by Kiru Taye
She got out of bed and dressed, her lethargic legs slowly coming to life. Their long nights together were finally taking their toll on her body.
When she walked outside, ready to start her morning chores, she discovered a pile of firewood stacked in front of her hut. Puzzled, she stood there staring at the god-sent bundle, wondering how it got there.
"I see you have a new admirer."
Confused, she turned around. Mgbeke stood behind her. "Good morning, Mgbeke. What do you mean?" she asked calmly, unsure of the woman's intentions.
"Was it not Ikem, Obinna's friend, I saw earlier this morning depositing this by your door?" Her sister-in-law pointed at the stack.
Oh?
She'd complained to Ikem that she hated the tedious task of gathering firewood, especially since Mgbeke always left it all for her to do. And he's done the chore for me! He was fulfilling his declaration to take care of her needs. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had done something like that for her. A warm feeling wrapped her heart. Ikem cared greatly for her.
But Mgbeke had seen him!
Alarmed, heat flooded Nneka's face. The last thing she wanted was Mgbeke discovering her affair with Ikem. She dreaded to think of what the woman would do with that kind of information.
"You must be mistaken." She shook her head more to hide her alarm than to deny Mgbeke's words.
"Are you calling me a liar? Of course I'm sure of whom I saw. It was Ikem." Mgbeke glowered at her. "Come to think of it, I've been hearing strange noises late at night. They seemed to come from your hut. I'm sure you've been entertaining Ikem. I wonder what our father would say when he finds out you've been flouting your obligations."
Nneka's heart felt as though it sank into her stomach. If Mgbeke told her father-in-law any of what she'd just said, then to be sure, Nneka would wave good-bye to her freedom. She panicked. "That's not true. I could never have anything to do with him or any other man. You know that. All I want is my freedom. I'm not going to jeopardize it for someone who's not even nw'ala. Think about it."
Even as she said the words, she felt sickened. She was openly denying Ikem, the man she'd spent several blissful nights with. She wasn't proud of herself.
Still, what other choice did she have? If she admitted it and her father-in-law found out, everything she'd worked for in the past year would vanish. She'd be publicly humiliated and made to repeat the full year of mourning incarcerated. She would never be released. Worse, she'd probably be given to Edozie. A cold shiver of dread ran down her spine.
Also, Ikem's punishment would be even worse. He would be banished from their land permanently. His mother had no one else. The old woman would never see her son again. She couldn't be responsible for the woman's loss.
As much as she was disgusted with herself for her cowardice, it was better this way.
"So how do you explain the firewood?" Mgbeke scrutinized her with her usual malice. She didn't look convinced by Nneka's profuse denial.
"Yesterday I wasn't feeling too well. I was on my way back from gathering some firewood when I saw him with Obinna. Obinna asked about my well-being and I told him I wasn't feeling well. Maybe Ikem took it upon himself to bring some today in case I wasn't feeling better." She shrugged with a nonchalance she didn't feel. "You can't hold it against him for showing some kindness to a sick widow. We should be showing gratitude."
"Hmmm," Mgbeke frowned at her. "You could be right. You do look sickly. Anyway, that doesn't exclude you from doing the rest of your chores today. By the way, our father wants to see you this morning." The other woman gave her another disapproving look before walking away.
Relieved, Nneka nearly smiled. She let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding. It seemed that Mgbeke had accepted her explanation about Ikem's gesture. Though the summons to see her father-in-law this early kept her stomach tight with apprehension. She wasn't out of trouble. Not until she found out why she was needed.
Deciding to confront whatever it was head-on, she steeled her body and walked over to his quarters. She knocked at his door.
"Come in," he called out to her from inside.
When she walked in, she saw him sitting, having his breakfast.
"Our father, good morning." She curtsied and stood by the door, waiting to be summoned forward. She hoped her apprehension didn't show.
"Good morning, my daughter. Have a seat." He waved his hand, indicating the seat next to his. When she sat down next to him, he took her hand in his frail hands.
