APPIAN WAY

"O mee gịnị?!"

I will never forget the look of horror mumsy nwe the day ọ find out na mụ na-eso ụmụaka ndị 1st and 2nd avenue na North 1st and North 2nd avenue aga through appian way. Her forehead bịa furrow with two thin wrinkles (or steps as I called them back then). Her lips na-equiver in anger and she talked only in Igbo!

The appian way si from 1st avenue to 5th avenue. Ọ rọnu inbetween the two parts of the streets, dividing 1st avenue from North 1st avenue all the way down to 5th and North 5th, and it was a shorter way isi jee and bata from school anyi,  a fun way too. Mana trust superheroes from that time na. Ha chọ children dị prim and proper, all white socks and broad smiles, ụmụ ọ ga abụ edere ha akwa iron, ọ dịrị ironed without ofu unyi or wrinkle. Ụmụaka ga efollow main road instead of an appian way. Most importantly, ha achọrọ ka their children associatie with ụmụ ndị bụ "unfit parents", ndị dị ka Dr and Dr Mrs Duru.

Actually, the appian way bụ a big gutter ndị design ógbè anyị na Trans-Ekulu tinye to avoid erosion. The gutter biazi nwe enough land na akụkụ ya n'abọ ịcontain onye ji ụkwụ. And since na most houses here back then enwerọ fence, ndị nke nwe enwe, nwe very low barricades in the name of fence, o mekwu more space adịkwuo na the appian way, making it safer for anyị na anyị na-ajump from one side to the other. Mana my mumsy didn't care. She still would have said "m na-echi gị ya ọbụrụ warning!" she still would have pointed and said "let this be the first and last..." 

"Ọkwa ya na ụmụ Uchenna Duru?" she asked Chuchu but looking at me. I nodded. Ọ dị ya ka ụwa achọ ịkpụ. "Gị na those urchins!" "Gị na ụmụaka ahụ azụrọ azụ!" "You could have injured yourself!" her eyes were changing colour. They were more the colour of fresh tomatoes than colour milk and ọdikwu ka anya mmiri adi na ya. 

That day gachara and I still went through the appian way again. I went with Duke Duru and his younger brother Chiamaka Duru and many different other children. It was a dangerous road but ọ that danger ka our hearts na-ebeat for.