PRINCESS AMARACHI Episode 15 by Okafor Erasmus Ugochukwu

PRINCESS AMARACHI Episode 15 by Okafor Erasmus Ugochukwu

Osisioma took Uremma and Akunna to her house while Chibunna’s parents took him home for him to have proper care and rest for the weekend.

Everything was still like a dream to everyone, especially Amarachi and Uremma who never knew that Chisimdi had such a powerful gift that had been hidden away from them for many years.

Amarachi didn’t hesitate to enter her car and start rushing to the village after settling the hospital bills of her friends ensuring that they all went home safely.

Mkpulumma was already at Ubulu with lots of confusion looming inside of her as she reminisced on the recent incident that got even the dead resurrected. She so surprised because she couldn’t understand how her daughter could develop such a gift under her nose but she knew nothing about it. She was so eager to see Chisimdi and Oduenyi start getting some explanations but they weren’t back yet and it was already evening.

Sauntering and stroking her hair impatiently, the queen sunk in deep thought and couldn’t even sit even when the guards and the maidservants suggested she does. She couldn’t sit if her daughter doesn’t come home to give some explanations.

As Mkpulumma waited, the entrance gate opened, making her rush towards it to know if Chisimdi was the one coming back but then saw Amarachi’s eVogue, and then knew that Amy was back.

Even though it was Chisimdi that the queen was waiting for, seeing Amy was so comforting because she could at least see someone to share her thoughts with.

Amarachi was so happy to see her mom, so she alighted and went straight and embraced her, and then took a sweeping look on her mom to ensure that she was safe.

“I’m okay, my daughter,” The queen said and took Amy to the basement and made her sit while she sat beside her, with their eyes and attention fixed at the gate to know when Chisimdi and Oduenyi would arrive.

“Please, why did you guys hide this special and precious gift from the gods to my Chisimdi? Even you Amy, you couldn’t tell me,”

After taking a deep breath as she kept waggling her feet absently, Amarachi shrugged and shook her head in dismay. She couldn’t utter a word but kept panting gradually as if she just completed 200 metres race.

Mkpulumma knew that Amarachi was aghast just as she was, so she pulled her seat closer to her daughter’s and cuddled her while they both remained sitting.

She felt Amy’s heartbeat as the embrace lasted.

“I guess your silence means that you knew nothing about this,” The queen muttered looking into Amarachi’s face but her daughter still didn’t talk, “talk to me my…”

“Mom, what am I to talk about?” Amy asked with interjection; with a mixture of confusion and anger, “Chisimdi that I know had never hidden anything from me. What happened?” she asked with tears blurring her eyes.

“It’s okay my daughter,” Mkpulumma said to nudge her to comfort, “but this is a rare gift that none of us had witnessed in our lives, so there must be a reason for it,” she said assuredly.

“And where is she now?” Amarachi asked impatiently and collected the napkin that Olaedo already presented to her; kneeling beside her. She cleaned her tears and pulled Olaedo up, “by now you should realise that you’re a princess and not maid,” she added, making Mkpulumma shudder and swerved to look out of confusion.

“Did I hear you well?” Mkpulumma asked and looked at Olaedo again, “It seems that lots have been happening in my house but I know nothing about it. Is this another secret yet to be divulged or just calling Olaedo a princess as a pet name?”

“It’s not pet name but …”

“Then what?” Mkpulumma voiced sternly cutting into Amy’s statement.

“Mom, relax, let me tell you, but you must promise not to overreact with the news,” Amarachi said, seeking for assurance before she could disclose Olaedo’s identity.

“Olaedo,” Mkpulumma called, “are you a princess?” ignoring Amarachi’s quest for her concurrency.

Olaedo was jittery and confused because she didn’t even know what to answer. She was told that she was a princess but no explanation yet, and her mom who was supposed to clear the air wasn’t even there to explain, so she remained calm and didn’t utter a word, even though it was a taboo for her not to reply to the queen when an answer is demanded of her.

“Mom, she knows nothing about that?” Amarachi replied, defending so that Olaedo won’t be punished for not replying on time. “She’s still in a limbo of awry and confusion, so spare her the questions. Please, ma,”

“I don’t understand any of these,” Mkpulumma expressed her grave befuddlement, “Amarachi…!”