"I hope all is well, father. I was worried when Mgbeke said you wanted to see me."
"All is well. I have given a great deal of thought to your request to be released from our family." He let out a soft sigh. She held her breath in anticipation. This was the moment that would determine her future. "As much as I have loved having you here as a member of my family, I understand that you are still young and wish to live your life bountifully. Though it will pain me to see you go, I know it is best to let you move on."
He paused to cough before continuing, "Your uncle, Mazi Ene, informs me that there have been a few suitors interested in your hand in marriage. This gives me great relief, as I do not wish to see you spend the rest of your life alone. You are a free-spirited young woman and I know with the right husband you will fully blossom and be fruitful. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be with Ofonna. My only regret is that he did not fill your womb with his children."
When he looked at her, she could see his sorrow in his rheumy eyes. "Regardless, I grant your wish. From henceforth you should discard your mourning clothes and adorn yourself like the vibrant young woman you are. Tomorrow you shall attend the New Yam festival as a free woman."
"Thank you, father." Nneka leaped from her chair to kneel in front of the old man. She was overjoyed, torn between shouting her joy and showing restraint in front of an elder. Tears stung her eyes.
At last, I'm free!
He placed his hands on her shoulders. "May our ancestor guide your path and may Ala fill you with fruitfulness. Help Mgbeke with the preparations for the festival. You can return to your people after the festival when everything is much settled here."
"I don't mind, father. Thank you." She stood up. She didn't care what she had to do for Mgbeke. She was a free woman and that was all that mattered. She could now move freely like any other woman of their clan. She could shed the drab grays of mourning and replace them with the unused colorful fabrics in her trunk.
"Can I go?" she asked, as her feet itched to run outside in exhilaration.
"You can go."
"Thank you." Closing the door behind her, she ran into her hut and finally released the shout of joy that had been bubbling in her throat.
"Yes!"
***
Ikem sat with the men under the palm-frond canopies drinking palm wine and talking loudly. It was the day of the New Yam festival. Ezemmuo, the clan chief priest, had already performed the ritual that meant the clan could now consume the yams and other crops recently harvested. In the middle of the village square, the location of the ceremony, the young men were now in a wrestling contest. In his time, Ikem was the best wrestler within his age group. The only other person who occasionally bested him was Obinna. However, he had the upper hand, as he'd won more wrestling matches than his friend. These days, he didn't compete anymore, but he was still the lead trainer in wrestling and warfare to the young men of the Umunri.
His gaze didn't stay with the young men for long, though he was supposed to watch them so he could advise the participants on what they'd done wrong later. His attention moved across to the women seated in the busy arena, laughing and chatting. His gaze focused on one particular woman.
Nneka.
She sat with a group of her friends, giggling, and her movement vivacious. She looked different out of her mourning clothes. So happy, so animated, so effervescent. Her life force radiated outward to him. Today, for the first time in months, she was adorned. There were coral trinkets around her fin
e neck and beads hanging on her slim waist, Her body and face were decorated with the beautifying uli markings. Her smooth skin gleamed like polished wood. Her wrap skirt was black and gold patterned, and clung to her rounded bottom. She looked like an unwed maiden. When she looked across and their eyes met, everything else faded for a moment.
Even with the physical distance, he connected with her on every level. She could have been sitting next to him. She was his life. His mate. Soon they would be joined formally. He couldn't wait to stop all the hiding and publicly declare she was his woman. When she gave him a teasing smile before turning back to her friends, his heart contracted.
"Ikem, did you hear anything I just said?"
The sound of his name roused him from his thoughts. "Sorry, what were you saying?"
Obinna laughed. "It seems your body is here, but your mind is across the square with the women. With one particular woman, I'm sure."
Ikem laughed. His friend knew him too well. "You've got me there. I cannot wait to formalize our betrothal now that she's been released from Ofonna's family."
