DINING WITH MY ANCESTORS

Episode 2: Pains

   I woke up one morning feeling nauseous and weak. I informed my Aunty so she permitted me to take the day off so I  didn't go to the shop that day.
By the time everybody left the house, I started vomiting seriously. I suspected the handwork of malaria. I laid down on the bed after washing my mouth in the bathroom and I heard a knock on the door, I opened it only to find my uncle.
"Good afternoon Uncle "

"Afternoon. Why are you at home all by yourself? " he asked

"Am not feeling well. I told Auntie so she allowed me stay back at home and rest " I explained

He entered the room and shut the door behind him

"This is a great privilege and opportunity for us to enjoy " he said

"Uncle please am not ready for that today " I spake raising my two hands up

"Come on, are you telling me you don't enjoy it? Stop acting childish " he said

"Uncle for the past one month you have been raping me anytime and whenever you want, but today it will not happen. " I said with all maner of insolent

"Why? " he asked

"Uncle you are married and am your niece for cry out loud. Don't you have conscience?" I asked rhetorically and he couldn't say anything

"Anyway am weak right now, have been vomiting since morning. Please I don't have strength today " I concluded before I lost balance because my head was spinning. I went into a black out.  By the time I regain consciousness, I saw myself in the hospital. I struggle to get up from the bed I was lying down on but I felt a bit too weak to lift myself.

"Thank God you are awake "

Anita said standing up from the chair that she was sitting close to the bed.

"What hapened?" I asked feeling confused and I was even on drip

"Uncle brought you here before contacting us in the shop, he said you fainted after opening the house door for him " Anita stated innocently and I knew my uncle lied to her.

"Where is he now? " I asked just to play along

"He followed Auntie to check your test result. What really happened before Uncle came back? "

"I have been vomiting since you people left the house in the morning so I was so weak by the time Uncle came back and  ____________" I was interrupted by the raucous steps my Aunty used to enter the ward

"Who is responsible? " she asked throwing a letter on the bed

"Auntie what are you talking about? " Anita asked

"Amanda is one month and seven days pregnant " my Uncle explained as a saint. Tears rolled down from my eyes

"Preg_______ what? " Anita shouted turning to look at me and I knew she was beginning to sense something

"Sister tell me it's not true. I don't believe it " Anita lowered herself to the ground and sat down

"Honey I told you that your niece is a bad luck, she is a prostitute, an harlot, a witch. She walks around sleeping with men in our environment that is why she doesn't know who is responsible for her pregnancy. Amanda since you came to that house, you have locked up good things toward us. You are an Ogbanje not Amanda, who knows whether you were the one that killed your parents through that ghastly motor accident. Make sure that you don't come back to the house. Go and stay with the father of your unborn child because if I find you ehhh, I will use you for meat " my Aunty ranted in the ward

"Sweetheart please calm down" My Uncle tried to calm her down

"Honey don't ask me to calm down because you have always been supporting this prostitute. Make sure that when she is discharge from here that she doesn't come back to our house "