Ride Her Shoes

A girl is innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and motherboard dragging a doll by the foot

~Alan Beck~

Uga, Nigeria. 1993.

The gliding movement of the eke, python snake as it rubbed it's stomach on the ground moving freely as though it owned the area, instigating fear in the hearts of visitors who dared not go close to it while increasing the pride of inhabitants of the area as it moved.

No one dared to kill it for the fear of the elders and the consequences that would follow as it is said to be harmless and had helped them in the past.

One could easily differentiate between a visitor and an indigene by their reaction when they see the snake. As usual the visitor would always run away from it, even children who are of the land would run showing just how little they knew about their town.

It was August in preparation for the New yam festival and masquerades were always coming out to entertain the people and it would continue until the celebration was over.

The laughter of the children dancing to the song of the masquerade while running away from it could be heard from afar.

Although, it is unethical for anyone who hasn't been initiated into the masquerades fraternity -which is only for males- to dance to the masquerades drum, it is sometimes irresistible as it holds beautiful tones and rhythm.

Nmachi could have been one of these children had she not attained maturity rapidly. Her breast occupies the entire space on her chest and her nipples stood firm, peeping through her dress. Her hips were a lot wider, giving her a more defined and curvy feminine body.

At an early age of 7, her mother, Nwabuko had taught her everything there was to know about womanhood and that everything was farming, cooking, marriage and child bearing.

Every young girl knew this as a matter of fact, they looked forward to doing these things and bearing children especially male children as they were the pride of every family and any woman who failed to give birth to a male child stands the chance to share the love of her husband with a second wife because men always want someone to take up their names and inherit their lands and huts.

If any man fails to have a male child and dies, his properties would be taken away from his wife and daughters by his family.

Now 18, Nmachi didn't see things in the same light as her mother and that some times is the cause of their disputes. Her mother wanted her to be a wife and a mother but Nmachi wanted more out of life. She wanted what her mother wanted for her but many more before that and it scared her mother a lot

"Nne," Nmachi called Nwabuko who was plaiting her black afro hair using a black thread which is specifically used for hair making.

"Mmm," her mother hummed while trying to adjust the thread with her lips as she whipped it continuously around the portion of hair she had singled out.

Without thinking of the possible implications of what she was going to say and how best to present it, she said,"Nne, I want to go to the university and become a big woman like Aunty Akudo."

Upon hearing that, her mother gave her a heavy knock on her head

"Eeey, Nne what did i do?" Nmachi asked as she got up immediately from where she was sitting with her two hands rubbing on her head, rubbing the spot on which her mother had hit her.

Nwabuko pointed at the position in front of her where Nnmachi had gotten up from,"Ngwa, sit down." She ordered and Nmachi reluctantly obeyed in fear of another knock.

"You want to bring shame to your father and myself by imitating that girl, Akudo." Her mother said "She's not even married yet so rich. Only an irresponsible woman would reach thirty and still remain single."

Trying to educate her mother, Nmachi replied,"Nne, people have choice o. If Aunty Akudo has refused to get married it's her choice besides Uncle Obum, your brother is almost forty and he is not yet married but nobody is saying anything about it."

Upon hearing this, Nwabuko pulled at Nmachi's ear and whined it, making her scream in pain.

Nwabuko released her ear after she was satisfied with what she had done as Nmachi was on the verge of tears.

"It is as if this school you're going to has started making you feel like we're mates, eh. You forget that I am your mother." Nwabuko said in annoyance at how freely Nmachi had said those words.

"But Nne,".

"Taa, Shut up! I need to talk to your father about this shoulder you've started raising." Nwabuko said and got up from the wooden stool she was seated on, adjusted the wrapper she had tied over her chest and walked away into the house, leaving Nmachi and her half done hair.

"Nne, You have not finished my hair o." Nmachi called after her mother who kept on walking without looking back while her large buttocks bounced up and down in turns and style with every step she took like an old dance step it had mastered.

Sighing in defeat, Nmachi sat down on the floor beside the bed and tried to tie her by herself when a familiar whistling graced her ears, making her smile.

It was Echezona's whistling and she could single it out in the midst of ten whistles. Echezona, a young man of 23 who has the kind of physique that would make most girls turn around. He had a broad chest and abs which developed from all the firewood cutting and palm wine tapping that he engaged in.

Nobody knew about this unique signal Echezona and Nmachi had formulated except Nmachi's dearest friend, Ukokwe who was the only friend Nmachi's parents had accepted because of how well behaved she was.

