Yellow Tales of a Nigerian Housemaid (completed)

Chapter Fifty Eight

Mama was already at the shop when Stephen and I got back from the old house. When I'd called earlier to inform her Dera was missing, she went nuts at the other end; cursing and swearing in a deeply hurt tone.

Watching her keenly now, her countenance showed more than grieving for her monetary loss. It was not just about the money and wares Dera took, I could feel she was missing something else. Something I was afraid to ask her.

"Did you search everywhere?" She asked, her eyes darting from me to Stephen.

"Everywhere" Stephen replied trotting towards the plantain shade. Once there, he settled on the new "bench" the staff had constructed. A middle aged woman who hawk varieties of food in a locally made wheelbarrow was busy serving the hungry staff her delicacies.

Mama exhaled angrily as she watched the excited woman count and recount naira notes which ordinarily would have been hers on a good day.

She walked to the shop and from her purse produced a spare key. She forced the padlock open, pushing the door in anger. I was standing right behind her.

The floor was neat, with every single ware arranged as it ought to be. Some mini containers which used to contain sweets and edible gums were empty, with the different cartons of biscuits nearly empty too.

Mama wailed bitterly on the disappearance of some bottled drinks like La çasera, Diet Coke and Nutrimilk, her instant outrage and outburst brought forth troops of Commission staff into the shop.

"Dera has killed me. She ran away with all the money she made this week, and as if that's not enough, she'd cleared my shop!" She cried as many people pitied and consoled her.
****

By the time we got home around 4pm, a huge commotion between Mama's children was  wrecking the entire neighborhood. The screams and shouts were much and I couldn't place hands on what the trouble was all about.

Aunt Oby and her boyfriend was home, uncle Ugonna and aunt Onyi was home too though I didn't spot aunt Agnes immediately, but I'm certain this commotion wouldn't pass her by.

"Your son is very stupid Mama. You should be ashamed of him, woman wrapper!" Aunt Oby screamed as we walked into the compound.

She was sitting on a small wooden chair right in the compound, wearing a grey singlet on a black short and was barefooted. Mama didn't respond to her rant as we silently walked past her. That didn't stop aunt Oby as she kept screaming on her lungs, cursing ill words at her elder brother.

Safe in her room, Mama began to sob, her sniffles melting my heart. I glanced up when the door flung open, but the once angry face which had appeared seconds ago melted like ice, as his eyes beheld his mother's pain.

"Nneogo what is it? Mama! Nneogo why is she crying?" Uncle Ugonna asked as he rushed to his mother's side, holding, squeezing and calmly massaging her palms.

Mama cried the more, but remained silent.

He stared deeply into my eyeballs breaking my defence. Within seconds, I was singing like a bird.

"Dera has disappeared into thin air....and took some of Mama's wares" I responded. Surprisingly, I found it so hard voicing the last words.

"Some or all?" Mama blurted out, with more tears streaming down her eyes.

"Nneogo, are you sure you're not aware of her leaving suddenly?" Uncle Ugonna asked a bewildered me.

To my defence, I swore instantly that I wasn't aware, though I was certain none of them believed me. The way he shrugged at my words, shaking them off like they meant nothing, and the way Mama's suspicious eyeballs rested on me, begging me to say more, said it all.