THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA.
Episode 1
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“Buy every item on that list and come back as fast as possible,” Stella said as she handed a black nylon bag, a list and some money to Nneoma.l
“Mummy, please let me rest a little. I just finished cleaning the whole house, let Dera go,” Nneoma said looking at Dera who was lying on the couch, watching television.
Dera turned and looked at her. She then rolled her eyes and continued watching the television.
Stella sprang up and gave Nneoma a hot slap.
“You are beginning to grow wings! Oh, you can now talk back at me. If you repeat this next time, I’ll skln you alive. Get out of my sight!”
Nneoma quickly ran out of the house and left for the market looking gloomy.
Nneoma was the only child of her mother, who d! ed while giving birth to her at their community health centre.
Stella who was one of the nurses who aided Nneoma’s mother in giving birth, offered to take care of the motherless child.
Then, Stella lived in the same street with Mr Ike, Nneoma’s father. Stella was in her late thirties then but had no husband or child.
Mr Ike accepted that she should take care of his child because he doesn’t have any relatives around and he was a patent medical dealer. He leaves early in the morning and comes back late at night.
Besides, Mr Ike loved the fact that Stella was a nurse, he believed she could take good care of her. Stella was like a godsent to him. He was glad that someone accepted to play the role of a mother to his little daughter.
Then Mr. Ike usually visits Stella to know how his child is doing. As time went on, Mr Ike started developing feelings for Stella and later on, married her.
She then moved into his house with Nneoma.
Stella was a good mother to Nneoma until she gave birth to her own child, Dera. She then started comparing the way Mr Ike took care of both kids. She would try as much as possible to see that Dera got the best of everything. Sometimes she deprived Nneoma of things that rightfully belonged to her.
Nneoma and Dera were enrolled into school. They were in the same class even though Nneoma was two years older.
As time went on, Stella kept maltreating Nneoma even to the point that she told her she wasn’t her biological mother.
Mr Ike wouldn’t know most of the things going on in his house because he is focused on his business. He leaves for his pharmaceutical shop early in the morning and comes back late at night.
Stella and her colleagues usually don’t go to work every day. They scheduled their days of work. They would only be serious at work when the government representatives came for an inspection at the health centre.
Stella was mostly at home or with her husband in his shop.
Previously, Dera didn’t like the way her mother treated Nneoma but she started thinking like her mother since she noticed that Nneoma performed better than her in school. Stella either wasn’t pleased that Nneoma did better than her child in school.
They were always looking for a way to frustrate her.
Nneoma does most of the house chores. Dera would only do a little when their father was around.
Nneoma had gotten tired of reporting them to her father because he would only believe what Stella told him. Sometimes, reporting them would even bring more pain to her because Stella would give her more punishment.
Nneoma had so far accepted her fate.
She never ceases to study her books at night. That was the only time her stepmother wouldn’t disturb her about chores because her father was usually around then.
TO BE CONTINUED…
OpraDre THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA. THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA. THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA. THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA. THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA. THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA. THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA.
