Dare the Truth: Episode 8 by Ngozi Lovelyn O.
"Have you seen what I told you Mama? That there is nothing they can do."
"To tell you the truth my daughter, I am impressed at the way Nana understood the situation. Let's observe her small, if truly she has changed, who knows, Oluba will still come back for her. I will make sure of that."
"You are right Mama, everybody deserves a second chance" Grace affirmed
Patience and Grace were inside the room, discussing about Nana, but they never knew she was eavesdropping to their conversations.
"A second chance? I did not even think of that. This is a very good idea. I will have to convince them that I have truly changed. Yes......and I need to speak with my mother about this. But how am I going to do that now? Because, I still need to make them believe that I'm not in good terms with her, so that they will continue allowing me to sleep here. I must be very close to Grace, I can't afford to loose this chance" She said and then sent her mother a message that she would like to see, urgently.
"Don't worry, come to the house and pretend you came to carry your bag. After our discussion, I will throw you out, claiming that I don't want to see you anymore"
"Perfect idea Mummy, I am coming now" she replied back and then left to meet her mother.
After 10 minutes she left, Patience and Grace came out but couldn't find her.
"Where is Nana? She was in the living room a while ago, could it be she has gone back to her mother?" Patience asked.
"Maybe she has finally realised her mistakes by talking to her the way she did. I knew that such sudden change can't last. Mummy, let's go inside, Nana can never change."
"And I'm beginning to be worried again. Chibugo won't forget that insult so easily. She will surely have her way of getting back at us."
"But Mama, to tell you the truth, I don't like the way you fear that woman. Why are you so scared of her? She is a woman like you, she does not have two heads. I really don't like it"
"My daughter, two people can't be mad at the same time. Its always peaceful to have a serene environment. I am tired of fighting all the time, my daughter. I am tired." Patience said. On turning to go inside the house, a loud aggressive voice stopped her.
And she was shocked to see Chibugo, pushing Nana out of their house.
"Let it be. I'm not staying with you again. I only came to pick my things." Nana shouted back at her mother.
"Go away from here and don't ever come back again, you prodigal daughter." Chibugo Said, slamming the door hard. And began laughing at the way Grace and Patience were buying the whole drama.
Patience ran and held Nana, trying to scold her for talking to her mother like that.
"That woman can not be my mother again. A woman who can not accept her mistakes does not deserve to be a mother."
"No Nana, you shouldn't talk to her like that. You know she is still very angry, and won't even hear anything you will say to her."
"Who went there to talk to her? I only went to get my things. Please, Mama Grace, I want to start living with you from now on or are you going to send me away like my mother did?" She asked
"Um...but your mother?" Patience asked
"What matters is what my father thinks, and I am sure he will approve the idea. So I am going inside to keep my bag" Nana said, approaching Grace and asked: "Grace, can I share your room with you please?"
"Off course, you can... Just bring your bag." Grace requested
When they reached her room, she took the bag from Nana and kept it inside the wardrobe.
"Hope you like where I kept it?" Grace asked
"It doesn't matter, anywhere you keep it is OK by me. Grace, you see, my main reason for coming here is for you to help me change from my indecent life style. I want to emulate your moral behaviors. I was destroying my life, thinking that I was living the moment. I really want to change for good, can you help me?" Nana innocently asked
"Come on, Nana. You are my cousin sister, you are always welcome in my life, and now that you have made up your mind to change, you will see how a new life will shower on you now"
"That is exactly what I want now." Nana said and began taunting her in her heart "Grace, my naive cousin, I am here to prevent any marriage that will be coming your way. You tactically prevented me from getting married, I will also use the same techniques to make sure you rot in your father's house. You are older than me, but you won't be getting married before me, not with Oluba, and not with anyone else." She began reminiscing what her mother told her regarding the discussion she heard between Grace and her mother. Her mother had promised her that, she will use Efe to make Grace believe she had truly changed. She then smiled in her heart and continued: "Grace, I still have one last card to play. I still have your sympathy to incite, to make Oluba change his mind and return to me again. Just pray it works, otherwise, you will have my long anger to deal with."
"You are quiet Nana, OK tell me, what are you thinking about?" Grace interrupted her
"Grace, I just need to rest now, I have had enough for today."
"You are right my dear, just lie down and rest"
And Nana did, acting so innocent, attracting Grace's sympathy.
Grace even began regretting why she exposed her the way she did.
"I'm making this promise to you, Nana. If truly, you have changed, I will make sure that I bring Oluba back to this village to marry you. It's hurting my heart that you are in this condition just because of me" she said in her heart and left.
9 days later, Nana was succeeding in her plans of making them believe she had truly changed. And Efe's planned actions sealed their minds to that effect.
Nana was accompanying Grace to the market and Efe stopped them on the road, asking Nana why she does not want to see him again.
"Nana, Don't tell me that Grace has finally changed your mind? You no longer call me on phone, and you don't answer my calls either, only to send me a message that you no longer want to see me again. That you have repented from your bad ways. Nana, I love you so much, don't listen to Grace, she is trying to make you be like her, she is jealous of you. Have you forgotten she was the one who stopped your marriage from taking place? Just look at her, her mates have finished giving births in their husband's house, but she is still in her father's house, envying her cou......"
