Obi saw how uncomfortable her husband was as Chioma settled in. Chioma stole glances at the both of them especially at Obi who she was happy to have seen. Chioma had even become fairer and her body seemed to have gained curves that used to be non existent. She looked around the house and saw enlarged pictures hanging around, she saw that of the girls, Tobe, two babies, then that of Obi and Benjamin. Chioma was slightly hurt upon her discovery that Obiukwu had been married.

"Chioma I can't believe this, yesterday when I sent you a message from Ifenna's phone, I didn't know that I'd be seeing you here"

Chioma smiled "I've been praying for this opportunity for a long time, have you not been seeing Obiefune? Benji how did you whisk my friend away? And where is Funmi? The girls and your babies? I can't wait to spoil all of them. My God it has been a long time, those girls are now grown women. I did not even recognize Ifenna when I got her friend request. "

Obi was pleased to know that certain things hadn't changed about Chioma. Benjamin excused himself before relaying a message of Chioma's visit the women in the room. Ifenna and Oluebube's squeal could be heard from a distance. Obi waited for her husband to come back so that she could properly introduce Chioma to him but he did not.

Ifenna, Oluebube and Funmi entered the living room and they all excitedly hugged Chioma while Obi went to get her guest kola.
Obi could hear so many questions thrown at Chioma by the two girls, who also tried their best to answer as many questions as they received from Chioma likewise. Obi was surprised when Chioma left them to join her in the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Obi, Obiefune told me what happened. If there was a way I could have reached you I would have." Chioma threw her hands around Obi who smiled.

"Why did you ask if I had been seeing Obiefune? Didn't he travel with you?"
Chioma threw Obi a quizzical look

"Are you joking? Obiefune said he saw you, that was what he told me. I'm just not happy that things did not work out with the two of you. And I also understand why you settled with my cousin Benjamin. It must have been difficult but you did the right thing. Benji needs someone especially because of his condi.... "

" Did you say Benjamin is your cousin? "Obi interrupted, she was stunned by what she was hearing. The lies Obiefune told and the truth Benjamin had kept from her.
How come Benjamin acted like he didn't know either Chioma or Obiefune when she mentioned them to him, she had even told him about her intimacy with Obiefune.

"Obi are you okay?" Chioma asked noticing her sudden change in demeanor.

"Yes, adị m mma. I'm okay. How's your father? Your mother? Did they travel with you then? I was so heartbroken when you didn't come back as promised."

"It wasn't our fault, we were tricked into believing we were just going for a visit. My parents had everything planned out with my aunt, there was no way to relay the information to you. Obiefune was the one who managed to slip away after weeks of planning and pretending to go along with our parent's idea.
Everything happened so fast, one minute I was gone the next minute it was as if I was completely cut off from my family. Obi I understand why you left him, I probably would have done the same "

Obi's brow arched out of confusion" Chioma I did not leave your brother, I haven't seen or heard from him in over eight years. After my mom's burial, I got married to Benjamin. For me he was the way out of everything, he even accepted to take care of my siblings so it was a sacrifice that I had to make. But I have never for once heard anything from Obiefune. "

Chioma was surprised with what she was hearing from her friend. Obiefune had told her an entirely different story from what she was hearing.Benjamin entered the kitchen and went away with fruits." I think he's really hungry now, Kam mechaa, we'll talk more"

Chioma excused herself while Obi prepared her dish without distraction.

When she served her husband and her guests, they had been discussing about their family. Obi could not understand why he chose to hide his relationship with them. Did it have to do with the bravery people praised her to possess? .

She didn't care If she was going to be burned by Benjamin's words, he had a lot of explaining to do.
The driver instructed Obi about picking her children and she urged him to pick them up alone. Benjamin couldn't look her in the eyes as he held conversations with Chioma. Obi tried as much as possible to piece the information together. Chioma's mother  was a sister to Benjamin's mother.

"It was so funny in a way, aunt came all the way to Nigeria to take us while Jude refused to go back with her. He fell in love with the country instantly and refused to go back. Benji did you tell the family that you're getting married? None of us heard anything about it " Chioma began

Benjamin looked at Obi who averted her gaze before speaking.
" I told some people, Chi you know how things are, most of them haven't even spoken to me after mom's death"
Obi took a gulp of water waiting to hear more about Benjamin's family.

"What they did was wrong, I've talked to mom about it. They just let their family fall apart because of something none of us could have controlled. I hope it's not as bad as it used to be"
Benjamin shook his head. They diverted into business much to Benjamin's relief and Chioma narrated how she studied and started working abroad.

"Nurses are actually well paid over there, I came back because there has been so much pressure on me. I feel like I just need to relax and figure out some things before going back."

"Ehe Chi Chukwudi is back, I know you didn't know but he traveled abroad for business and all but he is back. I can give you his number"

Chioma smiled at her friend amused by her funny way of match making. "I actually have his number, I bumped into him one of the days at Umuahia here. We'll be seeing each other very soon"

Obi smiled at her and continued eating. Funmi had been the only one who was so focused on her eating that she sparsely spoke to people present.
"When will the boys get here? I can't wait to see your kids. Tobe is now a big man, I saw his post one time on Facebook. They grow so fast." Chioma dug her hand into her bag and brought out two bars of chocolate. "I'll bring over more gifts as soon as I get to the house. I hope they like chocolate"

Obi smiled and nodded"Those boys like everything, they're going to tear this house apart as soon as they get here"

Benjamin laughed at the statement and soon everyone joined in. Funmi narrated her ordeal with her sons before leaving to pick her children.
The boys ran in to the house screaming and a smile crept on to Obi's face.

