SPEECHLESSNESS
WRITTEN BY MARIANNEADA
EPISODE 19
The clattering of the cutleries filled the dining as everyone ate in silence, no one was talking to each other, Mrs Ufomba was busy picking her rice, her husband could barely lift his hand to put food into his mouth, continuously hitting his fork on the plate, Mirabel too was lost in her thoughts, playing with her fork and hitting it on the plate, Uncle G was the only one enjoying the meal, he finished his portion and glanced at the family, he shook his head and grimaced.
“Are you all going to waste your food? If you knew you weren’t hungry you would’ve stayed in your rooms” he said rudely to no one in particular
They all gave him a stern look.
“Sorry ooo, Bia Mirabel, pass the stew to me”
She pushed the plate of stew to him and stood up to leave
“And who will finish your food for you? You won’t leave here until you finish that food” Uncle Gabriel charged at her
Mrs Ufomba hit her hand on the table which made the plates and cups clatter loudly and everyone was startled.
“Dont ever attack my daughter again, let the poor girl be!” she yelled at him
“I know you’re looking for who to pour your anger on but I don’t have your time, for your information, my wife will soon arrive and she’ll teach you what you’re parents failed to teach you” he threw at her
She bit her lower lip in anger
“I feel sorry for the woman that will accept you as a husband” she retorted
“I should be the one feeling sorry for you, because the world will laugh at you when the DNA result comes out” he fired at her
She stilled remembering that the result will be out the next day, and her husband have requested the doctor to bring the result to the house.
Her husband rose to his feet in anger, he could not stand their exchange of words.
“Ruth!!!!!!” he called the cook
“Sir!!!!!!!!!” she came running from the kitchen
“Take my food to my room,” he ordered her and gave his wife and brother a scornful look before running up the stairs to his room.
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******** “Daddy meet my girlfriend, Deborah Obasi, she’s the one I want to……” Noel tried to introduce Debbie to his father but he cut him short
“Did I hear you say fiancee? Hope this is not one of your pranks, this is the fifth………”
His wife chipped in immediately
“Errrrrmmmmm, Chief, Debbie is the one for him, they’re inlove with each other, all they’re asking is for our blessing and approval to move on to the next level” Noel’s mum stuttered trying to cover up her son
“Woman, you know what I’m talking about, I’m not ready to break another innocent girl’s heart again, do you know how many weddings we have cancellled with one excuse or the other? your son is not yet ready for marriage, when he’s ready I’ll know” chief said angrily
“But chief, my son is old enough to know what he wants, you’re embarrassing him in front of his guest” she said looking at Debbie who was sweating under the AC.
“Debbie, I liked you immediately I set my eyes on you, and I wont like it if my son breaks your heart, Have you sat down to study him and know if he’s the right person for you, if you must know, he has another fiancee too, but she’s not in the country right now, maybe he wants to have two brides on his wedding day, and you woman, you need to sit your son down and talk to him, he needs to grow up and know what he wants in life” his dad said angrily climbing the stairs
Hot tears fell down from Debbie’s eyes, she looked at both mother and son and sighed
“Hey, Debbie please don’t believe what my old man said, you’re the one I love, I’m ready to marry you, i’m a changed person” Noel begged her
“Mother how could you? I took you like a mother but you allowed your son to play with my emotions knowing how much I love him” Debbie said to his mother amidst tears.
“My daughter…….” his mum tried calling Debbie, but she gave her a dont talk to me look’
“Excuse me” she said running out of the sitting room, Noel stood not knowing what to do, his mother signaled him to run after her,he reluctantly ran out, but he was late as she had boarded a taxi home.
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*********** Thank God Thelma wasn’t at home when she got home, she locked herself inside and cried her eyes out. She remembered all the promises and the good times she had spent with him as she cried. Her phone has been ringing but she doesn’t want to pick it, Noel have been calling her but she kept on rejecting his calls, she finally switched off her phone and threw it inside her handbag.
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******* Noel doesn’t understand why his father exposed him, he knew he never wanted to marry Debbie, But he needed her around as she was good in bed, she is the only girl that knows how to satisfy him well in bed. He has a score to settle with his dad for interfering in his personal life.
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********** Debbie woke up the next morning feeling dizzy, she was shivering, she couldn’t move her legs, she remembered she locked her door before sleeping so she forced herself out of the bed and walked to her door, she opened it and slumped on her bed and slept off again.
Her mother saw her door opened and went in to check on her,
“Debbie, Debbie” she called her but there was no response,
“This is unlike Debbie, she wakes up early before her sister, but here she is still sleeping, hope she’s not sick? ” she thought to herself
She went to her and touched her forehead,
“Oh my God!!!, Debbie your body is hot,”
Debbie opened her eyes and saw her mother staring at her
“I’ll call the doctor at once” her mother told her
“Mum, I’ll be ok, it’s just fever” she said weakly
She watched helplessly as her mother spoke to the doctor on the phone.
She was forced to bathe and eat. The doctor arrived immediately and some drugs were administered to her, he told her mother to bring her to the hospital if the fever doesn’t subside.
Before 2pm, she was hale and hearty, her mother stayed at home to take care of her because Thelma left the house early in the morning claiming she went to see a friend.
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******** Everyone at Mrs Ufomba was looking at the elderly doctor who came with the DNA result, Uncle Gabriel was the first to come down Rapping and going round the house, Mrs Ufomba have been on the phone with sister Chinwe, Mirabel’s heart was beating fast, you could see how worried her mother looked, she has emaciated within twenty four hours, Mr Ufomba was calm, Uncle G finally settled down to hear the good news he’s been expecting.
“Everyone is here except George,” the doctor said
“He’s preparing for his final exams and I dont want anything that will distract him” Mr Ufomba replied
“Here with me is the result of the DNA test conducted in my hospital” the doctor said opening the brown envelope
He brought out the result and gave it to Mr Ufomba, he took his time to glance through it, and screamed
“What?!!!!!!!”
“Stop screaming and tell us what the result said, or give it to me” Uncle G smirked at him
He handed the result to him and stood up, he walked to his wife and knelt down in front of her
“I’m so so sorry sweetheart, I didn’t know what came over me” he pleaded with tears in his eyes
Mrs Ufomba was crying uncontrollably, her husband held her on the knee.
“This is not true, you cant be the father of those children, I know how many men she slept with, this result is fake” Uncle G said angrily
No one paid attention to him,
“You can take my children to any hospital you want and have the test done again,” Mrs Ufomba managed to say.
She stood up and thanked the doctor, her daughter ran into her arms and they cried together, her husband watched them climb the stairs and heard her shut her door.
Uncle G went to his room, packed his bag and left angrily.
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