"Efe.....! Enough!!" Nana cut in, pretending to be irking bitterly
"I won't have you insult my sister like that again, you hear me? I am the one you have issues with and not her. So I won't tolerate one more insult on her again"
"Nana, don't allow his words to get to you. I know his types and besides, this is not my first time of hearing such words, so allow him. The most important thing is that, you have stopped your unhealthy affairs with him. Just ignore him, OK?"
"Did you hear her? She is not even angry at you. Now listen very carefully, don't ever stop me on the road like this ever again. I don't want you again in my life, just go your way and forget we ever knew each other" Nana boldly requested, as they continued going to where they were going.
She smiled in her heart and said: "Grace, I'm sure you bought that little drama, now when we get home, call Oluba and tell him that I have changed." She then remembered her mother: "Mummy, you did good by telling Efe to do this. Grace bought it without raising any suspicions, and I'm sure that all doubts in her mind have been cleared now, she will have no other option than to tell Oluba that I have changed.... I'm really enjoying the whole thing" she was still in her thought, when Grace interrupted her
"Nana, to tell you the truth, I am so convinced that you are no longer the Nana that I used to know. When I get home, I will call Oluba and tell him about it"
"No Grace, don't tell him anything. Just allow him be. Maybe, he is not the man God designed for me. So forget him, don't tell him anything" Nana pretended not to care anymore
"Hmm, Nana dear, to tell you the truth, my conscience hasn't stop bothering me for what happened. If I knew you will change like this, I wouldn't have exposed you the way I did. I can't stop regretting my mistakes. The only way I will be happy again is if Oluba changes his mind and give you a second chance, because you deserve it"
"Grace, you don't have to regret anything because, what you did was the right thing. Just check it out, I wouldn't have turned a new leaf if not for what you did. That was why I wasn't that angry."
"Hmm, Nana dear, you have a very large heart, I really admire that about you"
And Nana smiled, and said in her heart: "We shall still see about that"
Later in the night, Nana and Grace were in the room chatting. Grace then thought it a good idea to call Oluba and inform him about Nana's change in character.
Nana pretended to be persuading her not to.
"Nana, I have already made up my mind. Oluba is my very good friend, he hears whatever I say"
"But......"
"No But, Nana" Grace cut in as she began dialing Oluba's number.
When Oluba answered, she told him she had something important to discuss with him.
"OK, what is it? Tell me, I am all ears"
"Its about Nana, I think I made a mistake by exposing her without giving her a chance to change"
"Grace, my annoyance is not because that I saw her with another man, my anger is based on the fact she does not love me. Her mother said it to my hearing without even knowing it"
While they were discussing over the phone, Nana kept her ear wide open.
And they continued.
"Grace, can we not talk about Nana, please? There is something I have been desiring to discuss with you, I really don't know how you and your family will take it. I have also discussed it with my Aunty, and she happily bought the idea, saying that it's something she had always wanted."
"OK, what is it?" Grace asked, paying a close attention
"Grace, we have known each other since Childhood, and I now believe that the reason God brought me to your compound is for you. He only used Nana to reunite us again. You are my woman Grace, and not Nana, I want to marry you Nana"
"Oluba, please. Don't say this again. You know what, we will talk again next time" she said and then hung up.
Nana who noticed the uneasiness on Grace's face, asked: "What is that? What did he said that made you hung up like that?"
"Don't mind him, he was spewing nonsense" Grace said as her phone began ringing again.
"Its Oluba, he is calling back" Nana said.
"I don't want to answer. Just keep the phone"
And then, Grace's reaction made Nana to become so anxious on knowing what he said that got her in such mood
"Are you now hiding things from me? Please tell me already" Nana asked, looking serious
"No Nana, its not like that, he is saying nonsense. How can he say he wants to marry me when he......"
"What, he said that?" Nana despondently asked in shock, standing up.
"Nana, you don't have to worry, my answer is 'No'. I won't marry him, OK"
"Mummy, you were right, Oluba has made up his mind and won't be marrying me again. He has chose Grace instead of me. And she is here pretending she won't accept him. I better play along and make her believe I'm on her side." Nana said in her heart and began talking to Grace.
"Grace, if he is so serious about it, better accept him. Don't reject his proposal"
"Nana, what are you saying? Have you forgotten he was the same man who came to marry you few weeks ago?"
"Yes, but it did not work out and that does not mean he will remain single forever. So accept him, OK? And don't think that I will be angry over it. You are my Darling cousin, so I have to support you"
"Nana, are you for real? To tell you the truth, I also like Oluba, it won't be a bad idea marrying him, but considering what happened, I don't think it's a good idea marrying him"
"Grace, tell me, do you like him?"
"Yes, I do like him" Grace answered
"Are you worried because of me?"
"Yes my dear, I have to put your feelings into consideration"
"But I'm OK with it. I have to support you, because you are my cousin sister"
"Nana dear, I have told you before, I'm inspired by your large heart, but as for Oluba, I will still give it thorough thought"
"Alright" Nana said, faking a smile and then said in her heart: "Grace, if you know what is good for you, better reject this proposal, because, I will never allow Oluba to have you. This man came to marry me but you exposed my secrets to him just to have him. Anyway, we shall still see about that".
To be continued
The author of Dare the Truth is Ngozi Lovelyn O.
Warning: No part of this work should be copied, use, reproduce, reproduce either electronically or manually without prior permission from the author.
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