Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Lydia's Birthright | Short Story by Cecilia Okugo


A young girl from Texas learns that her birth right was sold to her younger sister. Her reconnected with apologies for the past. Is it too late to reconcile.

Elonaore marries Oboni in the early eighties and they have a daughter Lydia. Oboni finds Elonaore to be a cheater and unloyal to her promises. She has only one dilemma and its to protect year daughter Lydia interest with her broken father Obuni. Elonore and Oboni divorced when Lydia turned 15. 

Oboni promised Lydia her birth right by age 18. Oboni set sail later in a new life with a new bride but the children Ola, Anulichi, Lanre, Chidi and Ogechi they had became jealous of Lydia once they were of age. Oboni's eldest daughter Ola to his second wife was so jealous of Lydia that she set he standard so high that no man would date her, she later became a doctor.

Lydia scatter brain and excited about life could never pidgen holed herself into a job that she felt comfortable with. Lydia was easily board by things after a while. To spark her interest she'd have fun exploring new occupations every six months. 

Oboni returned home to North Nigeria and settled with his second wife to build his corporate empire. His wife Nneka was so beautiful that Oboni had guards to follow her everywhere in and outside their compound.

One year after graduation Oboni was set to visit all his children in the states. Much gossip about Lydia's inability to secure a job was sworming. She could write and she could design but too busy to settle on anything. The children decided that their eldest sister Lydia could not represent the family well so they choose Ola instead. Which meant 
that Lydia loosing right to her right in Arochuwu land. 

Oboni was no happy with their decision to remove Lydia because of the embarrassment. Lydia had one one more time to be on her father bad side. They even gossiped about the numerous relationships failed in Lydias life.

The families gathered together to explain all to Lydia about what would change in her life. Lydia was too busy in her teenage years to research who she was as Oboni's eldest daughter. She did not understand the ramification of loosing a birthright. With Ola now holding Lydia's birthright of her head she felt unaccomplished. 

Lydia never really liked her culture until she turned twenty-two. She was so enamored by the respect the men had towards their own. Ola became arrogant and bossy towards her sibling. She was set to gain everything back home for being Oboni's eldest daughter making Lydia the lost child.

There was no way for Lydia to redeem herself from all the embarrassment she caused her family so she called on a handsome suiter from her father town to explain to her what her family decided to give to Ola. This suiter Suma was exec to XEROX and he knew of Lydia from school. 

Suma broke down the validity of Lydia's behavior comparable to her families own. He explained her fathers history and culture along with high expectations of her combined families. 

Suma accepted Lydia and chastise her for not fighting for her birthright. HE explained that birthright could have secured her future with their people back home. 

Lydia later secures her birthright by default due to her father needing a blood transfusion for knee surgery. Suma and Lydia marry and have three kids.


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