MY SPIRITUAL WIFE
EPISODE 6
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Shortly after that incident, daddy left the house (probably, with the intent to cool off).
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As expected, my stepmother, to the best of her abilities vented on me. First and foremost, she assured me that there will be no food for me in her house, until further notice.
My stepmother followed this up by also assuring me that, for as long as I remained in her house, if she doesn’t eventually kill me, misery was inevitable.
“If i don’t come through with these threats, Paul, know say my name no be IRETI”. She said, with the meanest of looks, on.
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My stepmother said if I liked, I could go ahead and tell my daddy about what she’d said. She said it’ll only make matters worst for me when she eventually gets to find out.
“You know your father is a foolish man, he’ll definitely tell me everything you tell him”.
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For a start, my stepmother gave me a resounding slap that left me literally deaf, for the most part of the remainder of that day.
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I’d had to sit down later that night, to watch my step mother and her three children relish a very delicious looking meal; food she’d made for dinner.
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I sat at one corner; swallowing spit to the aroma that was slapping me from all angle.
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After they were done eating, I was commanded to come over and clear the table; the plates.
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The moment i got into the kitchen, I hurriedly began to gather the leftovers, with the intent to hopefully use that one to “hold body and soul” together but that never happened.
The moment i began to gather these leftovers, my step mother’s last born (Helen) came in after me.
“What do you think you are doing, Paul?” Helen yelled at me.
Before I could regain my senses from the scare the unexpected sight of Helen had ignited in me, she (Helen) went ahead to pour water into the plate of the gathered leftovers I had in hand.
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I couldn’t believe Helen could be so mean.
I guess it is true what they say. This apple didn’t fall so far from its tree after all.
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As promised, I went to bed on an empty stomach that night.
(I almost did)
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I’d never been happier to see a face, when Oluchi came over to call me out that same night.
In her hand was a food flask.
Oluchi as usual, came to the rescue; brought me food.
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Oluchi and I found ourselves a place outside my house; outside “our Mother’s” house.
Oluchi wanted us to just sit down while I eat, then we can talk.
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Oluchi sat beside me watching, as I relished the food she’d brought me.
The food tasted nothing like I’d eaten before.
It was delicious; too delicious.
In more than one occasion, I’d attempted to ask Oluchi if “her mother” had prepared this food or she’d bought it from an eatery.
On a second thought, I figured it was non of my business. What mattered the most was that “Paul” wouldn’t be going to bed on a empty stomach tonight.
I was so grateful.
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Something about this food flask was strange though.
I’d started with what seemed like a small portion of “very delicious fried rice” but, I noticed that this seemingly small portion of rice never got finished.
I eat to my fill until I had no space left for more.
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I eat; eat and eat, yet, there was still more than enough in the food flask, for a decent takeaway.
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“How is your step mother, Paul?” Oluchi finally broke the long silence to ask, calmly, after observing that I’d eaten to my fill.
The moment I heard that question, for whatever reason, I bursted out into a sob.
I somehow suddenly got overwhelmed by sorrow at that instant.
I sobbed as though Oluchi had just told me that this plate of fried rice would be the last she was ever going to bring me.
Oluchi simply sat quietly, staring at me. She kept a straight face the entire time.
I had no idea what was going on in her mind or why she never held me in; in whatever form of comfort.
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“What has she threatened to do to you, Paul?” Oluchi asked, in a little roar, with her eyes suddenly burning red.
“Sh…she said she is going to kill me eventually and that if she doesn’t, I should know that her name is not IRETI…”
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My sobbing had now transcended into a loud cry.
“I don’t want to diieeee…” I found myself saying, sorrowfully.
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Even though I had not even the slightest of ideas what it meant to die, I somehow wasn’t ready to find out. Not at the time.
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Oluchi let out a smirk.
Even in the midst of my pain, I found this smirk strange.
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I was just about to ask Oluchi what was funny, when she dropped in on me.
“Don’t worry Paul, you won’t. You won’t die; you can’t die, not on my watch. But I can’t possibly promise the same about Helen, though”.
To be continued…
Moshood Avidiime
