Ndi Igbo (Discontinued)

Adigi

"What have I told you about serving rice and stew on the same plate? You don't like to listen!" Chichi winced from her aunty's harsh words. Lowering her gaze, she moved to pick up the hot plate of food.
"Nsogbu Adiro nne, we will manage" Chichi's eyes darted from her madam's scowl to her oga's warm eyes, not sure who to listen to. But her madam's silence soon become answer enough. Slowly, she headed towards the door and closed it after her madam's instruction, "Mechie uzo".

Rose's sour face was redirected to her husband's "Why must you always undermine me in front of her? That's why she doesn't respect me", Chuks' eyes playfully wondered to his wife, placing his right hand on the side of his face, "nne, she respects you fine. The girl hardly even speaks" Chuks slightly shivered at his mention of Ada as a girl. A girl at the unripe age of 14 had no business working in his home. She should be playing with her school mates in the hot sun, only coming in for some cold water and a handkerchief once the sweat of the village heat got too much for her. She should be whining to her mother about how much homework her teacher gave her and giggling about their boy neighbour with her sisters and cousins. She shouldn't be worrying about what his wife will scream about today or how she will get the palm oil stain out of his white vest because he enjoyed the okra soup she made too much. There are many things she should be doing, but little that Chuks felt he could change. His guilt instead, fostered him to enroll her in the best state school in Lagos that would allow an Nsukka girl.

Rose rolled her eyes at her husband "you've spoiled that girl. Now that she attends Bhukari Academy, she thinks she can act anyhow. I don't know why you didn't listen to me and put her in Lekki Comprehensive like the rest of the house helps"
"Is that what you promised her mother? Your cousin?" Rose picked at her fingers nonchalantly, carefully removing any dirt under her nails, "I promised that she would go to school, I didn't say we would break the bank for it. Anyways the village women know the deal, they aren't expecting their children to come back with Cambridge education.", a knowing glint appeared in Rose's eye at the mention of Cambridge, her okpara's soon to be Alma mater. "Which school is even in Nsukka? A begger doesn't know the difference between brown and white bread"
"Ada is not a begger, she is your niece"
"She is my distant cousin." Rose corrected her husband. After a few bites, Rose pushed the plate towards the centre of the table and stood up "I'm put off this food now, I'm going to get ready for bed. Are you working tonight?" Chuks did not answer, in fear of saying something he would regret in the morning. He continued to eat his rice and focused on the news. Rose sighed and mumbled something under her breath before gracing the stairs.

Ada dried the last plate from the rack and folded the towel back in place. She was still sniffling from her last encounter with her madam. As she leaned beside the granite kitchen counter, she let her mind wander to memories of her beloved Nsukka. She remembered the scorching heat that she didn't mind whilst playing football with her cousin Onyeka and the neighbourhood children. She remembered how she used to lick the ice cream off her body as it dropped down her elbow. She remembered the clapping games she would teach her baby sister Amaka. She even remembered when her aunty Rose would shout for her to come inside for dinner after cooking with mama. "Adanne, light of your mother" is what her aunty Rose would always toast her with whenever she was frowning from her mother making her do chores. "Adanne, chai! You can frown! You are lucky you're so beautiful" she would say to make jest of Ada's permanently scrunched nose and furrowed brows. She always looked up to her aunty Rose and aspired to be like her. She wished to have her bright white smile and eyes the colour of mud that had met rain the night before. She wanted her skin. Skin that seemed to hug the sun every morning and kiss it goodnight before it went down. She wished to have her waist, a waist with sides that seemed like lost lovers, drawn so close to one another but were separated by the width of her hips. Hips that were proud to have birthed her four cousins. But most of all, she wished for her aunty's laugh. A laugh that gave you the same feeling as biting into a ripe mango in season; no knife to get in the way, your teeth freely and willingly submerged itself into its sweetness. That's how Ada felt every time her aunty laughed, like she had shared a part of her. But things changed when she moved to Lagos. Aunty Rose was the smartest in our family. Mama always said she was the only Okoli that asked Chukwu for brain when in the womb. Ada's family gathered their last kobo to send Rose to an apprenticeship in Lekki. The last time Ada saw aunty Rose truly smile was when they gifted her with the money. Ada never found out what happened in Lagos, she knows she never will. And she has made peace with the fact that her aunty Rose is now her Madam.

