My Friend Told Me To Tell Her Story When She Is Déad

A female friend of mine which i met few years ago told me to tell her story when she was no more.

During Ijeoma father’s burial her uncles and Aunties flew from far and Near just to attend the burial, it was her first time seeing them.

Her full name is Ijeoma EjikemeÚwa. She is the only daughter of EjikemeÚwa who just passed on. Her mother died during her birth.

She never know her uncles and aunties could visit her, Her father told her about them, She spoke to few on the phone, But she had never known any. When her father was sick, it was just her and her father. Her father tried all he could, he tried and struggled for his life, As a 13years old girl, She could tell that her father was eager to live, but death took him away from her when she needed him the most.

At that point in her life nothing mattered again. She wore black clothe, likewise all the guests that attended the burial of her father, Their compound was filled with different calibers of people, the rich, the poor, the young, the old.
The truth was that she couldn’t recall or recollect how this burial was planned, but here we are today, tears filled her heart. A 13years old girl an Orphan and no one to run to.

Her friends came to console her, Her school mates who came with their guardian’s. She was seated in the living room with her favourite neighbor, aunty Ebere. She has been the one holding her strong since her dad became sick and she took good care of her. Aunty Ebere protected her like her own daughter.

Aunty Ebere as she fondly call her was single and she was be at about 24-25years. Ijeoma lay her head on aunty Ebere’s Laps as tears dropped from her eye. People entered the living room to console her, Then this middle size Looking woman, putting on sun glass entered. From the way she was dressed one could tell that she was very rich.

Hello Ijeoma. I am Aunty Amaka, your Father’s step sister. Your father must have told you about me. She said. And she was right. Ijeoma’s father has ones mentioned to Ijeoma about his step sister.

After introducing herself, she made her promises to take good care of her and made sure she lacked nothing. After all the promises and talk she gave Ijeoma some money. Ijeoma thanked her and she went outside to continue with the burial.

A couple of other relatives also came into the living room and gave Ijeoma money after consoling her. They made her promises to always be at her beck and call, That she should not hesitate to inform them when she needed anything. One brother Mike specifically gave her his phone number to call him when she needed anything. She kept the number safe.

The burial ended smoothly. One month after the burial Aunty Amaka came to visit Ijeoma. She had called Aunty Ebere that she was coming. She came to take Ijeoma to stay with her. Aunty Ebere was relocating. Even though Ijeoma didn’t want to go with Aunty Amaka, Aunty Ebere promised her that Aunty Amaka would take good care of her and she will attend the best school in the city, that she will also call to check up on Ijeoma time to time, It was also good ijeoma spend time with her own relatives.

Aunty Amaka drove Ijeoma to the City where she lived with her husband. She had a little baby as at the time Ijeoma visited.

Ijeoma was welcomed into the home and a special meal was made for her. They told her to feel at home and she should tell them when she needed anything. The family was welcoming everything was going on well until three months later when Ijeoma reminded Aunty Amaka about the school she promised her. She told Ijeoma she will do that, she hasn’t forgotten.

Five months later when Ijeoma was doing some house chores Aunty Amaka got back home and called her to come to the living room immediately.

When she came to the living room, she saw Aunty Amaka seated with a man who is probably in his late 50s or early 60s, She greeted him. She told Ijeoma to go bring water for their visitor and she did. Ijeoma was full of innocence. When she came back with the water to the living room, Her aunty told her to turn around in front of the man and she did innocently.

When the man left, Ijeoma’s aunty told her that she had good news for her. You see this man that just left, he will take you to school and give you all that you want, If you marry him. Immediately Ijeoma heard Marry all the excitement in her froze. Aunty I’m just 13. she said. And brilliant Aunty Amaka said. You can cope. I trust you. She said again. I will not marry him. Ijeoma told her aunty.

Ijeoma’s aunty looked at her from head to toe, Its not a request ijeoma, Your bride price will be paid tomorrow and you leave with him. It felt like a dream to Ijeoma, but it was real. When Ijeoma spoke back at her Aunty and told her she wasn’t going, Her aunty gave her the beating of my life that evening for the first time Aunty Amaka flogged Ijeoma as if she was an arm robber.

That night Ijeoma overheard her aunty making funny sounds from her bedroom with her husband; which she later knew as she grew older is called moan during sex, Her aunty was loud that she could hear them from her bedroom which was just next door to theirs.

That same night when everyone was fast asleep She went to the table where they kept their keys in the living room with the bruises all over her body, She took the key, opened the main door leading outside and She ran for my life.

To be Continued.