Tears Apart

Episode 6

What?? My body! How do you want me to do that?”the lady asked, amazed.

“You can! Just….just…. help me, please.” Ifeoma pleaded.

“I can’t! Do you want me to lose my own spirit? I’m sorry. I can’t help you.” The lady said,going away.

People had start looking at her, thinking she was going crazy.

Ifeoma frowned deeply and disappeared, reappearing in front of the lady.
” Rita! You have to help me!” Ifeoma shouted, right in her face.
“Oh God! How did you know my name!” Rita said, marching away angrily. Ifeoma followed her.
“I Kno whatever I want to Know. Now… help me!” Ifeoma snapped.
“Look. Enough of this. Stop following me! People have started thinking I’m going crazy!” Rita said and ran away, straight to her house.

When she entered her room and turned,she gasped tiredly and frowned.
Ifeoma was sitting down on her bed, waiting for her.

“Why did you follow me? I thought I made it clear to you that I can’t help you?” Rita asked, furiously shutting the door close.
Ifeoma stood up slowly,tears forming her eyes.

“Please…I beg you in the name of God Almighty. Save my baby….tell my mother in law that she has a daughter! Right now….they are taking her somewhere else!

Please..save her! If you won’t give me what I want…just…go there for me… please!!”
Rita breathed in, looking at the ghost before her.

---

Madam Kofta took another look at the baby in I.J’s hand and nodded.

“The baby’s okay and I’m going to take her.

So, according to bargain…I’m going to to pay the money into your account.
I.J nodded as she adjusted the cap on Amarachi’s head, looking around the house again.

She looked down back at Amarachi and noticed a deep dark mark just beneath her ear. A birth mark?

She wondered and shrugged it off. Of what use was it?

She looked at the house again.
It looked so much like a palace.
“Justina!” Madam Kofta called and almost immediately,a woman of about thirty seven came down from the stairs, standing immediately before madam Kofta.
“Yes,madam. You sent for me.” The woman, Justina said, bowing.
“Yes I did. We have a new baby.” Madam Kofta said, turning to look at I.J.” Give her the baby.” She said.

I.J stood up, handing the baby over to Justina who carried the baby, smiling at her cute face.
“So……take care of her and make sure nothing happens to get.

She’s going to grow up here…in your hands to be useful for me in the future.
Just like you took care of Kamsy,take care of her.” Madam Kofta said.

“Trust me ma. I will.” Justina said, taking the baby away.
“So”,madam Kofta breathed in.” Send me your account number.”
I.J smiled as she brought out a cigarette first and light it…before texting the account number.

---

“Throw this mad woman out of my house!!” Mama shouted at Rita as she told them Ifeoma sent her to them.
“You have to listen to what I’m about to say. Your daughter in law,Ifeoma has sent me to you.” Rita said but mama was shouting.
“Who’s this one too! Have they sent you to come and kill me too?

Oh,I can see you were the one who killed my son and his wife! Somebody help !” Mama shouted.

Monica her sister rushed inside when she heard the noise.

Ifeoma’s ghost appeared and Rita glared at her.” Have you seen it,now? Have you seen what you caused?
Why did I even listened to you and come here! Now she thinks I’m mad!” Rita said furiously.

“Keep your voice down..why are you giving them further reason to think you are crazy? Just go straight to the point!” Ifeoma asked.
Mama and Monica stared around, wondering who this lady was talking to.
“Get out,young lady! What do you want?” Monica questioned, becoming scared.
“I should get out but…”
“Please leave!” Monica said opening the door for Rita who looked at them angrily and left the house.

Why on Earth did she have to come this far only to be thrown out like this!
Mama dropped on a chair and cried.” See them.

Enemy of progress. They have come to mock me! Ifeoma who’s now dead sent you message!

Aahhhh….Why is this happening to me! God,am I going to survive this?” Mama cried.
Ifeoma stood in the middle of the room,tears dropping from her eyes as she looked angrily at mama.” Why,mama? Mama why?
Why can’t you just try and listen to her! Save my baby!!”

Just then, Ifeoma gasped as a loud clock rang from the sky. An alarm just went off.
Her time.

Her time was up on Earth….the second chance given to her to save her baby was up.
Ifeoma gave a loud wail as she disappeared, leaving a powerful wind behind that scattered the whole roof on Mama’s house.
Not only her house,but the whole of the village.

And through out that painful night….rain fell…flooding the whole place.

It fell and fell with a great wind for Ifeoma’s ghost was gone…gone never to return again.
FIFTEEN YEARS LATER
“Joanna!” A voice called from the kitchen but no response came. “Joanna! Where’s this girl na?” The voice said and opened the kitchen door.

Justina came out going upstairs to Joanna’s room.

Joanna stood in the middle of the room, staring into space.

Amarachi’s name changed when she started living inside madam Kofta’s house.
She’s a grown up now, beautiful and so pretty.

She’s a tall girl and very fair in complexion.
Not once had she been let out of the house except when she was taken to school and brought back home in a car but Joanna knew better.

The door suddenly opened and Justina came in and stopped when she saw Joanna standing like that.

She was so strange Justina gets scared most of the time.
“What are you doing there!” Justina shouted.

Joanna stood still..not even glancing back to look at her. She continued staring.
“Aunty Justina…..you also had an idea about this?” Joanna suddenly asked.
“About what? What are you talking about?” Justina stammered.

“I’m soon going to be introduced into a business called prostitution….in Kofta’s brothel.

Right now, she’s making preparation for me.
Once I finish my secondary school….I’m going to join the brothel as a payment for bringing me up.” Joanna said.
Justina was dumbfounded as she stared at Joanna.”How….how…..did you know about the brothel!”

Joanna slowly turned to look at Justina.” I thought you loved me. Why did you keep this away from me?

” You’ve been my nanny for fifteen years. Why are you allowing her use you like this?” Joanna asked and Justina looked at Joanna,unable to talk.
“She pays me very well. I don’t need a family.

And you must do as we say too because you have no family either.
You have no where to go…no place to hide ” Justina threatened.
Joanna frowned and the bulb hanging up dropped to the ground and smashed into pieces.

Justina gasped moving back. This was the third time she was noticing this.
Whenever Joanna frowned, violence happens.
Either something is falling and breaking or something is moving all by itself.
“You are shameless. Let me go.” Joanna said,her hands, tightening into a fist.
Justina was scared now but she controlled herself.

Come on… Joanna! This is just a child! She told herself.

“How dare you tell me I’m shameless! Mind you ….I took care of an homeless child like you!”

Joanna gave her a one sided smile.
“Really? Taking care of me so you can make me a prostitute?

Tell me..how many girls have you brought up in this house for this purpose!” Joanna asked, looking intently at Justina.
“And why should I tell you? I have no reason to tell you but if you must know… you are the third child I’ve raised in this house.
Look, Joanna…just accept your fate. You are nothing without madam Kofta.

She’s the one who provided everything for you and you must pay her back.

This is your destination…your destiny is to become her worker….you must serve her!” Justina said,her eyes growing large at every word.

Joanna began shaking her head, moving back,her hands clenching.
“No!” Her scream sounded like an horn speaker.

Justina had to cover her ears as the air in the room became hot.

“No!!” Joanna shouted yet again and began to cry.

Immediately a tear dropped from her eyes…..rain began to fall…to fall… right inside the room…….