WHISPERS IN THE DARK
CHAPTER 8
“No, don’t kill her. Just let her be. I don’t want to be responsible for someone’s death. I just want to reunite with my love, Addie. I will see you tomorrow, bye.”
I ran out of the house, boarded a taxi and went straight home. When I got close to our neighbourhood, I made sure to go into our compound through a different road that will not take me close to Mama Etchu’s house. When I got home, Addie was at the door waiting for me. We ran towards each other and hugged each other tightly. Addie started crying.
“How have you been, my love?” She asked tearfully.
“God has been good to me. I am happy to be alive.” I answered. I didn’t want to narrate all what I had been through.
“I am so sorry; I don’t know what came over me. I promise you I will never do that again.”
“It’s alright, babe. I know it wasn’t your fault. It is well, it is very well. God will see us through. I missed you a lot.”
“I miss you, too. Come into the house, please. Your food is getting cold.”
After I had eaten and bathed, I told Addie everything she needed to know about my experiences with Mama Etchu and Vera. She was shocked to realize that it was the food that she ate that had caused the whole trouble. We decided that henceforth, we would avoid the Etchu’s and we also decided to move out of that hostel the following day. It was a matter of urgency and we didn’t want to take any chances. Addie called her father and explained to him that she needed some money for excursion. Her father didn’t even hesitate. He sent the money, and we used the money to move to another hostel.
We had already moved out, however, there were a few of our stuffs remaining. One evening, I came to collect our remaining things and also to give back the keys to the caretaker of the hostel. As I was about to leave, Ayuk saw me.
“Good evening, Eyong.” She greeted.
“Ayuk, how are you?”
“I am good. I can see you have made up with your girlfriend, Addie.”
“Yes, I have, and I am so happy.”
“Indeed!” She sneered.
“No hard feelings, Ayuk. I am so grateful to you and your family for everything you did for me. I was frustrated and you guys took me in and gave me love. I am grateful. How is your mum?”
“She travelled.”
“Okay, greet her for me. I have to be going now.”
“How about us?” She asked.
“Us? How do you mean?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
“You and I. I thought we had something going?”
“I am sorry, but Addie and I are back together. You are a nice lady, but we have to forget about what happened. We will still remain friends.”
“Who cares?” She spat and walked away from me.
I stood there for a moment and then continued going back home. I was just happy that I had been able to rid myself of them. As for her mother, when she returned, she would hear the whole thing. I am never coming back to that neighbourhood and I had no intentions of ever seeing them again.
It had been two years now. Addie and I were in our final year in the university. We were working towards our graduation and things were moving swimmingly for us. Vera was also going to graduate. I had introduced her to Addie, and they were good friends. My relationship with Addie had become very strong now and we were always happy. However, back in the village, things were different.
Remember I told you that Elvis’ mother was a domestic servant at Addie’s house. She had succeeded to use a love portion on Addie’s father and now, things had changed. Things had gotten so bad that Addie’s mother had been kicked out of the house. She had returned to their family house in another city. Elvis’ mother was now the woman of the house. Her main plan was to transfer all of Addie’s father’s wealth to her. Everyone in the village was complaining about her recent attitude but she didn’t care. She was blinded by her greed.
Addie’s father, Mr. Tabe, who was still under the love portion could not do anything. He was completely adhering to the whims and caprices of Mama Elvis. However, there was a small issue that bothered Mama Elvis. Mr. Tabe had put all his property in Addie’s name. Therefore, Mama Elvis still had another battle to fight which was to get Mr. Tabe to change Addie as the next of kin and make her the new next of kin. She tried to force Mr. Tabe to do that and would have succeeded. However, Mr. Tabe’s lawyer was his own younger brother. Barrister Enow, as he was called, said he wasn’t going to change anything.
Mama Elvis had become desperate and frustrated. She had succeeded to get Mr. Tabe for himself but she hadn’t still been able to achieve her ultimate goal. She wanted Mr. Tabe, no doubt about that. However, Mr. Tabe was just a means to an end. What she actually wanted was Mr. Tabe’s vast wealth. But fate had refused to smile on her. All the wealth was in Addie’s name. What was she going to do. After many sleepless nights of worrying and thinking, she decided to change strategy. She formulated a new ploy. She decided that she would force Mr. Tabe to give her daughters hand to her son, Elvis for marriage.
Addie and I were at home when a call came in from the village. It was her father. He said he wanted her to come to the village that weekend for a matter that concerned her. He told her not to fail because it was urgent. I wondered what could be so urgent that Addie’s father could not say it on phone. Addie’s mother had already told us all what had been happening in the village. So, I suspected that something sinister was about to happen. I therefore decided that I would accompany Addie to the village.
