Very early the next morning, aunt Chime dragged me like a thief to the onowu’s house. The guard at the gate refused to let us in as the onowu was around.
Aunt Chime started screaming loud ‘IFEANYI! IFEANYI, SON OF THE ONOWU! COME AND SEE WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO MY NIECE OOOO! YOU’VE IMPREGNATED HER AND YOU MUST TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT’
I bowed my head in shame as tears poured down my cheeks…i regretted so many things.
If only Ifeanyi was responsible for my pregnancy, then i wouldnt have no fear because he was certainly going to marry me. But no he wasnt, and he was going to know because he never had sexual intercourse with me.
And the shame it was going to bring to me now, because everyone came out of the house almost at once, the onowu, Kainene, Henna, Ifeanyi, the maids and so many other domestic workers in the house.
The onowu told the guard at the gate to let us in and he did.
Immediately i stepped into the compound, i lowered my head in shame. I knew i was a mess, my hair was rough, my clothes were squeezed and my face oily and pale. My eyes were red and swollen from too much crying.
The onowu looked from aunt Chime to me accessingly ‘whats the meaning of this, so early in the morning?’ his voice vibrated in anger.
Aunt Chime got on her knees with her head lowered ‘onowu, may you live long’
‘what brings you and your niece here this early morning?’ he asked.
Henna moved to my side and was about speaking when her father commanded her to step back.
I suddenly felt dizzy and my knees became weak and Ifeanyi was beside me in a flash and i fell into his arms.
By now, aunt Chime was already explaining everything to the onowu.
I looked at Ifeanyi in tears and mouthed ‘i’m sorry’
He looked at me in confusion.
‘i’m very sorry Ifeanyi, have mercy upon me’ i sobbed.
‘……so now, my niece is pregnant and she claimes Ifeanyi is responsible for the pregnancy and i brought her here for Ifeanyi to take responsiblity. Long live the onowu…’ Aunt Chime concluded.
‘get up woman…’ the onowu said and she did.
‘Ifeanyi!’ the onowu spoke authoritatively.
Ifeanyi looked at him, confusion laced over his face. It was obvious he wasnt understanding what was going on ‘dad?’
‘what do you have to say about this? Have you impregnated this girl here as claimed?’ the onowu asked.
Ifeanyi looked at me and gave me the ARE YOU CRAZY look? ‘are you playing games Ivyy? If thats the case, you should quit now cos everyone is falling for it’
‘mere looking at her, she looks like someone with pregnancy…’ the head cook of their house said, madam Onuoha, a woman in her sixties.
The onowu turned to her ‘did i ask for your opinion?’
‘no…no sir’
‘get inside the house and prepare dinner immediately!’
The cook scampered inside the house immediately.
Ifeanyi shifted away from me ‘Ivyy, who’s responsible for your pregnancy?’
‘what kind of question is that?’ aunt Chime asked ‘of course its you! You think i havent been seeing you guys hang out in my garden through my windown?’
Ifeanyi stood up immediately ‘i am not responsible for this! Tell her to tell you the person responsible for the pregnancy because its certainly not me, i am a hundred percent sure of that!’
‘dont you know that condoms do burst?’ the onowu interjected ‘if you think you can be hundred percent sure simply because you used a condom then you’re a liar. Ifeanyi, i’m disappointed in you! How dare you try to shy away from your responsibility? Is that what i thought you?’
‘dad! Ivyy is lying! Gosh, Henna please tell them what i told you last night…’ Ifeanyi said turning to Henna ‘i agree that we attempted to do it so many times but Ivyy couldnt do it because she or rather she claimed she was raped and so she had issues whenever it came to intimacy. I swear on my late mother’s grave and everything i hold dear that i did not have s-x with Ivyy. She was my girlfriend, yes, but there was never any intimacy between us, ask her yourself!’
I started crying as all eyes turned to me.
The onowu came closer and squatted in front of me ‘tell me my child, who really is responsible for your pregnancy? Is it really Ifeanyi?’
I cried. I couldnt say anything….Ifeanyi was such a good person, he didnt deserve this kind of treatment from anyone most especially me. I just had to admit that i’d lost him for good. He was never coming back to me again and it was all my fault.
‘answer me child…’ the onowu said tenderly ‘is he truly responsible for your pregnancy?’
I shook my head. I couldnt do this to Ifeanyi, he deserved something better ‘no’
Everyone gasped and Ifeanyi fell to the ground crying. He had truly loved me.
‘then who’s responsible?’ the onowu asked.
‘Ralph…Ralph Obi’ i sobbed.
Henna’s shoulder sagged in disappointment.
She warned me. Mrs Asemota warned me.
I’m finished!
TBC