Away With The Wind

CHAPTER THREE

The arid smell of rotten fruits and repulsive odor from clogged drainage facilities welcomed Emeka to his village. Getting the baby prepared for the journey was easy with Allan handling her like a professional. Emeka smiled slightly, what would he have done without Allan.

The child was peaceful; she rarely cried and threw no tantrums like a dove amidst noise and honking. Emeka did the prodigal son’s walk home. “Buoda Emeka! Buoda Emeka!” the children chanted happily, Emeka knew what could make them go scampering to the house in laughter, all it took was toffees which they joyfully received. “Emeka!!!” his mother called him for confirmation and wrapped her hands him in an embrace.

“Come, I made melon soup and cassava”.

Mama was unfazed by the baby, she knew he would explain whatever it was to her but she couldn’t keep her eyes off the baby. She scooped soup and cassava meal for Emeka from the outdoor kitchen, dried her hands on her cloth and took the baby from him.

“You’ve grown up, the last time you came, you hadn’t grown beards” mama teased. “Mama” Emeka drawled, chuckling. Angela, Emeka’s elder sister waltzed in and danced to her mother, trying to pick up a piece of meat from the pot as mama swatted her hands away, Emeka rolled his eyes, Angela was always dramatic, her not noticing him was a blessing, he couldn’t have asked for more.

Angela spun on her heels trailing mama’s line of focus, her eyes landed on Emeka and she jumped, flailing her hands. “I have been looking for mama for a while now, I should have known. What’s that thing?” she rambled on, pointing at the baby, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Angela…” Mama drawled in a warning voice. “Mama lemme ask him, he is not dumb, she mused, her eyes measuring her brother’s length. “Angela let him eat,” Mama cautioned. Emeka rolled his eyes, he had never gotten along with Angela; they fought nail and tooth since they were little.

Everything was competition; it didn’t help that Mama dotted over Emeka like a mother hen.

“I pray that the eyes you’re rolling get stuck there.”

“Angela!” Mama exclaimed; “He was rolling his eyes at me. She retorted.

“Mama this isn’t fair, I should have brought a baby home first,” Angela frowned while Emeka smirked. Angela would have pounced on him if not for their mother’s protectiveness of Emeka; pouncing on him will be digging her grave. Mama ignored Angela’s ranting and motioned for Emeka to talk as soon as he finished his meal.

Angela took the baby from her mother, cooing at the baby sounds and toothless grins as Emeka lurched into the story. “How does that affect us?” Angela grimaced, her eyes widened when she saw Mama and Emeka staring at her, pleading looks on their faces. “Mama, I have my life to live. You can’t hand a baby over to me, it’s just too...” she trailed off shrugging. Truth be told Angela had her life to live; she had just gotten a job and came over to the village to relay the news. Taking the baby in meant coming to the village whenever Emeka visited. Angela sucked in her teeth as she glanced at the duo, annoyance seeping in bit by bit. “Eish!” Mama mouthed, her index finger against her lips, quieting Angela.

Angela raised a questioning eyebrow at her mother; she wondered what her mother was brooding over. Her mother was crafty and cunny, she had the slithering ability to get what she wanted.

“He’ll pay you every month and every visit till he comes for her when he doesn’t, it doubles,” Mama muttered to Emeka’s dismay, he hadn’t discussed it with his mother; her mentioning it meant it was sealed. Emeka wondered if it was the punishment for his mistake, paying Angela meant splitting his allowances. Angela broke into a smile at the mention of money, her annoyance crumbling. “I’m not accepting this because of money, I like the baby already… No… I don’t mean he shouldn’t pay me,” she rambled on unconvincedly.

“She really is cute” Mama muttered, her eyes filled with adulation.

“She looks nothing like Emeka” Angela spat out, smiling at the baby. Emeka and Emeka scoffed at Angela; she could lie if she wanted to but the lie she told was not forthcoming. The child looked so much like Emeka; a blind man could see the semblance between the two.

“She has your nose” Mama muttered a smile growing on her face. “She has your mouth and your smile too” Mama gushed as the child smiled.

“She is like a flower, a wild one. Ha!…she definitely will be stubborn” Mama whispered as the child grasped her hand, biting on it with her gums. Emeka felt his smile growing; he zoned out and didn’t hear Mama’s question.

“Emeka” Mama nudged him in the ribs till he jolted out off his reverie. Angela snorted at Emeka’s shaken stance. “Her name…” Mama repeated, her gaze fixated on the baby. Emeka knew his mother’s love for names and their meaning; all names should have a meaning, Mama will always say; her nose in her book.

“Deborah” Emeka blurted out; he knew that was what he would name her. She was dainty like a bee. “Deborah” Mama repeated after him. “You picked well…” The night faded away like the noise in the village and the oil in the oil. The village was serene and quiet just like Emeka had known, Emeka slept with a huge smile on his face and his heart light.