Yellow Tales of a Nigerian Housemaid (completed)

Chapter Twenty Three

There was dead silence!

Aunt Oby was shocked and without warning, turned to stare at her boyfriend who was now clearly very uncomfortable.
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He looked up at her, his eyes squinting a little. She was still staring hard, squeezing him with her eyeballs. In defence, he lifted his shoulder in an i-don't-know manner.

"Your sister is going crazy, I don't know what she's talking about" he said, as inaudible as possible.

After staring at him for few more seconds, she eased off and quietly returned her stare to aunt Agnes who was still glancing round at everyone's face like a lion waiting on it's prey.

Not having such accusation, aunt Oby walked towards her sister. Her boyfriend rushed off to stop her. He held her arms and tried pulling her back but aunt Oby shook his hands off in anger, casting him a warning glance. She strolled casually but determinedly to aunt Agnes, her gaze never ever leaving her sister's eyes. Aunt Agnes firmly caught her stare and held unto it until she walked up to her. For a long few seconds, they stood there, staring hard at each other, none willing to back down.

"You're going crazy Agnes, really you are!" Uncle Ugonna retorted in anger breaking up their awkward stare.

"Am I wrong? Prove that I'm wrong!" She screamed turning abruptly to stare at him. He shook his head in disgust and leaned back on the wall. I could feel his anger rising up and was scared. But it felt as though Aunt Agnes had had enough and was willing to take the risk.

"What's the meaning of what you just said?" Aunt Oby queried her sister, her eyes as angry as ever. Aunt Agnes turned to face her again, a smirk on her face.

"You heard me right!" She stormed back. "I don't think you should have a problem with what I've just said, I never mentioned you. You're not a man, or are you?"

Uncle Ugonna eased off from the wall, his wild stare still on aunt Agnes.

"I'm trying to respect...

"Don't try to!" Aunt Agnes shot back, her stare strongly on her sister's boyfriend. "What's your problem Oby? If the people I accused are irate, they should say it to my face!" She said louder, her gaze shifting from aunt Oby's boyfriend to uncle Ugonna. Uncle scoffed at her silly act and leaned comfortably on the wall again. He scowled an inaudible word at her.

In all this, I could sense Mama's confusion. All she did was stare from the accuser to the accused. She was trying to take in everything so she could judge better. As for me, I stood by Mama's side, studying her movement patiently and being at alert on when to run for my life.
The argument had heated up incredibly and I was at the centre of it all. I was their common enemy and would be easily slaughtered as a burnt offering in order to appease them all. Mama might be by my side now but what happens when they all gang up against me? Who would save me?

Aunt Oby glanced at her boyfriend who shook his head irritably. She turned to face her sister but this time as determined as ever.

"That Nneogo seems attractive to your husband doesn't mean every man is like him. There are still real men who have control over their sexual urges...

"At least he's my husband, so what is yours to you?" Aunt Agnes shot back, cutting her off.

"Oh!" Aunt Oby gasped in pain "Are you stooping that low? Are we going to fight that dirty? "

"What would you have me do when you purposely dragged my husband's name to the mud?" She replied angry.

"I never did!" Aunt Oby snapped. "Why are you looking for whom to blame? Maybe if you had played your role very well, he wouldn't have found your housemaid more pleasant! He wouldn't have appreciated her or even plan to send her to the university!" Aunt Oby screamed.