Sister Sister (1)

Ozzy, where have you been all day? Just a pail of water from the stream, you have taken a whole day. Where are you?

Mama Okolie cried out from the garden where she had built a barn of yams. Her only child before her husband left her to the city twenty-six years ago to look for a job in the city and never returned. 

That morning, Ozzy, as usual, went to the stream to fetch a bucket of water. On her way back, she met another girl who looked exactly like her, by name Efulu. 

The resemblance made them realise that there is something hidden about them. They strolled into the bush to talk more. 

Izzy had never known another sister all her life and mother never told her she was born a twin. But Efulu on the other hand had been told by her supposed father that he wasn't his father on his dying bed.

I have gone out from where I used to know as a home to look for my cradle until I met you. 

Ozzy had already started gathering tears in her eyes as to how she could have been a twin and her parents never knew about it. They agreed to meet at the stream the next morning as Ozzy started walking home and heard mama calling out for her. 

Joe, Ozzy's fiance, was already waiting to take her to the seamstress to sew her clothes for the Thanksgiving ceremony in the church. And to attend their regular marriage counselling later in the day. 

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Her fiance is off duty for the day as a police constable. When Ozzy had concluded her house chores for the day, they set out to the seamstress and as they were going to the church for their counselling, Joe received a call reporting a crime of burglary in one of the stalls close to the palace of the village chief. 

Since it was an emergency, Joe had to boycott the counselling to attend to the crime scene. 

When he arrived at the burglary scene, the theft was unprecedented. To say that a theft of that degree hadn't happened at Umuochi is an understatement. Joe reported the case at the police department and it was recorded. No suspect was arrested but the police were putting their ears on the ground to know what had become of Umuochi. 

The next morning, Efulu was already waiting for Ozzy under the big Udara tree at the south end of the path that leads to the stream. 

The first thing she asked Efulu was where she lived. 

Efulu had no response to the question. She beat around the bush seeking an answer to the question. She has nowhere to call home. 

All these started happening three months before her wedding and Ozzy needed to find out what her mother had done when she delivered her. That morning, she made up her mind to ask her what transpired at her delivery. 

After breakfast, Ozzy excused her mother:

mama, there is something I found out yesterday. 

Mama looked up and replied:

What is it, Ozzy? Tell me. 

Ozzy cleared her throat and said:

I found my twin sister yesterday. 

Mama coughed out the yam porridge in their mouth when she heard that.

I never gave birth to you as a twin. 

The argument between mother and child continued for over an hour. While it started getting heated up, Joe walked in and greeted mama:

Good morning mama. I just saw Ozzy down the street and she snubbed me. 

While Joe was reporting her experience to mama, Ozzy emerged from the kitchen with a cup of water.

There seemed to be confusion, Joe muttered. 

Who did I just see at the palm oil factory walking and looking away from me?

Ozzy replied him:

That's who I was reporting to mama before you came in. 

Ozzy narrates everything to Joe. And they went in search of Efulu. They did and for days, they couldn't find her anywhere around Umuochi. 

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……..to be continued.