“You shouldn’t stay alone,” he had told her. “My mother will take care of you.”
At first, the family welcomed her politely. His mother gave her a room near the back of the house.
“You are part of this family,” she had said.
Chidinma appreciated the gesture. Living alone had been difficult, and she hoped being surrounded by family would make the waiting easier.
Every morning, she helped with house chores before leaving for the market. She swept the compound, fetched water, and prepared breakfast. His younger sisters sometimes watched her quietly as she worked. Chidinma assumed they were simply observing, but sometimes their whispers made her feel uncomfortable.
Still, she ignored it. She reminded herself that patience was important.
Meanwhile, Oena kept his promise. At the end of the first month, he sent money home. Chidinma was not present when the transfer arrived. His mother received it.
When Chidinma returned from the market that evening, she found the family discussing the money excitedly.
“Oena has started sending dollars,” one of the sisters said proudly.
Chidinma smiled. “That’s wonderful.”
His mother nodded. “Yes. He is a good son.”
Chidinma assumed part of the money would be given to her, but no one mentioned it again. She decided not to ask. Maybe they were planning something. Maybe the money was meant for household expenses.
She did not want to appear greedy, so she remained quiet.
A few days later, something strange began happening to her body.
First, it was small things. She felt tired more often. Food that once smelled delicious suddenly made her uncomfortable. One afternoon in the market, she felt dizzy while speaking to a customer.
“Are you all right?” the woman asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Chidinma replied weakly. But the dizziness did not go away.
Later that evening, she returned home feeling unusually exhausted. She barely touched her dinner. Oena’s mother noticed.
“You didn’t eat much.”
“I’m just tired.”
“You’ve been tired a lot lately.”
Chidinma forced a smile. “I’ll be fine.”
But deep down, she knew something was different.
The following week, the symptoms became stronger. One morning, she woke up feeling extremely nauseous. She rushed outside and vomited beside the compound wall.
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