(EPISODE 14) DEEP SEA OF SECRETS
Two days to the meeting, Chinwedum paid a visit to Mama Nnamdi to inquire about the news spreading round the village and the meeting to be held.
Chinwedum:How are you doing and why are you looking so unkempt? He asked as she ushered him in. Are you okay?
Mama Nnamdi: I am doing okay, just been a little down but I will be fine. She said as they both sat opposite each other.
Chinwedum: Nnamdi came to me a few days ago to inquire about his real identity, how did he get to know? Besides what are all these rumors going around?
Mama Nnamdi: I am afraid the rumors are true and I'm sorry that he came to you before I did. I haven’t been myself lately.
Chinwedum: This must have been hard on you and it's my fault, I shouldn’t have allowed you to get married to him while you were carrying my child. I don’t know how I'm supposed to relay this news to my family but I do hope they understand and accept him when the time comes.
Mama Nnamdi: You'll be fine with time they will get used to it.
Chinwedum: I hope so; wait, how did they get to find out?
Mama Nnamdi: My son Obi was the one who made me tell the truth.
Chinwedum: How did he get to know?
Mama Nnamdi: My husband told him before he passed on.
Chinwedum: What!! When?! How?
Mama Nnamdi: Before he died, he made it known to him.
Chiwedum: I’m sure he must have been disappointed in me. Which means he knew all along but chose to say nothing to me or anyone except his son.
Mama Nnamdi: I must have made him feel so miserable during the last days of his life. He knew all of these yet he never acted cold towards me, he loved me despite all I've done to him.
Chinwedum: I really wish there is a way I could make amends.
Mama Nnamdi: This is something we have to live with for the rest of our lives, I’m afraid.
Chinwedum: ‘lHmmm yes it is. Where is Obi and Nnmadi by the way?
Mama Nnamdi: I don’t know where Nnamdi has been to but Obi just left to visit a friend few minutes ago.
Chinwedum: I wish I could have a talk with them, to explain everything and also to tell them how sorry I am that their uncle messed up their lives.
Mama Nnamdi: If you can wait till late in the evening, I am sure they will be back by then, hopefully.
Chinwedum: I have all the time in the world because time for the meeting is around at the corner.
Later in the evening when Nnamdi and Obi returned, Uncle Chinwedum called them and told them he had a few things to say to them.
Chinwedum: Errm….. Obi and Nnamdi, I called you both here because I want to talk to the both of you and you both should please listen attentively to me.
Obi replied "yes uncle" while Nnamdi kept mute.
Chinwedum: When your mother and I met, she wasn’t married to your father who was a noble man before he died. When your father came asking for her hand in marriage, she was already pregnant with you, Nnamdi.
Nnamdi: That is not enough reason to justify both your actions!
Chinwedum: Nnamdi, you may not understand but I really do understand why she did what she did although I couldn’t understand at first why she chose my best friend instead of me but she did what she thought was good for her and her unborn child at that moment.
Nnamdi: Is that your excuse?
Chinwedum: Do you know what it means to be an Outcast in your own village and community? Do you know the trauma we have been through? There was just no way your mother and I could be together even though that was what we wanted. Do you know that her family members could have disowned her if she went away with me? We are slaves in our own land and we cannot marry any other person aside those who are also slaves or we go to other state and get married. That was and still is the situation even till this moment.
Obi: But my mother said she married my father because he was more established and financially balanced.
Mama Ifeoma: Yes, your father was more established but it was an excuse I could give at the moment.
Nnamdi: Why?
Mama Ifeoma: ……..Because I couldn’t tell you to your face that your father is an Osu.
Chinwedum: Please Nnamdi and Obi, find a place in your heart to forgive your mother and I.I know you are really disappointed in the both of us.
Obi: Uncle, I don’t think I'm the one you should be apologizing to, it’s your son Nnamdi that you should be pleading with, not me.
