I Live For You

CHAPTER SEVEN

Two weeks have passed since Omezuo expressed his love to Nkeoma, he never imagined so much happiness could come his way. The woman of his dreams has finally agreed to spend the rest of her life with him. Omezuo had it all planned; after she is done with her exams, he will start processing their papers together. He was billed to travel out in about a year’s time and he intended to get married before then. He also needed to get some things sorted out in his University apart from attending his convocation. Life was looking very bright.

Omezuo had that discussion finally with his parents.

“Mpa there is something I want to tell you. There is this young woman I want you to meet, I am convinced she is the one for me”

“Nna what is her name”

“Her name is Nkeoma, the daughter of Mr Uzochukwu from Agidi village, our neighbors”

At this Omezuos mum nodded in affirmation. She has been waiting for this conversation but had to respect her son’s wishes. She remembered what she witnessed on that day to the farm

“I know her very well; she is a very intelligent and respectful child. I also know her parents; they are good people”. “But before we go ahead we need to ask more questions to be sure they don’t have any issues within her family. I don’t think there is history of madness in that family and I have not heard of any thief coming from there”

Omezuo father informed his kinsmen of his son’s desire to marry and they all immediately went to action. They had to be sure of every single detail concerning that family.

Likewise, from the day Omezuo escorted Nkeoma home and sat down to chat with her parents, Nkeoma’ s father informed his own kinsmen of what was going on in his house. Both families did not have any issues with going ahead with their children getting married.

Nkeoma could not believe what was happening around her, she had not planned on saying yes to Omezuo’s proposal because she did not even see it coming yet she found herself agreeing to it. What in the world has she gotten herself into?

The news had spread around and her friends had come congratulating her, she knew many of them were envious that Omezuo picked her. Omezuo had been careful not to Favour any person during the time he was teaching the students, but some were not surprised that it was Nkeoma he picked. Emeruwa was not a very happy man, his girlfriend has been snatched from him.

He had expressed his anger to Nkeoma and called her a gold digger, they had quarreled bitterly which left Nkeoma in tears, but she knew there was no going back on her words. Nkeoma was confused of her feelings for Omezuo, he made her act irrationally but she was convinced he was a good man. Suddenly Nkeoma felt like she has been trapped into consenting to this marriage, she wished she had more time. Will he fulfill his promise to allow her go to school after marriage, what if he changed and shattered her dreams? Talking about dreams Nkeoma knew she had to focus on her studies.

After the introductions were made Nkeoma was free to visit Omezuo frequently under the watchful eyes of Omezuos mother. During this time Omezuo took time to coach Nkeoma in all her subjects as she prepared for her exams and during the exam period. It was no wonder then that when the results were released Nkeoma scored the highest in the school clearing all her papers.

By this time Omezuo had also graduated formally from the University and had started preparing for his trip abroad.

They had gotten married first in the traditional way and then in Church, as ardent Catholics they did not live together until after their church wedding.  Nkeoma came to live in Omezuos house a month to their departure to the United states. It was a month filled with so many events and visitors and lots of planning, the young couple did not have much time to spend with each other. Omezuo could not wait to get away with his young beautiful wife.

Exactly a Year and two months after Omezuo and Nkeoma met, they were a married couple on their way to the United States of America, the world was at their feet and Omezuo was ready to explore. Nkeoma had hidden fears which she could not express to anyone, she prayed once again that she had made the right decision.

The young couple arrived the United states of America in October, they were headed to Boston Massachusetts were Omezuo was enrolled to study for his MSc program.  The weather was cold, so different from what they were used to. On their first stop they checked into a hotel.

“What is your name” Asked the receptionist.

“My name is Omezuo Odina and this is my wife Nkeoma Odina.”

“Sorry please, what did you say your name was again, I didn’t hear you”

“Get me a paper let me write it down for you”

“What did you say”. It was getting difficult to communicate. Omezuo had to try and imitate their accent.

“I said give me a paper and pen please” she understood and handed him a paper to write down their name.

Then a porter led them up to their room. As they were leaving Nkeoma overheard the receptionist talk to the other person sitting beside her.

“Oh these Africans, they can’t even speak English, its so difficult to understand what they are saying” and the friend chirped in.

“I think he just has an accent, if you listen well you would hear him”

Nkeoma was very uncomfortable with the way they were being treated. Where she came from people were greeted with excitement not with suspicion. She became apprehensive because she was not very good at conversing in English language.

They unlocked the key to their room and entered, everything was so beautiful and the room was cold and chilly. Nkeoma started shivering and Omezuo went to turn off the cooling system.

