Sign of Changes

Everything was changing.
Ugochi now shared her days between church and Chimaobi. She began building her relationship with him. Theirs was an innocent and platonic relationship. The most contact they had were strolls holding each others hands and a few stolen kisses when they wanted to say good night.

Everything was changing.
Ugochi’s dreams of the future had changed. She no longer hoped to become a nun. She looked forward to being a wife to Chimaobi and mother of his children.

More things were changing.

Hardship crept into the family slowly like a worm burrowing into the soil. Ugochi was sensitive enough to notice these changes. In the space of 6 months, 3 cars had reduced to 1 and pieces of furniture were disappearing. When she asked her father what was going on, he said he was planning to replace the things that were gone. The trip to the village during Christmas was cancelled because the house at home had been bought by a stranger. There was also no Christmas clothe that year.

More and more things were changing.
The gas/electric cooker was sold for a table top cooker supported by a kerosene stove. The gardener and driver were laid off. The girls had to learn how to weed and cut grass.

While things were changing, Ugochi’s feelings towards Chimaobi grew. He was someone she could discuss all her fears and concerns with. She loved spending time with him. The more she got to know him, the more she loved him. She was glad that there was no reduction in her feelings towards him.
It was during those times she wrote the poem titled “One thing has not changed”.

The final incident that made Ugochi conclude that things were bad was when her mother asked for their old clothes. These they usually gave out for charity. Ugochi witnessed a woman come to their house to pick the clothes, some of her mother’s clothes and pieces of jewellery, in exchange for money.
“There’s nothing else to sell,” Ugochi told herself as she watched the woman leave with things that was once theirs. “Or, is there anything else to sell?”