Must Read: I Have Done Some Great Bad Things - Season 1 - Episode 101

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: I Have Done Some Great Bad Things - Season 1 - Episode 101

The Nurse finally agreed not to go the next day,after some minutes of pleading from us,saying she will now go back the next day after tomorrow..


I was really happy and got excited with the development,to which Jane was literally comprehending,though she really never understood what lay underneath the carpet!
I told her that i will come tomorrow,and Jane asserted that she will follow me and come too,to which she agreed to,although i didnt think she will like The Jane part..


After much chats,we started going back home as It was now pure Evening time,probably,around After 6pm..Since Jane’s house wasnt far from that Place,i decided to drop her in their house first…Due to the fact that i didnt Want Ukamaka to notice i came,i started hurrying back home immediately,but not after Jane had finished telling me that she will come to our house tomorrow,so that we could go and visit the Nurse again;You wish!
While riding out from Jane’s house,to the main Road,and before I do the road crossing,i heard my name..I refused to stop as i rode on,but i heard the name again,louder..I stopped,and decided to look around to see who is calling me,and it was no other person than Nkechi! This girl self,escaped my mouth immediately,though she didnt hear it..


I greeted her,and she replied back,brimming with Smiles,and said:
“o”d-i-n-a-k-a”,stressing each of the alphabets with its corresponding syllables..
I answered her:”Mmmm”…
She said:
“keekwanu ebe i gara taa gina Jane,anyi ana eche unu?”(Where did you go with Jane today,and we have been waiting for you two?)..
“anyi no na uyo anyi”(we were in our house),i replied..But i was like,so Ukamaka still invited You? Hmmmm!
“Odii,i tochala o,ihukwara kpa iha zi,very soon na,ka akazie m ogologo”(Odii,you have really grown o,see how grown you are,very soon you will be taller than me),Nkechi said,automatically changing the topic..
I smiled and told her that i have to start going back..She said i should wait a bit..i did!
..
As usual,Nkechi began her usual lovey-dovey little tete-a-tete about how she missed me and all that…She asked why i have not come again to her house,adding that Ukamaka even told her that i was avoiding her..She asked me Why?
I said that i didnt really know,but that i wasnt avoiding her,just that i was avoiding or preventing a situation..She pleadingly told me that she will really love me to come visit her again…At this,i said: “ka igbuo nu m okwa ya?”(so that you will kill me,right?)..
Nkechi started laughing on hearing this,and especialy,the way i said it;though not all that loud,and while i kept a straight face,i urged her to laugh on,telling her “chiwa nu”(continue laughing na)..



Having controlled her laughter,she teased me,saying that:
“hafu kwa kpa iha na kpa ihu gi ri ka onye enwe ihe o ma,O ginwa wu onye ga egbu m!”(i should forget how small and innocent i look,that i am the one who might kill her!)..
“iji atu ugha”(you are a liar),i told her..




“Odii,biko gbalia bia..enwere ihe m ga dosara gi ma ibia”(Odii,please try and come..i will keep a present for you if you come),Nkechi said,resuming seriousness again..
“ngwanu,m ga abia,mana o wu muna Jane ga akwu abia o”(okay,i will come,but i will come with Jane o),i said,not wanting the “come to my house” talk to linger more,cuz Night is approaching very fast..
Nkechi didnt really seem happy with the idea,and so i said i told her i was joking,that i will come alone on Saturday,probably in the morning.I didnt want Jane knowing that i knew Nkechi too.She became happy,saying:
“o wu ihe m ji likia gi Odii”(Thats why i like you Odii)…
I told her to remember her promise as i climbed onto my bicycle,and headed homewards as she waved me a “goodbye till we see on saturday” waving!
..
I came back and met my grandma infuriated with me..o boy! I know that the cause of her fury is not that i am coming back in my usual time,after all,”i am ojemba”,but that something else must be amiss here somewhere..And so,after some serious furious statements and shouting,i inquired from Blessing to know if anybody came back or something..She said No..Then What The Heck is the problem,i found myself shouting in Igbo language!
It was then i was asked Why i had to go out and stay out throughout the day,knowing fully well That Some people will be coming to see me…Oh! “Chineke eh! Aunty Amara!..heewu,echefuru m echefu!”(i totally forgot)” escaped my mouth…But did i?


