Ride Her Shoes

30- Black eye

The night passed and day came bright and new for everyone to start afresh, Nmachi, Akudo and dearest Nwabugwu. Akuko was already in the kitchen, trying to make breakfast for the duo before they got out of bed.

She had checked up on them to see that Nmachi had shared her bed with Nwabugwu instead of putting him in his cradle. She must have been really frightened.

While Akudo tried to whisk the egg and regulate the heat of the stove at the same time, she heard a light knock at the door and dropped everything she had in her, she walked to the door to see who it was.

Upon getting to the door, she pulled at the knob to find Dr. Ikedi standing there. He was in a native attire, shorts and shirt. He most definitely wasn't going to work today as he is dressed this way.

"Isn't it the most beautiful of women?" He praised Akudo who blushed yet wondered why he was at her doorstep so early.

"You won't stop flattering me, would you?" She asked him and he smiled before stepping into the house as she shut the door after him.

"Won't you be going to the hospital?" She asked and he shook his head

"I'm not on duty till late at night. Unless there's an emergency." He explained, "What about you?" He enquired dipping his hands into his pocket while staring expectantly at her,

"Oh, I'm off today," she smiled

"That means we've got a whole day to spend together,"he said in excitement but right when Akudo was going to reply, she ran to the kitchen as she perceived the smell of burning food.

Ikedi ran after her to help out in any way he could.

Akudo carried the pot off the stove and began to open up the windows so the smoke could leave the kitchen fast enough before it could circulate round the entire house.

She was panting from the little race to the kitchen and Dr. Ikedi bursted out laughing and she frowned at him

"You need to see your face," he said amidst his laughter,"What were you making?" He asked after his laughter had subsided and she raised the plate of whisked eggs and sliced tomatoes.

"Yam and egg sauce," she replied

After waiting for a while, she placed the pot back on the lit stove to begin cooking.

"Good morning," Nmachi greeted them upon entering into the kitchen with Nwabugwu whom she had already bathed.

"Yyyey!" Nwabugwu exclaimed upon seeing Dr. Ikedi who went over to where he stood holding the hem of Nmachi's dress to carry him.

"How have you been?" He asked Nwabugwu

"Fi-ne," Nwabugwu replied with a bright smile on his face.

"We're still going to the mall today, right?" Nmachi asked Akudo

"The mall?" Dr. Ikedi asked and Nmachi nodded"Why? If I may ask,"

"Sorry, I didn't say it earlier, Nmachi and Nwabugwu would be leaving for the village tomorrow,"

"What?" Dr. Ikedi exclaimed, with his eyes wide open as he looked at Nmachi expecting an explanation,"Why?" He asked

"She misses home, and would like Nwabugwu to meet his grandparents at least once whatever be the case." Akudo replied in a soft voice as she poured the sliced tomatoes in to the now heated oil in the pot and began to stir

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?"

"Oh, we would. I'll inform Ahmed before the end of today," she replied Dr. Ikedi who seemed satisfied while Nmachi's mouth hung wide open.

"You're coming?" Nmachi asked Akudo after Dr. Ikedi left the kitchen with Nwabugwu,

"Yes, I am. It's only normal that I go with you just in case something happens and I wouldn't want you to board a public transport with Nwabugwu." Akudo explained as she brought out some plates from the rack and arranged them on the cupboard.

"I am never going to let you do that," Akudo whispered.

_

"Do you think she'd like this material?" Nmachi asked Akudo as she held it up so she could see.

"I guess but you should know better, she's your mother." Akudo replied and Nmachi sighed.

"Mama is tough, she doesn't like what people think she likes and sometimes I feel she hates those things because people feel she likes them and it's predictable.

"That may be true but not always. Just take about two of it, she'd like either one of them." Akudo assured her.

Nmachi placed the dress into the bag and paid the woman selling them before she moved with Akudo to other stores where foodstuff were being sold.

Akudo had made a list of the things she'd need to buy to avoid buying the things she wouldn't need or are above their budget.

"I don't see any reason why we should buy food stuff for mama seeing that she stays in the village and farms," Nmachi protested ,"This would only be a waste of money," she added

"It doesn't matter, at least, it'd give her a break from all the street, don't you think?"

"That's true,"Nmachi agreed

"We need to hurry up, remember Nwabugwu might be looking for you by now," Akudo informed her. They had gone to the market using public transport so they had to leave Nwabugwu with Dr. Ikedi to avoid tiring him and themselves as well.

"That's true, let me quickly buy those cucumbers over there." Nmachi said before turning around to go to the store across but bumped into a young lady.

"I'm sorry," Nmachi quickly apologized as the lady bent down to pick up an item that fell off her bag.

"Nma?" The lady said upon seeing Nmachi's face and Nma raised a brow

"Yes, that's me. Do I know you?" She asked the lady who had a black eye which must have either been the aftermath of a fight or a slap.

"It's me, Oma, from umudike," the lady said,"The one whom you squatted with when you came to see Echezona," she reminded her and Nmachi recalled immediately Who she was.

"Wow, how have you been?" Nmachi asked her, smiling excitedly, like she had seen an old friend even though they weren't really friends.

"I've been good, what about you and how about the pregnancy?" She asked as it had been years since they last saw each after the ugly incident with her boyfriend.

"Oh, he is fine and at home. I actually came to grab a few things seeing that we'd be going to see my mum tomorrow,"Nmachi informed her,"

"Wow, what a small world. You don't look bad at all. I've tried every means to reach you so I can apologize for my boyfriend's act, I'm really sorry. I know better now." She pleaded and Nmachi nodded,

"It's fine," Nmachi whispered,"Besides, it's in the past now." She assured her,"By the way, how is he? Are you both still together?"

Oma sighed sadly,"No, we are not. We had a fight two weeks ago and we fell out after then,"

"Oh," was all Nmachi could say while nodding as her statement explained the black eye.

"I should get going now," Nmachi said to her,"See you around then," she added. She knew she'd have said a word of sympathy to her for the bruise on her face but knowing very well that Oma knew the right thing to do long ago but waited till it resulted in something this bad on her face, she decided not to.

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