That was the reason they had given Nmachi but Nmachi knew that they had their eyes on the large plots of lands and yam barns Ukokwe's father had acquired over the years.

Currently at the end of his whistling which was his way of communicating to Nmachi his presence, he was standing at the back of her house near a big old mango tree.

Nmachi, smiling in excitement, peeped into the room Nwabuko had entered and upon noticing that she had her eyes closed, Nmachi ran off on tiptoe out of the hut and turned around to get to the back where Echezona stood.

Upon seeing her, Echezona's face wore a bright smile as he admired her beauty not just that of her face and body, but that of the woman she was growing into.

"Obim," he called her as she got close to him and upon hearing the endearment, Nmachi added a style to her walk, swaying her waist while getting closer to him but she didn't take much time because he pulled her hand and dragged her into the not so thick bush so that passerbys wouldn't notice them and make them the topic of discussion.

"Don't you think we're going too far into the bush. Just tell me what you called me out for, Nne would soon start searching for me." Nmachi informed him yet he didn't stop walking.

"Echezona!" She called him and stopped walking.

Looking around in deep thought, he placed both of his hands on his waist and asked her, "Are you sure we can do it here?"

A very confused Nmachi looked at him with only one question in her head and in her heart, "Do what?" She voiced the question while staring at Echezona awaiting his reply.

Echezona stood still and couldn't say what exactly he wanted to do with her and why it was impossible to do it there.

It was as though the words were so heavy for him to voice out.

"Echezona, gwanum tell me." She said in a soft voice before closing the space between them and Echezona towered over her and he had to bend head to see her as she reached him at his chest.

"Nmachi, my love." He began and she hummed her reply while staring into his eyes "Nma, I would be leaving for the city." He said and Nmachi gasped.

"Why?" She asked him as the sound of her heartbeat became audible in her own ears. She was afraid that he was going to leave her and never come back, she was scared that he was going to break her heart.

"Nma, You know I got admission into the university. I need to go if not my admission would be taken away from me." He explained but Nmachi was almost in tears as she was going to miss him and possibly lose him to the girls in the higher institution.

Nmachi had heard a lot about girls in the university and how they run after guys and feared that they would run after Echezona the same way.

Sniffing in the catarrh that was already flowing out of her nose as a result of the tears before wiping her nose with the back of her hand and rubbing it on the old loose dress which is a hand down from her cousins in the city.

"When will you be leaving?" She whispered and Echezona looked at the sky while rhythmically shaking his head from side to side, thinking of the exact day he was to leave for school.

"Let's say September, next month." He said to her and Nmachi raised both of hands to her head in astonishment while stamping her foot to the floor.

"Ewooo!" She exclaimed before bringing down her hand from her head. "Chai, you didn't even remind me." She said in a soft voice but Echezona pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her to her toes but she didn't mind because this wasn't the first time he had held her in such a manner . Neither was she complaining.

"That's why I'm here," he said, "Nma, I want you to give me something so that I will know that you love me and will not forget me." He said to her before pulling out of the hug.

Scrunching up her face so that her eyebrows met, Nmachi asked,"What is that?" and Echezona breathed a deep sigh.

He remained silent for a while, staring at Nmachi's legs and then he raised his gaze to her face.

"Nma, I want you to give this to me," he said while pointing at her vagina area but Nmachi didn't understand what he meant.

"What?" She asked, throwing both her hands in the air.

Taking two steps closer to her, he rubbed her abdomen through her clothes before taking his hand a little lower to her vagina which made her gasp and in a blink of an eye, she was three steps away from him.

No one has ever touched her there before and she was surprised at how she felt when he touched her.

Nmachi continuously shook her head in refusal. She knew the implications of what was going to happen to her if she loses her virginity. Her mother always reminded her of how women are scorned for losing their virginity outside marriage.

She remembered Ugoma, a young girl her age who was currently pregnant in her father's house and was publicly humiliated by her mother and other women in the village.

There was a slim chance of her getting married and even Iheanacho whom she claimed to be responsible had boldly denied her in front of everyone and is currently living freely and had even been rumoured to be befriending Ugoma's best friend.

"Echezona, I can not o." She told him "Nne will kill me if I think of doing that." She said to him and he sighed.

"Nne will only know when you tell her." He said to her in a calm voice ,"besides, this is the only thing that will make you wait for me." He assured her yet Nmachi shook her head.