Ada slightly jumped at the sound of something hitting the window. She slightly opened the window and peeped into the dark night. "Nwanne Nwanyi!" Only one person in Lagos referred to Ada as her sister. "Azuka, it's like you like me in trouble with my madam. Gini?" Even in the dead of night, Ada could feel Azuka rolling her eyes, "biko, you know that witch needs her beauty rest, she's like a log by now. Osiso, wear your slippers the rest of them are already there" Ada bit her bottom lip in contemplation but quickly grabbed her slippers and slipped through the back door, it has been weeks since she had properly sat down with her friends. "Nne, biko osiso, Emeka stole some abacha and I don't want them to finish it before I get back" Azuka hurried Ada as she quietly locked the door. The two of them ran hand in hand giggling as the cool breeze stroked them softly.

Ada and Azuka arrived at the camp fire her friends were at, just outside of James Friedman Park. She noticed Chibu adding some wood to the already burning flames. The light from the fire made a spotlight for Chibu's face, his skin the colour of unprocessed cocoa beans but smoother than the back of a palm nut. Ada took a seat next to Azuka who had already started eating the remaining abacha "Azu, create space for me na, are your legs quarrelling with each other?" Ada said frustratingly making Emeka laugh, "nne, leave that girl, it's like her madam only feeds her once a day like the Nkita in her compound" the group erupted in laughter but Ada only noticed Chibu's soft chuckle as he shook his head and added more wood to the flame, she blushed and directed her eyes to a nonchalant Azu when his eyes met hers. "Na you Sabi, I know my enemies" Azu replied as she scooped more abacha into her hands making sure to grab some red onions too.

The group sat in a comfortable silence as the breeze kept them company. Our attention went to Ojuigo as she started to speak "Eheh guys I wanted to tell you. My madam warned me to no longer be taking that Ayowoola road to school again. Hausa soldiers have been camped there" Ada nodded intentively as she brought the blanket closer to her body, her oga had said something similar to her that morning. "Abeg hapu that matter, what's my own with Hausa soldier? Is the army not there to protect us?" Azu laughed loudly, her tongue now coloured with the palm oil that was drenched in the abacha, "Emeka, I would like to believe you are not that Naive. Protect gini? Nne, thank you for telling us, we won't take that road again" Emeka rolled his eyes and leaned forward "I just don't understand this Hausa one person, Igbo other person. Army is army. At the end of the day, soldiers are reporting to their seniors and the president, not Hausa Nwoke. This tribalism wahala too much" Ojuigo chimed in "Eme, I would like to believe you're not an onyara. Which tribe does our president belong to? In fact sef, which group of soldiers not even mentioning senior have you seen that is Ndi Igbo? Biko leave that talk. They can scream omo naija all they want but what I know is before Ndi Ocha came here, I was Ojuigo Nwa Nsukka, Ndi Igbo." Ojuigo ended as she beat the left side of her chest with her fist. "Chai! Biafra babe, I hail you o!" The group erupted in laughter at Azu's comment, a much needed lightness to the tension that was creeping in. Ada was grateful, she was never someone that was into politics. Whenever her oga invited his friends around, Biafra seemed to be all they would speak about; heavy debates erupted as they drank palm wine and feasted on garden egg and peanut butter. Ada would serve them and run up to her room to submerge herself in a fictional book. She knew the world was unfair, she didn't need to be constantly reminded of that. Her novels gave her the escape needed to survive in a place like Lagos. "Oya, omo Biafra lets be going, you know madam will be waking up for prayers soon" Ada got up too as the girls prepared to leave. They said their goodbyes, and Ada lingered on Chibu's face a few seconds longer. He gave her a small smile, but it was enough to make her blush and hurry in front of Azu. It was a good night with her friends.

And this is the first chapter/prologue guys!
How do you find it?
Any characters you're already taking a liking to?
Please let me know!!

All my love,

Debs x