Chapter 1 - Chineye's family

Chineye's POV

Mom sat on the sofa reading a magazine cover that her friend brought to our house few weeks ago for them to gossip about.

Her friend also spoked to her about the importance of sending me to the university so I can gain better life changing opportunity other than remain in the village with her selling plantain, but mom refused and was adamant on listening to her friend.

Mama Esther was married to a rich man whom based in the city, but her husband neither allowed her lived with him as he kept Mama Esther in the village with three of his children while he based alone in the city enjoying life not minding that he was a family man and had to Carter for his children.

My mother had told Mama Esther plainly, "My daughter cannot go to the city to study, unless we have a university in our village I wouldn't mind talking to her father's brother or mine to assist us, but me sending my only daughter to the city to go and spoil, that's a no," My mother told Mama Esther.

They were having this discussion last week when Mama Esther came to our house with one of the magazine that she had bought from the market square covering latest celebrity update and new fashion design as she was a tailor in our village, The ugodinma village.

I sat quietly inside our room as my mother and I shared a mini apartment of just a single room and a parlour and overhead all their conversation, my mother wouldn't agree to sponsor my education but rather preferred me hawking or going to the market square to sell her plantain.

Due to the annoyance of arguing with my mother and trying to advice her on changing her mind about me forwarding my education, Mama Esther left our house and forgot her newly bought magazine.

"Chineye!," Mama called as I was in the kitchen cooking our evening meal, i immediately rushed out.

"Yes Mama," i responded

"Go to Mama Esther house and make sure you return this Magazine that she brought to our house. It been a week since she decided to leave it here and yet she avoids me and even goes to our neighbor at the market to buy whatever she's using to cook for her family," Mama said.

"But Mama don't you think she's right, it been two years since I graduated from high school, wouldn't I further my education?" I asked Mama.

"Further it to where, you can't go to the city, not with all the bad news I keep hearing about them, or don't you see Mama Esther, ever since her city husband married her long before you were born, she has remained in the village here with us, despite her husband has money and a house in the city, he has refused her going with him to the city and I don't want you to end up like her, I want you to remain here in the village and build your family here."

"No mama, I must further my education oo!, see Sandra and Ifeyinwa all of them are in school and they are doing well. Am not going to the city to find a husband but to focus on my education," I told Mama.

"That's what all of you will say but when you get there you will change, the city is so corrupt, let's just keep living our lives like we always have and enough of these city talks. Go and check the food you are cooking so it wouldn't get burnt."

"Mama me have told you I will further my education oo, i cannot remain in these village with you. I must further and that's final."

"Come look at these girl oo!, so you are now challenging me your mother, come and go to the city let me see you!," Mama thundered

"Mama I will go oo, I will go!," I stood in between the kitchen door and the Parlour and shouted, "I will go!"

Mama chased me back into the kitchen and I continued cooking our dinner. No matter how I advised Mama on the important of me furthering my education she has bluntly refused and warned that I never mention it to her ears again.

Sometimes I wonder if I an truly her daughter or she adopted me from somewhere, as I couldn't understand why she smiles congratulating others whose kids returned from school and yet frowned at the thought of having me furthering my education. I kept mute and continued with the cooking after I was thru, I left the house that evening to go return the magazine that Mama Esther had forgotten in our house.

Mama Esther has two sons and a daughter, although I haven't meet with her sons as they were in boarding school all thru and only visited their mother in the village when on holidays. Her house was quite far from ours as we lived at the extreme end of the closed street due to how poor Mama and I managed. I precisely don't know whom my father is, even though Mama kept calling Mr Chudy my uncle, Mr Chudy never accepted me as his niece neither did he want to acknowledge that Mama was his brother's wife.

Mr Chudy hated Mama and I don't really understand why. At first he had been fighting with Mama to return back to her village with me, claiming My father never married my mother when he was still with them and now he's no more with them, Mama should return back to her father as he wanted to use our house, but Mama refused, up till date Mama never told me her village nor whom her family was.

Whenever I asked Mama about her people, she tells me, "They are fine Chineye, but we shouldn't bother about them."

"Why Mama?," I naively asked her.

"You won't understand if I explain to you, so is better you forget about them as I don't have any business with them," Mama told me and I frowned.

"But Mama, what if Uncle comes to sell our house tomorrow and chases me away where will I go too?."

"No one will chase you away, don't mind that your stupid uncle his only jealous," Mama told me as she looked away from me, shaking her legs on the bench where she sat.

"Mama I don't understand oo," My frowned deepened and she sighed and stood up then, "I have told you, the less you know the better for you, forget about my family and your father and focus on the two of us."

I swallowed and never bothered asking Mama about her people again, so that she will never get angry with me for asking after them, but deep down in my heart, I really wanted to know whom my father is, what he looked like, whom my mother's people are, where they were and why Mama had chosen to keep it all away and come stay back in the village with me and not wanting to tell me anything about her true identity.

I kept on wondering as I walked up the streets, trekking to the road as I navigated my way and continued walking even as the night fell, Mama insisted that I must return Mama Esther's magazine as she doesn't know why the woman left it in her house.

I cornered into the next two streets as I was walking down, some street boys started wooing as it was their favorite time of leaving their home and wooing any beautiful village girl they see walking in the road.

Even as I was a village girl, I wasn't any bimbo to now accept them easily without giving it a proper thought knowing they sort to ruin my life, I kept deaf  ignoring the guys wooing me and walked till I got to Mama Esther's gate

I stopped and knocked on their huge gate. Though village they still lived in a fancy house and I admired it.

Knock, Knock! I stood knocking waiting for the house gate to fling open.

As the gate opened, my eyes meet with a handsome looking guy that shone even as the weather were slightly turning dark, I swallowed as I stared at him and he also stared at me, holding my gaze for a moment that I forgot the reason why I am there, until i heard another voice from within the compound, "Chidi who's there?," Recognizing the voice as Mama Esther's.

He looked back into the compound and look back at me, I blinked and swallowed, "Em, am here to see Mama Esther," I finally told him since he wasn't even asking who I am looking for.

"Oh!" he said and came out closing the gate behind him.

"Why are you here to see her?," He asked me again. I couldn't look up to meet his gaze as I felt nervous, so I shook the Magazine I was holding into his chest and the magazine fell down. I turned and ran back home not knowing if he stood watching me or if he picked up the magazine or if he had gone back into their compound, but I was sure, that was Mama Esther's house and I have given her back her magazine.