"What do you want?" I asked him as I saw the other guy that had caught me and saved me from falling walked away and went to wait at a distance, to probably give us both some privacy to talk, I felt less nervous and my heart beat returned to normal and I sighed and breathed out in relief.
"Am Chinedu Ikedi by name," he told me as he introduced himself.
"Okay, Am Chineye Hebert, what do you want?," I asked him immediately wanting to rush back home. He smiled and continue to stare at me, I looked away indicating to him I wasn't interested in whatever he had to say and wanted to go and he quickly questioned me, "Can you be my girl?. I really like you and want you to be my girlfriend."
I swallowed the hard lump that had formed in my throat and looked up to meet his gaze. I shook my head in denial, "No am not interested in being your girl," I replied him and wanted to leave but he stopped me again by holding my hands.
I tried to drag my hands away from his but he was strong..
"Let go of my hands!," I told him raising my voice and the other guy that had excused us and stood a distance turned to stare at us. My heart skipped another beat and I quickly looked away from him and noticed some other passer by were also turning back to stare at us.
Seeing my angered face, he quickly apologized, "Am sorry, I didn't mean any harm, I have been seeing you around since I returned from school, I really like you and want you to be my girlfriend, please?!."
I nodded and replied him, " Fine, can I go now?."
He let go off my hands and smiled, "I saw you hawking plantain yesterday, do you really hawk that everyday?."
I shook my head indicating no, "Except for Sunday," I told him and he nodded in understanding.
Tricia saw me and quickly crossed the street walking up to meet us.
"Neye Neye!, I was calling you this morning when you passed and was coming to church to wait, but you didn't hear me," she spoked not minding I was standing with someone.
"Oh I didn't hear when you called am sorry," I apologized to her.
"Okay, who's he?," She asked as she finally turned to Chinedu, greeting him and smiling at him.
"Am Chinedu," he introduced himself to her.
"Oh, nice to meet you, Am Tricia, Neye's best friend," She told him smiling sweetly to him and they both shook hands I looked away from them and wanted to leave, but just then the other guy that had saved me from falling came back to meet us.
"Nedu, am going," he told Chinedu as he stared at me again, my heart skipped another beat and I nervously looked away from him as our eyes meet.
"Fine bro, you can be going, I will soon be home."
"Bro?," I questioned as I interrupted them and they both turned to stare at me, Tricia smiled and leaned to my side, and I quickly apologized wanting to disappear from there.
"Am sorry, but I thought I saw him at Mama Esther house the other day," I spoked and the other guy kept mute not saying anything making me look foolish in all their midst.
"Oh, she's our mother," Chinedu replied and my eyes widened and subtly narrowed at them. I stared at them angrily and quickly left there going home, Tricia chased after me.
Thankfully Chinedu didn't chase after me, but I could fell the both of them staring at me. I swayed my hips, walking faster with Tricia trying to meet up with my pace. And we both walked back home.
"Why did you walk out on them like that?" Tricia asked and I finally slowed down, greeting some of my customers that I approached on the way.
"Hmph.." I sighed.
"Mama warmed me not to associate with Mama Esther again or have anything to do with her," I told Tricia.
"So?, Atleast you shouldn't have walked out on those guys like that," Tricia advised.
"I don't care Tricia, I can't disobey my mother and you know these," I told her.
"See you. I can't disobey my mother bla bla bla." Tricia mocked me and I frowned.
"I can tell that guy really likes you and probably he was asking you out to be his girl and you are here doing mummy's girl, na wa for you oo," Tricia scolded me and shifted away from me like she was truly angry with me.
I frowned and walked faster to meet her, "it's not like that, My mom has already warned me," I tried to explain to her.
"Have heard mummy's girl," She mocked me again.
"Tricia you are mocking me," I told her as I stopped and she stopped.
"So?. Didn't you see how you also humiliated me in front of those handsome guys, anyways have gotten to my street junction, we can chat some other time, bye."
Tricia didn't wait for me to reply her, as she turned and walked thru the street leading to her house.
I frowned and walked back home. Relationship isn't what I wanted, what have heard was that most of these guys are just looking for a girl to sleep with and after that they dump them and move on to the next available girl, I frowned, remembering Chinedu's word, "Can you be my girl?. I really like you and wants you to be my girlfriend."
I swallowed remembering his words. His voice was deep and it re echoed in my head.
I walk back home, arriving at the front of our house, I removed my shoes and opened the main door, going into our parlour.
Mama came out and I greeted her, "Good morning mom."
"Welcome back, hope you paid your offering today?."
"Yes I did," I went inside to keep my shoes and came out back.
"I will soon be going out for our village women's meeting I told you about yesterday," Mama told me as she went and sat on the bench.
"Okay Mom," I replied her and went out to spread my clothes on the rope to dry under the hot sun that has already been coming out.
Uncle Chudy suddenly branched and came into our compound and I greeted him.
"Good morning sir."
"Eh ehh, Good morning Neye, how are you doing?."
"Am fine," I replied him, but Mama quickly stood up from the bench and questioned him.
"Yes what do you want?." She stare at him angrily but he still walked up to meet her.
"Agatha, Agatha, you will never change, have told you this is my brother's house, inshort is my father's house and I have all the rights to be here anytime and however I want."
Mama looked away from him as she stood at the entrance, and I walked passed them going into the parlour.
"Mr Chudy or whatever you call yourself, leave my compound and stop disturbing me. This house as you claimed belong to me and my husband told me his our house before he left," Mama told him angrily.
"Eh, As Felix is no more have told you let me inherit you as my wife that way you would have given Neye other siblings."
My ear widened in horror, now I understood why Mama and Uncle Chudy and his family ain't in talking term. He wants to marry Mama since Papa is no more. I hide behind the curtain as I listened to them.
"Taar! Shut up, Shush it up. Who told you Felix is no more?," Mama rebuked him.
"Then we're his he?," Uncle Chudy asked.
"Ever since he brought you back to this village 18years ago, why haven't we seen him. He was only here for like a year with you and up till this very day we haven't seen him or heard from him. Who knows if his dead or died in the city," Uncle Chudy said but Mama rebuke him immediately again.
"Enough, have heard enough of your rant, leave my compound." Mama ordered him to leave while I hide behind the door peeping out.
"Agatha, am just trying to help you oo. How can a beautiful woman like you, tall, full with big breast and bum.."
"I said leave!," Mama came down from our balcony and pushed him away, pushing him to leave. I came out from our parlour as I was worried about Mama.
"Mom!," I called to Mama's attention to stop.
"Leave!, Leave my compound!," Mama continued to push him away to the street.
"Fine, let go of my trousers, I will leave, or do you want to bring out my rod and naked me here in public." I heard him told Mama as I was also.walking forward to meet them, some other of our relatives that we weren't close too also came out from their house to stare at Mama and Uncle Chudy.
"Mama," I called and Mama turned back to stare at me.
"Go back Chineye, don't mind this your useless uncle," She told me but I frowned and stood there. Mama was all have got, I didn't want anything bad to happen to her.
"Fine I will go, but be sure that I will be back. If you still refuse my proposal, then you and your daughter should be ready to return back to wherever you came from," Uncle Chudy told us.
"We are not going anywhere!, This is my husband house," Mama replied him.
"Okay we will see about that." Uncle Chudy turned and left while Mama walked back to our house, I followed her from behind.