From Housemaid to Oga’s Wife Episode 6
Ever since Nnenna confirmed the pregnancy, her body began to change in different ways. Her face was fuller, and her waist was expanding. She noticed how her clothes were becoming tight, and some of the workers in the estate had started looking at her in a funny way. Even the security man once asked her if she was feeling okay, but she just smiled and walked past. Nnenna knew the signs were becoming too obvious. She tried to wear loose gowns, but it wasn’t helping much. She started getting worried about what Jessica would say when she finally finds out.
“Martins, it’s becoming too clear,” Nnenna said over the phone one afternoon. “People are beginning to notice. What if Jessica finds out?” Martins was silent for a few seconds, then replied, “If she finds out, just say it’s your fiancé that got you pregnant. Say he’s serious about marrying you. That’s all.” Nnenna nodded slowly. “So I should lie to her?” she asked.
“We have no choice,” Martins said. “You know what’s at stake. Just hold on. When the time is right, everything will be okay. I will handle it. Trust me.” Nnenna agreed and ended the call.
One evening, Nnenna went to Martins’ house to do some cooking. Jessica had called earlier and said she would like to eat jollof rice and fried chicken. Nnenna was already tired from doing some cleaning at home that morning, but she still managed to go. She entered the kitchen and began cooking. Everything was going well. The rice was boiling nicely, and she had already marinated the chicken. But after she added the last ingredients to the rice, she went to the living room to sit down and rest for just a few minutes.
The day had been long, and her body was weak. She lay on the chair and told herself she would stand up after five minutes. But her body gave up, and she slept off. The kitchen was left unattended. The gas was still on, and the rice continued cooking. After some time, the water dried up, and the rice started burning. A thick smoke began to rise slowly from the kitchen. The smell of burnt food spread through the corridor into the main house. Jessica, who was sleeping in her bedroom, woke up with a strange smell in her nose.
Jessica opened her eyes and sniffed again. “What’s burning?” she asked herself. She got up, tied her wrapper, and walked straight to the kitchen. When she entered, smoke had already filled the place. She ran to the cooker and turned off the gas. The pot of rice was black and smelling badly. She opened the pot and shouted, “What nonsense is this?” She dropped the pot cover and stormed into the living room. There, she saw Nnenna sleeping peacefully. Jessica stood still, staring at her in disbelief. “Nnenna!” she shouted, waking her up. “You slept off while cooking?”
Nnenna opened her eyes in shock and sat up quickly. “Madam I’m sorry. I didn’t know when I slept. I was just tired,” she said in a soft voice.
Jessica frowned and folded her arms. “Are you okay at all? You’ve been dull since you came. And now this? Something is not right,” she said. Nnenna stood up slowly, feeling guilty and confused. “I’m really sorry madam,” she said again. But Jessica shook her head and looked at her closely. “You look pregnant,” she said. “Wait, Nnenna, are you pregnant?” The question came out sharp and unexpected.
Nnenna looked away for a few seconds, then turned back and nodded. “Yes madam. I’m pregnant,” she replied calmly. Jessica’s mouth fell open. “What? You mean you’ve been walking around here pregnant?” she asked. Nnenna swallowed hard and continued, “Yes. My fiancé is responsible. We’ve been planning to marry before the year ends. He accepted the pregnancy.”
Jessica was quiet for some seconds, then asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Nnenna replied, “I wanted to be sure it was real. I also didn’t know how you would react.” Jessica looked at her for a while, then sighed deeply.
“Well, it’s your life,” Jessica said. “As long as the man is serious, I don’t have a problem. But please try to be careful. If you’re tired, rest. Don’t let something bad happen because of pregnancy.”
Nnenna nodded and said thank you. “I promise it won’t happen again,” she added. Jessica walked back to the kitchen and started cleaning the mess. Nnenna followed her and joined. Though Jessica had accepted the explanation, Nnenna still felt a bit uncomfortable. She knew it was a lie. There was no fiancé. The father of her unborn child was Martins—Jessica’s own husband.
Later that night, when Nnenna got back to her own apartment, she sat alone in her room, thinking. She placed her hand on her stomach and wondered what the future held. Martins had promised to be there, but she wasn’t sure of how far he could go with it. “I just hope everything ends well,” she said to herself. The pregnancy was growing fast, and before long, people would start asking questions. For now, she just had to manage the situation and pray that Martins would keep his word. She closed her eyes and leaned back quietly.
The next morning, Martins called. “How did it go?” he asked. Nnenna told him everything. She told him how she burnt the rice, how Jessica noticed, and how she finally confessed. “So what did she say?” Martins asked. “She accepted it,” Nnenna replied. “I told her my fiancé was responsible.” Martins laughed on the phone. “Good girl. You’re smart,” he said. “Don’t worry, everything is still going according to plan. Just keep holding on.” Nnenna smiled faintly. “Okay,” she said. “But remember, I’m doing this because I love you.” “And I love you too,” Martins replied before ending the call.
To be continued