That weekend, Addie and I packed a few things and we headed to the village. When we got to the village, Addie went to their own house while I went to mine. My mum and my sisters were extremely happy to see me. In fact, they were overjoyed. They didn’t know I was coming so; it was really a pleasant surprise to them. They had missed me terribly.
Late that evening, in Addie’s house, a small family meeting was going on. Present at the meeting was Mr. Tabe, his concubine (Elvis’ mum), Elvis and Addie. The meeting was called to discuss about giving Addie’s had in marriage to Elvis. Up until then, Addie had still not known why she had been hastily invited from the city to the village.
“Addie, my daughter.” Mr. Tabe began. “I called you here because there is a young man who wants to marry you.
“I didn’t hear you, Dad. What did you say? Could you please repeat what you said?” Addie asked, already getting angry.
“I said someone wants to marry you.” His father repeated.
“So, Dad, it is because someone wants to marry me that will make you invite me to the village with such urgency?”
“Yes, my daughter. It was urgent to me if it wasn’t urgent to you.”
“Really? Really?!! Anyway, who is the young man?” She asked.
“There he is.” Her father said, pointing to Elvis.
“What?” Addie fumed, getting up from her chair. “So, it is this lowlife rascal who wants to marry me, and you made me to leave the city, abandon my studies, took the risk of traveling, wasted my money just to come here? Dad!!!”
“My daughter…” Mr. Tabe began to say but was interrupted by Mama Elvis who had been silent all this while.
“You are very rude, Addie. Whose son are you calling a lowlife? Your father has found someone worthy of you and you are here calling him names. Is that what you went and learnt in that university?”
“Please, shut your mouth there and don’t bring that your witchcraft to me. Who are you to talk when we are talking about our family issues? Are you a member of this family? Addie asked, rudely.
“You are talking to me like that?” Mama Elvis asked, shocked by Addie’s guts.
“Who are you that I won’t talk to you like that? Who are you?”
“I am your father’s wife.”
“Who married you, devil? Who paid your bride price? I pity you a lot. Look, let me tell you, you might have blinded my father’s eyes to make him hate my mum and drive her away. But let me tell you, you still have one more Tabe to contend with and that is me, Tabe Addie, true daughter of her father. I will deal with you.”
“Honey, can you hear what your daughter is saying? You sit there and allow her talk to me like that?”
“What can I say, Madam. She is above me.” Mr. Tabe said and shrugged his shoulders. Addie continued.
“I want you and your son out of this house this night. If you don’t leave, I will set you both on fire. You people are joking with. I am not my peaceful mother. Wait for me and see what I will do.” She spoke, got up and went into the inner pat of the house. By the time she got back with a full bucket of water, Mama Elvis and her son, had already left.
“Dad, what was the meaning of that?” Addie asked.
“My daughter, my hands are tied. I don’t know what to do.”
“What? Dad, this is not you. What has happened to you? What has that witch done to my father?” But Mr. Tabe was silent.
He just sat there like a fool with his head bowed. Addie decided that she was going to do everything within her powers to undo whatever it was that Mama Elvis had done to her father. By declaring that, she had just declared a new war between herself and Mama Elvis.
The next day, I was sitting at home, hoping that Addie will show up when I saw Mama Elvis hurrying towards our house. I called my mum’s attention immediately and she came out of the house to confront her.
“What do you want in my house looking so worked up, Christy?” My mum asked, calling her by her maiden name.
“I want you to tell your son to leave Addie alone. Let him leave her alone immediately. She shouted.
“Why? What has my son’s relationship with Addie got to do with you? You are not even related.”
“I want Addie to marry my son, Elvis. She has turned down his proposal all because of that your son.”
“Oh, you think it is because of my son that she said no to Elvis. Don’t you think it was because of what you did to her mum?”
“What did I do to her mum? Was it my fault that she allowed me to take her husband from her. She was weak so I snatched her husband. Anyway, that is not your concern. Just tell your son to back off or…”
“Or what?” My mother asked. “What will you do? You will try to bewitch my son the way you have bewitched Mr. Tabe? Dare me and you will know the stuff I am made of. Foolish woman!!”
“Alright, I can see you are not taking me seriously. You don’t want to take me seriously. We will see. We shall see.”
“We shall see nothing. Get out of my house, witch.” My mum said angrily, almost pushing her.
She left our house in anger, making threats and promising to return. She was being defeated everywhere she went. I wondered what plans she had next up her sleeves.
The next day, I was sitting in our living room when the youngest of all my sisters, our last born came to me and told me Elvis was outside. He wanted to see me.
“Elvis!!” I exclaimed. “Alright, tell him I will be right there.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
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