Chinwedum: "Nodding his head", he said; Nnamdi, I am asking for your forgiveness even though I know you may never forgive me but your mother and i are very sorry for hiding the truth from you for so long.
Mama Ifeoma: Nnamdi my son, please forgive me, I never meant to hurt you. Please my son.
Nnamdi: I don’t know if I'll ever get to forgive you both but please Mama, give me some time to think and put myself together. What I really need now is how to take custody of my three children. I don’t want them to be taken away from me. Uncle, do you think I will have my children considering the fact my real identity has been made known?
Chinwedum: To be sincere with you, I'm not sure besides I don’t know what the outcome of the judgment will be especially when your wife doesn’t want to have anything to do with you, that makes the situation more difficult. Did you talk to her?
Nnamdi: I did and her mind is already made up.
Mama Ifeoma: Do you really want her back?
Nnamdi: Mama, that is the only way I can have my kids and I was thinking we could put our past behind us and continue but that is not the case. She is done and done with me for good.
Obi: So you actually want her because of the kids?
Nnamdi: Yes and she is still my wife you know.
Obi: Do you really love her?
Mama Nnamdi: Seeing that they could quarrel over Ifeoma, quickly said; Obi, please respect your brother for God’s sake, it’s his wife he is talking about here.
Obi: I am sorry Mama.
Mama Nnamdi: If she doesn’t want to have anything to do with you again, we'll have to wait till the meeting for us to find out where you stand.
Nnamdi: Yes Mama.
Obi: Ermm Nnamdi, I am very sorry for what I did to you, I know that you probably may never forgive me but I am still sorry from the depth of my heart.
Nnamdi: Whatever Obi, I don’t just want you to claim my kids. I don’t want you to take them away from me ever!
Obi: But they are my kids too.
Nnamdi: They are my kids and not yours he shouted.
Mama Nnamdi: Obi, they are your brother's children even though you are their biological father. That is the custom.
Obi: I know Mama but they are still mine.
Nnamdi: The only way I will ever forgive you is if you quit calling them your kids.
Obi: Are you being serious?
Nnamdi: Does it look like I am joking?
Chinwedum:How are you doing and why are you looking so unkempt? He asked as she ushered him in. Are you okay?
Mama Nnamdi: I am doing okay, just been a little down but I will be fine. She said as they both sat opposite each other.
Chinwedum: Nnamdi came to me a few days ago to inquire about his real identity, how did he get to know? Besides what are all these rumors going around?
Mama Nnamdi: I am afraid the rumors are true and I'm sorry that he came to you before I did. I haven’t been myself lately.
Chinwedum: This must have been hard on you and it's my fault, I shouldn’t have allowed you to get married to him while you were carrying my child. I don’t know how I'm supposed to relay this news to my family but I do hope they understand and accept him when the time comes.
Mama Nnamdi: You'll be fine with time they will get used to it.
Chinwedum: I hope so; wait, how did they get to find out?
Mama Nnamdi: My son Obi was the one who made me tell the truth.
Chinwedum: How did he get to know?
Mama Nnamdi: My husband told him before he passed on.
Chinwedum: What!! When?! How?
Mama Nnamdi: Before he died, he made it known to him.
Chiwedum: I’m sure he must have been disappointed in me. Which means he knew all along but chose to say nothing to me or anyone except his son.
Mama Nnamdi: I must have made him feel so miserable during the last days of his life. He knew all of these yet he never acted cold towards me, he loved me despite all I've done to him.
Chinwedum: I really wish there is a way I could make amends.
Mama Nnamdi: This is something we have to live with for the rest of our lives, I’m afraid.
Chinwedum: ‘lHmmm yes it is. Where is Obi and Nnmadi by the way?
Mama Nnamdi: I don’t know where Nnamdi has been to but Obi just left to visit a friend few minutes ago.
Chinwedum: I wish I could have a talk with them, to explain everything and also to tell them how sorry I am that their uncle messed up their lives.
