The young girl of about 5 years sat still on the wooden chair as the woman's finger walked around her thick afro hair. Cutting some hair apart, she braided them downwards and let the dark braids fall on the girl's neck. She was making a popular hairstyle"All Back".
She cut out another part of the young girl's hair and swiftly but carefully braided the hair downwards. Her fingers were strong yet soft on the young girl's scalp which made her very comfortable with having her mother make her hair.The young girl kept on smiling to herself as her mother braided her hair. "Amara!"She suddenly heard her name but it sounded like it was coming from a faraway place because her mother was still busy braiding her hair and she was sure her mother didn't hear it."Amarachi!" The voice shouted again, this time very harsh. It immediately jolted her out of her dream and back to reality.
Amarachi was a girl of 19years, she had her mother's ebony skin and thick afro hair. Infact she was her mother's replica."Ok you are still sleeping abi(is that so)!?"
She recognised that voice in her sleepy demeanor. It immediately made her jerk and open her eyes. It was her uncle's wife voice, Lydia. The woman never liked Amara nor Amara's mother, Chinenye. Growing up, Amara always witnessed Lydia insulting her mother. She was always envious of her mother and she didn't mind taking out her hatred on little Amara.Even now, after the death of Chinenye and Emeka, her hatred for Amara only grew more.It made Amara wonder if her late mother and father ever hurt Aunty Lydia.AMARACHI
"Amarachi look at the time!? You this lazy girl! Just look! Instead of you to wake up and start doing the house chores, you are busy sleeping stupidly! Is this your father's house!? Eehn? Zam oku(answer me). If you really love sleeping this much I suggest you die so you can sleep forever with your useless mother!"Lydia spat at me.
Tears welled up in my eyes at the mention of my parents."Useless mother? Really? My mother isn't useless"Somehow Aunty Lydia always reminds me that I'm an orphan and she uses that to taunt me every single day. I just couldn't help but stare at this woman who was my family.What did I ever do to her?"Oh you are still staring at me eehn?" She said and pulled me out of the chair before landing the back of her right palm on my cheeks.
I held my cheek in pain as I casted my gaze downwards not wanting to meet her eyes."I'm..so---sorry" I apologized quickly as I still held on to the cheek she slapped.
"Good morning Aunty" I quickly added as more tears dropped down from my eyes as I fought to control my tears.
"Oh I thought you had lost your manners. Shameless witch! Before I open and close my eyes, carry a bucket right now go to the community tap and fetch water osisor(fast fast)!" Aunty Lydia shouted the more as she held one of my ears and twisted it.
I let out a scream as my tears started rolling down my cheeks without restraint."Ogini Lydia?(what is it Lydia)
Ogini? Won't we rest for you in this house!?" My grandma shouted from one of the inner rooms as she emerged into the parlour with her walking stick supporting her steps."Lydia ogini!? Ogini bu nsogbu gi?(what is your problem) ibu amosu(are you a witch?)" My grandma said in her shaky voice.
"Nne(mother) good morning"I immediately greeted as I quickly cleaned my tears. I was so relieved to see my grandma. She was the only one I could really call my family. Everybody else in this house treated me like a slave.
"Nne don't interfere o! I just woke this lazy girl up to go and fetch water. Have you forgotten that our pumping machine has spoilt? She needs to go fetch water from the community tap now"Aunty Lydia defended herself as she released her hold on my ear and folded her arms.
"Look at the time. This is just six. The community tap starts running by seven. Do you want her to go and stay outside waiting for tap to be opened? Do you want her to get raped by some of this street urchins!?"Nne queried aunty Lydia.
Aunty Lydia shrugged her shoulders and eyed me.
"So!? Is she the first girl to get raped eehn Nne? After all..." Aunty Lydia's voice trailed off as Nne suddenly interrupted her."Metchi onu osisor(shut up immediately). Lydia if you are so eager to get water then tell Ogechi to go fetch the water after all she is a girl too"
Somehow, I felt Nne knew what aunty Lydia was about to say before cutting her off.
Ogechi was my cousin. She took her mother's character; rude, proud, lazy and wayward.Her mother never reprimanded her maybe because she was the first and only daughter, I don't know, but it was sickening.I did all the house chores but Ogechi never lifted a muscle instead she was always gallivanting with men.
Seeing Nne and Aunty Lydia argue made knots tire in my stomach. I didn't like it. Aunty Lydia would only add to my house hold work seeing Nne defending me like that.
"Nne don't worry ok. I'll do it. I'll go fetch water Nne"I immediately chirped in not wanting the argument to escalate.
"This girl. Nnwam(my child) you work to much. They want to kill you for me. This witch my stupid son married wants to kill you for me" Nne cried out.
I quickly rushed to her side helping her sit on the chair."Mama I'm not a witch!"Aunty Lydia retorted as she shot me a death glare.
"Metchi onu osisor(Shut up your mouth immediately)!" Nne shouted at her.
"Nne don't worry. Biko(please) rest. I'll go fetch water ok" I immediately said as I caressed Nne's cheek and cleaned the little tears rolling on her cheeks.
Nne stared at me with so much love visible in her eyes. I could tell she really loves me, she is the only one who shows me love. Not even my own uncle shows me love. I know if my parents were alive, I won't be suffering the way I am right now.
I put on a weak smile on my face and stood up to wash my face and teeth before heading out to fetch water.