"Or don't you love me?" He asked her knowing fully well that was one of her soft spots.

"I love you but-"

"But what? Do you love me or not?" Echezona asked, already becoming angry at her refusal.

"I lov-"

"Nmachi!" She heard Nwabuko shout her name from afar and got gripped with fear

Nmachi had never thanked her chi for her mother's interruption in the past but today, she mentally went on her knees in gratitude for it.

"I need to go and answer Nne." She informed Echezona who nodded in agreement but when she turned around to go, Echezona held her hand and spun her around only to hug her tight in his arms.

"Think about it, inugo? He asked and she gulped before nodding, pulling out of the hug, she ran towards her house, plucking some bitter leaves on the way as an excuse for leaving the house.

Nne - Mother'

Mba -No

Inugo- Have you heard?

Obim- my heart.

Gwanum- tell me

Umuahia, Nigeria.

Akudo felt the need to go on ward round with the doctor but decided to stay behind and watch the out patients while other nurses went with the doctor.

She had a lot going through her mind and decided to stay there and think. She had no idea what exactly to think about whether it's her single hood or the fact that she can't even brag about a man in her life, not even a boy aside from her brothers.

It's not like she hadn't been in a relationship in the past but she has a problem with commitment, trust and of course men in general.

She has seen a lot of instances which made her decide never to go down with anyone especially her last relationship where she was doing most of the work only to find out the man whom she had been dating from their university days until just last year was preparing for his wedding even after spending the Friday night with her.

Staring into space, she hadn't realized that there was someone standing in front of her.

"Akudo?" The person called her before tapping her hand which she had folded in front of her.

Startled by the touch, she raised her eyes to meet the person only to find Tayo, Her ex who had gotten married the next day after being with her. He made her question herself and her sanity but even though it took her months to recover from the shock, she still acted like it didn't matter to her.

Putting on a professional smile as it was her work place and not a pleasure home, she said,"How may I help you, Sir?"

She sounded so formal that Tayo felt she wasn't talking to him and looked around him to see if there was someone else whom she might be talking to but when she realized that he was the only one in front of her, he sighed softly trying to relieve from the shock.

"Aku-" he began but She didn't wait for him to finish before correcting him.

"It's Nurse Akudo to you or just Nurse." She said still wearing the smile except that it got a little wider and toothier.

Rapidly blinking her eyes, she waited for his reply.

Tayo cleared his throat while trying to assimilate what had just happened. What was he expecting? A standing ovation? She thought and just then, a fair pregnant lady came up to them.

"Baby, why is it taking so long?" The lady asked Tayo while looking from him to Akudo. She must have sensed the tension between them because she faced Akudo and said.

"I'm here to register for Antenatal care," She said before nudging Tayo.

Akudo felt a pang in her heart as she stared at the woman. 'That would have been me', she thought.

She gently collected the Antenatal register to write down the woman's name.

"Your name?" She asked the woman but Tayo replied.

"Adesuwa Tayo Ogunmefun." He replied as if trying to spite Akudo.

"A Yoruba lady, I see." Akudo whispered as that must have been the reason he didn't marry her. Tribe.

"Pardon," The lady said as Akudo wrote down her name on the book.

She heard the lady but decided to play deaf. All that went through her mind was how she would have been in the lady's position as Tayo's wife had she not been Igbo.

"Take a seat. The doctor will be with you in a few minutes." She said to them.

If Tayo felt hurt or embarrassed, he did a good job at hiding it.

After they returned to their seats, she prayed for the doctor to be fast with whatever he was doing and attend to them so she could stop seeing them in front of her.

She felt like using her phone but just as her profession demands, phones were not allowed until they were done with their duty.

So she had no other choice but to stare in the face of her ex and his dearly beloved wife.

If only she had been open enough to understand the signs that were so clear to her and how often his mother disregarded her, she wouldn't be in this dilemma. She would have fled a longer time ago.

Just while she was thinking, Tayo walked up to her and was about to say something when she purposefully glared at him.

"I said the doctor wou-"

"Forget about the doctor." He said in a voice that showed just how serious he was. "We need to talk."

"I don't think we have anything to talk about and that's your pregnant wife sitting there. You shouldn't be talking to your ex in her presence." She advised him.

Getting up from the seat, she picked up the folder from the desk and made to leave the table but stopped when she noticed how the other nurses were staring at her. She knew they were paying keen attention as to how she acted towards him who to them was a patient as they had no idea on her ordeal with him.