I was told that she left,not happy,and same with Junior too…


I decided,and told my Grandma that am going to their house this night,and that i will sleep and go to school from there tomorrow! She didnt stop me,she even encouraged me,telling me that i shouldnt try such thing again next time..
As i set off in my bicycle, to thier house,i tried to cook up the lie i will tell as to my whereabout,while also trying to thread carefully,because am yet to ascertain if my Grandma told her that i went out with a girl or not.


I tried to figure out the excuse i will tell,should incase someone decides to be nosy..Well,unlike other times,i didnt have to think hard to crack out a reasonable suggestion..What to say just subconsciously filled my head,and i just kept smiling as i rode to their house,it is a perfect cover up..


I reached Amara’s house few minutes later,and i could tell they were all surprised to see me..Well,Amara wasnt around when i reached,and i guess she was sent on an errand..After much greetings and pleasantries and welfare inquisitions,I settled in,chatting freely with Junior..It is Junior that now told me that ‘Aunty Amara’ is angry with me.I was like:
“maka gini kwanu?”(Why?)
“oshi na ijila anula ihe”(She said that you dont hear),Junior replied.
“ejila m anula ihe kpa ole?”(Dont hear how?),i asked Junior,feeling agitated and lost..
“Mgbe o yoro”(Let her come back first),Junior said,with resignation written all over his face..
“mana unu o biara na nke anyi?”(but,did you people come to our house?),i asked him,knowing fully well they did..
“ehe nu na.Anyi biara,mmaa ashi na enwere nwa nwanyi ga ya kwu fuwa”(Yes now..we came,and Mama said that you left with one girl like that),Junior answered..
“Oge unu biara,unu o huru Blessing?”(did you people see Blessing when you came?),i asked her again..
“olo!”(No!),he replied,making me feel relaxed and calm a bit..
..
Amara later came back,and when she saw me,she pretended she didnt see me..She didnt even smile at me nor reply my Greetings..When her father asked her that:
“ihukwala Odii biara?”(Has she seen Me?)..
She replied yes,that: “ahuru m ya n’uzo”(I saw him on the way)..



And that was it! Amara didnt talk to me again that day,even though i tried so hard to get her to,nothing worked..Infact,she was just avoiding me,and the only person i could find solace in that moment in time is Junior..Junior chatted me up,though my thoughts still lingered on why Amara is doing me like this..Is she making good her promise? I didnt know..But,all i know is that i let her be..I didnt bother myself again With trying to get her attention..After we all have eaten,i went straight to Juniors room,and la!d on his bed..Junior later joined me,and voiced his frustration,that he noticed that Aunty Amara is avoiding me..But what can i do about it,absolutely nothing!
I didnt know When i slept off,and the next day,i prepared and dressed up for school..Amara still kept a distance from me,and so i didnt care or thought much about her or anything..I didnt even eat The Meal they served me cuz i noticed that it was Amara that prepared it,and so i rode to school..Seriously,Their parents were not happy that i didnt eat before leaving..If Only they Know the cause!
..
In school that day,i remember them saying things about Exams and all that,but who cares..It didnt stop us from going to play,or from Wandering in the nearby Bush looking for wild fruits,or from Making noise in the class..But all in all,i remember,someone telling me that i seem sober and unusually quiet today..Well,i doubted it,but in me,i knew i was,somehow!
As much as i would have loved to hide it,i knew that Amara had a great impact on me,and for her to just neglect me really impaired some certain stringed cells of attachment of me to her..I felt bad!
…Back at home that day,after eating and relaxing,i set off to go meet with the Nurse..When i reached at their house,her grandma told me that she has gone back,and told her(grandma) to tell me she is sorry,that she will pay me a special visit soon..damn!! Damn it! This is just Double trouble!..She could have told me that she will still later go as she said before..Why promise and fail me! Then,i didnt understand,but now,i undastand that she didnt want me to feel bad that yestaday..So i guess it was postponed to now,and yeah,i now feel very bad…



I rode back to our house downcast,pitiful,disoriented and almost disillusioned with my life’s latest string of developments..Going straight to my room,i had a sweet hot siesta,which i rarely have;Infact,its one in a blue Moon stuff for me back then!
I went to Amakabo in the evening time to get the news of what happened to Obii and the other guy..When i arrived,many of our mates where there already,and so this people just started casting me,Throwing jokes here and there about me and girls..This got me wondering whether it was just a planned thing to get me humiliated this week or what? I seriously detest being the topic of a massive discusion,especially not in this context..But,i realised they were getting their joy from taunting me,and so i played along..I later heard the full details of what happened to Obii them…Also,while we chatted,one person was like:
“odii,i wu na nwa mmaa gi,i gakwa eso anyi eje ohia eju?”(Odii,you are Mama’s beloved na,will you follow us to go get Snails?).




