It has been two weeks since my last visit to nwunye onye army's house. As the next Sunday approached I was filled with excitement, I was looking forward to seeing Steve's beautiful face again. on that fateful sunday,After my step mother's mandatory Sunday mass, I joyfully carried out my chores, I even weeded our mini farm,washed Ekene's clothes without being asked. all in a bid to make sure nothing stops me from going to nwunye onye army's house to collect her weekly contribution.
"Amara! Amarachi! " nne's voice called out for me as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom after taking my bath.
"Maaa !" I thundered back
"com'on carry those your pole legs here when answering my call" Nne hissed out angry with the manner with which I responded to her call.
I didn't need to be told twice, I dashed out to our parlor with my wrapper loosely tied to my wet body.
"odika Ara na apu gi" Nne abused in rage looking up to see me. " why are you here like this?" she asked waving her hand frantically " before my open my eyes and close it let it be you've covered that pole body of yours with proper clothes" she continued without waiting for my response.
I rushed into our room, the room I shared with onyiinwa and Naza. I wore the first dress my hand touched from my 'Ghana most go ' bag and ran out to meet my step mother.
"okwa ifu ihe gi zuzu just now?, let it not repeat again in this house" she warned me, I nodded frantically.
"Now rush nwunye onye army's house and collect her weekly contribution, on your way back buy lady care for onyiinwa her monthly flow must be due this week" she further instructed
I half ran and half walked to my destination grateful for my step brothers absence that afternoon. Ekene and chinedu has left earlier to join their peers in the church to play football. Chukwuemeka took chinaza to attend one church activities. As for onyiinwa am sure she went to see some guy she met online though she had told Nne she was going to her classmates house for some group project as she was science inclined and I'm art, I can't relate.
After a minute or two of knocking, the door was opened by oga onye army.
my heart sank "Good afternoon sir" I managed to greet
"Nne kekwanu?" he asked in Igbo dialect
"I'm fine sir" I replied
"I assume you are here for my wife" he asked and I nodded. " come inside, sit and wait for her. she's still in the shower,let me go and inform her of your presence" he ushered me inside.
I could hear some male voices arguing over what I presume to be a football game as I approached their living room area.
Then I saw him ... my heart did a flip, I could definitely feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
All the five boys of onye army's family were present.i was overwhelmed by shyness.
"sit here" he gestured towards a white sofa for me to sit in, "Geoffrey go and get her kola " he called out to the youngest of the five boys..and left to make my presence known to his wife
normally I would have declined but my tongue was definitely lost somewhere in the pits of my stomach.
Five pairs of eyes turned my way, but Steve's shone with recognition.
"oh Amara you came" he called out as he made to get up .
I nodded.
He left to get the kola,and return with a cold can of Grand malt
without even asking he opened the cap and handed it to me smiling sheepishly.
"Thank you" I muttered.
not knowing what else to do or say,I nervously glupped down the malt.
Though I was looking at my hands,feet anywhere but the beautiful guy sitting in front of me. I could still feel his hot gaze fixated at me.
"ah ah Steve ogini? you wan swallow the poor girl" one of his older brother called him back to reality jokenly.
the others roared with laughter at their bothers obvious embarrassment at being called out like that infront of me.
To cover my shyness at being in the center of their attention,I continue gulping down my malt.
"are you really madam white's daughter?" Steve finally asked
Before I could answer nwunye onye army appeared out of no where and pulled his son by the ear up from where he was seated opposite me.
"Steve shebi I told you to leave Amarachi alone, she's just a child. forget she's almost same height as you. There is no breast on her chest" she warned as she continuously pulled her son's ear to the amusement of her other son's and to my embarrassment.
"Nne sorry for my son's rube behavior, I apologize on his behalf." she said to me as I nodded in acceptance smiling.
" Oya take" she handed me some naira notes. "count it, it's for the rest of the month. Tell madam white to mark it,I have marked my own" .
"shebi it's complete?" she asked as I finished counting the cash. I nodded affirmatively.
" You can go after you are finished with your drink, greet madam white for me when you get home" she said and left.
I wanted to drag out my stay in their house for as long as it can take by sipping my malt slowly but I was feeling mild discomfort and a wetness between my legs.
I was felt like urinating, I tried to hold it in but to no avail. I was to shy to ask them to show me their bathroom. I opted to run home and know what was the problem down there.
In one swing,I finished my malt. I stood up hurriedly to leave.
"Are you going already?" one of the brothers asked.
I nodded again. As I turned to leave I felt something trick down my legs.
"ah Nelson see blood" Geoffrey called the attention of his brothers pointing to the chair I previously occupied.
I immediately understood what It means. shame covered the entirety of my being.
" Amarachi are you injured ?" Geoffrey went ahead to ask me concernedly. Growing up in a family of all boys, attending an all boys secondary school could do that to you.
it was obvious he didn't understand I just stared mensurating on their couch.
The other brothers who definitely understood pretended not to notice, but there was no covering my shame as my blood shone red contrasting the white sofa.
"Yes" I managed to respond and flew out of their house.
it was a good thing my dress was black else how would I have managed to get home still I was very much self conscious.
And that was the last I saw of Steve for a very long time.