Recollecting herself to the prim and proper behavior she was supposed to exhibit towards every and any visitor in the hospital, she smiled cautiously at him even though her eyes held more malice than he had ever known besides hell hath no fury than a woman scorned.

"Can you come with me to check your blood pressure?" She asked him and he didn't need an interpreter to get the point so he followed carefully behind her until they were both in an empty ward.

"What do you want?" She asked immediately they entered the ward and he sighed, shook his head and placed a hand on his waist.

"Akudo." He said her name and it pissed her off just how easily he said her name as if he's the one that named her.

"Just go straight to the point." She urged him, already tired of the conversation even though it hadn't begun.

"I know I did you wrong," he began and She rolled her eyes,"I didn't plan for any of this to happen."

"You're even wrong to think of approaching me about it." She informed him.

Tayo took two steps closer to her and just then the door of the ward where they were in came open and Tayo's wife stepped in.

"What is going on here?" She asked, looking from her husband to Akudo. "Are you not ashamed of yourself?" She directed her question at Akudo.

"Even under my nose you had to take my husband to a room. Don't you have any respect for the white uniform you're in." She spat and raised her hand to hit Akudo but a hand came between her palm and Akudo's face. Tayo's hand.

Akudo couldn't say or do anything. She just stood there petrified, wishing that the ground to open up and consume her.

"Stop it she was ju-" Tayo tried to explain but his wife wasn't ready to listen as she began to rain insults on Akudo.

The moment Akudo felt like the insults were really getting to her, she shoved Tayo to the side so hard that he could have fallen to the floor had it not been for the bed just next to him.

She stepped out of the room without sparing Tayo or his wife a glance. She wiped her eyes while silently giving herself words of encouragement.

'You're bigger than them,' her inner voice reminded her

'Even richer than them,' a louder voice yelled in her head.

'What more could I want?' She asked herself as she made her way down the stairs. She had a house, a car and a driver whom she pays and above all a well paying job and her beautiful family even though they get on her nerves more than they excite her.

Nmachi in deep thoughts watched as her friend, Ukokwe seperated the melon seed from it's coat. Not that she couldn't do the seperation and was watching her to learn rather she was day dreaming of how she was going to do it with Echezona.

One would think that she was going to tell it to her friend what was going through her mind but she has kept it to herself for days.

"Nmachi," Ukokwe called her but she didn't respond even though she was staring directly at her with her hand under her jaw while she stared.

Ukokwe carefully dropped the tray on which she was seperating the melon and clapped her hands in front of her,"Nmachukwu!" She shouted her name in full as though she was miles away, making Nmachi jump in shock.

"Hmm, what have been thinking about?" Ukokwe asked with so much concern about the well-being of her dear friend.

Sighing deeply, Nmachi shook her head before picking up the tray Ukokwe had dropped and placing it on her laps to continue from where her friend had stopped.

"I'm talking to you," Ukokwe reminded her but she remain silent.

Nmachi lifted her head high a little, looked to her right and then her left, just in case there was anyone hanging around especially her -mother- parents.

Although there was no one in sight, Nmachi was still not satisfied with the safety of her environment, so she lowered her head and pulled Ukokwe close, "It's Echezona o," Nmachi whispered softly into Ukokwe's ear.

"What about him?" Ukokwe asked her while sitting up from the position Nmachi had kept her while she whispered near her ear.

Nmachi carefully gave Ukokwe a run down on the discussion she had with Echezona beginning from how he called her out till when her mother called her back into the compound.

"Chim o!" Ukokwe exclaimed in shock but Nmachi was quick to cover her mouth with her palm so that she doesn't attract her anyone's attention especially her mother's.

"Oooh m! What is wrong with you?" Nmachi shouted at Ukokwe in annoyance that her scream must have alerted her mother.

Ukokwe adjusted on the stool she sitting on,"Sorry, my friend. Ndo." She apologized for her reaction but Nmachi hissed.

"If Nne comes here because of your shout, I will not be happy with you." Nmachi warned her before concentrating on the melon she was picking.

"Ndo nu, I was only surprised that Echezona would ask you for such a thing besides if Nne com-"

"Ehe, If I come what will happen?" Nwabuko, Nmachi's mother asked in a loud voice which scared them as they jerked on their stool and the resounding noise from the stainless tray which fell from Nmachi's lap filled the air, pouring the melon to the ground.

"Nne, I was just about leaving," Ukokwe said while getting up from the stool before turning to her friend and mouthing her apology.

