BLIND DESIRE

Episode Two.
I let out an exasperated sigh and faced the
guy who wouldnt stop trailing me wherever i
went?he was a very popular guy in school?
Ralph, a guy whom was well known to have
slept with almost all the guys at school.
?Ivyy, just give me a chance, i will take care
of you, i really love u..please? he said
immediately i turned to him.
?i bet thats what you tell every girl who?s ur
next target?the same thing you said to
Henna and the rest? i said and walked away
immediately but not after hearing him curse
out.
Fool! Just because his family was rich and
he walked with swag and the neatest guy in
school, he thought every girl would easily
fall for his charms. As it was, i already had
too much problems on my own and Ralph
wasnt going to add to my problems.
Its been two weeks since i started staying
with aunty Chimezie?after father practically
dumped me there. I wasnt allowed to see
my mum nor Dada.
Aunty Chime practically imprisoned me
whenever i came back from school, to the
extent she went to the stream herself?going
to the market herself instead of sending
me?what was going on?
Did something happen to Dada and my
mother? Why was my life like this? First was
my mum being hospitalised due to father?s
brutality and i being prevented from visiting
her. Why was papa trying to separate mama
and i? What was going wrong?
?Ivyy?.?
I raised my head to see Henna standing in
front of me.
I rolled my eyes and forced a smile ?hi
Henna??
?hi babes?i saw Ralph following you?? she
had a mischievous glint in her eyes ?so he?s
the one kpanshi you now abi??
?Henna, maybe you should just stop
this?.there?s nothing btw Ralph and i okay??
?but that guy is hurt and if i hadnt caught
him with that ugly albino called Mesoma, we
would still have been dating and he would
have been servicing me wella? he hissed
maliciously ?i hate that albino eh!?
I rolled my eyes. Simply because she had
caught Mesoma and Ralph in bed, Henna
had swore to make life a living hell for Meso
in the village.
?so babe, i saw ur neighbour, ehm, whats
that her name again?Kina, i saw her and
she said she hasnt seen you in the
compound for over two weeks now and it
seems you havent been living there, whats
going on? Did you run away from home??
?nothing?? i quickly stood up from the chair i
had sat on under a mango tree, and packed
my books ?i?ll be in the library Henna?
?you are going to the library to read abi you
want to corner one guy there?
?Henna please!? i sighed and walked away.
I heard her laugh ?change oil my dear make
ur waist no stiff jareh!?
I rolled my eyes?spoilt rabbit!
***
?Ivyy?? aunty Chime said during our evening
meal of boiled yam and red oil ?your father
was here when you went to school, he
bought new novels for u and also new
scandals with a new socks and he also gave
me some money to give u for ur upkeep?
I suddenly lost my appetite?what did papa
come to do? I suddenly hated him?why was
he preventing me from seeing my mother?
Why?
?Ivyy?? aunty Chime said again breaking my
thoughts ?i know you are worried about your
mother?but i just want you to know that all
is well?
?thats a lie aunty and you know it?u and
papa are both keeping something from me
and i can feel it? i said.
I knew aunt Chime had never liked mama
and i feel like all this was her doing. She
just hated mama for no just reason, i dont
know why.
?Ivyy luv, there are just somethings you will
never understand now, no matter how well
explained it is?we took you away from your
mother for some reasons, traditional reasons
to save u from shame and stigmatization?.?
?what shame and stigmatization aunty?!? i
cut in sharply ?what is going on? Is mama
dead? Why wont you guys tell me
everything? I believe i?m matured enof to
handle the truth but please?u guys should
not hide things from me?u dont know how
it feels to be kept away from the truth?if my
mother is in her sick bed, at least let me see
her before she dies, aunty please? i pleaded
in tears.
?your mother is not in her sick bed Ivyy,
she?s fine and just know that if you keep
persisting on seeing her, we will send you to
a faraway village where you wont even think
of seeing her? she said calmly dipping her
large piece of yam into the oil.
?what?!?
?just so u know Ivyy, we would do anything
to separate you from your mother?Dada has
been taken in Ezei to live with Uncle
Nonso..its because of ur school you are still
here?but if u keep insisting on seeing her,
just know you are leaving Umueke for good
because we would do anything to separate
you from your mother?take it that way?
I felt shattered and hopeless.