“It was Princess Chisimdi that told me that I’m a princess but never told me how,” Olaedo answered quickly with fear as she trembled in that kneeling position.

“Olaedo, I said you should sit!” Amy commanded, and then looked at one of the maids who looked confused too, giving her a signal to bring a seat for Olaedo.

“Oh! Chisimdi knows too?” Mkpulumma said bewilderedly, “Fine, Olaedo sit…I want to hear it all. Amarachi, start talking since everything that happens in my house does so without my knowledge. Am I not feeling like a stranger already?”

After a couple of seconds, and still observing how her mom’s reaction would be by the proposed news, Amarachi said: “One of the nights when the king, my dad, was wallowing in sadness for losing his wife and being with no woman for many years, he took lots of palm wine and got drunk. But by that time, Adaoma was a maidservant who served the king…”

“You mean Adaoma, Olaedo’s mom?” Mkpulumma cut in with a question to be sure she’s following up with the story.

Amy nodded gently and meditatively and then continued: “She tried to help the king lay on the bed to have a rest but the king dragged her into his chamber. She resisted and…”

“How sure are you that she resisted?” Mkpulumma asked astutely with a tinge of jealousy getting her face all flushed.

“She has no reason to lie to me,” Amarachi answered and continued: “It was almost five years since you were declared missing and dead, so the woman is entitled to be the wife of the king if the king’s blessing falls on her, so she has no reason to twist the story just to make it sweet to the ears,”

“But why did she confide in you instead of me, her queen?” Mkpulumma asked as she pulsated with silent unrest and restiveness.

“The man in question is your hubby,” Amy reminded her mom, “and any sane woman would feel insecure talking to you because your reactions would depend on your understanding but who is in the mind of the other to know? So it’s safer to go through your subject than to the supposed direct recipient,”

“Another good point, my daughter” Mkpulumma murmured to herself and continued listening.

“The king demanded that she does that just to make him happy,” Amarachi continued, “and being that it was a request…”

“She does what, please?” The queen asked with rapt attention; seeking to know the details.

“Mom, must I spell out everything?” Amarachi asked and shrugged, “Fine. The king demanded that she should sleep…”

“Go on, I already know what the king wanted,” she retorted courteously, “Well, it was a command since it came from the king…”Mkpulumma added showing her understanding.

“She obeyed and slept with the king,” Amarachi mumbled, making Mkpulumma’s body language change out of jealousy, even though she knew that the woman did nothing wrong but it was natural for any woman hearing such news. “Very early at dawn before the king woke up,” Amy went on, “Adaoma had disappeared. It was even more surprising to the young maiden who was just deflowered by her master that the king never remembered anything about the night, so the girl felt so sad and kept everything hidden; even when she realised that she was with child,”

“Poor girl,” Mkpulumma said piteously, “my fellow woman just tasted what it means to be a man,” she muttered.

“But Dad is different,” Amy defended.

“Of course, he is,” Mkpulumma concurred, “after all, no man can stay up to five years mourning his beloved late wife,”

“The maid never wanted to be seen as someone desperate, so she fled to Amiri, for the king not to know that she was pregnant,” Amy kept on narrating while Olaedo started shedding silent tears but at the same time making efficient use of the handkerchief she had with her.

“But why did she do that and not disclose it to the king?” Mkpulumma asked, “Any woman could have been so eager to announce the pregnancy result because it was assumed that the queen was dead and gone, so it could be an opportunity to take over the seat as Ugoeze (the king’s wife). I’m now beginning to think that Olaedo took after her mom in goodness and shrewdness because I’ve been studying her,”

Olaedo at this point, let out a faint smile amid the teary eyes. “Thanks, my queen,” she murmured with a curtsy.

“Adaoma fled to Amiri and stayed with a virtuous man called Achokwu who took care of her and the baby until she delivered,” Amy said; dispersing the little smiles on Olaedo’s face and welcoming a weeping moment.

“Was that why my mom lied to me that my dad was Achokwu who died many years ago?” Olaedo asked as she wept aloud.

Mkpulumma had tears evident in her eyes; with much pity drawn out of her for the poor child, so she beckoned Olaedo forward and made her sit on her lap, even though Olaedo was fearful about that but the queen made her realise that she should relax and see herself as a daughter and not a slave.

