THE PRICE OF JEALOUSY PART 2
The days that followed Nnadi’s decision were restless ones. His heart was heavy, but Nnenna’s words echoed in his ears:
“If Oluebube stays, I will leave… and I will take my son with me.”
Nnenna hardly spoke to him anymore. She barely touched her food, and whenever she looked at him, her eyes held disappointment. He knew what she wanted him to do.
And so, on a fateful morning, he called Oluebube.
Nnadi: “Nwa m, we need to go to the farm. There is much work to do.”
Oluebube, ever the obedient daughter, smiled. “Yes, Papa.”
Nnenna, watching from the doorstep, folded her arms. A wicked smirk played on her lips as they left.
The farm was quiet except for the rustling of leaves and the occasional call of a distant bird. Oluebube worked behind her father, clearing weeds and tilling the soil.
Nnadi gripped his cutlass tightly, his heart pounding.
“Just one swing,” he told himself. “One swing and it will be over.”
He turned to see his daughter bent over, her back to him. He lifted the cutlass high, sweat dripping down his brow.
But as he brought it down, a strange force gripped his arms. His heart pounded louder. Suddenly, Oluebube stood up, turning to him with a smile.
Oluebube: “Papa, are you okay?”
His throat went dry. His hands shook.
Nnadi: “Yes… I…” He cleared his throat. “Let’s go home.”
As soon as they returned, Nnenna’s face darkened.
Nnenna: “You came back with her?” she hissed.
Nnadi remained silent.
That night, Nnenna refused to eat. She turned her back on him, ignoring his presence.
Days passed, and her resentment grew.
“I have failed her,” Nnadi thought.
But then, one morning, Nnenna placed a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.
Nnenna: “I am carrying your son, my husband. But I am scared. How can I give birth in a house where another woman’s daughter is valued over me?”
That was all it took.
The next day, Nnadi took Oluebube to the farm again.
This time, he was determined.
As Oluebube worked, he stepped forward silently, cutlass in hand.
But just as he raised it, a strong wind blew through the farm, making the trees sway wildly. A sudden cough escaped his throat, and his hand trembled violently.
He tried again. His fingers wrapped tightly around the handle, but his body refused to move.
Suddenly, Oluebube turned to him.
Oluebube: “Papa, you seem troubled. Are you alright?”
His heart twisted. He could not do it.
Nnadi: “Let’s go home.”
When Nnadi returned with Oluebube for the second time, Nnenna was furious.
She did not speak to him for days. She would wake up early, leave the house without a word, and come back late. She would not serve him food, nor would she let him touch her.
The weight of her silence was unbearable.
Nnadi knew he had one last chance.
One evening, Nnadi walked deep into the farm, far away from where anyone could hear cries for help. He dug a pit—deep and wide. Then he covered it with palm leaves, disguising it to look like the rest of the ground.
The next morning, he told Oluebube to follow him.
She walked beside him, humming a song, unaware of the danger that awaited her.
As they reached the pit, Nnadi stepped just beside it. He called out to her.
Nnadi: “Nwa m, come here.”
She smiled and ran towards him.
But the moment her foot touched the hidden trap, the ground beneath her collapsed.
She fell.
The moment Oluebube hit the bottom of the pit, she screamed.
Oluebube: “Papa! Papa, help me!”
She stretched her hands towards him, tears running down her face.
Nnadi stood above the pit, looking down at his own child. His body was frozen, but his heart was shattering.
Oluebube (crying): “Papa, please… don’t leave me here!”
But he could not face her.
He grabbed a handful of soil and threw it into the pit.
Then another.
Then another.
Oluebube’s cries grew desperate. “Papa, no! Please! I don’t want to die!”
But his hands kept moving.
Slowly… painfully… he buried his own daughter alive.
When he finished, he stood in silence. The farm was still.
Without looking back, he turned and walked home.
When Nnadi entered the compound alone, Nnenna’s face lit up.
She ran to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
Nnenna: “My husband, you have done well.”
She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “She is gone?”
Nnadi nodded.
Nnenna laughed softly, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Finally.”
But deep inside, Nnadi felt no victory.
Only pain.
TO BE CONTINUED…
What will happen next? Will the truth remain hidden forever?
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