Dedicated to swann, jtmanager, iykekelvins, gracito, jeffreyjamez and ogboni76

Nine


They didn’t meet again without other people present. There were no more stolen glances at church, no more secret arrangements to meet and no more visits to the parish residence by Nena even under the guise of dropping in for a chat with Father John.

When he’d come to pay a courtesy call to Mrs Oluchi, Father John had enquired if she was well these days but Nena had smiled and told him she was fine. If he noticed that she couldn’t meet his eyes the entire time he spoke to her, he said nothing and instead said he’ll be praying for her. He probably thought she was feeling some anxiety towards her upcoming wedding.

Kelechi Amadi and his family had finally fixed a date for the traditional wedding, it was coming up in three weeks time and preparations were already underway. The groom would come to the village to meet briefly with his bride before they finally got married. He had tried to acquaint himself with her for the past few weeks through the letters he’d sent because he’d been told she could read and write. His letters had been sparsely-worded because like her uncle said, he was a man of very few words. He didn’t delve into serious discussion about how he looked like and with Father Patrick occupying her thoughts so often she had cared little.
When she finally saw him, she was thankful that she hadn’t had fantasies of how he would look like. Mrs Oluchi had said his mother had been one of the prettiest in the village but it was obvious he didn’t get his looks from her side of the family as even his uncle could be called handsome in his own way. Kelechi was tall and slender with a thin face and hollow cheeks.

She had been called from the kitchen where she was assisting her aunt to come and greet her in-laws. His dark eyes had met hers briefly when she got into her uncle’s obi.

“Ogor’m nno,” she greeted like her aunt had taught her.

“Daalu ezigbo nwanyi,” the eldest amongst them replied patting her with a flywhisk.

They gave some general murmurs of appreciation appraising her like a valuable merchandise and she could see Kelechi’s eyes roving over her body. She felt his eyes behind her back when she was excused to go back to what she was doing.

After plates of pounded yam and oha soup to be washed down with palm wine had gone round and eaten, Kelechi came to join her in the backyard a while later.

“Ke kwanu,” he said grinning from ear to ear.

She looked at him with the right amount of bashfulness expected of a new bride, “O dinma,” she replied coyly.

“I learned some Igbo from my mother,” he said and after a considerable time, “their descriptions of you didn’t do you much justice.”

Finding her courage, she looked up at him to study him properly. He wasn’t handsome like his uncle though his features were regular enough. He certainly didn’t take his looks from his mother’s side.

“I wasn’t given a description by anyone to go by,” she said simply and looked away.

“Listen Nnenna,” he put his cool fingers under her chin and turned up her face to his.

“Nena, everyone calls me Nena.”

“Alright Nena, I know this marriage is somewhat unconventional especially in our generation but I want us to make it work like our ancestors before us did. I may not be so much in the looks department but I want to make you happy in every way a husband can. The same way my father made my mother happy until they died in an airstrike,” his smile was sad.

“Sorry about that,” she mumbled.

“Thanks,” he said letting go of her chin.

“I have something important to tell you,” she said seriously now.

He looked closely at her, taking note of the serious tone her voice had taken. “Will it affect our marriage plans?”

She took a long time answering, long enough for him to fear the entire marriage preparation had been a waste of time. “Yes, it can.”

***

“Nena.” He said squatting down in front of her, holding both her hand in his. “I’m a priest forever. It’s the one thing that means anything to me.”

“But I mean something to you as well.”

“Yes you do, talking with you has given me the courage to appeal to be sent back home as a priest. I could never leave the priesthood because its my lifetime call.”

“But you cannot continue to accept and live under the oath of celibacy. You can serve as a missionary without being a priest.”

He stood up abruptly and turned away from her. “No Nena, I chose to live this way. It is the sacrifice I made for God, the one thing God wants from his priests.”

Nena stood up, “But you love me Patrick, surely you’re not going to allow this come between us and what we have together.”

“But you’re engaged to someone else Nena, he’ll give you the children and family you crave and deserve.”

“But cant you see Patrick, you’re the one I love, not him. I want to have those children and family with you, not him.”

He turned back to face her, looking uncertain for the first time.

“I don’t know Nena, maybe that’s not the will of God for us because I don’t see myself leaving the priesthood.” He said shaking his head and Nena could bear it no more.

She reached out for him and kissed him on the lips again, slowly this time. She moved herself into his arms and opened her mouth to his. He didn’t push her away this time but tightened him arms around her. He stroked her back and his hands went lower to rest on the soft mound of her buttocks.

They pulled away after sometime, breathless and she looked deeply into his dark eyes filled with stark lust.

“Make love to me Patrick, make me a woman,” she said softly and it was all he needed to hear to lay her down on the grass and pull down her skirt to get at her panties.

