KASARACHI
Kasarachi - Episode 39
(Tell it to God)
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
The man was someone I didn't know from anywhere. He had stopped knocking when he saw me coming towards the gate.
The unknown man simply stood there staring at me until I closed the distance between us and arrived in front of the gate.
When we were within earshot, he greeted me and I responded politely. dull
He asked me if I knew someone by the name Kasarachi Arinze who is the owner of this house.
I answered in the affirmative that I knew the person and went on to tell him that I am the one he is asking after.
He seems to be quite surprised to meet me as a young person and it was evident in the question he asked later. Probably he was expecting to meet with an older lady, I do not know, and that is his business anyways.
I was curious as to what he was doing in front of my house and so as the house owner, I asked him how I could help him.
"My apologies ma'am. I didn't know I was coming to meet a young girl. It's just too surprising and it gets me wondering how you were able to achieve enough to own a house at this young age. Wow, I admire you!" The man said respectfully and I smiled at his pleasant use of words.
"I see that you were expecting to meet an old woman with a walking stick but sorry to burst your bubbles sir....the Kasarachi Arinze you are looking for in this house is a young girl as you've seen. As for my achievement, well I will say it is God's doing. Thank you for your admiration"
"It's okay ma'am. My name is Markson Ade and I have been sent here to talk to you" Markson said stretching his hands out for a handshake.
I declined his offer for a handshake with the excuse that I don't fancy doing so with strangers and he nodded in understanding.
"Okay Mr Markson, may I know why you want to see me...?" I asked him still smiling
Gradually, my smiles faded with his next speech. His response to my question had re-ignited my anger towards uncle Okafor.
Mr Markson introduced himself as a lawyer who is handling uncle Okafor's case.
He further said that he was sent by the court on behalf of his client to talk to me.
Mr Markson's only saving grace is that it is a legal document and assignment, if not I wouldn't have cared about his assignment.
I looked at him without saying anything because inwardly I was boiling in anger. If I do not tame my anger, I might end up insulting him without caring about the law.
"I'm glad to meet with you Miss Kasarachi. Please, is it okay if we go in....so we could get to take in a more comfortable setting...?" Markson said politely and I scoffed sassily.
"Well I am not happy to meet you and news flash...we are talking out here. Please oh I don't have all the time in the world so tell me Mr Markson, what do you want from me...?" I asked him bluntly.
"If you insist that we talk out here...then there's no problem ma'am. I want to start by telling you that last week, your uncle Mr Okafor, came to my office to employ my legal services. He wants me to handle a case for him as his lawyer and well after listening to him explain his plight...I decided to help him recover his propert...." Markson didn't finish talking when I rudely cut into his words by telling him
"See Mr Markson you are being paid for your services so it isn't any help to him as your client. If you don't want me to abandon you here then better stop wasting my time. Simply go straight to the point and say whatever you've been sent to tell me so you can leave my house...."
I paused for a while to take a deep breath and then I continued talking almost immediately
"....I'm sure he sent you here to continue the havoc from where he stopped. I will advise you to return to your Mr Okafor and let him know that his evil plans will fail woefully" I said with my voice laced in anger.
I am trying so hard to calm myself down. If not, I would have used cuss words to talk down on Mr Markson in anger.
Then I will walk into my house and leave him standing in front of this gate without bothering to hear what else he has to say.
"Calm down ma'am. I'm not here for trouble. Like I said earlier, I am Mr Okafor's lawyer and we've filed a legal case against you for unlawful possession of my client's properties. You've been invited to appear in the law court on Monday which is seven days from today. Here is the letter ma'am" Mr Markson said politely as he stretched forth an A4 folded document towards me.
I eyed him disdainfully as I stretched my hands and collected the folded document from Mr Markson. I went on to open the paper so I can read the content of the letter.
True to his words, I have been summoned to the court because of a complaint filed against me by uncle Okafor for unlawful possession of his landed properties.
So this is uncle Okafor's new plan abi...? Since his previous plan to use the kinsmen to fight me traditionally didn't work, the yeye man is now using the legal way.
I'm laughing at him in Spanish because his plans will not work for me or my family. My God will frustrate him for me. Foolish man!
"It's okay Mr Markson, I will surely be in attendance. For your own good barrister....I do hope that your so-called client has legal documents to back up his claim though....?" I asked calmly whilst using a sarcastic tone.
Mr Markson's eyes went on hearing my question. I could dictate a glimpse of fear and uncertainty on his face even in his voice when he answered me.
"I believe you will find out when we meet in court ma'am. Just make sure you honour the court invitation or else it will attract a fine or other worse legal implications"
"Well help me tell Mr Okafor that I will be appearing in court with my lawyer as well. Also, let him know that since it is a legal battle he wants....then I will give it to him in full!" I said conclusively to Mr Markson as I unlocked the gate. Afterwards, I walked inside and clammed the door at his face.
Getting into the house, I met Mama and all of my siblings in the sitting room with their eyes totally fixed on the plasma screen.
They were watching an Indian series; a movie which I got to find out months back that it is one of their favorite TV programs.
When they saw me, my siblings dismissively chorused a 'welcome' at me and returned their focus to the plasma screen. It was only Mama whose focus remained on me.
"Ah, my daughter Kasaramma....you are finally back. I was wondering what was keeping you out for so long today. Tell me, how was today's search...? Any success...?" Mama asked me in curiosity as she stood up from her sofa for me to sit down.
My face twitched in a deep frown because I was displeased by what Mama had just done. I know that I need to point it out to her and so I told her with a calm undertone.
