Mame Pokua wanted to frustrate Araba to an extent she wanted to run away from her. She wanted to do everything in her power to make her go away, but was afraid to do so for the fear of family ridicule. She needed to play her cards well if she needed to get rid of Araba. After all, she considered her as a burden.
Araba mixed the gari with some water. She knew deep within that the food she was given couldn’t curb the hunger she was feeling, but there was nothing she could do. That was all she had at the moment and needed to make good use of it. She went to bed in tears and sorrows after the meal.
As the days went by, the maltreatments also increased. Mame Pokua was becoming extremely wicked towards her. She appreciated nothing Araba did for her.
Unknown to Araba, Mame Pokua had coveted all the inheritance her parents left behind. Araba was now left with nothing. She got to know about it when one of her relatives confronted Mame Pokua about the issue.
Mame Pokua became furious when the issue was brought up. She had been bottling a lot of bitterness for a long time and she thought it was time she let the steam out. She got enraged when she was ask by the family head to give an account on the houses, cars and cocoa farms in her possession. They had strictly warned her to keep those properties safe so it could be handed over to Araba when she turned eighteen.
“All of you here are throwing insults at me as if I have done something wrong. You were all refusing to take custody of this orphan and you pushed the burden on me. I told you I wasn’t ready, and I had other responsibilities but all fell on deaf ears. You are now trying to pretend. I have sold all the properties and spent the money on Araba’s upkeep. If you don’t understand, do whatever you want to do. Come to think of it!! I am even fed up with this stupid child you call my niece so any of you can come and continue from where I stopped. Nonsense!!!” Mame Pokua walked out on her family member and went to the room as she said these words.
Meanwhile, Araba had heard all that transpired between Mame Pokua and the rest of the family. She was very heartbroken. She had taken Mame Pokua as a mother and couldn’t comprehend that she would do something like that to her. She was three months away to her eighteenth birthday and was hoping to receive her inheritance. That was the main reason she had endured all the maltreatments her aunt had meted unto her.
“So all this while, aunty Pokua had sold my parents properties and spent the money on God knows what. I have served her family like a slave all because I loved her as my mother. I endured the afflictions she meted unto me day and night. I endured the hunger and the sleepless nights all to make her happy. Is this my reward? How wicked this world is?
That even those closer to you can hurt you in such a way. She made me quit school while her daughters continued to attend the best schools in town all out of my parent’s inheritance. She always tells me I wouldn’t amount to anything in life because I am full of ill lucks. I will prove to her she is wrong! Yes!!! I will make more money than she had ever imagined!” Araba brooded over these with tears flowing down her cheek. She wept bitterly trying to decipher what she had done to her aunt to deserve such a treatment from her.
In the midst of her sorrows, a thought dropped into her head. She thought of making it to the big city to start all over. “After all, there is nothing good in staying here. I will just rot and become useless. Let me take my chances and go to the city to see what destiny has for me there.” With these thoughts, Araba wiped away her tears and headed to the house.
Meanwhile, Mame Pokua was also planning on how to get rid of Araba. She had tried all she could to conceal her glory, but all to no avail. Araba was growing more beautiful than her daughters and had more wisdom than them. She feared Araba will be the shining star in the family while her daughters diminish into obscurity. Her daughters were far grown, but it seemed Araba had some favor on her life she couldn’t comprehend. Her worst fear was for Araba to get married before daughters.
She decided to increase the maltreatment Araba had been experiencing under her roof. “Perhaps, she will get fed up and run for her life.” Mame Pokua thought.
Araba came home in a gloomy mood. She had been crying all day and been thinking a lot about how to escape from Mame Pokua. She really wanted to go away but was discouraged by the thought of having no money and relatives in the big city.
“Yes! It is true! God always makes a way! I will go to my father’s friend in the city.” Araba suddenly remembered. She used to stay with her father’s friend anytime her parents traveled. “But wait a minute, it has been a longtime I visited the city. I don’t think I can even find my way around when I get there. I remember he was living at Dansoman, but I was so little. I can’t remember the exact location in Dansoman.
My parent’s always drove me to the location. Humph!!! Anyway I will try, after all, there is nothing here for me except deceptions and maltreatments. I will take my chances and search for this man in the city.” Araba thought about these things while she sat on the mat in her room.
Before another thought could come to her mind, she felt a tremendous pain on her cheek. The pain was so much that she went into shock at that instance. She wanted to turn and see the person responsible for the slap she just received when another slap landed on her face and she toppled over. Araba was sprawling on the bare floor. She didn’t want to stand up for the fear of receiving another one. She then realized it was Mame Pokua that slapped her.
She remained on the floor and cried her eyes out. “Get up before I kick you in the stomach. You think you can do whatever you like in my house! You left since morning and you are now returning? Who do you expect to do all the chores in the house? Stupid girl!!” Mame Pokua continued to abuse Araba until she couldn’t take it anymore.
Meanwhile, the family members were at a meeting thinking of what to do about Mame Pokua situation. They have heard many rumors of her maltreating her niece and from the way she behaved earlier in the day, there was no doubt the rumors were true. “Opanyin Kakraba, what do you think should be the punishment for Mame Pokua? We can’t just allow her to sell off those properties, squander the money and go free!! We should do something about this issue! What even gets me angry is her insolence.
She doesn’t even regard us as her elders anymore and she talks anyhow to us. Please decide now!! You are the head of this family.” Said one relative when it got to his turn to speak on the issue.
What do you think will be done to reprimand Mame Pokua for her actions?
To be continued….
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