we made it to the woman's office who is dark skinned
and in her late 30's, her husband, the actual owner of the
office before his demise the previous year had handed
everything over to her, Chiamaka had told me. She is just
two years older than i am, i was impressed a woman could
have done so well that her husband trusted her enough to
leave his business in her hands.
My thoughts still ran wild as i saw the face of the boss. My
face turned green, i became pale, the woman fainted and i
immediately got myself and jumped over to help revive her
as Chiamaka called for help.
It was my sister, my Ugo, my friend before fate separated
us, i always believed in her.. I was in tears, i couldn't
imagine she had done so well for herself, i was filled with
happiness and sheer hatred at the same time. My parents
had caused this separation if they weren't out to achieve
their selfish desires and the hatred was for them but then
happiness filled me, unexplainable happiness!
Ifunanya Ononiwu, copyright 2016