They ran to their father and hugged him. Benjamin lifted the boys from the ground, one after the other making sounds and tickling them.

"Daddy I missed you! Daddy what did you buy? Daddy mummy took us to a new school, daddy my teacher said I'm too tall to stay in front but I wanted to stay there."

Lots of sentences flew out of their mouths in a matter of minutes before Benjamin turned them to greet their mother and her friend. He excused himself and went to his room after he told the children that he kept their gifts there.

The boys beamed a smile at their mother who pulled them close and started peeling off their clothes. Chioma was amazed by the pair. She reached out and shook them while they stared quietly at her assessing her.

"Obi they look so much like her, it's so... Ha yiri ya too much"

She handed the chocolate over to the boys who gave their mother a look to seek for her approbation. She nodded her head in consent and they grabbed the chocolate from Chioma and thanked her.

"Chukwuebuka, go to aunt Chioma, she will undress you" The little boy slowly moved to Chioma who helped him out of his clothes.

"How do you differentiate between the two?" Chioma asked as she observed like features that the boys had.

"Chukwuemeka is slightly taller, Chukwuebuka has this birthmark beneath his armpit and Chukwuemeka's is on his butt"

Chioma peeked at the birthmark and withdrew her hands from his body. "He has a unique birthmark" she managed to profess. "Does their father have it?"

"No"

Obi shook her head"I don't know where they got it from, maybe it's from their great grandmother. They only got these tiny dots on their nose from me" Obi beamed a smile
Chioma left the boy in his singlet and underwear before handing his uniform over to him.
The children ran to the girls room before Chioma turned to leave.
"I'll keep in touch ịnụ"

"Is your brother around?" Obi enquired as Chioma exited their gate

"No he's not, he went to see our parents in Lagos. I'm staying at this apartment very close to the Federal medical center, whenever you're free just let me know."

Obi smiled and nodded relieved that she wouldn't be seeing Obiefune anytime soon before pulling Chioma into a brief hug"Ngwanu ka ọ dị wa"

Obi had dreamt for long about meeting her friend and she was happy with how things went. But she still had to find out why Obiefune had lied and why her husband is determined to keep things from her.
When she got back into the house Benjamin was in the sitting room waiting for her.
Obi didn't speak a word to him and headed to the kitchen.

"Obi chere!"

Obi ignored him and continued with cleaning. "You need to stay away from Chioma and her brother, I can't tell you everything but it's not safe"

Obi scoffed fighting the urge to give him a response. Benjamin grabbed her hands to stop her from what she was doing "Are you even listening to me?"

Obi was enraged at this point "listen to you? Do you think that I will listen to you at this point? Benjamin you decided to keep things from me, now you're telling me to stay away from my friend because of reasons you also do not want to disclose. I will not do that!"

"Why are you being unreasonable? I am protecting us"

Obi pulled her hands from him "Unreasonable! Protecting us from what! I told you everything about me, I told you about Chioma and Obiefune! You knew they were your cousins! And you kept it from me! Don't even speak about being unreasonable because you are the one who is not being reasonable for your selfish reasons ." Obi's boys approached and she left so that they wouldn't find out what was going on.
Benjamin scooped Chukwuebuka in his arms and started to play with them

Obi walked away from the kitchen almost in tears, she didn't understand at all what was happening.

Chioma got to her apartment unnerved by what she saw earlier. She noticed that her door was open and suspected that it would be her brother. He was the only one she told about the apartment aside Obi who didn't know where her key was.

"Why do you derive joy in constantly making me a liar eh Bibi?"

Obiefune laughed as he embraced his little sister "Mua kwa? What did I do?"

"You always come where you're not supposed to be, just like in secondary school, back then when I assured Obi that you were a boarder, the next day you arrived at my school! Last year I told dad you were not coming to the states and voila! you showed up."

Obiefune could not contain his laughter" Maybe it's just destiny, you can't run from what is predestined to happen. So who will be calling you a liar this time? "

Chioma grew silent, then after some minutes decided there was no need hiding who it was." Obiukwu! I saw her today "

Chioma could sense how tensed he felt knowing that Obi was in the same geographical area as he was.
" Why did you lie to me? Before that Bibi lift your arm, I want to check"something"

Obiefune sluggishly lifted his arm bemused by his sister's request. "Who else has this birthmark?"

"Daddy" Obiefune answered still surprised by her enquiry

"I need you to be honest with me, while you two were together,were you... Did you..., this is so embarrassing to ask, did you have sex with Obi?"

Obiefune clearly did not expect the question and his eyes widened out of surprise. "Did she tell you we did?" Obiefune replied

"No, I am asking because I think there's hope for you after all. I know this birthmark came from Daddy's father , so I just want to know if what I saw today means anything at all. Obi was a virgin and either you or Benjamin changed that.So Bibi tell me did you?"

Obiefune grew embarrassed and cleared his throat before nodding slowly." We.. we, it was the night before we left. "

" Jesus! In our house! "Chioma declared with a face filled with disgust." I knew you just couldn't hold it, but thank God you actually did what you did "

" What does it mean? I gave Obi pills that day, you know."

Chioma patted his shoulder before moving away from him" They didn't work"

Obiefune stood still trying to process what he heard from his sister "He had hope after all"

Hey everyone!

So I decided we'd have a bed time chapter 😊😊😊

I wonder what the Ukaegbu's mean by hope