“I’m still waiting for my answer,” Obinna whispered.

Uloma heard the voice and looked up . It was Obinna. She didn’t know how and when he appeared at the kitchen door.

“Obi what are you doing here?” Uloma asked with smiles.

“I’m here to get an answer to my marriage proposal?”

“In this kitchen?” Uloma wondered aloud.

“Yes!” Obinna said firmly.

Uloma flashed him a smile and answered, ” Yes, I will marry you”

“This is good news. I’m going to announce it to the whole world,” Obinna shouted in excitement.

“Obi please come. Stop shouting” Uloma begged.

Obinna ran out of the kitchen and ran towards the living room where his dad and mum were relaxing.

“Dad and mum, she said yes. She said yes to me ,” Obinna announced in excitement.

“Wow! This is good news,” Elder Paul shouted, while his wife was shedding tears of joy. Obinna moved closer and hugged her.

“Thanks mum,” he said with smiles.

“What are you. Thanking me for ,” Mrs. Paul asked with smiles.

“Thanks for bringing Uloma to me. If not for you, I might not have met her”

“No son. It’s not me. It is God that did it. You deserve each other that is why God is bringing you together.”

The next day, Uloma travelled to meet her parents. Her parents were sitting outside When she drove inside the compound. They kept watching to see who was in the car. When she stepped out, her father shouted in excitement.

“Uloma is this you!”

“Yes daddy. It’s me” She ran to hug her father.

“Good evening mummy,” she greeted her mother.

“Good evening my daughter,” she responded while still watching. Uloma went close to her and gave her a hug.

“When did you learn how to to drive and who owns this car?” His dad queried.

“Daddy it’s my car. God’s mercy located me,”Uloma answered even as tears of joy filled her eyes.

“What! You have a car. Ah! I knew that you will make me proud. You are not like your useless sister; Ujunwa” Uloma’s mother said .

Her husband looked at her and sighed”My daughter please let’s go inside” he told Uloma.

As Uloma was matching delicately on her high heeled shoe, her mother kept admiring her outfit and was smiling.

“Woman! Go inside! You are admiring her and smiling. I never knew you love good things” Her husband shouted in anger.

When they went in, Uloma saw Ujunwa at the living room. She was a shadow of herself. Uloma wondered what she was doing there.

“Sister welcome” Ujunwa greeted

“Ujunwa how are you?”

“I’m fine ma,”Ujanwa answered.

Uloma wondered why Ujunwa is calling her sister, and even answering her ma. because she started calling her Uloma as soon as she got married. Her thought was interrupted by her mother.

“Useless girl. So you have remembered again that she is your elder sister. I told you to go and use dog to make her afraid so that she cannot leave the compound, you stupidly let loose the dogs on your sister. You have the mind to allow dogs to scatter your sister’s body. Evil girl.”

“Mummy, please I don’t have strength for this drama now,” Uloma pleaded.

“Don’t mind your mother. She is a shameless woman,” her father said in anger.

“But what is Ujunwa doing here?” Uloma asked her father.

“Where else would she be? She is reaping the fruit of her stupidity. This is where her mother’s advice Led her to”

“Nnayi it is not me. I never arranged marriage for Ujunwa. The person I arranged marriage for was Uloma because I know that she is wise. But greedy Ujunwa pushed herself to marry a criminal.”

“Did you say that Ujunwa married a criminal?” Uloma asked in shock.

“To call him a criminal is an understatement. His rank is more than the one of criminals. I heard that if he look at a car , it will get lost. He doesn’t need keys to enter a house. His hands are iron. Any door he touched would just open. All the while he was doing it, his partner in crime; Ujunwa was giving him coverage,” her mother explained.

“Mummy, I was not aware,” Ujunwa cried.

“If not that you are stupid, will shame allow you to say what you just said? You should cover your face in shame,” her mother reprimanded her.

“Mummy please it’s okay. Let’s talk about other things,” Uloma suggested because the discussion was hurting Ujunwa.

“No my daughter, you deserve to hear everything that happened. They shot his agamevu husband during one of his escapades. Immediately he died, his first wife appeared.”

“Mummy did you say he had a first wife?” Uloma asked.

” Not only that, all his property were bought in the name of his first son. They came and drove away this fool from the house. They didn’t even allow her to take her clothes.”

“No! This is wickedness.” Uloma said firmly.

“There is nothing like wickedness. While she was there, I advised her to save for the rainy day but she did not listen. All the money that her husband was giving her was spent on expensive clothes. Now she has come back for me to be feeding her. It would have been better if she came back alone. But she came back with children of a thief. Look at their eyes,” she pointed at the children, “they are thieves”

“Mummy please it is enough! Leave this innocent children alone. Let’s stop this discussion now.” Uloma pleaded.

“No! I have more things to say,” her mother insisted.

“Woman! It is enough! This is the last time you will call this children thieves in my present,” her husband shouted and she kept quiet.

After a while Uloma touched his father and he turned to face him.

“Daddy I actually came for something. Maybe we should step outside, let me whisper it to you.”

Her mother shouted in excitement,” I said it. I know that it has happened. Where is the man from?”

Her husband looked at her in anger and she had to apologize.

“Nnayi please forgive me I wanted to be sure that he is not from Ujunwa husband’s village. All of them are thieves, including Ujunwa.”

“Mama what is this? If you continue like this , I will take my life,” Ujunwa threatened.

“What are you waiting for? Please do it now. But before you start, make sure that you will terminate the lives of your little criminals. You think that you are wise. You want to leave them and go so that another person will bear the consequences of your actions.”

Uloma’s father stood, held Uloma’s hand and led her out while Ujunwa and her mother continued quarrelling.

“Mummy, I will not allow you to continue to blame me . You pushed me into this.”

” Who pushed you? Uloma that was pushed never falled, it is you that no body gave attention that is already on the ground. Ajo nwa.”

“If you didn’t bring him to marry Uloma, would I have seen him? You caused everything,”Ujunwa accused.

“Can you listen to yourself? I brought him for Uloma but you decided to show that you are smart. You snatched him. Now see your life. Stupid girl.”

” Mummy if I am a stupid girl, then you are the mother of a stupid girl.”

“What did you say?” Her mother asked. She was surprised that Ujunwa could tell her what she said.

“I said that you a mother of a stupid girl,” Ujunwa said it again with emphasis.

Her mother gave her a slap across the face and she cried out in pain.

“Mummy don’t touch me again. I am warning you”

“Is it me that you are issuing a warning?” Her mother asked. The question was followed by another resounding slap. She raise her hand again and Ujunwa held it. That was how a fight started.

Watch out for the next episode.