Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Claudia:
"I thought you said Amy just left to answer a call." Frances says once the
party was over. The hall was almost empty but the music was still playing hard. I can already feel a slight throbbing in my head at the noise. I wish the DJ would just stop.
"She's been gone for two hours and counting." Frances continues and I nod. I was already getting pretty worried.
"I've been calling her but there's no answer from her end."
"You think she's hurt or something? She could be around the premises somewhere, bleeding to death." The distraught look on Frances' face just
makes me feel more agitated and tired.
"Listen, don't let your mind get ahead of you . She's probably with Chuks and they're most likely having a good time somewhere."
"You mean that Chuks?" I follow Frances' finger to the young man walking towards us.
"Beautiful wedding, Frances." Chuks gets us in seconds and places a quick peck on her cheek. I try not to laugh when I see Frances wince. She surely
doesn't want her make up ruined, even at the end of her wedding.
"Where's my friend?" Frances asks as soon as she was free.
"I was just about to ask you that. Haven't seen her in forever." Chuks says.
"What do you mean you haven't seen her in forever?! You are her date! The
least you could do was watch her!" I snap at him. He looks a little hurt by my outburst and as usual gets defensive. He's cute and all but I just find him too boyish. Too nice. Not good enough for
my friend, but who is? I don't like Francis either.
"Don't snap at him, Claudia. We still have to find Amy." Frances butts in. I
release a long breath and nod.
"You are right. That's more important for now. Where should we start?" I
look to Chuks who shrugs.
"She's a grown woman. Why should we start looking for her like she's twelve?"
I glare at the wimp.
"Claudia, leave him be. Come on, I think we should check outside."
"I have a bad feeling about this. Amy isn't one to disappear." I mumble and
make for the hall's exit with Frances.
"I know right?" Chuks puts in as he follows behind us. I roll my eyes in
exasperation.
"You should check the restrooms. Call me if you find her." I stop to instruct him.
"You're right." He turns on his heels and head for the restroom.
"Of course I'm right." I mutter snidely then continue on my way out.
"Give the guy a break, Claudia. He's so scared of you." Frances chuckles behind me.
"It's not my fault that he's so soft. He has to grow some balls, you know?"
"Like Francis?" She asks. Of course. She just can't stop seeking my approval for her husband.
"Francis has enough balls and you know that."
"Of course I do. I know first hand how big his balls are?" Frances giggles as we push out the doors.
"That's disgusting." I bite the corners of my cheeks to stop from laughing.
"Spoilsport. Sometimes I think you hate men. Do you like women by any chance?" The silly girl put both hands up to shield herself and I chuckle.
"If I like girls, I'm sure I'll go for someone who isn't rail thin like you." I
comment drily which only serve to amuse her. I find myself laughing along
with her.
"We--"
"Francesca! There you are. It's time to leave for our honeymoon if we don't
want to miss our flight." Francis intercepts us midstride. Frances' face visibly falls. She looks from me to her husband, visibly torn.
"You should go, honey. I'll find her." I put her out of her misery and she smile broadly at me.
"Fine. Let's go." Francis takes her hand and start to pull her away.
"You're a sweetheart. Call me when you find her!" She calls from behind her
shoulder. Yeah, I will. I sigh at being left alone and return to my task of finding Amy. She sure is going to get it from me when I find her. We are supposed to go back to Ilorin together. Did she leave without me? That's not something Amy would do. Maybe there was an emergency at home and that's what the call was for. This is what I decide on after searching all over the hotel for Amy. It's already pretty late so I abandon my search for her and hurry to catch a cab to take me to the park.
******
Few weeks later
Frances:
"Mom that's enough." I sob from behind my wailing mother. My brothers sit behind us and watch the drama unfolding before us.
"Amara! It's over for us. Hey! Your father left us to suffer in the hands of his family." My mom wails louder.
"Shut up, woman!" One of my uncles snap at my mother.
"Mazi Emeka, you can't possibly be serious. My mother worked for that
money just as hard as my father did. You can't take it away from us." I try
to keep my voice steady and be strong for my family, who are counting on
me.