Mama Nnamdi: If you can wait till late in the evening, I am sure they will be back by then, hopefully.
Chinwedum: I have all the time in the world because time for the meeting is around at the corner.
Later in the evening when Nnamdi and Obi returned, Uncle Chinwedum called them and told them he had a few things to say to them.
Chinwedum: Errm….. Obi and Nnamdi, I called you both here because I want to talk to the both of you and you both should please listen attentively to me.
Obi replied "yes uncle" while Nnamdi kept mute.
Chinwedum: When your mother and I met, she wasn’t married to your father who was a noble man before he died. When your father came asking for her hand in marriage, she was already pregnant with you, Nnamdi.
Nnamdi: That is not enough reason to justify both your actions!
Chinwedum: Nnamdi, you may not understand but I really do understand why she did what she did although I couldn’t understand at first why she chose my best friend instead of me but she did what she thought was good for her and her unborn child at that moment.
Nnamdi: Is that your excuse?
Chinwedum: Do you know what it means to be an Outcast in your own village and community? Do you know the trauma we have been through? There was just no way your mother and I could be together even though that was what we wanted. Do you know that her family members could have disowned her if she went away with me? We are slaves in our own land and we cannot marry any other person aside those who are also slaves or we go to other state and get married. That was and still is the situation even till this moment.
Obi: But my mother said she married my father because he was more established and financially balanced.
Mama Ifeoma: Yes, your father was more established but it was an excuse I could give at the moment.
Nnamdi: Why?
Mama Ifeoma: ……..Because I couldn’t tell you to your face that your father is an Osu.
Chinwedum: Please Nnamdi and Obi, find a place in your heart to forgive your mother and I.I know you are really disappointed in the both of us.
Obi: Uncle, I don’t think I'm the one you should be apologizing to, it’s your son Nnamdi that you should be pleading with, not me.
Chinwedum: "Nodding his head", he said; Nnamdi, I am asking for your forgiveness even though I know you may never forgive me but your mother and i are very sorry for hiding the truth from you for so long.
Mama Ifeoma: Nnamdi my son, please forgive me, I never meant to hurt you. Please my son.
Nnamdi: I don’t know if I'll ever get to forgive you both but please Mama, give me some time to think and put myself together. What I really need now is how to take custody of my three children. I don’t want them to be taken away from me. Uncle, do you think I will have my children considering the fact my real identity has been made known?
Chinwedum: To be sincere with you, I'm not sure besides I don’t know what the outcome of the judgment will be especially when your wife doesn’t want to have anything to do with you, that makes the situation more difficult. Did you talk to her?
Nnamdi: I did and her mind is already made up.
Mama Ifeoma: Do you really want her back?
Nnamdi: Mama, that is the only way I can have my kids and I was thinking we could put our past behind us and continue but that is not the case. She is done and done with me for good.
Obi: So you actually want her because of the kids?
Nnamdi: Yes and she is still my wife you know.
Obi: Do you really love her?
Mama Nnamdi: Seeing that they could quarrel over Ifeoma, quickly said; Obi, please respect your brother for God’s sake, it’s his wife he is talking about here.
Obi: I am sorry Mama.
Mama Nnamdi: If she doesn’t want to have anything to do with you again, we'll have to wait till the meeting for us to find out where you stand.
Nnamdi: Yes Mama.
Obi: Ermm Nnamdi, I am very sorry for what I did to you, I know that you probably may never forgive me but I am still sorry from the depth of my heart.
Nnamdi: Whatever Obi, I don’t just want you to claim my kids. I don’t want you to take them away from me ever!
Obi: But they are my kids too.
Nnamdi: They are my kids and not yours he shouted.
Mama Nnamdi: Obi, they are your brother's children even though you are their biological father. That is the custom.
Obi: I know Mama but they are still mine.
Nnamdi: The only way I will ever forgive you is if you quit calling them your kids.
Obi: Are you being serious?
Nnamdi: Does it look like I am joking?
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