"THE MATRIARCH'S ESCAPE"

FRACTURED FAMILY HEJIRA

The matriarch embarked on an exodus to safety in her own place of abode after she made up her mind against the house of unspoken terror.

In her words, "l starved for three consecutive days, when the master of the house inquired if I had eaten,I advertently answered in the affirmative."

According to the matriarch's account, the master of the house spent most of his time upstairs and had smattering or no knowledge of what happened downstairs.

In the words of the matriarch, "Before my caregiver would appear for duty, if I requested to be given hot water, the charwoman would not oblige me because she was strictly instructed not to by her employer."

In fact, according to her, she could not eat what she wanted. If she would not eat what she was offered, she would starve. She was offered a soup mixed with water. This was different from what her hosts consumed. In her words, "I refused to eat it".

On the Xmas day, she had preferred chicken,but she was offered fish. She asked for chicken and stew from my home, she was queenly served but not without incuring the wrath of the master of the house. She was sternly admonished never to try such again. She lived not only in bondage but in perpetual phobia.

Her intermittent incontinence was a nightmare to her hosts. Her life was strictly regimented. She was not allowed to receive visitors not welcomed by her hosts.

In her words,  "I was taken a prisoner in my son's house".

Appearance differs from reality. It is really troubling and disturbing how people employ their personae to beguile the gullible.  Before the relocation, the matriarch's home was a mecca for relatives and other family members. That bond of oneness which she embodied existed.  In the wake of the relocation, the unity of the family got suffocated.

The matriarch had no other option than to return to that old rugged house which was a symbol of  unity, strength, resilience, determination, secrets, sorrows, tears and joy shared.

Chimara upon his return from school, startlingly discovered that her grandma had returned to her home. And overwhelming sense of grief and insecurity washed over him. The matriarch's  presence was his source of security and stability. With her gone, he felt insecure than ever. The plan for his escape began. He wrote his dad a letter in which he detailed  him about his frosty relationship with his stepmother and how there was no love lost between them.


Eventually, he escaped to reside with the matriarch.The matriarch, her first daughter and first son were accused by her former hosts to have abducted him.


The master of the house ignored the lad throughout his residency at the matriarch's home. He made no provision for his upkeep according to her. His mom was very supportive to his welfare.

The much trumpeted irregular dole of 100 thousand naira for the matriarch's welfare was meagre to suffice her and her two charges.

In fact, her own money was being doled out to her at irregular intervals for her own upkeep and her charges.

I once poked a joke at her, during which I teased her she would be sent back to Uncle Orisa's residence, but she declined pleadingly with her heart skipping a beat.

I humorously called her a runaway soldier which got her splitting her sides. What was more, it was like a prison break.

Her hejira gave her the most desired solace and serenity.

She vowed never to go back there. She had wished to be buried at her own home. But this dying wish of hers was subverted and disregarded by Uncle Orisa and Auntie Ebere. The matriarch definitely would be rolling over in her grave for this sheer disdain of theirs toward her.