UYAI ✔️

Uyai (fifteen)

The day had finally come and the atmosphere was unusually bright, birds whistled, trees danced, while the wind whizzed by gently caressing their skin. If it had been any other day, Uyai would have smiled widely, with great anticipation for the journey she had numerous times dreamed of. But this was not the case, instead she or they were filled with dread at what awaited them.

Each had on a mournful look, Affiong and Mother's more pronounced than others. They sat huddled together blindly staring at the luggage that sat in front of them.

Grandmother puffed out a breath, mother released hers slowly and timidly. Affiong was expressionless having donned on a blank mask. Uyai bit her inner cheek as she turned and gave the door a long hard look willing father to appear.

It didn't work. Father was a stubborn soul, he was never one to hide his disappointment and though he had seemed unaffected, he wasn't. He had refused food that mother was even unwilling to prepare but had no choice but to fulfill her marital duty. Father had buried himself in the farm work, Uyai couldn't possibly count the number of yams and cucumbers he had planted. He had become that diligent.

"So this is it." Grand mother sighed deeply.

"Apparently so." mother sniffed.

She turned to her elder daughter, Affiong, her long black hair was tightly concealed by a hair tie, she wore a gray colored gown that fell loosely to her slippered clad feet. Ekaete observed her most beloved daughter who looked unseeing into the distance, her hands folded neatly between her knees. She looked so pitiful, it broke her heart. Still she was disappointed, she'd never in a million years thought that her daughter would succumb to the wiles of lust and get pregnant in the absence of marriage. She'd thought she had groomed her well, making sure she had everything she'd desired; she was her perfect daughter, beautiful and worthy of any man. But now the fact was so glaring. She had failed as a mother, and terribly so.

"Uyai I hope you've packed the necessary?" grand mother queried.

"Yes grandma." Uyai replied, glancing briefly at the sack of garri grandmother had fried and the polythene bag that held fried groundnut which sat beside the bag of palm oil; all huddled together on the floor.

"Mama are you sure about this?" Ekaete turned to her mother in-law with a look of uncertainty. The idea of her daughters being so far away from home was unsettling. She feared most for her pregnant daughter; how she was going to cope in the city as a single mother, especially in a place she was unfamiliar with. As a mother, she was greatly disturbed.

"You should direct that question to your daughter." grandmother grimaced. "I've made the necessary arrangement I could with the little connections I had. So it's up to your daughter to follow through. Its still not late to change her mind." grandmother shrugged.

All turned to Affiong with an expectant look. She still appeared in a trance like state. Uyai heaved out a breath.

"Affiong?" mother called.

Affiong's gaze still remained unwavering, her expression was stoic.

"Affiong!" she called again, loudly.

Affiong jerked startled. Uyai watched as she gulped loudly before turning her eyes to mother.

"Did you hear what your grandmother had said?" mother quirked an eyebrow, her face serious all of a sudden.

"No." Affiong replied, her voice cracked with emotion. Uyai bowed her head in pity. She looked so fragile sitting there. Her eyes had lost the usual smug expression.

"Well," mother sighed. "Do you still want to go to the city or go to the father of your child home?" mother asked, she spat out the latter.

I doubt that's possible anymore. Uyai thought.
Even if she wanted to, her supposed lover had abandoned her without even so much as a backward glance.