At War

Chapter 67

                         Unpleasant Surprises

Obanma's head swirled and seemed woozy when she tried to walk out of the bedroom. Onyedikachi had disappeared from the room and she seemed too weak to call out to him.

She managed to climb down from the bed albeit slowly but quite effectively. She hadn't expected the palm wine to knock her off so easily.

It occurred to her that she was still in Onyedikachi's house but she had planned to inform him of Adaugo's return then be on her way.

She noticed a picture of Onyedikachi's father with Onyedikachi and Arinze hanging boldly beside his bed as she turned to search for her footwear. Her lips pulled apart in a quite sad yet pleasing smile. The boys held in their hands' cones of ice cream while their father stood in between them wearing a huge smile. The reminder that her father had cut the man's life short plagued her and she got quite emotional about it.

How could one ever atone for their father's sins

She stepped out of the room to discover Chidiogo standing in front of the room with her knuckles fisted like she had wanted to knock.

Obanma offered a greeting to the woman which she acknowledged with a disappointing tone.

"Is Onyedikachi in there?" She had asked peering into the room even before she could answer.

"Mba, he....he...." Obanma tried to fight nausea which overwhelmed her but failed as she ran quickly into the bathroom in Onyedikachi's room to empty her bowels. She breathed in after the exhausting experience and began to wash her face after rinsing her mouth.

The thought of Chidiogo standing outside the room made her uncomfortable as she believed embarrassment had been added to the awkwardness between them.

Taking bouts of deep breaths, she marched into the room only to find Chidiogo pacing around .

"I'm so sorry about that, I...it was the palm wine I took earlier. It didn't sit well I guess. Onyi brought me here to get better, I must have slept off"

Chidiogo approached Obanma who felt quite dizzy and led her to the bed.

"How far gone are you?"

Stunned by the question she tried repeating it to make meaning out of what she had heard.

"Far gone?"

Unsmiling with a staid expression Chidiogo declared slowly "Yes"

"I don't understand"

"Is this how you got him to propose? Pregnancy?" She couldn't help but notice the myriad of emotions that played across the girl's face.

"What are you talking about! What pregnancy!"

"I should have known"

Obanma and stomped out angrily from the room. For some reason, she had hoped Chidiogo had wanted to mend their relationship. She was quite convinced it was useless to see reason with Chidiogo.

Chidiogo walked out of the bedroom feeling guilty about how she had gone about her discovery. Still, she wondered if her discovery was a known fact or if it had been nascent.

She met Papa nnukwu on her way down who was completely displeased with how Obanma had left. He could tell Chidiogo had somehow provoked the poor girl.

"Onyedikachi went to buy her something for her stomach."

"She mentioned... I don't think whatever he's buying is what she needs because she is pregnant"

Thrilled with Chidiogo's revelation Papa Nnukwu chuckled loudly as he remembered the night they had driven sleep from his eyes. He had been expecting such news for a long time.