"You shouldn't have stood up Mama. You are an elder and shouldn't be standing up for me as a junior to sit on your seat. If I wanted to sit down I would have asked either Chika, Binta, or Judith to stand up for me. Please don't do it again....it's not appropriate!"
Mama chuckled as she sat back down on her seat and shook her head. She looked at me and jokingly told me whilst smiling.
"Kasarachi mma, you can never change with this your disciplinary attitude oh. Even as a child...you've always been so outspoken and talking maturely as though you are an old woman. Sometimes, it gets me wondering who is the elder between the two of us"
I laughed so heartily at Mama's words and for a moment, I temporarily forgot about the lawyer's issue that got me upset earlier.
I'm sure Mama said those funny things to relieve me after seeing how stressed I was looking and honestly it worked out.
That laugh courtesy of her words is quite therapeutic and now I feel deeply relaxed compared to when I first came inside.
I sat on the tiled floor close to the sofa Mama was sitting on. I sighed dejectedly as I began baring open my heart to her.
"Today's search was futile like the previous ones. I'm getting very frustrated Mama and I don't know what to do anymore. Maybe I will just join you fully in our shop instead of passing through all of these daily struggles. This whole thing is becoming tiring and the stress is slowly beginning to tell on my body" I said tiredly as I yawned in hunger.
Mama told me to go and freshen up so we can use that time to warm my meal for me. I smilingly thanked her as I stood up from the floor and walked to my bedroom.
In my bedroom, I took a quick shower to wash off the sweat from my body.
I had a change of clothes in preparation to go out to the dining room for my dinner as I am so famished!
Before leaving my bedroom, I decided to check on the land documents where I had kept it inside my locked drawer. I took out the key from under the bed I did hide it.
I walked over to the drawer and unlocked it. I was slowly pulling it out with a smile on my face and I was already imagining how I will pepper uncle Okafor in the court room.
I was stunned when I saw an empty drawer with nothing inside. I cleaned my eyes over and over again to be sure I was seeing clearly. I looked inside the drawer again but there was nothing there at all!
Oh Jesus it can't be! I was deeply shocked and for a couple of minutes, I couldn't talk.
Wait, I am very sure that I kept it inside here so where are the documents now....?
Did it suddenly develop wings and then it disappeared out of sight....? What's happening in my life oh God....?
It felt like I was going to run mad. I was simply standing there in a traumatized state and staring into the drawer hoping that this bad dream would fade away already.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a dream. The land documents were actually gone for real!
No, no, no! This can't be happening to me again. I have suffered enough in my life already. I told myself as I was slowly beginning to accept the true state of things.
After I fully recovered from my shocked and traumatized state, I stopped standing there to look at the empty drawer. Instead I swung into action and began searching for the documents immediately.
I turned my bedroom upside down and shattered everything including my clothes. I checked for the documents in every nook and crannies, all the corners, as well as in all my belongings but I couldn't find them!
I rushed out to the sitting room and thankfully Mama was back to her seat.
You needed to have seen how I took my time to ask all of my family members, one after the other, if they had seen any pieces of paper or documents belonging to me.
They all answered a NO and all of them swore that they haven't even entered my room for days because it was always on lock whether I'm in the house or I'm outside.
My siblings and mama joined me to search for the documents everywhere in the entire house. Ah! We found absolutely nothing resembling those land papers.
After the search was concluded, I placed my hands on my head and held my mouth tight in order to stop myself from wailing aloud.
I slumped to the floor of the sitting room with tears heavily flowing from my eyes due to how emotionally hurt and deeply sad I felt.
Mama was looking at me while trying to implore me to tell her what the problem was but I ignored her and continued crying.
How do I start telling her the breaking news that we have been filed to court by uncle Okafor in a week time...?
Where would I start to tell her that today I checked for the house documents in preparation for the future lawsuit, and it has disappeared to God knows where....?
I was sobbing quietly as my heart was torn into threads and filled with lots of puzzling questions. I am wondering what's going on.
Mummy Osita visited us four days ago and went back to her house the next day. Yes, I don't trust her but I'm certain that she is not the one who took those documents. I'm very very very sure that it is not her!
One of the reasons is because my room was always on lock whether I was in or out. Also, I checked on the documents right after mummy Osita left our home and it was still inside the drawer where I had kept them.
To be hundred percent on the safe side, I made sure to always check on it for the subsequent days that followed and the papers were still right there in the drawer.
How it suddenly disappeared from the room is what I don't honestly understand.
It was only yesterday and this morning that I didn't check on it. This is because after the last time I checked it, I was sure that the papers was inside the drawer where I placed them. Well it's not in there anymore!
Someone must have intentionally stolen them from my possession and that is why it cannot be found anywhere and by anyone!
I strongly believe that this kind of theft can only be effectively carried out by an insider in the house. But the question right now is; who is it and what is the person's aim....?
I am confused because obviously it's only my mother and siblings that have been here in this house and according to them, nobody from outside has visited us for days now.
So I am wondering who amongst family members in the house could have gone into my room to take them and why lying about it at this crucial point in my life....?
My other siblings are little so they are out of my suspicions. It's only Mama and Osinachi that are grown enough to think of stealing.
I am wondering if it could be Mama or is it Osinachi that is responsible for this act...?
Then again, what if I am wrong about my presumption and they are actually telling the truth about not seeing the documents....?
Moreover, they have absolutely no reason to take it and then lie otherwise.
Honestly speaking, I do not know what to think again. I'm already feeling so weak and weary from constantly crying.
This whole thing is making me lose my sanity and I'm unable to think straight. So I said a short prayer in my heart.
Oh Lord please I am begging you to help me for I am in a serious dilemma right now!
Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH'S HEART stories)
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