Olamma

Episode 28

Olamma began to narrate everything that happened to her. She broke down in tears as she told her bitter story to her parents and when all hope seem lost Atika showed up and she was rescued. She lost her beauty but she did not loss her life. Atika nursed her back to health with his family as she lived with them for months before making up her mind to come home.

“You could have live with him…why did you come back? This is not my daughter. All this story and tears do not move me. What will the villagers who I have boast so much for…what will they say when they hear of this evil… sad news. That my beautiful daughter is not ruling as the queen of Ozulu, prince Onrah was a beast and a trick star and wanted to make food out of her and that my so called beautiful daughter who left home with her beauty and prowess returned back as an ugly looking woman. mbanu…oga gi eme (never, it will not happen). You want to make mockery of me to everyone in this village and far beyond to where I usually travel to for my trade. They accord me great respect because they all believe that my beautiful daughter who married a wealthy handsome prince is the great queen of Ozulu….where will I put my face in shame if they find out that all this were never true? May the gods forbid this to be true.
Olamma’s father went on raging, even her mother joined in.

Olamma’s mother began to talk bitterly.
“This can never me my Olamma. Chi ekwewana (God forbid) if this is all a joke, please is not funny. My daughter who is the most beautiful maiden in this village and far beyond can’t be this woman sitting down here. Ewoooo! What will the villagers say? I sing Olamma’s praise to anyone that cares to listen, I boast with pride because of Olamma. Everyone calls me mama Olamma because she was famous for her beauty and I am happy anytime and any day they calls me that because it remind me of my most beautiful daughter…ewooo! You people should just kill me here let me die instead of bringing this ugly woman and say is my daughter….

Olamma’s mother went on ranting bitterly and her father did not stop. He continued talking…

“Is better we just believe that my daughter died in Ozulu or never came back after she got married than to believe this nonsense story. We will mourn for her privately and just accept the fact that she is no more and also cancel it from other long ears and gossipers than to accept her this way as my daughter. What will I really do with her now that she came back? Mazi Atika, she could have live with you for the rest of her life so that we will keep hanging onto hope and keep believing that our Olamma is the queen of Ozulu than for you to bring her back here. Do you understand the great regard that the villagers accord me and now everything will be thrown to my feet in shame. Please, take her back from wherever you came from. There is no room here for her, she is not welcome here biko. We all believe she is married and living in her husband’s house just like my first daughter Adaugo. Ooh, Adaugo who I thought was not worth much, she is a good daughter to me. She may not have been as beautiful as Olamma used to be but she has a heart of gold and was very hardworking. She is married to a good man and the gods blessed them with children… my grandchildren. Olamma left this village with her husband who she chose by herself with her own hands, I did not chose the man for her neither did her mother brought a husband to her, Olamma rejected many good suitors and chose Onrah by herself immediately she set eyes on him. We did not push her to go and marry him she wanted to marry the man she thought was her prince charming and all we did was to give our full support like every parents will do. We are good parents and we raise our children well. My first daughter who I will refer to as my only daughter right now, she is the evidence that we train up our children in a proper way. Adaugo even try to warn her but she did not listen. After Olamma left the village with her husband, Adaugo was here twice saying that she has been having a terrible night mare over Olamma. She told us to find out where Ozulu kingdom is located and if Olamma was alright. I waved her fears off because we all believe Olamma was ruling and enjoying in Ozulu. Adaugo said she will keep seeking the face of the gods for Olamma to be safe. We laughed at her fears because she was worrying over nothing, I warned her not to come back with such bad news again, she should leave Olamma alone and focus on her own family. Well, it appears that Adaugo was right all this while and is sad that we loss Olamma because I can’t accept this woman here as my daughter…