"Now, you want to insult your elders okwaya? Your mother raised a useless
child!" Mazi Emeka shoots at me.
"I am not trying to insult anyone sir. All I'm saying is, take a look at us and have pity. Four children and a mother. You can't throw us out into the street like
this. Please have mercy." My lips quiver and I bite down on it to stop it from
shaking.
"My brother did not marry your mother properly so that gives us the right.
Even the court has ruled that we should settle this in the family seeing as
there was no will and it is a matter of tradition." Uncle Donatus says with a
little pity.
"Of course the court would rule in our favour! When our brother married
this woman, did she ever think to ask about his family?" Mazi Emeka puts
in.
"No!" The two wrinkly old men in the room chorus. I bite down my remark.
How did my life turn into this. I just miss my father.
"My husband told me he didn't have a family. He took the customary palm
wine to my father's house in the village and married me properly." My mother manages to say.
"Keep quiet and stop insulting the dead with your lies, woman." Mazi Emeka shoots at my mother in Igbo.
"Mazi Emeka--"
"And you little girl. Keep your mouth shut. A girl doesn't speak in the midst
of elders except she's asked to." He glares at me.
"But---"
"The wife we know is the one we married for your father before he left for the city to hustle. He has made the money and now his wife must enjoy
that wealth. Have I spoken your minds, my brothers?"
"You have."
"Yes oo" they all chorus. My mother only get more hysterical.
"You can't be serious! That wealth was made with the sweat of my husband
and I! My life savings before marriage was used as capital to start all these
businesses you want to take from me. It's mine and my children's!" My
mother cries and slam her body against the floor.
"A woman does not own anything after she marries a man. It belongs to that man after marriage." One of the old men say. I thought they said my mother wasn't married properly?
"No! You can't do this to me! It's all mine. I'm the wife!" My mom bawl out.
"Mommy!!" My younger brothers join in the wail. I want so bad to slump and
join them but I tell my self to be strong. My family is counting on me now.
What would Claudia do? I ask myself. She'll probably scratch out the eyes
of these greedy men, who my father never told us existed. As soon as his
death was announced on the news weeks ago, they appeared. With a woman they called my father's real wife. Who would have thought my father had a wife in his village?
"My elders. Please, we are also your brother's family. Temper justice with
mercy. I'm two years into the University with three years to go. My brothers
are still in senior secondary! How are we supposed to survive?" I ask.
"There's only one way out of this." Mazi Emeka says after a while and my
hopes spike up. Maybe this cruel man nally found his conscience.
"What is it, Uncle?" He eyes my mother up and down and I feel more anxious.
"Your mother has to be married properly into the family." He says and I
release a calming breath. That's easy.
"Let's do that then. Would it cost money? What does it entail?" I ask.
"She has to choose which of us she will marry. Then and only then would she be part of the family."
"Ewo!!!" My mother screams. What the hell! I look at the old faces of the five men sitting in our living room.
"We have said our own. If you don't choose one of us to marry, you have to pack your things and go back to your father's house. I will give you a week to make your choice. My brothers let us go." Mazi Emeka says these final words before grabbing his walking stick and marching out of the room. The rest of them follow behind him.
"Amarachi o! Our enemies have succeeded in bringing us down! Ewo o!
Chinedu your father has killed me!" My mother clutch unto my immediate younger brother who just looks confused and scared. I pry the teenager
away from my mother's hold and hug her instead.
"Don't speak like that, mom." I cry into her hair. Who does this in this modern day?! They can't possibly take everything right?
"Your father has killed me! He had a wife all these time and a family. A cruel family to match and he had no shame, lying to my face for 23 years. Women have it worse in this life! Cheii Oh my God!" My mom exclaims and slumps to the ground. Her teeth clench hard as she start to convulse violently on the ground.
"Mummy!" I shake her profusely while my brothers cry around me. I'm tempted to faint as well. Get a grip, Amy!
"Call an ambulance!" I cry out to my brothers. Thankfully Adrian, one of
the twins grab my mother's phone and calls the emergency number.
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