Amarachi was even surprised at her mom’s gesture because she expected a repulsive action and not a welcoming gesture.

“Achokwu wasn’t your dad but the king is,” Amy said with tears in her eyes, “You’re welcome into the family but there is still something that remains,” Amy added trying to talk about Adaoma’s impending death caused by Olaedo’s actions but chose to stomach it because she was still under the oat of secrecy not to let her daughter know the eventuality of her mistake.

The last statement of Amarachi got everybody confused.

“I can’t comprehend that,” Mkpulumma said and caressed Olaedo’s hair gently, “what remains, my daughter? I hope it’s for good,”

“Well, that would be discussed between us and not before Olaedo because she isn’t meant to be privy to this, at least for now,” Amy added, even though she wished that she never said anything because she knew that Olaedo would be left in that cliffhanger and anxiety for the info.

As the discussion progressed, they were surprised that the gate opened and they saw Chisimdi driving into the compound.

Chisimdi’s arrival changed the mood to a celebratory one, even though they were keen to hear about how she transformed into the person she was, but suffice it to say that the ecstasy embedded in such feeling of joy outweighed any other negative feelings at the moment. They had to celebrate her.

There was a second person in the car, making the onlookers keep speculating who the person could be.

Chisimdi parked in front of everyone and then opened the car. Adaoma was also seen alighting, making Olaedo jump down from the queen’s body and rushed to her mom for a warm embrace.

After a while of a cuddle mixed with joy and tears, Adaoma pushed Olaedo aside gently, came straight to the queen and laid prostrate weeping before her; with her face on the ground without raising it to behold the face of the queen. She clenched her teeth and eyes as she cried, holding tenaciously to the queen’s foot, and wetting her royal sandals with her warm and apologetic tears.

It was confusing for all at this point; a gesture that even made Amy not to welcome her twin sister properly but focused on the reason and outcome of the action.

“What are you doing?” Mkpulumma asked confusingly and signalled the guards to come and help the prostrating woman to get up.

“She said she’d properly apologise for her role in dad’s life which is against you,” Chisimdi intervened to clear the confusion, and then came to Amy, ignoring the mothers and focusing on her sister. “Baby, I’ve missed you so much, and you know it, right,”

Amarachi was still shocked and couldn’t even allow Chisimdi to touch her. She was still shocked because the entire thoughts of seeing how her twin sister invited a thunder out of the blue to revive the dead were still fresh in her mind’s eye, making her feel that the sister that was standing before her wasn’t the one she used to know.

“I don’t think that apology is necessary,” Mkpulumma said to Adaoma and watched the guards pull the teary woman up, “you are a woman of virtue and a rare gem who gave birth to a beautiful princess,” she added and winked at Olaedo who suddenly became shy and veiled her face with her palm, “I’ve heard the entire story and I admire you for not taking over my position but still left it vacant until I returned. Thanks for giving us a wonderful daughter even though I wish she were a man to be an heir to the throne…”

People were surprised that Mkpulumma wouldn’t be bothered if Olaedo were to be a man and not her son as the heir. That was virtuous and worth emulating.

“But Adaoma said that Olaedo’s use of Braille reading method is killing her slowly,” Amarachi whispered into her mom’s ear, ignoring Chisimdi who was still waiting for her embrace and proper welcome.

“Did Olaedo use the mindreading?” Mkpulumma asked knitting her brow. “Oh! She survived it because she’s of royal blood but someone should have paid for it. Oh! My God, don’t tell me that her mom is the culprit…”

“Miss Adaoma isn’t dying anymore,” Chisimdi announced, leading to confusion and vagueness.

“It’s impossible,” Mkpulumma entered abruptly, “This punishment comes from the gods and can’t be reversed. My sister paid the price…”

“Wow, what happened?” Amy broke into her mom’s objection, “Don’t tell me you did that too, twiney?” she asked and opened her arms and waited for Simdi to fill in the gap.

“Of course, I did,” Chisimdi said and smiled, “The gods have lifted the curse by raising riffraff from nowhere to have all these divine powers that have even reversed the irreversible as mom asserted. I know you all have questions,” she added and remained in that prolonged embrace with her twin sister. “But I’ll answer them,”

“The questions are much,” Mkpulumma said and patted Chisimdi’s back, and then made Adaoma sit, “can you start talking, nwam (my daughter)?”