Mrs Oluchi had told her what to expect on the marriage bed and she somehow felt it should bring no joy for the woman especially if it was her first time. Aunty Ugochi had made it clear to her that any woman who enjoys the Act, as she called it, is as loose as a harlot. But was she not already to be termed a harlot for begging a man shamelessly, a priest for that matter, to disvirgin her.
She felt the prod of his rod meet with the resistance of her hymen and the pain nearly brought some tears to her eyes. But it didn’t sting for long and a few minutes later, Patrick shuddered and swallowed audibly and withdrew from her quickly to spill the white liquid in his stiff rod, on the grass.

***

“Afterwards, he apologized profusely and told me, it couldn’t work between us because he was never going to leave his calling,” Nena said and looked directly at Kelechi for the first time since she began her narration.
“For all its worth, I – I’m sorry,” she shuddered letting out a breath, she didn’t realize she was holding.

He seemed to stare at her for a really long time, the silence that hung over them so thick, it could be sliced with a knife.

He cleared his throat and finally spoke. “Is there any other shocking revelation I need to know?”

She was struck dumb for a few minutes before she replied, “No, that’s everything.”

“Good,” he said abruptly, “the marriage still stands. Prepare for a long trip to Port Harcourt, thereafter.” He walked away from her, returning back to his uncle’s.

Nena was perplexed, she had never met a man more strange.

Father has eaten forbidden fruit oooo!

There is fire on the mountain for Nena.
I have truly admired the way you write. I could hardly find any typographical error, thumb up.

lmaoooo I hope Kelechi won't use it against her in their marriage

rosalieene:
lmaoooo
I hope Kelechi won't use it against her in their marriage

Abi o..... With the baba just bone the ish. Lol

I think she just cooked that up to discourage the kelechi

The priest sef go knw say dat tin be lyk paradise

This update has left me with goosebumps. I cant believe the priest did that. He should just quit the whole man of God act since he has broken his vow already.
'
Great update babe...keep em coming.

And a mighty thnks for the dedication...I blushed

Queenxstar:
There is fire on the mountain for Nena.
I have truly admired the way you write. I could hardly find any typographical error, thumb up.

No be small fire on the mountain, thank you ma

johnwizey:
The priest sef go knw say dat tin be lyk paradise

no be small paradise

phew

feels good to be able to comment

I was banned ere cos I expressed my feelings bout some aspect of dis lovely story


anyways

go on skarlett

am in for d full ride now


back to d story


Nene shouldn't av told her fiance such tin


he sure is going to use it against her in d future and it could affect father Patrick reputation

rosalieene:
lmaoooo
I hope Kelechi won't use it against her in their marriage

I hope so too o

Fidelismaria:
phew

feels good to be able to comment
I was banned ere cos I expressed my feelings bout some aspect of dis lovely story
anyways
go on skarlet
am in for d full ride now
back to d story
Nene shouldn't av told her fiance such tin

he sure is going to use it against her in d future and it could affect father Patrick reputation

Lol sorry about the ban, even my friend Jeff got his first ban on nl because of the little tiff, i hope you guys are good now.

Back to the story, shit happens i suppose, she had to be honest from the get-go because she probably didnt want to start out her marriage with lies, only time will tell if her fiance took the news well or not.

Thanks for the compliment too

Choi! Father chop toto, chai father-hood don suffer

Dedicated to johnwizey and laveda

Ten


It was three days before her wedding that Nena heard the news that he was going. Father John visiting her uncle had asked her pleasantly if she could drop in at the presbytery that evening. Nothing in his face had given her a hint of what he wanted to discuss or why he wanted her at the parish residence. She had obliged of course, despite the loads of things she had to do in preparation for her wedding.

And when she arrived, she was startled to see Father Patrick waiting for her. She sat down on one of the wooden seats in the veranda while Father Patrick sat on one and Father John, another.

“Nena, you know Father Patrick is going back to Mathere?”

Nena blinked, perplexed before answering slowly, “He told me he wanted to.” She looked at Patrick’s face that seemed alive in excitement, “I take it, it’s settled then?”

“Indeed it is and its unfortunate for the parish that we’ll be losing a good priest so soon,” Father John replied beaming at her.

Nena didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but she put in the right amount of enthusiasm in her voice when she said, “Congratulations!” Her smile almost as bright as Fathers John and Patrick’s. Inside she felt like an icy cold hand squeezed her heart tightly and made her breath come out in shallow gasps. She forced herself to listen to Patrick’s voice that seemed to be coming from so far away.

“I wanted to thank you Nena for everything, for your support and encouragement. When I appealed to the Bishop through Father John, I had no idea he would see my zeal for helping my people and encourage it like you did. Father John has been so wise and understanding about everything. I wanted him to know how much help you had been to me that’s why I asked him to invite you over on his way back.”

Nena looked at Father John who looked blissfully ignorant. She knew why she had been invited here and Patrick not asked her to come to their secret place, he wanted to avoid the awkwardness that had filled the space between them from that day like an elephant in the room.

“That’s very kind of you Father Patrick,” she said in a very cold tone.

