Living in Regret
Episode 9
Uche became a special errand boy for Ifeoma, as she would always send him to do everything at home.
He even started going to the market, and the women began gossiping that Uche was chärmed.
Months passed, and Uche kept anticipating the news that Ifeoma was pregnant.
After another month passed with no news, he decided to question her.
He called her one morning to ask why she was delaying getting pregnant
As she sat on the bench outside the house with her legs stretched, he said” my wife, you know I am getting old and I will need a child to carry on my legacy.
Isn’t there any good news from your end? He asked.
Ifeoma remained silent for a while, watching Uche’s lips move as she pondered on what to say to the finíshed man sitting beside her.
“I don’t understand”, she finally exploded, when you got married to your ex wife, did she take in just few months after marriage?
Is that why you called me out this morning? If you are already tired of this marriage, let me know and I can pack my things to my father’s house.
She got up and stormed inside the hut.
Uche followed her begging, he spent the rest of the month begging her something he had not done to Amaka since they got married.
A few weeks later, Ifeoma journeyed to Oshimiri to complain to her father, Ojuku.
He hadn’t seen or heard from her since she got married, and he felt she had breached their agreement and fallen for Uche
He was outside his hut sharpening his cutlass when Ifeoma walked in.
“Ahh Adanna”, he yelled excitedly, I thought you have forgotten your father”.
I can never do that father, she said as she took her sit beside him. There is a problem and I need help.
hearing of the word “problem”, Ojuku’s ears were open to hear what was troubling his daughter.
“Nnayi, Uche has been asking me every now and then if I’m finally pregnant and he might throw me out like he did to his first wife if I don’t do something,
she said pretending to cry. “That can never happen, are you still with your pÿthon? Ojuku asked.
Ifeoma opened the little basket she was holding and the pÿthon was inside.
She has never gone out without it before because to her it was her personal protector.
“You know I don’t go anywhere without it, she said.
“That is good, take it to Oshimiri river and call on the great Oshimiri, it seems you have forgotten who you.
You are a daughter of the river and Oshimiri gave you to me a certain morning I went to make sacrifices to her.
She also gave me the pÿthon to give to you,you can command it to do anything you want.
You have a mission to fulfill before she takes you back.
Ifeoma already knew about it and her mission was to destroy men who were unfaithful in their marriages.
She waited till evening before visiting the Oshimiri river, taking with her a white cock, and some other items her father mentioned to her.
As she finally reach the great Oshimiri river, she call out “Great mother, great mother please appear to your daughter, I need your help.”
Oshimiri finally appeared to her carrying so much tërror but Ifeoma was not afraid because she had spent time with her before finally being born to the world as human.
“My daughter, welcome. I see you are dëaling with that good for nothing man.
That is the reason I sent you into the world, to dëstroy such men that are not satisfied with their wives.
He is asking for a girl child, I will give him a child”.
She laughed and Ifeoma joined her, she knew Uche was up for dôom, as she bowed her heads and left.
The next morning, she journey back to her husband’s village taking two days to get there.
Sighting her from afar, he was so upset that she went out without informing him.”where have you been? He asked”.
He ignored him totally and went inside the hut. Uche followed her inside yelling at her but she didn’t say a word.
He gave her a resounding slāp, and immediately, he fell to the ground and suddenly became dumb.
His illness started that very day, he couldn’t lift his body, and Ifeoma refused to offer him food.
“You have slāpped the wrong woman and you will regret this if only you will survive” she hīssed.
Since Emeka heard about Uche getting married to Ifeoma, he has never visited him, but he decided to visit him to see a way they can mend their broken relationship.
It looked like the gods showed mercy on Uche, but when Emeka visited him, he found him lying outside his hut.
Decaying and with a strong smell filling the compound.
” What have you done to yourself? He asked.
I warned you about taking a second wife, and your father warned you too. Look where it has landed you.
Uche couldn’t stand the sight of his friend as tears rolled down his eyes.
Ifeoma stormed out of the house like a warrior, saying, “Uche is under my control now.
I will make him regret everything he has done, and in his next life, he will be contented.
“Time to go”, she said as she ushered Emeka out of the house.
When Emeka finally left she said ” this is the third day you are going without food in this house, and it is still counting.
Uche you will dīe in my hands and I will feed you to my pÿthon.”
She called out Oshimiri in his presence, “dear mother, what should I do to him now? She asked.
“Burn his house and everything he owns, kïłling him won’t make a difference, he is already a dèad man she said.
Ifeoma did just as she was instructed she set fire to everything Uche owned and she ran back to Oshimiri completing her mission.
Luckily for Uche,he struggled to roll on his back to the other end of his compound, lying there awaiting the day he will finally dïe.
Emeka came back in the night with the able bodied men in the kingdom.
They took him to Oshimiri river, with items for sacrifice as they cried and pleaded for mercy.
“Great men, go back home,” Oshimiri roared. “I cannot heal this man, he needs to dïe.”
Ezinne, please give him a second chance,” they pleaded in unison.
He has lost everything already that is enough punishment”.
After much plea, Oshimiri healed Uche. He stood up, could talk, and move his body.
“Thank you, great mother,” he said, jumping to his feet. He felt alive again.
They journeyed back to the village.
He heard from Emeka, that Amaka came to visit his wife and he asked Emeka to accompany him to beg Amaka to come back.
But he saw that it was too late as Amaka had already given birth to a baby girl for her new husband.
She was heavily pregnant with another child, when he knocked and she realized it was him, she shut the door at him.
He bowed his head in shame and began to cry.
He had lost everything including his dear wife.
The end
Thessycute Ekene
Uche,you see your end?