“Let’s all have seats and listen,” Simdi said and smiled, “right now as I’m talking, I’m the same Chisimdi who runs away from responsibilities, so lend me your ears before I change my mind and go into my chamber,” she jested, making them all laugh.

“Go on biko, onye akuko (storyteller),” Amy jeered, “If I get you eh…” she added and pinched her, “I can’t wait…”

“I am a gift from Ugosimba to the king; hence, those series of dreams I used to have since I was a kid,” Chisimdi began and sat while others did too, “I started feeling the need to be around Oduenyi starting from the first day I set my eyes on him; no wonder I felt the need to help him the first day I saw him by taking him into my chamber to give him comfort and remedy the after-effect of his experience with the thunder. Secondly, I began to have strange dreams; even the melodious tone of the flutist still lingers in my mind especially whenever the divining spirit visits me. Oduenyi made me realise that my destiny and his are intertwined and I’m the major gift from Ugosimba and not him. He is just a protector of the throne while I’m the gift,”

“This is unbelievable,” Mkpulumma expressed looking at Chisimdi with awe.

“I was in a vision and saw Isioma flower in my palm as I revived Chibunna,” Simdi continued, “I even saw the revelation of waking the supposed dead before getting the revelation of Amy’s death lurking in my mind. There was a reason why the supernatural made Amarachi stubborn and not take my calls. She took the call at the right time but thought that taking the call the first time would have saved her and her friends. No, it wouldn’t have. She’d have run into the hands of the ambushers. Even though I blamed her then, I later realised that Chibunna died for a reason. Though he died according to medical reports, he was simply waiting for us to know that Isioma flower is effective even without the descendants of…”

“Ajalindu,” Amarachi cut in, “but does it mean we don’t need them anymore in this kingdom since you’ve taken over the same duty as they did many centuries ago, and the flower now effective in your care as before?”

“If the king comes back, I’ll try my best to revive him,” Chisimdi said and smiled hopefully, “but the problem I have is that I have searched myself, even in my dreams and imaginations but I haven’t seen my dad, even for once. Either something is wrong or God hiding the vision away from me for a reason,”

“Sorry,” Olaedo entered with a confused state of mind, “Was my mom dying because I used Braille’s method?”

“Yes, she was, but I used the Isioma flower to cure her instantly without a guess,” Chisimdi said with a sense of fulfilment and ego, “we were just coming from Adaoma’s house and she’s here to reveal herself to her daughter that she isn’t dying anymore,”

Olaedo rushed to her mom and knelt before her and started crying: “I am sorry to have treaded without caution by using the mindreading method out of curiosity but I’m glad that my elder sister just revived you. If she didn’t, I could have died even before you do, mother,”

“Come here,” Adaoma said to Olaedo and pulled her daughter up into an embrace. They wept at each other’s arms as others watched, “God knows that I’d have died of a broken heart if I wasn’t cured but I’m glad that the thunder queen brought me back,”

“Hey, who is the thunder queen?” Mkpulumma asked smilingly.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Amarachi said and chuckled, “someone who could decide when the thunder comes and goes is called what?”

“Thunder queen,” Asamma murmured from her position where she and the other maidservants earwigged on the discussion.

“Well, that name is for Oduenyi alone because he gave me the name in a divine nomenclature,” Chisimdi said shyly as she thought about him.

“Love in the air,” Amara added observantly while others concurred.

“Now that everything is complete,” Mkpulumma said and smiled, “can we now have fun, celebrate our new princess and the latest diviner?”

There was great merriment; drinks, meats and lots of things were prepared that evening, leading to great enjoyment but Amarachi who was meant to be in a celebratory mood suddenly got up silently and left into her room feeling bad. Even though her living was meant to be on the sly, her twin sister noticed that Amy wasn’t happy, so she followed her immediately while other maids took time to dress Olaedo in a royal garment to reveal her true identity as a princess.

Amarachi entered her room, dropped casually on the bed and spread her hands and legs as if she was in a swimming pool. She was weary, especially for the moment when she started thinking about the entire things that happened in her life just in two days. It was hectic indeed.