“My darling come over here. Don’t worry you will soon get used to all these”.

“Everything is so quiet here” Nkeoma whispered as she drew closer to him.

Omezuo lifted her up and kissed her. “Don’t worry, we will get used to the way things are working here. I learnt the people can actually be nice but our cultures are different, they will open up to you when they know you better”

They went around inspecting their room, Omezuo realized how sheltered his wife was and knew he had some work to do.

“Nkeoma, it will be difficult initially but don’t worry we will adapt. Let’s start speaking English to each other so you can be more comfortable with the language”

Nkeoma laughed.

“You that speak English, the woman didn’t know what you were saying o. Do you know I overheard her complaining to her friend how we cannot speak English”?

“Some of them I learnt can be impatient” Omezuo chirped in. Especially those that have not related well with foreigners before.

“Tomorrow we will take a taxi to the school, our accommodation has already been arranged, we need to settle down”

“I miss home, I miss my parents and siblings”

“But I am here Nkem, am I not enough. You know I love you so much. Oya come here and sit on my laps let me sing for you”

Omezuo sang his favorite song to her. Nkeoma always found herself laughing so hard at his voice, it was not good at all but he never lets up.

“This beautiful lady I met on the stream

Oh, this beauty that stole my heart

Like a princess she charmed and enslaved me

I will not let go of her until she agrees to be my queen

This princess has scattered my head oo”

Nkeoma could never stop laughing whenever he sang for her in his terrible voice.

They relaxed in their new environment, holding each other and loving each other nothing else mattered. Omezuo had no doubt in his mind that they will make it.

The next day they went off to the University where they were given directions to their new home. Someone assisted them to settle in and showed them the nearest shop to get home items. Omezuo decided that they stay back at the hotel for a week and take time to get their new home ready.

There was so much to do, he also needed to register Nkeoma for some exams that will enable her gain admission to be able to study abroad.

Settling in was not as easy as Omezuo thought, he was also careful not to leave his young wife alone as she seemed so lost in their new world but taking her all over the place was becoming difficult.

After a week, they finally moved to an apartment, they were no neighbors that came out to say hello, this was all so strange. Omezuo had also obtained forms for Nkeoma to take her college preparatory exams but was shocked to find out that paying for her tuition from their meagre allowance will be difficult. He didn’t know how to break the news to her that she may have to wait a little more longer before being able to go to school.

“I was researching on the cost of tuition in this town for a college degree, it is going to cost so much. We won’t be able to afford it”

He had his doubts after he received his admission package and saw how much scholarship he was going to receive, he had prayed he will be able to get Nkeoma into a much cheaper school when they travelled, but it was not to be so.

Nkeoma was stunned, this was all she had dreamt about, this was not what she wanted to hear.

“Omezuo what did you say again. So, what will I be doing in this town alone”

“You won’t be alone, you have me”

Nkeoma was irritated that he would say that, will she eat him. So, what will she be doing while he is away in school, she didn’t even have friends to talk to. Nkeoma was filled with dread and resentment. What if he had planned this all along she thought?

“Who told you all this. How come you never asked this questions before Omezuo, I hope you are not deceiving me”

“How can you say I deceived you Nkem” Omezuo was hurt, her words were filled with bitterness.

“If you didn’t deceive me, how come you didn’t find these things out before we came here. You promised me”.

“I am so sorry Nkeoma, I never thought it will be like this. I am sure we will work something out”

Nkeoma looked at him and felt sorry for her words. She knelt in front of him and apologized for her behavior.

“Its ok my love, I forgive you. Do you know I have been thinking of how to break this news to you the whole of today”? “we will look for something else”. Even as he said these words he wasn’t sure of what was coming. He had never heard his wife raise her voice at him, she was filled with so much anger and he imagined if there was some bitterness in her tone. They will work something out for sure.

Nkeoma was lost in her thoughts throughout the rest of the day. She heard Omezuo saying something to her about the new people in his class but she wasn’t very sure of what he was talking about and after some time he had kept quiet and stopped talking.

She kept wondering how she will be able to survive in this lonely country with nothing to do. And what about her studies, if she had stayed back in Nigeria she would have been warming up to be enrolled in the University right now.

That night Nkeoma could not respond to her husband’s advances, Omezuo felt her withdraw from him. She must still be thinking about what I told her today, he thought to himself and let her be. For the first time since they got married, they slept facing different sides of the bed. Omezuo was hurt when she turned her back to him and tried to hold his emotions in check. He loved her too much, how could she think he would cheat her and besides he didn’t want a woman without a career as wife. It seemed to him his wife did not know who he was.