THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
CHAPTER 108
BY SOLOMON ADINYA
“Sunny come and say what you know about this boys death it’s becoming too much!” A voice cried .
“I swear on my mother’s grave I don’t have a hand on Simon’s grandchildren death , you accused me the last time , we went to the shrine I was proven innocent what else do you want from me ?” He asked with eyes blinking like those of an Agama lizard.
“You must go and swear before the shrine that your hand is not in this boy’s death .” An older man said .
“I will swear oh ! Take me anywhere I will swear I had no hand in his death .” the men picked up the corpse and some held the devastated Simon and led him away from Sunny’s compound .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
Ogwuche had sneaked to the back of the house , and cut off the right foot rope that was used to tie his father’s cattles when they still had money to buy them from Fulani herders,for Christmas, he escaped into the bush ,he searched for a tall Okpehe tree, though he was weak he fought his way up the tree , it was so quiet up there , he sat untop of the tree staring at all the green green roofs of tree tops , birds perching and flying away from the trees , he made a knotted the rope , and made a noose , he sized it on his neck and saw it would fit , then he crawled on his belly up the tree and tied the rope .
He put the knot around his neck , and stared into the sky for one last time. “Finally I’ll be free of this pains , finally I will be free of this misery of a life , finally I’ll rest from this heartache.
” He thought , He sighed, and looked at the green underbrush where his body will soon dangle above , at the earth where the maggots would soon eat problems away .But right then he heard the crumbling of twigs under feet ,he turned to look what it was , he hissed as he saw his mother .
“Ogwuche don’t you try it! you see this knife if you do that I’ll stab myself too . Or let me stab myself first so we could all die and leave our problems!” Ene cried .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
“You want to die and leave me ! Do you think am not hurt seeing you like this ?Every night I don’t sleep I pray till three A.M for you Ogwuche , you want to kill yourself and leave me ? You dropped the knife , I’ll first of all kill myself.” She squeaked .
“Oooohhhh Mama what are you doing here ?”Ogwuche cried . “So even to take my life in peace you won’t allow me ? Mama are you not seeing how am suffering? God hates me! at thirty four years no achievement, my such of joy he has taken away ! what good is my being here ! let me die and go away !” Ogwuche cried .
“Ogwuche please remove that rope from your neck my son , we will find solution to your problem , you cannot kill yourself . Please I love you , even if I don’t kill myself I’ll die of hypertension , please come down .” She begged, she fell on her knees.
“Ogwuche please come down let us find a solution , suicide isn’t a solution, you’ll bring a curse upon our family .” Ene begged , Ogwuche sat on a branch of the tree glaring at his mother, Ene also sat on the ground, for thirty minutes , before he removed the noose from his neck and came down from the tree .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
“My son never think of suicide , it’s not a solution , we’ll find a solution to your problem, you are still young , your wife is young ,You’ll have children .” Ene said as she embraced her son . “You cannot kill yourself.” she said with a teary eyes .
Before they got home the boy had been buried , just the sombre congregation,with arms folded across their chest ,in less than tree hours a boy had died and be buried .
The next morning , the villagers had gathered at the shrine , were the chief Priest , who was dressed is normal Ankara native shirt , with a red cap and wore some black and red cultural beads around his hand . Made long incantations and prepared a concoction which he served to Sunny .
“If you know you’re the one who killed the boy , don’t drink this concoction, because you’ll die , you will be banished from Agadagba, but if you’re not guilty just take this to prove your innocence.
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
” He said , Sunny stretched his hand and collected the carton coloured calabash . He gulped down repulsive concoction and dropped the calabash .
“If you’re guilty Alekwu will strike you dead in one to seven days . If he doesn’t die nobody here should ever point a finger at him for the death of the little boy .” The priest warned . The mumbling crowd despersed gossiping in low voices as they walked down the untared road .
Ogbene had visited home with her husband , she had a nine months old baby girl,she came to commiserate with her brother for the lost of his son , she had not been able to visit when Agada died .
Ogwuche was sitting on a bench with his sister arms folded and resting on his knee. “Ogwuche are you sure all this deaths are not as a result of Onyabehi?”She asked calmly , her daughter was screaming to be let down from Ogbene’s laps.
