THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA
Episode 3
******
Stella was preparing the leave the house when Dera came home crying.
She was shocked to see her at home by that time of the day.
“Dera what’s the problem?”
She continued crying.
“What happened to you?” her mother asked looking worried.
“I was given two weeks suspension.”
“Why?”
“Because of that yesterday’s fight.”
“What? Because you were defending me.”
“Yes, it’s all Nneoma’s fault.”
“So it has gotten to this, they reported you to the school authority. She will come back and meet me here.”
Dera nodded in support of what her mother said.
“I’m going to the health centre to see someone. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay, mummy.”
She then left for the health centre.
A few hours later, Nneoma came back from school.
By then, Dera’s mum had come back from the health centre. She was seated outside discussing with Dera.
Nneoma greeted her but she didn’t answer her greetings.
Nneoma saw that her stepmother wasn’t in a good mood and decided to go into the house.
“And where do you think you are going?” her stepmother asked.
Nneoma stood still.
“Come back here!”
Nneoma went back to her fidgeting.
“So it’s because of your stup!d!ty that my child was suspended from school,” Stella yelled while panting and heavily h!tting her with a freshly cut cane.
Nneoma was screaming and pleading as she h!t her.
When she was done bëating her, she pushed her aside and ordered her to kneel.
Dera was happily watching what her mother was doing to Nneoma.
Later on, Dera and her mother went into the house leaving Nneoma behind.
They cared less about her as they were happily consuming a big plate of jollof rice in the room.
“Mummy, do you know that a scholarship exam is coming up in our school in two weeks?”
“Really? Two weeks? Meaning that you may not participate.”
“That’s the day I was asked to come back to school with my parents.”
“Hei!!!” Stella lamented and heaved a huge sigh.
“Mummy any problem?”
“Don’t worry.”
A few hours later, their father came back from his shop and saw Nneoma kneeling outside looking exhausted.
He was shocked.
“Get up from there. Why are you kneeling here all alone, by this time of the night,” he asked as he helped her get up.
Nneoma couldn’t answer him, she only greeted him as they walked into the house.
Dera was already asleep then.
“Stella! Stella!! what did Nneoma do to warrant this type of pun!shment?”
“Have you asked her what she did, don’t even disturb me.”
Nneoma’s father couldn’t say a word to Stella again.
He took Nneoma to his room and left for the kitchen. He brought food which he believed meant for only him and gave it to Nneoma.
She ate the food like she hadn’t tasted anything the whole day.
It was when she finished eating that she removed her school uniform and had her bath.
“Nne, what did you do to your mother?”
“Nothing, Dera was suspended from school and she said it was my fault.”
“Dera was suspended? Why? And how was that your fault?”
Nneoma then explained to her father why Dera was suspended.
“Why then is she blaming you?”
As they were talking, Stella barged into her husband’s room.
“My daughter was suspended because she fought as a result of this girl telling everybody that I was w!cked.”
“That’s not what happened, Stella.”
“She’s a l!ar.”
Nneoma’s father asked Nneoma to narrate what happened to her stepmother.
Nneoma then gave a full account of what happened just the way she had told her father.
“You don’t know this girl, she’s a big l!er.”
She then faced Nneoma
“Because my daughter is sleeping, you cooked up a story against her. Let me just tell you, as long as she’s suspended, you too will not go to school.”
“That can never happen in this house,” Nneoma’s father rebuffed.
“She will not go! Because of you, my intelligent child will not participate in the scholarship exam that’s coming up in two weeks, you too will not write that exam even if you are nominated.”
Nneoma’s father was confused, he then turned to Nneoma.
“Which exam is that?”
Nneoma told him about the scholarship.
“And you said she won’t participate, she must write the exam.”
“You are supporting her, right? You are now against me because of her. We shall see,” she said and angrily left the room.
Nneoma was terrified
“Don’t worry, she is just making empty threats,” her father convinced her.
It was then that Nneoma told her father that she was nominated to participate in the scholarship exam.
Her father was delighted.
“Don’t mind your mother, I’ll make sure you participate in the exam. This type of opportunity hardly come by. You need to focus more on your studies now.”
Nneoma just nodded and left for the bedroom where Dera was deeply asleep