My Father's wife

Chapter Three: Impostor

Nenye tossed and turned on her bed as she grew restless and disconcerted because of the loss of electricity.

She had always gotten nightmares when she slept without light, further distressed she kept out of her bed and left the room.

Nenye had gone midway till she realized that she forgot to get a source of light. Her eyes caught a shimmer of light that passed through the window in the corridor and she quickly peered through the window.

Their neighbors still had electricity and even the gate keeper's quarters illuminated.

"Something must be wrong with the switch" Nenye thought as she sauntered into her room to fetch her phone.

Few minutes after she arrived where she thought the problem emanated from. A loud snore startled her and went deeper into the room. Amused by the display her step son had made she began to chuckle. Nenye carefully stepped over him as she reached for the switch and turned the light on.

Shocked and amused at the sight before her, she grinned to herself before stepping out of the room. Michael had sprawled on the floor and snored while he slept.

The culprit was caught at the site of the crime. Nenye stepped into the room slightly bothered about his appearance. Michael reeked of alcohol and she suspected it had something to do with the visit the nurse had told her about.

Thoughts of what must have passed on in his mind ran across her mind and she felt somewhat concerned.

"Maybe Michael regretted his actions of abandoning his father or maybe his vegetative state had put things in perspective for him.

Nenye sighed at the seeming dilemma she was facing because of the arrogant man that irked her and decided that she had to help him.

"Everyone had their demons and should learn to fight them with less bottles of alcohol and more dozes of courage."

She laughed at the irony of what she thought within herself as she grabbed a blanket from her closet and stepped out of the room.

She was the last person on earth fit to be associated with the word, courage. She couldn't even sleep with the light off because of the nightmares that often haunted her without the light on.

Her nightmare was consistent and hazy but it always left her terrified. She would always end up perspiring after jerking up from bed.

Still terrified of where her thoughts ran to she quickly shook her head and marched to the place Michael lay.

Nenye wrapped his body with the blanket before stepping away. Migraine was one thing he would certainly deal with when he came to, but cold could be taken out of the equation. Slowly stepping away from him she moved back into her room and dozed off.

A soft knock on the door woke Nenye and she sluggishly walked to the door rubbing her eyes as she went. Oversleeping was certainly not her habit but exhaustion ran its toll on her.

She stretched lazily and yawned before turning the door knob to usher an excited Chinwendu into her room.

"Just one week without me and you've become this lazy eh nwa!"
She declared boisterously as she wrapped her hands around Nenye

Nenye managed to squeeze herself out of the young lady's grip as she stooped low to catch her breath. Tight hugs were never her forte

"I didn't even know you were coming back! I thought you were staying longer!"

Chinwendu strutted to nenye's bed and jumped on top of it.

"Mummy was eager to leave that village biko. Apparently everybody's personal problems comes visiting whenever mom arrives. She told me she has been serving them alcohol and gin sometimes just to get them intoxicated and give them short term amnesia, so they don't remember their problems " Chinwendu rapped as she stretched on the bed

Nenye laughed at the woman's actions

She quickly sat up and frowned at her friend.

" wait o, does that mean you didn't miss me? Why are you just bombarding me with questions? "

" I did, I missed you and your mom. You just took me by surprise. How's your grandmother now?"

"She's better"

"So what has been keeping you busy! Anyone in particular? Give me the 411! The juicy 4-1-1" Chinwendu spelled out with a wink

"Nothing much, well I've been going to orphanage and well someone, you know who actually just arri"

Nenye was cut off by a voice calling out for Chinwendu

"I'll be down in a minute, I am so glad Christine's back"

Nenye had barely uttered her words before chinwendu raced downstairs.

She had a quick bath and brushed her teeth before stepping outside with her comb. Her afro required a lot of combing and water to bend it to her will.

The combing lasted for few minutes before Nenye descended the stairs. When she arrived the kitchen, Christine was already preparing a delicious delicacy who's aroma danced around in her nostrils.

A huge smile spread across the woman's face as she caught sight of Chinenye. She quickly dropped her spoon and encircled her hands around Chinenye.

"look at you, looking so beautiful, imaka!"

Nenye laughed at the compliment because of her hair.
Christine ran her hands through nenye's hair and lightly smacked her chin.

"You're still spreading this hair around, I've been seeing puffs of black hair everywhere! Better stay there so you don't fill my food with human hair"

Nenye laughed as she pulled apart from the woman. "I can't just control it!"

"You can! Braid it together, it'll bring out your beautiful face. I don't get how you look comfortable walking around like a bush baby"

Nenye almost choked with laughter at the woman's utterance

"most people will kill to have my full afro"

"But they don't always carry it like this all the time" she gestured with her wooden spoon

"I'm not saying your hair is not lovely, I'm saying you have to hold it together sometimes, inugo"

"Yes ma'am" Nenye replied with a salute that made Christine chuckle

"Chinwendu I will definitely seize your phone! How long does it take to fetch salt from the store room!"

Nenye laughed so hard because she understood how distracted chinwendu could get around her gadget

Chinenye settled on a chair kitchen and started washing the pumpkin leaves Christine wanted to use for breakfast. Chinwendu arrived moments later with the salt and a mischievous smile on her face.

Nenye's eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out what her little friend had committed.

"Dont tell me you went to my room!"

Chinwendu quickly ran to her mother's side, who dragged her by the ear before retrieving the salt from her.

Nenye's chortles echoed around the house while chinwendu glared

The three talked about so many things but somehow Michael's arrival eluded their conversations.

A cough turned the attentions of the three ladies towards the dining room. Michael staggered a bit before he got to the kitchen. The light strained his eyes and his migraine was both sporadic and painful.

He had been quite foolish to go about drinking. He managed to focus his gaze on Christine, chinwendu and Nenye with a shocked face. Who returned the gesture with their mouths agape.

Christine managed to cover her daughter's eyes before Michael yelled and fainted. He was terrified because he felt Christine's ghost had been standing in front of him. Whilst the ladies were shocked by his nudity.

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Hello Everyone

😂😂😂😂😂What an entrance! I wonder how Christine feels

Welcome back! So sorry I've been AWOL but I'm back. I'm a bit rusty so you have to bear with me while I get my writing groove back on. I hope the chapter's not too short!