THE ORDEALS OF NNEOMA
Episode 9
*****
Nneoma’s father was sitting alone in the bedroom. He wasn’t comfortable with the way Nneoma was sleeping.
“Before now, no matter how deeply asleep Nneoma was, she would get up as soon as she heard my voice. But this time she didn’t even notice my presence. I just hope she hasn’t developed a serious fever,” he thought.
Later on, he went to Nneoma’s room to check on her, she was still deeply asleep. He felt her forehead with the back of his palm and noticed that her body temperature was normal.
He then went to bed.
A few hours later, around 2 am, Nneoma woke up and was feeling very weary. She looked confused and was mute for a while.
It seemed she was in a strange place, so she started looking around the room. Everywhere was dark. Dera was sleeping but it appeared she didn’t notice her.
She took a few steps around the room and then sat on the floor. In no time she slept off again.
In the morning, everyone was up except Nneoma. Her father quickly went to her room and saw her lying on the floor but still sleeping.
“Nneoma!! Nne!!” her father tapped her to wake her up.
Then she woke up and was extremely afraid. She moved towards one end and sat curling herself up.
“Nneoma, what is the problem?” her father asked calmly.
Nneoma was mute and angrily gazing at her father.
“Nneoma, it’s me your father. Hope you are okay.”
As he was talking to Nneoma, Dera and her mother were peeping through the curtain.
“Mummy what’s happening to her,” Dera whispered to her mother.
Stella hushed at her and told her to go and prepare for school.
Dera left.
Stella then entered the room.
“What is the problem?” Stella asked her husband.
“She is behaving strangely.”
Nneoma was looking at both of them and fuming as if their presence upset her.
Stella got closer to get hold of her but she fought her v!olently.
“She’s m@d oo, I have said this before, her overreading is becoming something else. See where it’s getting her.”
“Stop that, we need to find solutions to this.”
“What could possibly be the solution to this, she’s obviously ins@ne.”
“Stay here but don’t go too close to her. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Nneoma’s father left the room. He quickly changed a better clothes and left the house.
Stella left Nneoma in the room. She went to the living room and sat on the couch looking fulfilled.
Dera met her in the living room.
“Mummy, what is wrong with her.”
“Nothing is wrong with her, just prepare and go to school because she’s not going today. Make sure you don’t talk to her.”
Dera wasn’t convinced about her mother’s statement but she left.
She didn’t talk to Nneoma as her mother instructed.
She quickly prepared and left for school.
A few minutes later, Stella saw her husband coming back and rushed back into Nneoma’s room.
Nneoma’s father came in with two cans of condensed milk.
He quickly opened them and went to where nneoma was seated. He tried talking her into drinking it but she refused. He forced her but nneoma fought him.
He was surprised at the strength she unleashed.
“This is getting out of hand, we need to take her to the hospital. Please stay with her let me get a taxi,” he said and left the room.
In no time, Nneoma’s father came in with a taxi driver.
The two men held nneoma tightly but she was v!olently struggling. They tied her hands and legs and put her in the back seat of the taxi.
Stella and her husband joined her in the back seat and they drove off.