“How can you say that ? would Onyabehi kill her own children?” He asked .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
“Not actually like that , if you said she cheated on you with her ex , why didn’t you tell papa and Mama so the cleansing ritual can be done on her .” She asked .
“Well I couldn’t, I knew I was at fault , I’ve not been touching her , she irritates after we make love , I have tried to love her , and want her but I cannot , she knows I feel no love for her , so I blame myself for pushing her to go and cheat .”Ogwuche said .
“You’re making excuse for her , what if all this things that have been happening to you and your children is as a result of her cheating , culture is culture , you’re not even strong in church why would tradition not come after you ?” Ogbene asked . “You should tell papa and Mama , you know you’re the next on the line , Alekwu will not stop until you’re dead .” Ogbene said .
“You knew she cheated you continued sleeping with her and eating her food ,I think it’s Alekwu that has been killing your children and making you sick, not Papa’s juju he made on you .” Ogbene added , Ogwuche cleared his throat .
“I won’t tell papa anything, he’s the cause of alll my predicament , what kind of father forces his son to marry a woman he had no feeling for ?” Ogwuche asked his sister .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
“What are you two discussing ?” Ene asked as she stepped out of the kitchen, Ogwuche cracked his throat to signal his sister not to talk .
“mama nothing we are just catching up .” Ogbene stared at him angrily , she refused to touch anything she cooked .
A week later , Simmon called for a family meeting , he had go for further spiritual investigations and consultations with several juju men , when Sunny survived beyond seven days , the arrow kept pointing at Ogbene .
“Good evening my family …” Simon said and paused . “I call for this meeting between my family including you Ogbene , because I found out something.” He said .
“I’ve accused so many people of what has been happening to Ogwuche and your children , I didn’t know the culprit is you.
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
The chief Priest said you know and Ogwuche know something about the death of your children,and you must have been keeping it a secret.
You must confess and do the rituals or else Ogwuche would die within now and three months .”Simon said and went mute . Ene couldn’t believe her ears .
“Comfort what did you do ? has my son not suffered enough? please talk .” Ene begged , Ogwuche glared at his father angrily . “Talk Comfort .” Onyabehi refused to talk .
Ogbene cleared her throat. “Mama it’s what we were discussing yesterday with Ogwuche , Ogbene cheated on Ogwuche with her ex, he got to know about their relationship over a year ago , when I saw Ogbene going into a Oyoyo hotel at Otukpo to meet her man friend , I told Ogwuche , he ignored tradition and continued eating her food and making love to her , I believe that’s what killed Agada and Igoche .”
“Ogwuche is that true ? You knew something of that nature happened and you didn’t care to tell anyone ? Comfort! Comfort! you have hurt me so much, you killed my grandchildren I pray God will forgive you .” Ene said , Onyabehi couldn’t look up at her in-laws she felt like dying .
“Nobody should blame my wife. You should all blame the man that knows how to force other people to marry who he wants , I was not being there for Onyabehi mama you know ,so please don’t blame her , blame me and my father.” Ogwuche said staring angrily at his father, Simon couldn’t withstand the hatred boiling out of his son’s eyes .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
“Tomorrow morning we need to go to the shrine and see the priest you have to do the ritual or else Ogwuche would die.”Simon said .
Onyabehi felt like an outcast she ran into her room and hid herself until the next morning when Simon had come to call her they followed together to the shrine, he had called her father and reported Onyabehi’s atrocities , Oji rained curses on his daughter for bringing Shame to his family name . Ene refused to go with her husband to the shrine , Ogwuche just lay in bed refusing to talk to anyone.
“You’re going to confess your cheating in front of all your husband’s relatives in the compound , then you’ll drag a black hegoat , dressed only in your underwear, empty leg to the shrine where your cleansing will be done .
Failure to do that paralysis will visit you and You’ll suffer until you die , house husband will also become paralysed and die .”
The chief priest said . Onyabehi imagined the shame and embarrassment, the stigma such a ritual would bring on her head , she wept in confusion.
To be continued……..
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 101-110
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