“Sister,” Chisimdi called and entered making Amy jittery.

“Oh, you should have made me know you were coming,” Amy complained in that soft tone, “You startled me,”

“I’m sorry for that, baby,” Simdi said and came closer, and then sat beside her, “What’s bothering you, my love?”

Amarachi didn’t talk but kept allowed muteness to overpower her at the moment. She wanted to talk but couldn’t speak or utter a word.

After a while, she removed her shoes and kicked them away.

“You’re the diviner, so why not figure out what’s bothering me?” Amy said in that deep state of dispiritedness.

“Funny sister,” Chisimdi said and chuckled, “I don’t do it on command. It comes naturally when the gods want to use me,” she said explanatorily.

“Sorry, it was meant to be a joke but I was too weary to smile,” Amarachi said and sat up, looked straight into her twin sister’s eyes and heaved a sigh, “I’ve been thinking of where dad could be right now. Why couldn’t he reveal himself to you so that we’d know where he is? Since Ugosimba sent you and since he’s the protector of the king, why can’t he…”

“Daddy is chained in Odimegwu forest,” Chisimdi revealed suddenly to Amarachi.

Hearing that revelation made Amarachi sit properly as she tried to understand the details.

“Was that revealed to you just now? But there is no thunder yet,” she asked trying to understand.

“I had it revealed earlier to me but didn’t have to let the news out because it could make mom despair,” Chisimdi said rotundly and belched, “excuse me,” she added and covered her mouth with her palm, “Even though our dad never got to meet you since you were born, you’re the only person that he keeps seeing in his dreams. The truth is that these entire stories are for you and not for any of us. We’re just players in your story. And to clear the confusion, there mustn’t be thunder for a revelation to occur but there must be Oduenyi; either in person or in the spirit,”

Amarachi was confused at this point, so she undressed quickly because she was already sweating out of confusion.

“I see, your destiny and his are intertwined. Why not go ahead and marry him so that all these would…”

“Let the gods decide,” Chisimdi interjected smilingly, “always the fast runner,”

“Ha-ha,” Amy laughed and became serious once again, “But what story are you talking about that you’re being just players in it?” Amy asked seeking some clarification, “Has there been any story?”

Chisimdi smiled and went to Amy’s wardrobe, brought out a towel and handed over to her. “You need to bath first but suffice to say that everything revolves around you and you need to start looking both inwards and outwards. You need to go back to akara business, and then use your eVogue for loading good and merchandise…”

“Ha-ha-ha, you love jokes a lot,” Amarachi said laughingly, believing that Chisimdi was being unserious about using such an expensive car for loading goods for people at Ose Okwodu market in Onitsha.

“I’m damn serious,” Simdi said, making Amy’s lips curved into a smile to give room to brows knitted into a frown.

“I thought you weren’t being serious about it,” Amy said and thought about the entire thing and how she was going to go back into the same life she left for long. After a while of thinking about it, she smiled and said: “Akara business and truck business has been a source of happiness to me. It took Dave some tough convictions to make me stop, but now, I’ll go into the exact thing that makes me happy to know how the story ends. Since you said that this is my story, let me rewrite it by following your divine direction. Thanks for that, sister, and when can I start?”

“Immediately, without delay,” Chisimdi said and started leaving, and then stopped on the way, “Baby, one more thing,”

“What’s that, twiney?” Amy asked looking so uncertain about the next revelation and order. “Tell me. Since I’ve been taking them already, I can still take more from you,”

“You offended an anointed man of God and it’s against the Psalm 105:15,” Chisimdi said unequivocally, “If you don’t seek redress or meet the said man and ask for forgiveness, even the aforementioned businesses are taking your destiny nowhere. Act wisely and get your destiny beautified with success,”

“But who is this man of God?” Amarachi asked looking so confused and unable to remember any ordeal with any man of God in the past.

“That question is for you,” Simdi said, came back to her and hugged her.

Chisimdi left without uttering a single word, leaving Amarachi to be drowned in the sea of thoughts without knowing how to locate the said man of God she hadn’t met for once in her life.

PRINCESS AMARACHI episode 15
#OpraDre

To be continued…

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