Eki sat by the doorway, quietly peeling cassava for dinner. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the house bathed in the dim glow of a single oil lamp. She tried to focus on her task, but the escalating voices inside the house made her hands tremble.
Her father’s angry shout broke the silence. "Isoken, don’t you dare talk to me like that! I’m still the man of this house!"
"Man of this house?" Isoken’s voice was calm but sharp as a blade. "What kind of man abandons his responsibilities? What kind of man lets his daughter become the head of the family while he drinks and does nothing?"
"Don’t insult me, woman!" her father roared, his voice shaking the walls.
Eki froze, the cassava slipping from her hands. She could feel the anger rising in her chest, a fiery wave that threatened to consume her.
"I’m tired of this!" Isoken continued, her tone laced with years of pent-up frustration. "You sit here, day after day, contributing nothing! It’s Eki who fetches the water, Eki who works the farms, Eki who puts food on the table! What have you done for this family?"
Her father’s voice turned defensive. "You think it’s easy to be a man in this cursed village? Do you know the burden I carry—"
"Burden?" Isoken interrupted, laughing bitterly. "The only burden you carry is the weight of your laziness. You’re not cursed; you’re just a coward who blames the world for your failures."
That was the last straw for Eki. She couldn’t sit by any longer. Tossing the cassava aside, she stormed into the room, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Enough!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the argument like a knife. "Mama, why are you even wasting your time talking to him? He’s not worth it!"
Both parents turned to look at her, surprised by her outburst.
"Eki," her father said, his voice slurring slightly. "This is between me and your mother. Stay out of it."
"Stay out of it?" Eki’s voice shook with fury. "How can I stay out of it when I’m the one holding this family together? While you sit around drinking and making excuses, I’m the one working myself to the bone for Mama, for us! You don’t deserve to be called a father!"
"Eki, stop," Isoken said softly, stepping toward her daughter.
"No, Mama!" Eki’s voice cracked as tears welled up in her eyes. "I’ve had enough! He doesn’t care about us. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself!"
Her father’s face darkened. "Watch your tongue, girl. I’m still your father!"
"Father?" Eki laughed bitterly. "You’re nothing but a burden we’re forced to carry!"
"Eki, that’s enough," Isoken said firmly, placing a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. "Go outside. This is between me and him."
"But, Mama—"
"Please," Isoken said, her voice soft but unyielding. "Don’t let his failures take away your peace. Go."
Eki’s chest heaved with anger and frustration, but the look in her mother’s eyes silenced her. With a sharp intake of breath, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.
---
The night air was cool against her flushed skin, but it did little to calm her. She walked briskly, her fists clenched at her sides, her mind racing with thoughts of her father’s failures and the pain her mother endured daily.
"I can’t stay in that house," she muttered to herself, tears streaming down her face. "I can’t."
As she neared the path to Ivie’s house, she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up and froze when she saw Oduwa.
"Eki?" he called out, his voice filled with concern.
She quickly wiped her tears, turning her face away. "Leave me alone, Oduwa."
But Oduwa wasn’t one to give up so easily. He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Eki, what’s wrong? Talk to me."
"Nothing," she snapped, trying to brush past him. "I don’t want to talk."
"Then don’t talk," he said gently, his tone calm. "But at least let me be here for you."
His words stopped her in her tracks. For a moment, she stood there, trembling with suppressed emotion. She hated feeling weak, hated letting anyone see her like this. But the look in Oduwa’s eyes—steady, patient, and kind—made her walls start to crumble.
She let out a shaky sigh, her voice barely audible. "You wouldn’t understand."
"Try me," Oduwa said, his voice soft but insistent.
For the first time that night, Eki felt the urge to share the weight of her pain. She looked up at him, her heart heavy with anger and sadness. Maybe, just maybe, she could let someone in
YOU ARE READING
when strength meets love
RomanceEki is a strong, hardworking young woman who has sworn off men after being hurt too many times, including by her own father. Raised in the small, cursed village of Ikoka, she's vowed never to marry and believes that the world would be better without...