If i say i wont go there,the already subsiding taunting and jokes will escalate again,so i simply told them i will go!



The following days were really a sober period for me..It was girl-free,i rarely left the house unless i was on an errand…My grandma loved me the more,and praised Me whenever she can,because to her,it was surprising how i would start staying at home everytime all of a sudden,going errands that i rarely do,and clearly minding my own business without disturbing anybody……
I did this on Tuesday,wednesday,Thursday,and then Friday…



After School that Friday,i just went home,ate,relaxed and slept off while relaxing…Towards the evening time,the boy who had earlier on asked me if i would go on that “snail picking” came to our house…By the way,his name is Emeka,and we all call him Mekus…He came with three “Owa”….


This Owa is a stick that can conduct fire…What i mean is that,when you light it with fire,it can last for a very longtime,usually 2-3hrs …
But,firstly,you will have to cut it out from the bush,beat it with stone or Any Iron stuff to make it flat and fibre-like,and then to be able to absorb and keep the fire glowing…Finally,You have to spread it in the Sun to dry very well…
It is a better choice to Lamp or any other thing due to its high blazing nature,and being economical too…So thats why the villagers usually Prefer to go With the OWA…..
…
Emeka had really helped me out…I didnt even remember about the snail stuff again,and so i didnt remember to do mine…I thanked him a lot,and he said we will be going for the snail hunting that night….



Immediately Emeka left,i went immediately to tell my grandma of it…I knew exactly what answer i will be getting from her,but i still decided to tell her and see if i can pull my way through..


“mmaa,anyi ga eje ohia eju n’abalia o”(Mama,we will be going for snail hunting this night),i said smiling slowly..

“Ije ohia eju je ime nini eh? Ihukwalanu Odii”(What are you going snail hunting for? Look at Odii!),grandma replied..
“mmaa achoro m iga”(Mama,i just want to go),i said again…
“enwee ka ijega…Gi choo iri eju ma a ga zutara gi eju,ga e rie,jiri mee ihe soro gi..i ka wu nwatakiri,mgbe oge ya ruru,ga ejema!”(No,you are not going anywhere..If you want to eat snails,i will go and buy snails for you to eat,or do whatever you want with it..You are still a child,when you reach the age,you will start going!),my grandma replied,with absolute resoluteness,and with a pure “this topic is over” resignation…..
..
I still continued to disturb her,and she kept rebuffing my advances,that i had to start crying,saying that:
“Nda Saba na aga,Chibozor,Nedu,Stanley,Ebere nwa nda Lambert,Collins,Emeka,Ozioma na Nonso umu nda Donald,na ndi ozo ga agacha..Aunty Chienyenwa,nwanne Nedu ga agacha,ya wuru so m….Mmaa m choro i so ha aga!”(Nda Saba is going,Chibozor,Nedu,Stanley,Nda Lambert’s son-Ebere,Collins,Emeka,Nda Donalds two daughter’s-Nonso and Ozioma,and other people are going too..Even Aunty Chienyenwa,Nedu’s immediate elder sister is going,and its only me that is left out! Mama i want to go!),i said,why crying!….
All this people i mentioned are our neighbours surrounding us,and so it was purely logical that i had to call them into the picture cuz i know that my Grandma’s only fear is that something bad might happen to me if i follow them…My childish logic worked!
“i kwuru sha Saba ga nje?”(Did you say that Saba will go?),my grandma asked me…
I said “yes”,adding:
“o mezichala Owa oji aga di”(he has even prepared his Owa already)….
I dont want to go into describing who nda Saba(Sabestine) is,but he is someone that my grandma alwaz tells to look out for me,and he is one of the key Labourers for my grandma,and he is the one that i helped build that Shade in our farm….



Well,it all happened that grandma soon agreed to allow me to go,after confirming from nda Saba himself…I was in that euphoric jubilant and joyful Mode that i will be going for snail hunting for once When Jane Came..
Unlike me,she wasnt jubilating,but she was okay..She first went and greeted grandma before coming out again to join me where i sat in the parlour…She inquired why i am feeling and clearly expressing signs of happiness..I told Her that i will be Going for Snail Hunting…..I didnt know whether i was expecting her to be happy or not,but she didnt seem so pleased With the Idea,and when i inquired to know why,she said:
“m ga ehi ebe a n’abalia!”(I will be sleeping here tonight!).