FLAMING HEART

FIFTEEN: UJU

"You just watched her stab me both in my neck and leg and you're asking me to stop? Why didn't you stop her when she attacked me? You did nothing. You just kept staring at her as she did all that and now you're telling me to stop?" — Obioma

★ ★ ★

She gasped, "Are you alright, Evelyn?"

"You're the one who isn't alright. Tell me now, what charm are you using?! What are you using to bewitch our guys?! Why are they always smitten by you?! Why do they care about you?! First it was Francis and now Charles?!"

Obioma couldn't comprehend a single word that had been spilled, "I don't understand you, Evelyn. I'm not bewitching anyone. If they care about me, it's because they have a generous heart. Besides, what happened with Charles? I don't even know him."

Evelyn picked up the plastic bag which she had dropped on the sofa and held it up high in her face. "These are the gifts he brought from China. He bought them for me and Sharon but when he saw you, he decided to give you Sharon's share. He said he will compensate Sharon later. Why would he want to give out something so precious as this to a lowly person like you after how you treated him earlier if not that you bewitched him?!"

"Look here, Evelyn! If Charles decided to give me some gifts, it's because he has a generous heart like I said. I've explained to you that I didn't know he was Chiamaka's fiance. If I had known, I would have allowed him to enter. Okay, if you're so pissed about the gifts, you can have them so peace can reign."

"What?! Are you calling me a beggar? What do you mean by I can have them? Are you looking down on me? You're a fool, Obioma! In fact your mother is the fool because she raised a stupid person like you."

Obioma's eyes narrowed. She raised a stern finger at Evelyn and said in a threatening voice. "I've always respected you, Evelyn, even when you don't deserve it. You can insult me all you want but don't you ever, I mean ever, insult my mother because you don't know her and you don't know what's she passing through."

Evelyn walked closer to Obioma and slapped her fingers away instantly, "Who are you pointing a finger to? Are you mad?!" She then pushed Obioma hard on the chest and Obioma staggered; almost falling. She regained her balance not long and then walked gingerly to Evelyn; slapping her twice on the cheek. Like that wasn't enough, she pulled at her hair making Evelyn cry out in pain. She tried to hold Obioma's leg but before she could, Obioma had thrown her lean figure to the floor; sitting astride her and leaching out terror on her. A sharp jab between her breast sent Evelyn screaming like a woman in labour. She tried helplessly to entangle herself from Obioma's grip but Obioma was stronger. It was obvious the years spent in the village on hard life and farm work was finally paying. Obioma continued to inflict pain on her; screaming furiously as she did. She couldn't stop herself despite Evelyn's screams and cries. It was like she had been holding back for so long; like she had been keeping It all in. It was finally time to pour it all out: hot and red like a knife placed in fiery flames.

Suddenly, she felt a hand pull by her arms violently like the intention was to disconnect her joint. She looked up immediately to see Uju glaring down at her. Due to Evelyn's screams coupled with her own fury, she had not heard the door creak.

"What do you think you're doing?" Uju's voice was cool and deep as usual but there was no hiding the anger and contempt in them. Evelyn was already bleeding and weeping uncontrollably. Her newly plaited hair was scattered and loosed; her scalps popping out as a result of the pull. Her forehead was red and swollen and for a moment, Obioma felt pity for her. She couldn't imagine she had done all these.

"Evelyn started it all." She protested as she stood up from the floor and watched Uju help Evelyn up.

"How did she start it?" Uju folded her arms still glaring.

"It's a lie!" Evelyn moved violently to hit Obioma but was held back by Uju. Though Evelyn had attempted to strike her, Obioma maintained her balance; unmoved.

"She insulted my mother." Obioma replied returning Uju's glare with a fury of her own. Why was she acting like she was the one at fault when Evelyn clearly started it?

As they maintained their glaring battle, Evelyn moved again; swiftly as she dug her long fingers into Obioma's flesh. Uju had seen Evelyn move from the corner of her eyes but had done nothing to stop her.

Obioma held her neck in pain as she raised her hand to slap Evelyn only to be stopped by Uju who held her hand.

"Stop this!" Uju ordered.

Obioma glowered at her as she tried to remove her hand from Uju's tight grip but Uju held on tightly and then, just like a dream, Obioma felt a sharp pain in her leg. She looked down immediately to see Evelyn smiling wickedly with a bloody scissor in her hand. Uju released her hand when this happened.

"You see, I said you should stop this. Alright, let's end this now." Uju said dryly as she held Evelyn by the arm and turned to go.

Obioma looked at her already bleeding leg and at Uju's retreating figure, "Stop what?!" She yelled as tears filled her eyes. "You just watched her stab me both in my neck and leg and you're asking me to stop? Why didn't you stop her when she attacked me? You did nothing. You just kept staring at her as she did all that she did and now you're telling me to stop?"

"It's not my fault you got stabbed, Oby. Don't blame it all on me. If you had stopped when I asked you to, this wouldn't have happened and also, you ought to know better than get into a fight with anyone in this house because everyone here is older than you both in age, status and anything you can think about. No one is at your level. You should show respect to everyone here because you're a maid. Get that into your head! The fact you stay under the same roof with us; eat the same food and move with us don't make you the same standard with us." Uju spat with so much venom; staring deep into her eyes. A tear dropped and rolled from Obioma's eyes as she stared at Uju. "You're only but a maid. That is what you are, Oby. Don't get carried away by everything you've been receiving. Always remember your place." She concluded and walked away with so much vigor and class that for a moment, all Obioma could do was watch her in silence. Evelyn brought her middle finger up to her face and smirked as she tagged with Uju who was already going up the stairs. Though Obioma didn't know what the whole finger fiasco meant, she knew it was a bad thing and shouldn't be done to anyone.

Obioma watched them both leave the sitting room and then, she felt empty like she had been publicly disgraced in the market square. Uju's word kept echoing in her ear as she lost her balance and fell to the floor close to the sofa. She buried her head on the sofa and began to sob painfully realizing Uju was right. The itchy and severe pain from her leg was nothing compared to the one she felt right inside her heart. It was like she had been stabbed directly into the heart. She scrunched her chest; weeping softly. 

After what had felt like an eternity, she finally stood up to get the first aid box to treat her injury which was already clothed with red dark blood. After she had successfully bandaged her leg, she took a mob and wiped off the blood stain her injury had caused on the titles. She retired to her room then and locked her door hoping to bury herself in there forever. It was moments like this she missed her mother so she immediately dialed her mother's number - after a repeated section of blowing her nose and wiping her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to make her mum worry about her. She was only going to play cool and act normal.

"Hello?" Florence's voice sounded tired.

"Mama!"

There was a slight pause before Florence asked, "Oby?" She sounded excited.

"Mama, how have you been doing?"

"My daughter, how are you? I've missed you a lot. Everyone has missed you. Why don't you call us frequently?"

"Mama, I have missed you too. You know I didn't have a phone to call but now things will change. I will make sure to call you often."

"So do you mean you have finally gotten a phone?"

"Yes, mama. One of the masters in the house bought me a phone. But that aside, tell me how you have been faring. I want to know every detail."

"I'm fine o. God has been helping us."

"How is Nkechi and Ikenna? Hope they are not troubling you."

"Not at all. I'm very grateful for the children God blessed me with. I don't have money but I have children worth more than gold. Nkechi is well. She is now a big girl and will soon be done with primary school. As for Ikenna, you know how he is. Always working hard like he wants to kill himself. He's really a husband to me. He's even here, let me give him the phone."

Obioma smiled; suddenly feeling her burden lessen.