SHACKLES OF MY HUSBAND by Olowojesiku Deborah Iyanu
Episode 6
Mama Chioma came to say hello to Mama Ada and buy some pumpkin seedlings from her but on getting to the house, she met Uloma in a pool of blood, a closer look at Uloma made her realize that the pregnant girl was unconscious. Mama Chioma raised an alarm when she noticed Uloma wasn’t breathing well, the neighbors who came around rushed Uloma to the village health center when they got there, there, they were told that Uloma’s case was beyond their ability. They were advised to rush her to the general hospital on time so that Uloma would not lose her life.
Upon hearing that, the neighbors chartered a cab that conveyed Uloma to the General Hospital. When Mama Ada got wind of things, she had no choice but to empty her savings to take care of the sick Uloma so that she won’t be given a bad name. Teacher Emeka who refused to give Uloma money for the baby things had to borrow almost a hundred thousand to offset the hospital bills and also get the baby’s things as that was the first thing the nurses on duty requested for.
Uloma was operated upon two days after she was admitted to in order to save the life of the mother and the child. God’s mercy took over and the Cesarean section was successful, Uloma and her baby girl were saved. Uloma responded to treatment and came out of coma a few hours after the Cesarean section.
Immediately Teacher Emeka set his eyes on the little baby, his heart was softened towards Uloma, Mama Ada fell in love with the baby immediately the nurses handed over the baby to her. Mama Ada decided to let go of the grievances she had against Uloma and treat her like a daughter but then when Uloma came of Coma, she warned Teacher Emeka and his mother never to come close to her child.
Right in the hospital, Uloma gave her daughter the name “Amara”, Teacher Emeka and his parent gave her other names but Amarachi was a name so special to Uloma that she decided to give it to her child. After spending two weeks at the hospital, Uloma was discharged, she was afraid to go back to Teacher’s Emeka’s house to continue suffering hence, she decided to go back to her parent’s house with the little child hoping her parent would take pity on her baby and then accept her back to the house.
Unfortunately for her, the moment her father sighted her, he brought out a cutlass, he told her to go back to her husband’s house as she no longer had a part in his house. Uloma’s mother ran to her daughter, embraced her and collected the little child from Uloma in a bid to show her husband hoping the baby’s face would pacify him but he threatened to cut the baby to piece of Uloma didn’t leave immediately.
Uloma wiped the tears on her face, collected her baby from her mother and began walking out of her father’s compound. As she was about to step out, she met her younger sister who was just returning from the market. Chinenye informed Uloma that she had just been given an admission into the state university to study Accounting and she would be resuming the following week.
Uloma congratulated her sister and then advised her never to fall cheaply for any man just like she did. With that Uloma began walking back to Teacher Emeka weeping bitterly, she was supposed to be in the university studying her dream course instead she was nursing her first child. She was supposed to be a good example to her sisters but she wasn’t. The only prayer Uloma kept making was that God should reshapen her life by mercy.
On getting back to Teacher Emeka’s house, Uloma went into the store which was her room, she was surprised to meet a mattress there against the local mat she had always used for sleeping. She laid her already sleeping daughter on the mattress and sat at one corner of the room. Right there, she made up her mind not to ever go to her parent’s house until her life made sense, she also promised to make her daughter become all she couldn’t.
Uloma went to Pa Fidelis, Teacher Emeka’s father and pleaded with him to give her a portion of his land so that she can be using it to grow vegetables and sell at the market. Pa Fidelis gave her a portion of his farm as she requested and Uloma began to farm on it, she had learned how to plant and harvest vegetables from Mama Ada hence, she decided to make money from it. Uloma began to make money from the sales of the vegetables and that she was using to cater for her needs and that of her baby.
Baby Amara grew rapidly, one thing that annoy Uloma greatly was the fact that Amara was Teacher Emeka’s carbon copy. When Amara clocked a year and stop breastfeeding, one of the nurses at the health center advised Uloma go on family planning in order not to get pregnant again. Uloma appreciated her and promised to come for it once the fee attached to it gets completed.
Some weeks later, Uloma had been able to save the money needed for the family planning, she was counting the money happily in the room oblivious of the fact that Teacher Emeka was watching her from the window. He went into her room, collected the money from her, and started touching her sensitive part, Uloma pushed him away and walk out of the room but he pushed her back, jammed the door, and began to loosen his belt.
When Uloma saw what he was doing, she pleaded with him to stop, she even went ahead to explain that she might get pregnant if he go ahead with his plan but Teacher Emeka was deaf to her pleas as he was lost in lust. The urge to sleep with her was so strong that her pleas were like a melody to him. Since no one was in the house, Teacher Emeka succeeded in having his way with Uloma.
To be continued
