THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA
Episode 16
*****
A few hours later, in the early hours of the day, Dera woke up but her mother was sleeping. Her mother was sitting on a chair but rested her head on the little space on the bed where Dera lay.
Dera gently tapped her mother to wake up.
Stella quickly got up from the chair.
“Dera, you are awake, how are you,?” Stella said sounding hoarse as she felt Dera’s hand.
“I’m fine,” Dera replied trying to get up.
“No, not now. Just rest,” Stella said while preventing her from getting up.
She laid back and was complaining of pains but her mother told her it was normal at that stage and that she would heal soon.
They discussed a little more time before Dera slept off again. Then it was almost dawn.
In no time a nurse brought in Stella’s husband into the ward where Dera was.
“Here they are,” the nurse said and left immediately.
“You are here,” Stella said looking tensed as she got up to meet him.
“I was worried all through the night. So I decided to come and see her this morning, she’s still sleeping.”
“Yes! It’s not too long since she started sleeping. I talked with her a moment ago. She’s fine.”
He heaved a deep sigh. He then got closer to where Dera lay and started feeling her forehead and neck with the back of his palm.
“Her temperature is normal.”
“Yes! She’s fine. We will come back today if the doctor discharges her today.”
“Okay.”
He stayed with them for a little while before leaving for his shop. Dera slept all through that period he was with them.
Later on, Stella went home around noon to freshen up and prepare their meals before going back.
Later that day, Dera wasn’t discharged as Stella convinced her husband. When he asked about their coming home, she told him an already cooked-up lies.
The following day, Dera was gradually healing and was able to stand and walk around even though her mother didn’t allow her.
She was sitting on the bed discussing with her mother.
“Mummy, Daddy hasn’t come to see me.”
“He came while you were asleep. He said he would be back again today.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t want you to tell him about the surg£ry. I only told him you had a high fever. Not just him, never tell anyone about this.”
Dera didn’t say a word but looked unhappy.
Her father later came and even saw her walking around and was convinced she was getting better.
But there’s something he noticed. Dera wasn’t walking properly, he made mention of it and Dera wanted to say something but Stella rebuffed and switched to another topic. He believed there was something they were hiding.
Dera stayed in the hospital for one more day before she was discharged.
“I know you are feeling strong now but don’t lift heavy things or do hard work for at least six weeks. By then you must have healed fully, so you can go about your usual activities,” the doctor said while going through her folder.
“Okay doctor,” Dera said in agreement.
Stella later went to the cashier’s office and made the necessary payments. She then went across the road and got a taxi that would take them home.
Stella quickly moved their things into the taxi. Dera came out and gently entered the car, her mother joined her and they left.
A few minutes later, they got to their house.
Stella’s husband had been watching Dera closely since she came back from the hospital.
It’s more than three days since Dera got back and she hadn’t gone to school nor seen doing any serious chores.
All these popped a series of questions into his head. He decided to play along and find out the truth himself because he knew he would be lied to if he decided to ask.
So one night, Stella’s husband was in the bedroom lying down but not yet asleep.
Dera and her mother were in the living room discussing.
“Mummy I want to go to school tomorrow.”
“No, you haven’t fully recovered. I don’t want anyone to ask questions. What if you are given a work to do, what will you tell them .”
“I will tell them I have a fever.”
“That’s not a tangible excuse because you are not supposed to be in school when you have a fever.”
Stella’s husband heard what they were talking about and got closer. He stood in the lobby listening.
“Mummy I’m missing my friends.”
“They can come and see you here. Remember not to mention this to any of them.”
“I know I don’t need to tell anyone but how long will I keep this.”
“It is now your secret.”
“But mummy it’s all your fault.”
“My fault that I want to help you. Is it because it didn’t go as planned.”
“I don’t believe there was a better plan, I think you want to destroy me as you did to Nneoma.”
“Why would you say such a thing about your mother? So you expected me to accept a b@st@rd into my home because I wouldn’t let that little l0w life marry you.”
“Mummy you have destroyed my future,” Dera said and started crying.
At that point, her father barged into them.
“What is happening here?” he asked authoritatively.
Dera wanted to talk and her mother tried stopping her.
“Shut up and let her speak,” he yelled at Stella.
Stella was afraid. She hadn’t seen her husband that bold before.
Dera told him about her pregnancy and how it led to surgery.
“You said something about Nneoma, what did your mother do to her?”
Stella stood up immediately and wanted to stop her from talking.
“If you try to stop her, I will k!ll you here and bury you this night.”
This statement sent shivers down her spine and her heart started beating fast.
TO BE CONTINUED..