Pains of Amara(Completed)

Chapter 21

AMARACHI

  "These clothes are too much o"i murmured to myself as i ran my fingers through my thick afro hair.

"Amara dont worry I'll help you sew that one"Eberechi, one of the part time workers who worked under aunty Lydia offered to help me.
I shook my head at her proposal. If aunty Lydia knew she was the one who sew the cloth, i would get into trouble and I didn't want her to make any mistakes on the dress pattern.
It will be better i did the cloth myself.
   "No Eberechi. Thank you still. Just focus on yours ok. I'll do it myself"i said. She stared at me for some seconds and shrugged her shoulders, before turning to face her work.
Every body minded their work as we worked in absolute silence.
I loved the serene atmosphere.
"If only it would last like this" i thought to myself.
  I glanced at the wall clock, it was 1pm and aunty lydia wasn't still here.
Thinking about aunty Lydia brought back events of the previous nights rushing into my mind.
The thought of what could have happened to me if i didn't defend myself made me shudder.
  
   "Aunty Lydia is probably with chief clement. Why should she apologise to him? He tried to rape me and he could have done the same to Ogechi! What is so important that will make aunty Lydia offer her own daughter for sex with that old man?"
   All these thoughts kept running through my mind that i didn't notice someone was standing at the door way.
The person's tall shadow was blocking the sunlight from finding its way into the shop.
   "Amarachi my dear friend"the farmilar voice called out.
I was snapped out of my soliloquy and i looked up to meet the smiling face of Nonso.
I was so engrossed in my thoughts that i didn't notice his presence.
  
      "Ah nonso you are here"i said standing up to offer him a seat.
Nonso raised an eyebrow as i offered him a seat.
    "Can't i visit my friend again?"he asked as i brought out a cloth using it to clean the stool i brought for him.
"No now. I'm just surprised"i replied smiling.

"Well after what happened yesterday i had to see you. Did aunty lydia say anything to you? Hope she didn't try anything funny?"Nonso asked as concern was visibly written all over his.
I sighed and smiled at him. He held onto my hand and and caressed it which attracted stares from aunty Lydia's part time workers.
I immediately pulled out my hand from his hold noticing how the other girls kept on glancing at us at intervals.
"Nonso I'm fine ok"
"Besides I'm angry with you o"i added feigning anger.
"What did i do?"Nonso asked with a raised eyebrow.
I was trying to keep a straight face but i couldn't hold the laugh that was already spilling out of me.

  "You didn't tell me you were getting married"i said in between laughs.
Immediately Nonso heard that statement, his eyes widened.
"What? Me getting married? To who?"nonso asked bewildered.
I became confused.
Why is he acting all surprise?
"To Rebecca ofcourse. She told me today. She came over to visit me and told me the good news"

  I watched as Nonso started getting tensed. He clenched his fist in anger and gritted his teeth.
"Did i do something wrong? Why does he look angry?"
I became worried and wondered if i had done wrong by spilling out what Becca told me.
"Nonso are you ok?"
He blinked a couple of times and gave me a faint smile.
"I'm fine"he replied as if he was deep in thought.
"Amara I'll be going now ok. I just remembered i have something to do ok take care of yourself please"Nonso said as he quickly stood up to leave.
I nodded my head and bade him goodbye as i watched him leave.
"I expected to see him happy but he looked so tensed. What could be the problem?"

***********************
"Becca!"Nonso shouted as he stood at her front door, anger laced in his tone. He paced to and fro,with his heart thumping like it wanted to break out of his rib cages.
Anger was visibly written all over his face.
"I never promised to marry Rebecca so why would she tell Amara that horrible lie!"nonso thought outloud.
"Rebecca!"he shouted once more, visibly furious.

  After some minutes, the door creaked open and rebecca came out smiling as soon as she spotted nonso who obviously had no smile for her in his face.
"My love....."Rebecca began to say but was immediately cut short by Nonso.

"What's the meaning of this Rebecca?why would you go tell Amara that i and you are getting married? When did this rubbish start!?"
Becca stared at Nonso,shocked for a moment before flashing him a smile.
"Aren't we getting married?"she asked calmly as she walked over to him.

"Which useless marriage?"Nonso replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh Nonso spare me all that! Please spare me that rubbish!Let me remind you Nonso yesterday we had sex,you took my virginity and you must marry me whether you like it or not!"Becca retorted back at Nonso.

Nonso stood transfixed,it felt like he should slap Becca.
He clenched his fist in anger as he stared at Becca,trying to hold himself from pouncing on her.
Yesterday afternoon,Becca came over,she prepared food for him, they both ate and had a couple of drinks and when he woke up he saw himself in bed with Becca.
He just couldn't believe that he had sex with her.

    "Becca.."nonso began but was immediately cut short by becca.
"When you woke up you saw the blood stains on your bed didnt you?What more evidence do you need that you slept with me?! Nonso if you don't marry me I'll make your life miserable"Becca threatened.
"I love Amara. Rebecca I'm inlove with Amara. I can't marry you!"
That sentence was what becca dreaded the most. It felt like her heart had been stabbed immediately Nonso uttered that statement.

"I don't care who you love or who you don't love! What i know is that you must marry me"Becca bellowed and stormed inside the house,banging the door at Nonso.
Nonso cursed underneath his breath and stormed off into his car,driving out of Rebecca's compound.

Becca stared at nonso from the window,watching the car zoom off.
A smile curved at the corner of her lip.
"Nonso you belong to me whether you like it or not and nobody can come in between us not even that orphan girl amara"

***********************

  AMARACHI

Aunty lydia didn't come to the shop throughout today. I was happy she didn't, i had peace of mind while working but at the same time i feared the unknown. It was a premonition that something bad was about to happen.
I arrived home and met aunty Lydia,speaking in hushed tones with her husband.
There was always a sign before a storm.
It was 8pm. I had cooked dinner and served both aunty lydia and uncle Francis. I tried focusing on something better but i just had a feeling that whatever they were discussing won't be for my benefit.
Ogechi came home to collect food for Nne. She didn't even say a word to me. She just kept on eying me and staring at me like a hungry animal who just found its prey.
Something was definitely wrong.

   Uncle Francis called everybody to the living room. This was what i was bracing up for.
I felt so restless within me.
I just silently prayed it was nothing serious.
"Amarachi"My uncle began.
At the mention of my name my heart sank. I definitely knew it would involve me.
"S...s...sir"i managed to reply.
"You know you are no longer a child. You are a grown up female. I did you well by raising you up isn't it?"
I nodded my head.
Why was he sounding this way. Where they planning on sending me out of the house?
I glanced at aunty lydia and ogechi as they both eyed me.

"You are of age and when a girl is of age, you know what comes next"my uncle said. It was like he was trying to look for the right words to pass a message across to me in a way that it wouldn't hurt me.

"I don't understand uncle"i replied obviously confused.

"What don't you understand?"Aunty Lydia chirped in.
Uncle francis motioned with his hands for her to keep silent as he began his speech again.

"You are getting married to chief clement"
The bomb was dropped.
I stared at all of them with eyes widened. I was dumbfounded.
I swallowed a sob as my eyes gradually became watery.
How could they make such a decision about my life?

"Yes amara you heard your uncle right"Aunty Lydia added.
For a moment i was so lost in my thought that everything felt unimportant to me.
"It will be good. After all he is rich now"Ogechi said smiling.

Everybody kept on talking on how good it will be to marry chief clement.
No! I won't take it! This is my life!
They don't have that right to make that decision.
At least none of them deserve to have that right.
I cleaned my face with the back of my palm.
"I will never marry that old man!"i cried out.