EJIMA

Ahh, this heat will not kill me. Njideka fanned herself with her hands. She was not drenched with sweat, but she could feel the hotness in every part of her body. A cup of cold water will do. She picked up the clay cup. The bamboo bed whined from her weight when she stood up. She was grateful for the coldness of the ground when her bare feet kissed them. I should spray the mate on the floor. She thought, looking at the hard floor that was made of mud. She headed outside, towards the kitchen to get the water. The sun has not shown its head yet, but its rays rested on the edge of the palm trees, giving light to the warm glorious morning.“Nwanyi mara mma, ututu oma, (Good morning beautiful woman),” Mama Nnenna greeted “Ututu oma

It's been three moons since the incident in the forest, yet Ejima could not shake off those angelic eyes. Their smiles still waxed her brave heart and mended it with a warmth which she could not explain. Those rich dark eyes that glittered with the sun were still evergreen in her memory, and drove her consciousness into that valley of hysteria, as though it were only yesterday. Her sleep had been fill with lurid sights which at a time made her wonder if she had offended the gods in touching the babies. She had even screamed herself up from sleep one night when she had seen a silhouette of some twin figures chasing her with a horsewhip."Are you okay?"Ejima shifted her weight at the voice of Nneamaka. Her emotions anchored itself to the soft voice of the woman as her wandering thoughts dived back into her body. She had left Uche at home and had visited Nneamka's house to help her with the cassava she had harvested."You lo

Ejimmamara wiped away the sweat that walked down the bridge of her flat nose, but sneezed twice when she accidentally sniffed the dust in her hands. She wiped the tears that followed and tried to return to work, but leaned away when a sharp pain strode through her waist. She hissed out the frustration from her teeth and tightened her grips on the wooden hoe. All the light-headedness and the weakness she had been feeling for the last four months had turned out to be pregnancy, a pregnancy she never wanted.Pregnancy is the joy of motherhood. It is a harbinger that announces the birth of a new life. Mothers throughout the village always rejoice when they take in, but to Ejima, pregnancy had become more of a curse to her than a blessing.She bent slowly and was glad when her hands touched the heap of earth and grass. With the hoe, she dug around the brown tendril and tried to pull with her free hand. The yam obliged at the first trial, but sn

“I don’t think she can make it” Someone was saying. The words were gibberish and echoed in her ears like a multitude of people all saying the same thing simultaneously. Her legs and thigh were on fire and her body ached, but it was difficult to lift a limb.She tried to lift her head, but it was as if there was something pinning her down. Where am I? She tried to recall. The memory flashed back and a new pain sparked through her spin. She saw her husband and her best friend in her mind's eyes, smiling together, and laughing at their own jokes. She scoffed. But the image of her fall also flashed in her vision. My baby. Her hands would not move

Ejima yawned widely, not bothering to cover her mouth. She rested her weight on the broom and allowed her golden gaze to wander through the place she now calls home. It was nothing close to the size of her husband’s compound, and the dried leaves that carpeted the floor made her want to cuddle under her skin. Bloody cashew tree. She hissed and wiped the sweat drop that had strolled towards eyes eyelid. Leaning away from the broomstick, she continued with her chore, hoping to be done before the sun hangs on the center of the earth.But for the many trees, nothing stood for miles, just her small hut and the grasses. It would take about eight to ten miles before the next house could be seen. Seven weeks have passed since they drove her out of her husband’s place,