From time, Obiora has been the less-desired of Onyia’s two children. One can say luck brought the younger over the older, not the porridge situation the biblical Esau found himself. Since childhood, Chuks has always been favoured and showered with love because of the rare smartness which he possessed. Onyia, their mother, never wasted time in comparing Obiora to his younger brother, Chuks. Obiora graduated with a second class upper from theUniversity of Nigeria, Nsukka. He searched fruitlessly for a job but got none. Unlike Obiora, Chuks didn’t even have the patience to continue with a university education, rather, he went into business. His business venture brought him much prosperity which pleased their mother. Despite his difficulties, Ginika remained a loyal friend and lover to Obiora. Though as an undergraduate , she shared hopes and dreams of a fruitful future with him. It was almost as though Obiora’s penury had a bonding effect on their affair. Their love for each other was admired by all who understood the meaning of love. Unfortunately, Chuks never admired their affair, rather ,he worked hard towards coveting his brother’s damsel to himself. The thought of Ginika’s full breasts and unblemished glossy skin tightened the muscles in his loins. He therefore went ahead in collaboration with his mother to visit the girl’s family with loads of gifts in a bid to seek her hand in marriage.
While this was going on, Obiora was left in the oblivion. His only consolation was to be snatched away from him through dubious means. When the information got to him, he was troubled. That was the height of the maltreatment his mother and only brother met out on him. The neighbours were beginning to include impotency to his poverty and joblessness. Was it his fault that he is intelligent? Was it his fault that he had to spend time and money to train himself through school? Was it his fault that he couldn’t get a job despite his good grade? This was too much for him to bear. His mother’s love for material things has taken her favouritism into a different dimension entirely. Obiora was frustrated out of that town. He left and never looked back. His eyes were swollen in tears as he remembered his love whom at that moment was pregnant for Chuks, his kid brother. What other reason was left for him not to tear the already fragile family cord off his feeble, malnourished wrist? As Ginika lifted her heavy self from the sofa to have an already prepared lunch by her mother-in-law, she turned towards the door at the sound of a heavy knock. Two policemen who maintained their position at the door post demanded her prompt attention to identify her husband who was caught exchanging human parts with two other men at BI-ROYALS HOTEL AND SUITES located a few miles away. Ginika staggered in shock, her husband has been trading human parts to earn a living. As a matter of fact, she was deceived and married on a blood money. She had dumped her first true love for a ritual killer. Her world was spinning around. She would forgive the policemen if they could just scream “April Fool!”. But alas! It was more than real, now she has to face the ultimate reality. On getting to the hotel, the suspects were forced out to the lobby in handcuffs , carrying black polythene bags full of various bloody human parts. Her husband looked too remorseful to give an explanation, he has being caught in the act of ritual dealings. The hotel manager arrived at the scene where he has been summoned. The couple thoroughly rubbed off the scales off their eyes as Obiora, the hotelier, stood gracefully before them. He was given capital by his white lecturer who acknowledged his intelligence, a cheque he promptly issued before he relocated back to Ireland. His days of suffering were over. The echoes of mercy amplified his success story in a clearer voice.
UCHEY
