26/12/2025
STT series
WOUNDED HEART episode 2
Tears roll down her sad unattended beautiful face. Nneoma is a beautiful woman but has cared less about herself since Udemba, her husband died. Udemba was the first and only man she ever loved and as far as she knows, love died with Udemba. And when he was buried, he left with everything; her happiness, aspirations and peace of mind.
Now there is only but one thing that can make her happy again, vengeance! As her mind ponders on these thoughts, her lips begin to quiver and her hands start to tremble. She quickly returns the rusted dagger beneath the foam and lays on the bed, fixing her teary eyes on the dilapidated dusty ceiling above.
She is about wiping her tears when a sound peters in. Someone is knocking on the wooden gate. She tries to listen and the sound comes again. It must be her neighbour, Obidiya, who has made it a culture to come begging for either pepper or salt each time she wants to cook. Nneoma is obviously in no mood to see or talk to anyone tonight. The sound comes again but she curls herself up on the bed and remains silent. Whomever it is should come back in the morning. After some minutes, the sound finally stops.
Nneoma turns from one end of the bed to the other end, wishing her body could miraculously touch that of Udemba. After several attempts, the miracle refuses to happen, she curls up body again like one being oppressed by the early morning harmattan cold.
It has been years since she felt a lover's touch, let alone, a manly weight to quench her physical wants. Everything is in the past now and she is not sure love will ever find her again.
Udemba, her husband did not die a natural death, he was stabbed on the chest.
Nneoma has since maintained that she knows who is responsible for the death of her husband. She has raised the case over and over again but the Council of Elders will not give her a fair hearing. They all insist her accusations and evidence are not substantial.
Now, each night when she picks up that rusted dagger, the activities of that day replays on her head. It was a cold morning in the harmattan period, she had woken up a little bit later than usual as a result of the freezing weather and the tiredness from the late night lovers' play with Udemba. As she stepped out of the room and make towards the compound, a scratching sound got her attention... (to be continued)
A Chima Igbokwe's Ideation.
