AFRICAN SHORT STORY NIDIDI; PATIENCE

She was almost done when she heard the roar from below stairs.

'NneenaAmaka!!!!'

'Yes Obim.' she quickly suspended the letter and rushed from her room. The wave of dizziness she felt almost crippled her, she took a moment to catch her breath. When she got downstairs she knew she was in for another beating.

 Papers littered everywhere, Obinna’s suitcase was overturned. She knew something was missing. She didn’t even register the whole scene before she felt it_ the familiar sound of belt hitting flesh_ her flesh_ she howled in pain, knelt and began packing the papers when she received another stroke of the belt. She could feel the belt open up healing wounds on her back despite her thick buba. Obinna wielded the belt in anger.

'Where is the cheque and the 80,000 Naira I kept there?’ He lashed out again. 'So you stole my money? Eh? Onyioshi! After bringing you to the city and training your brothers?

    Obinna never let her forget that, he expected her whole submission to him as a sign of her gratitude. He grabbed her wrapper, tore it from her body then he began flogging her thighs, legs and anywhere he could reach. 'Do you know what I wanted to use it for?' he questioned again. 'You have no shame, you should be happy I saved your family from ruin' he used his legs to kick her and she rolled over and hit the leg of the table in the dinning.

   Nneena was in deep pain as she hit the table. She groaned aloud and covered her face. 'Obim. You know I can’t take your money. biko. I did not take the money after that day I took the bag to your room I haven’t touched it since' she didn’t even get a breather before she felt the blow.

'Liarrrrrr!!!' he roared 'Ashiiii'.

Her head throbbed and her vision blurred. She realized that she was crying ,7 years of marriage, her husband had never accused her of stealing _Anything but stealing.

'pleaasssse. bikooooo. I did noooot take the moneyyyy' her words were slurred because she felt any movement her jaw made. He didn’t even answer her all he did was hit her again and he kept on kicking her. The pain at her back had numbed and she was just too weak to protest, besides he had the upper hand and he’ll just beat her. Slowly she felt nothing, she could still hear his voice from a distance calling her name before she embraced the blankness that tugged at her.

   Later she would know that Obinna had stopped beating her that he had quickly picked up the phone and sent for the personal Doctor and she would also come to know that her chi had given her a child but that was gone because what was meant to be of the child in 7 months’ time lay in a pool of blood on the floor.

  Obinna was shocked to find his wife bleeding, his rage had cooled and all he felt was loathing for his actions towards her. He quickly rang for the doctor, too sacred to move her he carried her to the sofa and laid her gently. He quickly mopped up the blood. It was so much and his hands trembled as he swiped the floor clean. He was just returning to the sofa to check on her when the doctor came in.

 He was a stout man in his late 40's, he had grey hairs at his temples and his face was expressionless and he had never married.

'kilode?’ . Although Dr. kennechuwku was from the south of Onistiah. He had stayed in Lagos all his life, so he often spoke Yoruba...

   




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