"Yes, we have to see her uncle soon to finalize the negotiations. I hear Edozie has been making inquiries too."
At the mention of Nneka's brother-in-law's name, Ikem's fury rose. He clenched and unclenched his hands to calm himself.
"It will cost him his head, if he touches her," he snapped angrily, keeping his voice low so no-one around them would hear him except Obinna.
"You cannot say such things, my friend. Surely Nneka is not worth all that trouble."
Ikem turned and glared at his friend. Obinna's eyebrows were raised, but his expression was serious.
"How can you say such a thing to me? Would you give up Adaku for anybody?" He kept his voice low. He knew how much Adaku meant to Obinna. Even before his friend responded, he knew what the answer would be.
"Of course not." Obinna shook his head.
"So why should I give up Nneka? She is my lifeblood."
"It is great you feel that strongly for her." Obinna smiled and put his hand on Ikem's back. "You know she is like a younger sister to me. I knew you were keen on her but I wanted to be sure as to the depth of your feelings. I have your back on this and will make sure Mazi Ene agrees with your proposal. We'll go and see him tomorrow."
"Good." Ikem lifted his gourd of palm wine and drank from it. "Let's drink to that."
When he glanced across at Nneka again, she was walking away from her friends. His eyes followed her until she disappeared behind a hut. Wondering what she was up to, he stood and went in search of her. When he walked past the corner, he found her walking back toward him out of the woods. Smiling, her eyes rounded seductively when she saw him.
Unable to resist her allure at this proximity, he pulled her farther into the woods, pushed her against a tree trunk and kissed her lips. Tasting the honeyed sweetness of her lips, he ground his hardened body into her yielding flesh. With each breath, her arousing scent filled his lungs, inflaming his desire for her. The rumbling groan in his belly jarred him out of his temporary insanity. Panting, he lifted his head.
"Someone might see us." She was out of breath as she reminded him of their location. It was risky for both of them being out here with the celebrations going on only a little distance away. That didn't seem to be a deterrent. Her warm, molten-brown eyes told him of her arousal. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
"In a day or so, you will formally be mine and it won't matter."
He blew gentle kisses over her face. Something he'd wanted to do all day. Tracing a soft line to her neck, he kissed it before blowing into her ear. She moaned softly, and he struggled to control himself. He wanted to sink into her against the tree.
"But still, there are people everywhere. I have to get back to my friends." She tried to slip out from beneath him, but he thrust his body into hers, his hardened manhood pressing against her flat belly.
He ran his hand down her body. "Relax, nobody's here. Just you and me." He whispered into her ear as he lifted her skirt, his hand slipping between her legs to find her core hot and dripping. He slipped his fingers into wet heat.
She gasped, inhaling sharply. He moved his lips down, past the trinkets on her neck to gain access to her soft breasts, their nipples already taut, seeking his attention. He took one into his mouth, sucking and laving it. With his thumb he parted her hooded flesh and caressed it while pumping his fingers into her. She moved her hips against his hand's actions and soon she was gyrating at a quicker pace as he stroked her intimately. Her inner walls clenched around his fingers and he knew she was close to her climax. Tweaking her nub with his thumb, he kissed her lips again just as she splintered in his arms. Very few things gave him as much pleasure as watching her come apart.
"Nneka!"
She opened her eyes at the sound of someone calling her name. He released her body and straightened her clothes.
"I think someone's looking for you." He grinned at her.
Her soft lips widened in a blissful smile and her dark eyes sparkled. "I told you I'd be missed." She brushed her skirt down and tightened the wrap.
"Not as much as I already miss you." He grazed her lips lightly with his, holding onto her one last time before she had to go. As much as he wanted her, he would have to wait a little longer for that pleasure.
"Nneka!"
"I really have to go before they find us together."
"And you think I care about that? Anyway, you should go. I won't be at your hut tonight. But I'll come to help you move the day after tomorrow. Don't go to your uncle's until I'm there. Understood?"
