The trees hadn't begun to shed their leaves and the compound was not as messy as it used to be. Obi woke up very early in the morning and decided to sweep their portion of the compound. A strange noise snapped her head in the direction of Dee Ogbo's house and she stopped sweeping. Obi waited patiently straining her eyes to see whatever it was that made such noise.

She saw what looked like a woman's figure exit the house after she packed her items that fell on the floor. Obi was surprised with what she saw, was Dee Ogbo hoarding mistresses in his house? Obi mentally scolded herself for even Puck nosing in someone else's business, whatever Dee Ọgbọ chose to do was his business.

Obi couldn't help but wonder if Dee Ọgbọ had finally decided to give up bacherlorhood at his old age and seek love. Obi found it amusing after she pictured the old women who would be avail themselves to him. Would any sane young girl be interested in a man old enough to be her father?
Obi reached out for her "akpụ kpa ezi" and continued with her sweeping. Benjamin exited the house few minutes later and began to help Obi despite her protests. The pair soon began to converse and soon enough forgot about where they were supposed to stop.

The heap of leaves made close to the coconut tree reminded Obi of how much her sisters used to play around that particular tree.

When Benjamin decided their house was the location for their get away Obi was bemused. She had thought of places with tourist attractions, a place where she could go without remembering most of the things that haunted her in the village.

Obi heard bicycle bells ringing outside the gate and she knew they were from women who were going to the market. Her husband helped her pack away the leaves before telling her of his departure that day.
Obi couldn't quite place her finger on the whole scenario but she knew something was definitely wrong with Benjamin.

"Once I'm done with dialysis, I'll have the driver bring me back"

What was the point in coming to the village if he needed medical attention in the city? . Their village was not too far but Obi couldn't understand his reasons.

Benjamin helped Obi bathe and clothe the twins before Obi prepared breakfast. Benjamin assured Obi that he would be back in the afternoon to show her things.

With much expectancy and a little fear Obi carried on with her daily routine. She checked on mma and visited Daa Nkem with her boys who they practically fell in love with with.
Obi hesitantly walked into Dee Ogbo's house, ever since the death of her mother, she had never totally accepted Dee Ogbo's innocence and partly blamed him for her death.
She stepped into his house with loaves of bread and a drink.

As a child she had always loved how beautiful his house was but time had made the structure ancient when compared with newer architectural work of arts.

Obi saw Dee Ọgbọ seated on his chair with his wrapper secured safely under his protruding belly and the folded heap attached to his side.
Obi watched the old man for a while before she made her presence  known to him. Obi realized with how Dee Ọgbọ spoke that me must have been very lonely.

Obi greeted the man and sluggishly took her seat. The look of surprise was still written all over his face. Obi asked him where she would place the items and he directed her.

They spoke briefly before Obi left his house. She went with her sons to their farm and she saw that it had been farrowed for so many years. She began to think of getting involved in commercial farming, maybe with all the lands they could produce goods for sell.

It was around mid afternoon that Obi came home, after her little tour with her sons. She thought of what to cook and remembered the palm oil rice she used to prepare for her siblings.
She left her sons in the living room and dove into the kitchen she cooked the food and even gave some to mma.
Daa Nkem had told her about their mother's burial and she knew she couldn't attend even upon invitation.
Benjamin came back much later bearing gifts, he bought so many items for the boys and Obi. He instructed the driver to look after the children while he picked up cutlass and took Obi by hand.

They got to a place where Obi was certain used to be a villager's land before ushered her in. He cleared the path which they took and held her hand as he guided her in.

"It looks as if you're taking me to my slaughter dịka Isaac" Obi teased laughing

"Mba o, I came to give you a gift" Benjamin replied with a smile

"Check these out" Benjamin gestured to the lands pointing at boundaries

"They're all yours"

Obi saw everything and smiled until she heard about the ownership.
"mine?".

"Yes,I bought them in your name, everything!" He replied excitedly

"Why would you do that?"

"Well because I love you and I wouldn't want you you to be uncomfortable especially after I am gone."

"listen Ben, I know you're scared with the surgery in view, but so am I. But we have to believe that everything will turn out fine. These lands wouldn't make me happy if you're not here to decide what you want to do"

"Yeah, but it's still yours." Benjamin replied focusing on something that seemed familiar to him.

"Obi, do we have enough palm oil at home?"

"Yes, of course we do. That's the least of our worries. I know you wanted to get away because of the surgery but Ben we need to go back, this village is not the right place for us to be".

"Why not? Obi this was the place I met you, it means everything to me" Benjamin replied pulling Obi to his chest.

He embraced and caressed her her bare arms wearing a smug smile.

"let's just enjoy our stay, it's just for two days! Besides they have the iri ji festival coming up. We'll go to that stadium we went to, we'll do things we used to do"

"What about our sons?"

"Don't worry about them"

Obi smiled at her husband before he dipped his head and kissed her. Obi felt a sting on her arm and slapped it stepping away from Benjamin.
"Something just bit me! Can we go home now"

"Yes, yes of course" Benjamin replied with an annoying smile

The itching spread to her other arm and Obi realized something had happened. When she saw her husband failing at concealing his laughter he knew he had a hand in her itching.