"No, Uko. Don't leave on my account." Nwabuko said in a polite voice while giving Nmachi a suspicious look as to why they had reacted the way they did.

There was no doubt she had frightened Nmachi even more than she did Ukokwe, "Nne le-I want to see her off." Nmachi stuttered while leading the way for Ukokwe to follow.

Nwabuko cleared her throat as her daughter passed in front of her, "Be back before sundown, we are expecting visitors." She said before turning around to go back into the house.

"What are you going to do about Echezona?" Ukokwe asked Nmachi as they walked out of Nmachi's compound.

Nmachi placed the back of her right hand in her left palm and clapped it before interchanging them and clapping again,"I don't know, I'm still thinking about it." She shrugged.

Shocked, Ukokwe exclaimed,"Thinking about what? Don't even try it." She advised Nmachi who stopped walking to listen to her.

Ukokwe pulled at her own ear which is often a sign to show a person how serious you were about something, "Take Ugoma's predicament as a warning. The fall of the yellow leaves is a warning to the green ones." She said, finalizing her advise with the popular proverb, ilu before leaving her ear which she had been pulling.

"I've heard you but it's Echezona we're talking about not leaves." Nmachi whined.

"You and who is talking about?" Ukokwe asked her, a way of telling her she was done with the conversation.

In annoyance, Ukokwe murmured,"A child that is told a proverb and still needs the proverb to be explained, his mothers bride price is in vain."

"I should be on my way. We would see in school tomorrow." Ukokwe dismissed her before waving at her and continuing on her way not wanting to continue the conversation.

Sluggishly returning to her house, Nmachi thought about Echezona but a picture of herself with a protruded stomach, standing alone in a dark room flashed across her mind and she immediately threw her arm over her head, took it to her side and snapped her fingers,"May the gods forbid." She whispered, rebuking the image.

Upon entering the compound, Nmachi saw her father, Ojukwu sitting down in front of his hut which is also called obi where visitors were welcomed.

He was dressed in his full regalia as an Nze which is similar to a Chief. Surprised at the red cap he had on his head, Nmachi walked in his direction.

"Pa-"

"Ehe, Ada m." Her father said, smiling in excitement as she approached him while Nmachi wondered what the occasion was and why he was dressed that way.

"This one you're dressed like this, I hope all is well." Nmachi asked her father who kept the beaming smile on his face, revealing his teeth which has almost turned brown from the frequent schnapps and kolanut he consumed.

"All is well, my daughter. Your mother is in her hut waiting for you, you should go and see her." He informed her while pointing at the hut closest to the kitchen which she shared with her mother.

Nodding, Nmachi began turned around to go to her mother. When she entered into the hut, she found her mother sitting on the rafia mat while admiring a dress she had been warned never to wear until Christmas so that she wouldn't have to get her a new cloth by then.

Things were usually expensive in the market during the Christmas season so Nwabuko would always purchase new clothes for herself and Nmachi four months before Christmas when the prices haven't been inflated.

She would hide them in one of her old boxes and wouldn't show them to any one until Christmas especially when those in the city would be coming back with new clothes and shoes to show off in the village.

"Nne, I was told you wanted to see me." Nmachi said, announcing her presence in the room as her mother had not noticed her yet.

Wiping off the joyous tears from her eyes, Nwabuko turned to face her daughter before patting the space on the mat for Nmachi to sit.

Although Nmachi was still confused and scared at the same time which made her heart race rapidly in her chest, she cautiosly sat down beside her mother.

The moment Nwabuko noticed that Nmachi was beside her, she took out a huge black bead and placed it on Nmachi's thigh. It was mbaji -waist bead- yet Nmachi stared at it as though she had no idea what it was.

She knew her mother wouldn't give her such an item unless they were celebrating something but she remained silent to allow her mother finish off the occasional display of affection.

Not that Nwabuko didn't love her daughter -of course she did- She was only a tough nut to crack and always uses an iron fist on Nmachi for fear that she would turn out spoilt and rotten if she goes soft on her.

"This was given to me by my mother when I was leaving my father's house to my husband's, your father." Nwabuko said, referring to the bead which Nmachi was smiling at while admiring it's heaviness and beauty but upon hearing the word 'husband', the smile on Nmachi's face dropped and slowly did the bead.

Nwabuko hadn't noticed the sudden moodiness of her daughter because she even wore a brighter smile while placing a dress which she had sewn using one of the most expensive wrappers her husband had gifted her on Nmachi's thigh.

