Yellow Tales of a Nigerian Housemaid (completed)

Chapter Twenty Five

"Sorry for barging in on you, I just wanted Nne to run an errand for me" He apologised. "And moreover the door was left open, so I popped in" He added with his eyes now fixated on Mama.

There was silence.

"So what fight were you discussing about?" He asked keenly. His eyeballs departed from Mama and were now resting on me. I lost my composure and began fiddling with the tip of my loose gown. I quietly glanced at Mama who I was sure was thinking on what best to say.

"Why the silence?" He asked perplexed. I was still squirming under his stare, glancing at Mama at intervals. Then, I saw Mama's lips slowly parting ways to speak.

"Nneogo, did you fight in school?" He asked, unintentionally interrupting Mama.

Mama exhaled deeply. He had unknowingly given her an excuse, and I was so sure she never thought of that.

I raised my head in instant shock and shook it swiftly.

"Why is she shaking her head?" I heard Mama ask. I turned sharply to behold an angry look. Her eyeballs were piercing through my eyes like a bullet and straight to my ear, whispering to me to wholeheartedly accept the fault.

I couldn't help it but my countenance fell immediately.

"Were you lying to me?" He asked and yet again, I shook my head inadvertently.

But then I remembered Mama's silent warning and nodded quietly.

I looked up at him and could see the disappointment on his face. He glanced around the room carefully, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Mama, why are your bags packed? What's going on?" He asked stepping into the room and looking around it in futility.

"Ehm... We actually need to go to the old house..

"Why? What's happening there?" He interrupted.

"Uhm.. We.. She... Nneogo...

"Is Nneogo leaving?" He asked again decoding the anxiety in Mama's tone.

"Not really, we just need to go to the old house for sometime. There are things we must arrange.. "

"I don't understand Mama, why is she leaving?"

"I asked her to" Aunty Agnes answered, stepping into the common room. Apparently she had began looking for her husband and was scared I had kidnapped him into my room.

Her husband turned around, his face a mixture of surprise and disappointment.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because of the fight ogo m (my in-law)". Mama answered, leaving no room for aunt Agnes to speak.

Aunty Agnes turned, her face clouded in shock. Her eyeballs were firm, burrowing into Mama's eyes and querying the reason for her response. For a second she felt Mama and I have conspired and reported to the husband and I could see cold sweats forming and trickling down her face.

"Because of her fight in school" Mama added, obviously trying to explain better. I could again see aunt Agnes exhale deeply in relief as a stupid smile formed around her lips.

"I've warned her never to fight in school anymore else she leaves my house but she doesn't listen. So she did again and I asked her to leave" My aunt lied.

Her husband stared at her for sometime before returning his gaze to me.

"Did you for a moment find out why she always fight in school?" He asked my aunt, his eyes still on me. I hadn't stopped fiddling with my cloth as my fingers made quick movements and twists inbetween the fabric.