"Yes." He kissed her again and let her go.
She took a few steps away from him and ran back to him, giving him a hug that surprised him. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. He leaned into her embrace, his heart pounding.
"I miss you already," she whispered before running back toward the village square. Pure exhilaration rushed through his veins. His tigress was no longer fighting him.
Chapter Seven
Two days after the festival, Nneka packed her things into the wooden trunk she would be taking home. She didn't have too many belongings to take with her, just her personal items. Everything else, she would leave behind—including all the house ware gifts she'd received when she got betrothed to Ofonna.
As she folded her clothes into the trunk, her thoughts went to Ikem and their future together. She found she thought about him a lot these days. She had a glimpse of the kind of relationship she would have with him. He was nothing like her father. Though she knew she was headstrong and difficult at times, he'd never been violent toward her. He never did anything to her she didn't want. She looked forward to finally having a man she could trust in her life, who would remain in charge but still listen to her opinions and let her be herself.
Engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't notice someone had entered her hut until he spoke.
"So you think you can escape me, you deceitful woman!"
She jumped up to find Edozie standing in the doorway of her bedchamber. His expression was hard and angry like a crazed man. In his hands was a long, twisted raffia rope.
Though terrified, she stood her ground and asked him as boldly as she could muster, "What are you doing here?"
"You dare to ask me that question?" He stomped toward her and slapped her hard on the face. Momentarily stunned, she fell backward onto her sleeping pallet. "All this while I held back from taking you because I thought you were honoring Ofonna's memory. Meanwhile, you've been at it with Ikem."
Shocked, her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. How did he find out?
"Yes, I know. I've been suspicious since Mgbeke told me he delivered some firewood for you. So I monitored your movements. I saw you two at the festival. He followed you. I followed him and witnessed what he was doing to you in the forest. You let him do all those things to you and you enjoyed it. And all the while I thought you were just being chaste."
He advanced t
oward her. Trying not to panic, she scrambled backward on the pallet until her back hit the wall. There was nowhere else to run. The only route to escape was past Edozie.
"Edozie, don't do this." She tried to keep her voice calm so he couldn't see her fear. On her cracked lips, she tasted blood. Her head and lips throbbed with pain. Edozie packed a mean slap.
He sneered at her as he continued rambling, ignoring her plea. "You should have told me you liked rough sex. I'd have obliged you gladly. Do you know he likes to bind his women? I bet he's tied you up a few times while he fucks you. And I bet you liked it too." He laughed at her like a demented hyena.
For the first time since the death of her mother, fear iced her blood. The loud pounding of her heartbeat overtook all other sounds.
"Edozie, stop this!" she shouted as he lunged at her and delivered another blow to her face. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She fought back, kicking and clawing at him. She lost count of how often he hit her when her vision blurred with the pain. He tore her clothes. Then he bound her mouth with a piece of cloth. She tried to fight back, but he hit her again. Overwhelmed by the pain, her body went limp and tears clogged her eyes.
He bound her hands behind her with the rope. Her shoulders hurt as he pushed her face down. As she lay there, she realized he was going to rape her and kill her. Just like her father had raped and killed her mother. Strangely, the terror that had flooded her body departed. In its stead, she was blanketed by a depressive feeling. Her tears flowed down her face. She was never going to see Ikem again. She would never have the opportunity to tell him how she felt about him. She loved him heart, body, and soul.
As Edozie knelt between her legs and fumbled with his clothes, she prayed to the gods for one thing above all else. A chance to have a life with Ikem.
Edozie fell forward, limp over her. She shouted, nearly gagging from the cloth tied over her mouth. Someone she couldn't see dragged Edozie off her body onto the floor. With teary eyes, she twisted her head to look. Ikem stood over Edozie's prone body. The way the veins on Ikem's body appeared ready to burst indicated his present murderous intent toward Edozie. When he looked at her, his eyes were clouded with his barely restrained rage.