"Benjamin! Biko don't tell me you did what I thought you did!"

"It's pay back, I might not get the chance to do this again"

He ran out of the bush leaving Obi to chase him. Obi gave up the chase and focused on her itching skin
She became  furious with Benjamin who was amused. He caught up with her as she marched furiously she  carried her over his shoulder. Not even Obi's screams and threats brought her down.
When they got home, he applied the oil on Obi's body mimicking all the actions she took the day she did the same to him.

"It's remaining just one thing" Benjamin announced

"To break your head with a hammer?" Obi retorted

He croaked with laughter "Don't worry about that one, it's not as if you can lift me. You know you were right, that day I wanted to kiss you so badly but you were just a baby and I didn't want to scare you"

Obi slapped his shoulder "I was an adult! Besides what you should be thinking of is how to wash this bed sheet."

Benjamin held her hands over her head smearing more oil on the sheets but he didn't care. His wife's half nudity sent his body messages that he intended to reply.

He kissed Obiukwu with so much Longing and when she returned his kisses he was blown away.
Obi allowed her husband to make love to her and even though she often thought of another man she tried her best to hide it.

"We'll buy new sheets" Benjamin stated with a smile before Obi drifted off to sleep.

A struggle and raised voices woke Obi much later in the evening and she quickly threw clothes over her head before moving to the sitting room.
She was surprised to see Benjamin struggling on the floor with Obiefune. Obi blinked her eyes to be sure that what she saw was right. How was Obiefune in their house? She quickly scanned the room and was grateful her sons weren't there before she tried to break the two apart.

"You know what! I don't care if you die! You bastard! Liar!" Obiefune was fuming as he barged out of the house without even uttering a word to Obi.

"She rushed to her husband who was bleeding and helped him up. After she tended to his wounds she hoped she would see Obiefune outside but it turned out he left immediately.
Obiukwu went back into the room to question Benjamin but he was reluctant to tell her what happened. Her boys had fallen asleep at mma's and she went to pick them up.
Benjamin tucked the children in while Obi cleaned the mess that he made with his cousin in the living room.

When they got to bed Benjamin took Obi's hands even though she did not utter a word to him.

"Everything I did is for you, I love you that much"

He knew Obi heard all he said but she was too furious to speak with him. Their vacation was cut short and they had to leave the next day. Obi's headaches had persisted and Benjamin advised that she went for a test.

Benjamin dropped Obi at the hospital, before she walked in he stopped her and hugged her. "I know how much you enjoy hugging me Tata" He whispered into Obi's ears earning him a smile. She found it soothing how Benjamin often knew the right thing to tell her.

"I'm sorry for everything, I'll be waiting at home. Just make sure they don't give you a bad news to bring back to that house ịnụ" He patted her back

"We already have one bad news to deal with, I'm sure it'll be malaria or typhoid"

Benjamin laughed at her assumptions "Don't be too sure"

Obi noticed that his hands were filled with tremor and held them. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am it's just from the medication, it'll stop very soon"
Obi watched his hands stop shaking and she was relieved.

"I can't wait for this surgery to come and go".

"Daddy be fast now!" Obi heard her son call out from the vehicle

"Take them home and don't go lifting anyone!" Obi warned before turning to leave.

Before Benjamin drove off he honked and waved at Obiukwu who reciprocated. It was only two days to the surgery and Obi knew Benjamin would be spending the next day at the hospital. She had her blood drawn by a nurse who she felt was too young to even hold a degree. The thought made Obi wonder if she had wasted her own years.

"Well she had two degrees in form of two boys"

Obi described the symptoms she observed to the doctor who told her to wait for her tests results to come out before he gave her any prescription.

She waited patiently for hours because she didn't want to have to come back to the hospital again just to pick a result.

"Mrs Igwe!" she heard a nurse call out to her and she quickly followed the woman into the room.

She quickly handed the test results to Obi and congratulated her. At first Obi was stunned before she checked the results and saw what it stated.

"How is this possible? We had sex last night?" Obi spoke out loud shocked with the revelation

"And you probably did weeks ago" The woman sarcastically added

Obi thought deeply about what the woman said and the only time she remembered was when Benjamin had raped her. Obi was overwhelmed as she ordered a cab home. This was a good news wasn't it? Benjamin wouldn't be angry, he was getting a surgery and shouldn't be worried about not living to raise his children.
Obi got into the house and checked on her sisters but they weren't there. Funmi called her over the phone asking of when she'd come pick her children and Obi had to beg her to keep them for a while longer. If her husband was going go react badly to the news she wanted to be alone with him.

Obi met Benjamin lying face flat on their bed and she gulped in enough air before climbing over the bed to break the news to him. She only hoped that he saw it as a good news just like she did. It meant he could have his own children, it meant continuity for his family.

With enough courage mustered, she tapped her sleeping husband.

Let this bit be what I am thinking!