52 A clear conscious (1/2)

Shocked and embarrassed at this public disgrace; He ran over, covered her properly and asked ”Ego what is wrong?”

”Ndu, someone has tampered with my Nwaza”.

”Is that not what is in your hand?”

”No, it is not. Someone changed it”.

Ego has succeeded in keeping the bird and her dealings with it a secret from the whole world. Up till this very moment, no one knew she has a bird. So Ndubisi was surprised to find the richest woman in the whole of Nekede crying over a bird.

”Can I ask why this bird is so important to you? He inquired.

”No! You can't. That is beside the point” she shouted.

”Nne it is alright; just calm down” he consoled her and afterward asked ”How do you know this is not it?”

Without uttering a word, she simply handed over the bird to him. He carried it from her and was still wondering what to do with it when she said ”If it is my Nwaza, it would have disappeared immediately you touched it”.

”Oh I see, is that so?” He asked with unbelief evident in his voice and face.

Seeing the unbelief on his face brought her pain ”Give it back to me. You of all people don't believe me”.