I stood by the door breathing heavily as I had thought he would follow me into our parlour. Our parlour didn't look presentable and I couldn't allow him in. Unless he was my friend, like how I used to allow some of my old school mate into our parlour.
I heave a sign of relief thinking he had gone, but as I was about stepping away from the door, I heard a sharp knock on it.
"Oh oo!," I murmured and went to the parlour window to peep.
He was still the one knocking.
"Chineye please open the door?," I heard him say.
"No go away," I told him thru the window and he left the door and came to our window. I quickly shut the curtains.
'What does he want from me?' I thought to myself as my bossom wall kept rising and falling heavily.
"Please Chineye open the door, I really want to speak with you please?," He begged from outside, standing by the window as I had already closed the curtain.
"No!. Go away from here and don't ever come to our house again, unless you want Mama to see you," I told him.
"I don't care if your mother sees me, Or would your mother wants to marry you?," He questioned thru the window but I ignored answering him.
He stood, knocking, talking, waiting.. seeing I wasn't going to come and open the door. He got tired and left.
I peep thru the window, watching him leave. I heave a sigh of relief knowing Mama would soon be back as he had stayed so long, knocking and waiting for me to come open the door.
No!, I couldn't give him a chance, not when I know that if I allow him, he wouldn't allow me to rest.
I later came out of our house to pack the clothes that I had previously washed and hung on the ropes to dry.
The sun was already going down and the weather was rapidly changing like heavy rain was about to fall. I quickly went out and packed all our clothes, as most of them had already dried, except for some strong ones like the Jean skirt that I had.
I took everything inside and not too long, Mama returned.
I rushed out to welcome her, like I was still a kid even though I was already a twenty years old girl.
Mama paid the bike rider and we both went into our parlour.
As we got in, heavy rain started falling blowing wind and dust, but I wasn't bothered as Mama was already back.
I asked her, "Mom, how did the meeting went?," As we both sat down on the sofa.
"Hmph." Mama first sighed, removing her legs from her shoes and stretching her toes.
"Fine, I finally reported your uncle to them?," She told me and I nodded in understanding.
"How about Mummy-Amara, did you saw her there at the meeting?," I asked her.
"When i had returned home after I had escorted you, I saw her passed and she wore the same meeting clothes like yours" I told Mama.
"Yes I saw her, and that's remind me, she made mention of You bringing guys to our house, is that true?," Mama questioned me and I swallowed.
"No oo," I quickly denied and Mama's eyes subtly narrowed at me.
"Neye, Chineye!, How many times did I call you?." Mama questioned and I frowned having heard her.
"There's no way, Mama Amara will tell such lies against you. You know me and her were not talking, but since she saw it clearly that I don't want to have anything to do with her husband, she's now coming back to make me friends. But I cannot accept her friendship knowing that her husband still wants me. She told me that she saw a tall guy talking with you in front of our house and you were even smiling with him."
"No oo! Mama that's a lie," I quickly refute.
"Which lie?. Are you saying that Mama Amara is telling lies?" Mama questioned me again and I kept quiet.
"Do you want me to go out and call her this night once the rains stop?."
"No.." I immediately stopped her and frowned.
"So it true. So you are truly bringing guys to our house. Chineye how could you?."
"Mama I didn't bring any guy here. I came back and saw him."
"So is true?!, Ewo and I had thought Mama Amara was lying or making up excuses to just talk to me at the meeting." I frowned hearing Mama.
"Who is even the guy and where does he lives?. So his not afraid to step foot in my compound to come look for you. Who's he?." Mama eyed me from head to toe, looking at me angrily, but I didn't respond.
"See Chineye, let me warn you. If you like allow all these useless village guys to ruin your life, you will only end up like me. I warn you stay away from men, stay away from guys! Any guy that calls you or stop you on the road that didn't just want to buy plantain and leave, Don't mind him, run away from him." Mama repeated her warning.
"I said what?."
"Run," I replied her.
