Yellow Tales of a Nigerian Housemaid (completed)

Chapter Fifty Three

Mama felt pity and stayed with me throughout the day. She kept murmuring to herself, insisting that someone had taken my uniform. She was angry no one wanted to search their closets, which I understood invariably meant aunt Agnes. She had refused Mama the permission to search her room, and haven't showed concern since my uniform was announced missing.

Aunt Oby, uncle Kc and their son came home around 2pm. She walked over to the common room where I was seated with Mama. Her face was covered in worry.

"Mama, hope you later found the uniform? Sorry I took my keys along, didn't know this will arise" She asked throwing me a smile. I didn't smile back, I didn't have the strength.

"No we didn't. " Mama replied, sad. 

She placed her palms over her lips, her eyes flashing in curiosity "Please don't tell me she missed her exam?"

Mama nodded while I began to cry again.

"I'm sorry dear, this is sad" She replied shaking her head. Her face depicted sincere sympathy that for a moment I wondered if she'd taken it.

"Where's your baby?".Mama asked.

"With his father." She replied, pausing briefly before continuing. "They went into the room, the boy needs to relax. He was crying all through, thank God Kc went with me, don't know how I'd have managed" She explained leaning on the couch.

"And how was the meeting?" Mama asked, giving me a smile. "You see why we refused Nneogo going with you? Look at the time you're coming home, If we had leflt Nneogo to travel with you, she would have missed her exam!"

"But she still missed her exam even without going with me." She replied chuckling. "I didn't mean to say that, that was....

"And when did your uniform become part of our wardrobe?" Uncle Kc asked peeking in.

His sudden presence and words did not only interrupt us, they also burst in a wind of suspense in the room. His left foot was rooted outside the compound, with his right inside the common room. He was holding my uniform in between his fingertips, letting them dangle from one side to the other. His eyes were fixated on me, with a disapproving stare etched in them.

Mama sprang up from her chair, sudden rage and anger taking over her. I was still moping at uncle Kc, my lips too heavy to part. Aunt Oby's expression darkened instantly, her glare clearly telling her boyfriend he'd just messed up, big time.

"I was sorting the clothes we washed yesterday and found it in there... Ehmm maybe we packed it in mistakenly, giving that it was really dark" He stuttered trying to cover up.

"Nneogo missed a paper today Oby, cos of her uniform!" Mama thundered. Venom was obvious in her voice, and for sure I knew if words were bullet, she would have put a hole in her daughter's heart.

Uncle Kc was still standing at the doorway motionless, with my eyes never ever leaving him since he stepped in with my uniform. Warm tears were flowing freely down my cheeks, openly betraying my strength.

Slowly, I'd began to fight the tears, singing sweet songs as they flowed into my mind. Moments later, and like a miracle I stopped crying with my eyes freeing his hold. I glanced at him, watching as his eyes narrow in confusion. They darted from his girlfriend to Mama, and me. When our eyes locked again, hot tears filled my sockets and without a fight, I let them flow peacefully.

"Mama it's a mistake, I swear. I didn't know her uniform was among the clothes I brought in yesterday. What will I gain from this?" Aunt Oby said, darkening her expression.

Mama didn't believe her. "I suspected you had something to do with this immediately you mentioned you left to the village with your key." Mama screamed angrily. "You never go anywhere with them, they're always under your foot match!"