FlashbackMany Years Earlier CHINENYE "Are you pregnant?"Emeka asked instantly. His grip on my arm tightened which made me shudder in fear. I couldn't even look him in the eye as I put my face down trying to fight the tears that were threatening to spill over my cheeks.What would he think of me now?A prostitute. A shameless girl. Nobody would believe me when I tell them the real truth behind my pregnancy. The society will call me shameless, they will all say I put on something revealing which is why I got raped.I hadn't even told my mother yet. My family name will be ruined, my child will be a bastard. My silence was already an answer to Emeka, I could feel his gaze on me like a knife pie
AMARACHII stepped outside the house with heavy sleepy eyes. Scanning the empty buckets in the backyard, I realised my workload this morning will be much. The atmosphere was so cold and sky was still dark. Some stars could be spotted as the darkness covered the entire horizon. I rubbed my hands together trying to feel warm.A deep sigh escaped my mouth as I took a jerry-can and made my way out off the house."It was still dark, why couldn't aunty Lydia just let me rest?"Stepping outside the iron gate of my house, I felt the cold breeze run through my body and I shivered.There were just few people on the road, probably those of the working class as they went their way not even minding anybody elseI greeted some of them, most replied while some didn't.Heaven knows I was still sleepy as I tried to keep awake whilst wa
AMARACHI I took hold of her hand and she led me to herparked car. We got into the car and the driver ignited the engine."Take us home" she ordered but with a soft tone.The driver nodded and turned the car around. I still felt a bit tense which I'm sure she noticed as I found her gaze on me."What is it my dear?"she asked me with a smile on her face.I didn't want her to think I was being rude so I smiled back at her and shook my head."Nothing ma"She sighed and let out a laugh"it's ok. I understand you may be a little scared. I'm just trying to help you"I didn't know this woman from Adam but the kindness she showed me within this few minutes surpassed aunty Lydia's attitude towards me my entire life."You can come to my house whenever you want to fetch water ok. My d
FlashbackMany Years Earlier Lydia quickly and stealthily walked out of the compound, opening the gate quietly and closing it in that same manner so as not to make a noise. "Where could Francis be now?"Lydia thought to herself once outside the gate."Yes, he is probably at Dike's workshop. Francis my love prepare to loose your Chinenye" A smile formed on her lips on the thought of Francis loosing his love for Chinenye. She quickly hurried towards meeting Francis.She would have to pass the community market which was a very good way of seeing Adanne or as she is popularly referred to as "Nne", Francis' and Emeka's mother.
AMARACHI I felt sick in my stomach every time I had to explain myself to aunty Lydia. She can never love me, I want her to love me the way she loves Ogechi but she can never love me. I atleast thought she will be happy on seeing that I fetched the water early but instead she called me a witch.Was it fair?Isn't this life being too unfair to me?"Answer them Amara. Quiet their tongues"Nne nudged my shoulder.I had been silent the whole time I didn't even realise it. "Nne she can't say anything now. What can she say? You are spoiling Amarachi o"Ogechi remarked harshly which got her a glare from Nne."Aunty Lydia"I began"Yes the community tap was obviously closed but I met Chief Justice's wife and she took me to her house and told me to fetch from her house" I explained.I saw how quickly both aunty Lydia
AMARACHII stepped outside the door of the house, putting on an okrika(fairly used) blue floral gown. I didn't have much fancy clothes like Ogechi, aunty Lydia hardly bought me any nice cloth so the ones I had, I made sure to keep them in good shape. My afro virgin hair was combed and packed to a bun and I carried a little handbag which contained some sowing equipments.I was already through with the house chores and I had already freshened up but I had not eaten.The heat of the sun had already begun, it was probably ten o'clock by now.I spotted aunty Lydia and her husband, my uncle Francis, sitting under the umbrella mango tree discussing. 'Uncle Francis', that tittle 'uncle', was he really my uncle?He accompanied his wife in maltreating me, he hates me the way aunty Lydia hates me.Is this man really my late's father's younger brother?I doubt it.If
AMARACHI After I finished sweeping, I proceeded with cleaning the sewing machines, tables and chairs. I had to make sure everything was neat and orderly if not I'll attract the wrath of Aunty Lydia.Something which I definitely didn't want. I had already gotten enough of her anger this morning, I didn't want more.Once finished, I sat down on my own personal sewing machine. It was actually my late mother's own. The only material things I had in remembrance of my late mother was the locket she gave me when I was still little and this sowing machine.The locket had a small space for storing a photograph and her picture was in it. I wore it everytime, it became my skin. I never took it off because I was so use to it. I took some materials from a polythene bag next to me. Gosh customers cloth! They were so many and they needed to be sewed. I really worked all round th
AMARACHI After my friends left, I went back to my work. It really wasn't easy. Time moved really slow and it frustrated me.I was cutting, sewing and mending customers cloth. More and more customers kept on trooping inside aunty Lydia's shop, bringing materials for sewing.I took measurements endlessly. I liked the fact that aunty Lydia's business was booming but the effect was taking a toll on me seriously. I was working round the clock here and I didn't even get a 'thank you' from aunty Lydia.I kept on working until aunty Lydia came in during noon.She was on a yellow lace top and she tied a wrapper matching the lace coupled with her handbag and her heavy jewellery.I immediately stood up and cleaned her particular seat for her even though I had cleaned it before."Aunty good afternoon" I greeted her with a courtesy bow.She eyed me and hiss