Uju fell ill for weeks, amidst her sickness, she told her parents everything that transpired between her and Nneka, her parents and siblings consoled her day and night on her sick bed. Other village youths got to hear the story too, some doubted her and accused her of always being too full of herself, some believed her and some others were indifferent to her story. Eventually she recovered and started to keep to her self, she completely lost trust for men, and hardly gave them any opportunity to come close to her. She was so bitter about Nneka and everything that happened.
Nneka had gone with her husband Izuchukwu to the city of Onitsha immediately after her traditional marriage,
three months later her parents and some villagers went to Onitsha for her Church wedding, they came back with gifts and souvenirs. The story of her wedding was the talk on every youths lips, Izuu was praised and every lady dreamt of getting married to a city guy who would take her to the city and wed her their. Uju tried all she could to forget Izuu, she became a chorister in the Church and took the things of God very serious. People commended her, more suitors sought for her hand in marriage but she refused dedicating her life to the things of God.Suitors competed with each other, seeking various means to try to get her to accept them but to know avail, her parents begged her to give others a chance but she was adamant. A year after she got the message that Izuu and Nneka had moved to the city of Lagos, capital of Nigeria and that Nneka had given birth to a baby boy. Three years later, Uju who now deals in second hand children's clothing had gone to a distant popular market to buy goods for sale in her village. That day the traffic was so heavy that she got to their neighbouring village very late in the day, she was standing by the roadside waving frantically and hoping to find at least a motorbike that will take her home before it starts getting dark.
Suddenly, a car pulled up in front of her, she was hoping to find a commercial pick up van or at least a motorbike but definitely not a car, so she hesitated approaching the car and drew back a little, then the driver switched off the cars engine, opened the door and came out, she was rooted to the spot, not knowing what to say or what to do, she just looked away. "I am very sorry, Ujunwa, your friend deceived me, I never knew about her plans until she confessed to me about it in Lagos last year, I am very sorry, please forgive me" he said standing very close to her, with only her bag of clothes standing between them. Uju couldn't say a word, she just stood there staring at no one in particular across the road. " Please can I take you home it is getting late" he said and without waiting for a reply carried her bag into the the booth of his car. Uju wanted to protest or at least say something but she could not find her tongue, neither could she look at his face, she was still in love three years after.
He opened the front door and held it for a while for her to enter, not knowing what else to say or how to start, when she finally turned around and walked towards him, she went straight to the back door of the car, opened it while he was still holding the front door opened for her, she entered inside and sat at the back seat without uttering a word. Izuu closed the door he was holding open wen around and entered the drivers seat and then drove off. He tried his best to start a conversation with her but she paid no attention. As they were getting into their village, he told her that he was very sorry and was ready to do anything to appease her, but she said nothing. When she got close to her house, she asked to be stopped but he paid no attention and took her straight to their house amidst her protest. When he finally pulled the vehicle to a stop right inside her father's compound, she stormed out and said to him, I forgive you Izuu, it wasn't your fault. Then she opened the booth all by herself removed her goods as her mum and siblings drew close and left quickly towards them while Izuu quietly drove off.
As she sat on her bed that night, tears stood in her eyes but she promised herself that crying days are over, when she finally slept, she had a dream were Izuu was sleeping next to her on a magnificent bed, after watching him for sometime, then she placed her head on his chest and woke up, she tried her best to forget about the dream and to forget Izuchukwu as well and move on with her life but through out that week her thoughts always strayed to Izuu, she stayed within the confines of her fathers compound until the day she learnt that Izuu had gone back to Lagos. They have two male kids now and he was constructing a duplex in the village. He came back a few more times within months to complete the building. She politely avoided him even when they met in the Church. People had trooped to Izuu's house to listen to tales from the city about the coup that toppled Aguiyi Ironsi, the Nigerian Head of State and the violence that has erupted across the nation. Izuu said he may relocate his family back to Onitsha if the violence doesn't stop soonest as a lot of Igbo people have lost their life and property across the country.
Two weeks after Izuchukwu went back to Lagos, a man came to visit Uju's parents, he gave his name as Mr Mbata from the distant village were Uju goes to sale her wares. He requested for Uju's presence before he could proceed with what he has to say. Uju was sent for, she came and sat close to her mum as far as she is concerned, that man was too old to be a suitor. Mr Mbata said he was the owner of a row of lock up shops in their village daily market, which of course was the biggest rural market around their area, which is why Uju usually goes there to trade her wares and also buy some to be resold in the other smaller rural markets. According to him, a young man who appeared desperate, purchased two of his shops from him not minding the exorbitant amount he asked for to scare him away. In the receipt which he prepared, the young man instructed him to write Uju's name on it and to deliver it to her alongside an envelope and the keys to the shop to her personally, he also gave him the direction to Uju's family house and paid for all inconveniences to him. Everyone in the house was astonished, Uju had rejected many suitors after what happened between her, Nneka and Izuu and his had hoped that this one who had gone this far will be accepted and that Uju will finally put the past behind her, he accepted the envelope and the keys from Mr. Mbata, they thanked him, having presented him with kola earlier and the man went on his way leaving his contact behind for Uju when she comes to take possession of her shops.