"Put this dress on and come outside." Nwabuko said to a very surprised yet confused Nmachi who had her lower lip hanging low as she looked from the dress to her mother.

"But Nne," Nmachi began,"it's not yet Christmas and obu ofor is after Christmas day. Why should I wear this dress today?" She asked her mother who gave off a light laugh.

"Christmas came early this year," her mother said to her but she was not satisfied with the response yet she decided to do as she was told.

She got up from the chair and walked to the inner part of the hut where they had set aside for dressing up. After she was done changing into the dress, she took in a very deep comforting breath and stepped out of hut to where her mother was waiting for her

"Ewwwe, you're very fine." Nwabuko complimented her in the loose dress she was in that only managed to fit at her hips.

Every other part of the dress was oversized, kudos to her mother's favourite tailor who thinks about the future when making her dresses.

"Ngwa, let's go. Your husband is waiting for you." Her mother said and forcefully took Nmachi's hand knowing fully well that Nmachi was going to shy away at the mention of a husband.

Nmachi tried to pull her hand but one deadly glare from her mother made it impossible for her to continue.

Nwabuko feared that Nmachi was obsessed with and might end up like Akudo who had been rumoured to be so rich yet so single but has acquired her riches from the numerous rich men hanging around her.

Nmachi knew fear and what heightened that fear was that Akudo was related to her mother. Her mother was afraid that there was a bad blood in her family which was making it difficult for the only daughter of her half sister to get married.

Upon stepping out of the hut, there were already three elderly men who also bear the same title as her father and among them was her best friend's father Ichie Oforji.

Ichie Oforji had been rumoured to be in search of a new wife ever since his wife couldn't give him a male child after having seven girls, Ukokwe being the first of them all.

Nmachi stared wide eyed at the sight before her and while the elderly men smiled, nodding their head while ogling her, Nmachi silently prayed to her chi that this doesn't turn out to be what she suspects it to be.

Ukokwe's father cleared his throat and began, "Nze Ojukwu, She is ripe just as I had said an-"

"Who is ripe?" Nmachi couldn't hold back her tongue from asking that question as she glared at him in disgust and annoyance.

She couldn't see herself as a step mother to her best friend neither did she try to imagine becoming a co-wife to a woman she had been calling 'mama' since birth.

Surprised at her sudden outburst, Oforji turned to look at her with a cunning smile on his face.

"You, I have come to pay yo-"

"Papa," Nmachi called him a major way of reminding him that he was like a father to her,"Don't pay anything. I am not interested." She said in a stern voice ignoring the signs her mother had been giving her by blinking her eyes and dusting her wrappers while her father wore a proud smile which surprised her.

Nmachi had always had a sharp mouth and that scared her mother too. She was always ready to say it as it is, paying little or no attention at the consequences.

"Your daughter, Ukokwe, is my friend and I don't have any plans on becoming her stepmother." She explained in a rather disrespectful tone before looking away from where they were seated to where her mother was sitting behind them.

Oforji felt a little embarrassed but did his best to coat it,"The friendship between both of you is the reason I think this marri-"

Nmachi didn't wait for him to finish what he was saying because she started shaking her head continuously.

"Eh eh, No. Nne, I told you that I want to go to school besides papa married just you and you're not even a second wife but an only wife. Why would you want me to become a second wife?" She asked her mother because she knew very well her father didn't make this decision and wouldn't have even thought of it had her mother not talked him into it.

"Shuuu, Who told you your father isn't going to get married to another wi-"

"Papa, return whatever you have collected from him because I am going nowhere." Nmachi said to her father and turned around to leave but just then, Echezona's whistling graced her ear and she smiled at herself but decided to give him a signal so that he would stop.

Breathing deeply, she said at the top of her lung so that Echezona could hear her from where ever he was, "Nne! don't try to talk to me about it, my mind is made up!" She yelled and just then Echezona stopped whistling, moved a little into the bush to wait for her.

After she was done talking, she made an angry face and ran out of the house. To her parents and the visitors, she was angry and needed to cool off but to her, she was going to see the one that made her heart race.

"Nmachukwu!" Nwabuko yelled but Nmachi had already gone and even though she heard her, she thought better than to answer her.

While Nmachi ran, she made up her mind to give to Echezona that which he had asked of her so that if she was to be forced into marriage with Oforji, she must have given her virginity to the man she loved, Or so she thought.