"Good!. Who is the guy anyways?," Mama asked me again, still wanting to know whom the guy was. I had thought she wouldn't ask and I stammered contemplating if to tell her the truth.
"Can't you talk?!" Mama yelled at me.
"Or you want to lie to me, Chineye!."
"Mama, I don't really know him," I frowned replying her.
"What do you mean you don't know him and Mama Amara saw you smiling to him."
"No oo!." I pouted my lips.
"I wasn't smiling to him, I was sending him away," I told Mama.
"Who is he?," Mama asked me again.
"Describe him for me, let me know if I had seen him before," Mama said and I frowned.
"I say describe him!" Mama yelled at me again.
"Okay, he said his Mama Esther's son.." I replied Mama.
"Ewo!, So after that day I sent you to their house, her son as been disturbing you right?."
I kept mute.
"Answer me you this silly girl?," Mama questioned.
"No his not the one I meet," I replied Mama.
"Who?. Okay you know they are two," Mama said.
"Yes Mom," I replied.
"So which one among them, the senior one or the junior one?," Mama questioned.
"I don't know Mama, but one of them."
"Ehh! That means I will have to go to their mother and warn her to warn her sons to stay away from you, that's just it."
"But Mama, I don't have anything to do with him," I refused her going to Mama Esther house.
"I didn't accept him" I told Mama, folding my fingers together like my palm was sweating in the cold weather.
Mama looked at me from head to toe as I stood in between the kitchen and parlour door.
"So I should be waiting for you to accept him before I go to them and warn them to stay away from you?. No I wouldn't wait. Tomorrow as am going to the market to buy fresh plantain that we would sell, I will branch to their house that early morning and give then a serious warning. Whether is the senior one or the junior one that is after you, they should leave you alone and look for another girl!," Mama threatened.
"Okay," I faintly replied.
"Go and warm the soup, am hungry." Mama finally dismissed me and I went into the kitchen warming the soup, I overheard Mama murmuring.
".. I should have known that woman's sons were around. So they want to come and spoil my daughter.. No I cannot allow that to happen. I will have to go and warn them, useless boys. Am sure they will be like their father. All these useless men that can never be truly to their wife. Imagine, if Mama Amara hadn't mentioned how will I have known. Hmph.." Mama kept on murmuring loudly and I shook my head, wondering what she might do to them.
I haven't even accepted his proposal yet Mama is acting dramatic. What if I had accepted?.
The guy should better leave me alone, I don't want to have anything to do woth him, but he wouldn't listen see now, I murmured to myself and kept on warming the soup.
After I was thru heating it to become hot, I serve two soup in two different plates and brought it out.
Mama had already gone into the room as I heard the sound of water splashing like she was taking her bath.
I quickly set her food on the table and went to serve her drinking and washing water. After I was thru serving, I went and sat across and quietly started eating my food not waiting for Mama to come out.
After Mama was thru dressing up, she came out to the parlour and stared at me.
She walked over to the couch and sat down, drawing the stool closer to her front, she washed her hands and started eating.
Mama didn't say anything to me while we were eating and I was grateful for that as I know how dramatic Mama could be sometimes.
After finishing my meal, I went to the kitchen and started washing all the dirty plates not waiting for Mama to finish hers. I didn't want to wait in the parlour as I didn't want her to question me about Mama Esther or her sons.
Later I came out and took Mama's own plate to go and wash it. Mama didn't say anything to me either.
I heave a sign of relief. After I was thru washing the plates, I went to our room to sleep early for the night, leaving Mama in the parlour.
The following morning Mama prepared and was about leaving for her early morning market, as early as 5:15 am.
"Neye wake up, am leaving?," Mama told me.
"Okay" I rolled on the bed and turned to face her.
"Make sure you warm those food and don't leave this house!," Mama warned.
"And make sure you don't entertain any guy when am not around!."
"Okay.." I replied.
Mama left the house and I was grateful she didn't mention about Mama Esther sons again, I stood up and went to lock the door after she left and returned back to my sleep.