Against All Odds

Chapter fifty six:When Black Crows fall

Obi sat beside Benjamin and held his hand while he slept. Obiefune had finally gone away from the hospital. Obi was grateful that he had been around when she needed his help. Everything from Benjamin's violation to his sickness and Obiefune's confrontation had unsettled her. She recalled the conversation she had with him as she caressed her husband's hand.

"How could I not have known? Why was I so blind? I've lived with him for years, we've spent so much time together, I feel so terribble, perhaps I haven't been a good wife"

Obiefune patted her shoulder before speaking to her "If he didn't tell you and chose to hide it, then you wouldn't have known. How many SCD patients have you been exposed to? What are the symptoms that you can identify? Obi stop beating yourself up ịnụ. You are not a doctor, you couldn't have predicted this "

" But why didn't Benjamin tell me if you all knew about it? " Obi enquired bemused

" I think Benji has to answer for himself, it's never easy to tell the ones you love your deepest darkest secrets. There's always this fear of the possibility of them loving you less or leaving you. "

" You told me about your incident with your teacher" Obi retorted

"It was very difficult to and I was very much afraid, but this is entirely different. If he had told you about his condition would you have married him?" Obiefune enquired

Obi struggled with her response, he had a point "I don't know, I might not have." Obi chuckled "Well now I know why people called me brave when I wanted to marry him."

Obiefune smiled "It is a brave thing to do, marrying someone who might die at any point in time"

"My husband certainly knows how to keep secrets, I didn't even know you two were related till Chioma showed up"

Obiefune was stunned by her revelation "He didn't tell you about us why?"

"I intend to find out hopefully, he talked about his mother a lot. Please Obiefune do you know what happened to his mom? Does it have anything to do with why your family and that of your other cousins distance themselves from him?. I really need to know the truth"
Obiefune opened his mouth and closed it again before Obi's phone rang. It was ifenna on the line enquiring about her whereabouts.

"Daddy just brought mma to the house, he is still around. Mma Chukwudi and daddy's wife are sick that's why he couldn't leave her with them. Yes, they have eaten, Twice! even. Mma is asking of you, she has refused to drink Lipton she says it does not smell like Achara tea. Sister please come back o, she's crying sef, I'll call you back"

Obi could hear over the phone how exasperated Ifenna was as she tried to comfort the old woman. "mma ọ gịnị kwanu mma drink this one ? Ṅụọ nụ nke a, ọ jighị egbu mmadụ it doesn't kill. Mma Stop crying now, anyị enweghị Achara tea we don't have Achara tea.Oluebube biko Bring coffee let's see if she would take that one. "

Mma's voice rose as she cried more, calling her ancestors to save her from her grandchildren's maltreatment" unu nchoro igbu m ọ You people want to kill me, coffee ndị bekee, ọtọ gburu onwe ya Coffee that is sweet. Achọghị m ihe na atọ biri biri maka afọ I Don't want anything sweet . Okechukwu nwam! Lee he ụmụ gị nd imem ọ see what your children are doing to me"Mma lamented

"Mma coffee adịghị ụtọ coffee is not sweet , o nweghị onye chọrọ igbu gị! Nobody is trying to kill you, Oluebube tell her that coffee is not sweet now, it's not as if we're adding anything to it"

Obi could hear her sons singing for their grandmother "Cry cry grand mama you want to see your mummy shame!"

Ifenna noticed that the call was still on going and ended it.