****

1980
Omagwa Aluu, Port Harcourt

Three years later…

Nena didn’t know whether she had been given an early Christmas present or not when she read the contents of the letter that evening:


Dearest Nena,

How are you and the family, I hope this letter meets you in good health.

Its been years since I left Nigeria but you wont believe who is in Port Harcourt, you guessed right, me. I got your address from Father John through our regular correspondence over the years and I’m in your city. Nobody from Umuoma knows I’m in Nigeria, not even Father John and I hope it will stay that way.

I really look forward to seeing you because we have so much to talk about and I have some things to tell you.

I’ve got some business to attend to for two weeks and I’d love to see you before I finally leave for home. I’m staying at High Point Hotel, Rumuola, room 28. I hope you will still grant me audience after all this time.
Sincerely yours,
Patrick.

She looked at the date the letter was mailed and discovered, it had gotten to her thirteen days after thanks to the inefficient postal system. It had been thirteen days since Patrick had been in Port Harcourt and written the letter and with no word from her or visit, he might have gone back without seeing her. Tomorrow would be last day of the two weeks he was supposed to stay but what if he had left earlier. What if he’d concluded whatever business that brought him to Port Harcourt and had already gone back home? The questions kept her mind preoccupied that she had prepared dinner in a daze.

Her excitable two year old daughter for once was left screaming wildly around the house while Nena seemed entranced by the letter. It had been three years and she hadn’t heard from him after she left him that afternoon at the parish residence with his voice ringing in her head, ‘I wont forget to write often,’ he’d said waving her goodbye. But she had never seen a letter from him and frankly hadn’t cared.

She was already settling for her lot in marriage with Kelechi who had been more decent and kind to her than any other man would after the shocking revelation she had made to him only a few days to their wedding. She had had a wonderful marriage with him for the past three years and with their daughter, Nmachi had had a happy family indeed. He was a good husband and father but Nena had settled for the fact that she could never love him like she had…like she had Patrick. She had accepted that his kisses would never ignite the fire at the pit of her stomach, that her body would never tremble at his touch. She had accepted that she could not love him passionately and he had accepted what she’d had to offer over the years even if it was little. He had learned to live with it and her, and if he had some doubts about their daughter’s paternity, he kept it to himself and accepted her as his.

She’d had a happy three years being Kelechi Amadi’s wife yet she couldn’t help the stirrings of warmth in her heart as old feelings resurfaced. What if he had come back for her? What if he had finally left the priesthood to be with her? What would she do then?

“Dada! Dada!! Mama gat a yetter!” Nmachi yelled breathlessly barreling her lithe body into her father’s arms when he got home from work.

Nena froze behind her as she stared blankly into her husband’s eyes.

“A yetter?” he asked slightly amused.

“Er yes, a letter from home,” she lied smoothly. “Mrs Oluchi seems to miss me more these days.”
He smiled a little and said nothing taking Nmachi with him into the house.

If he thought it was a little early to be expecting a letter from home after visiting the village two weeks ago to see her sick uncle, he said nothing. His features were blank that evening as he ate dinner and asked Nmachi all she had learned in school that day. If he also noticed that Nena was lost in her thoughts half the time and only picking on her food, he said nothing too.

Nena knew she would not be able to sleep that night. No matter how tired and weary she might look the next morning, she knew she would not bring herself to sleep. When her husband had made some advances in bed, she excused herself of the copulation activity pleading a headache. She had turned to the other side pretending to be asleep but when she heard his light snores, she got out of bed and opened her wardrobe searching for something suitable to wear.



TBC
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hummmm, trouble in d air

Thanks for the dedication skarlett.

Don't know what to expect now. really suspence filled.

Meeting Patrick is just gonna spoil things for her marriage tho.

#still following, nice job dear.

She shouldn't do this, it won't be good for her.

But why?..... Why?..... Why are some girls like this?!.... You have a lovely marriage now you want to go and be chasing shadows!



Nice one Skarlett

Father Patrick pls leave her alone nau. Skarlett carry on with d good job, God bless u!

Wow! enthralling piece

JeffreyJames:
But why?..... Why?..... Why are some girls like this?!.... You have a lovely marriage now you want to go and be chasing shadows!



Nice one Skarlett

that's because she loved someone else deeply.

rosalieene:

that's because she loved someone else deeply.

Love alone doesn't sustain a relationship... Common sense does.

Dedicated to Bibijay123, Rosalieene and yhormienerd

Eleven


£nd of Part One

.

Started reading today and I'm here now. Nice one!

Bleep nnena or whateva she is called. She is never meant to be a wife material

What a wonderful piece. Skarlett u write in line wiith Chiammanda writing, I guess she is 1 of ur mentor dat u do read her books a lot.
Waiting 4 d part 2 see how Patrick wil eventually find out bt his child

ps2:
Team Father Patrick..

You're wierd o, other people are against him and Nena and you're in support