Glimmer Part 6

Titi
Bode was really weird last night. First he was so insensitive about Mummy Teni’s sister’s passing, and then he stormed off just because I said I was on my period. What sort of childish behavior was that?  Men! They just expect you to give in to them all the time. I mean, can’t a woman say no? But then, Bode has never acted like that. Whatever, I don’t have time for this; I have a business to run.

Blessing was washing the dishes and thinking about last night. It was brief but she certainly got his attention. She saw that he was temporarily at a loss of words, staring at her breasts. She had quickly undone the first three buttons of her blouse when she heard his car come in to the compound and put on the shorts after Titi left the house. Of course she had become modestly dressed by the time Titi returned, suspecting nothing. She had decided that this slow teasing will work more swiftly than an outright seduction. Her phone rang, it was her mother.
“Hello, Mummy”
“Hello, Misturat”
“How are you ma?”
“Misturat, if you decide not to help me I know help will come from elsewhere”
“Mummy…”
“Don’t interrupt me! I know my help will come from elsewhere. You just want to disgrace me! How long does it take you to get me eighty thousand? Now that you’re enjoying your life you have forgotten me and your younger ones abi? Afeez is sick and Mariam has been at home now for the past two weeks because I can’t pay her fees. Mama Deola’s daughter came home last week and gave her fifty thousand naira! She is just a shop attendant! My own daughter that is earning fifteen thousand naira and living among rich people has not sent me one kobo. God will judge between me and you.”
“Mummy…”
Her mother hung up.
She sighed. Her mother was just impatient. She already had thirty thousand which she had saved from her salary and she intended to get some from Dr Famakinwa but the man had been stalling. Her mother had drawn the battle line with that call. She now had to consider her last resort. Mummy Teni’s husband, their next door neighbour had been making passes at her and had outrightly asked her for an affair but she had refused. She thought he would complicate her plans and she didn’t find him remotely attractive. Now she thought if she played her cards well, she would be able to manage him well. Her mother didn’t even wish her a happy birthday, she turned eighteen yesterday.
She finished her chores and called Daddy Teni. He had written his number on a two hundred naira recharge card he gave her when she had gone to his house to give him the monthly estate association due from her boss. He was on leave and home alone. She walked to his house with her speech rehearsed; she had to convince him that her mother was in the hospital and in dire need of financial help.
Thirty minutes later she walked into the Coker’s trying to contain her tears. The man had used her and laughed in her face when she asked him for the money he had promised her. She couldn’t even compare to the prostitutes he had encountered; she was a mere village girl he declared. She felt so foolish and hurt. She had offered herself to him for nothing! She hated her life. She could do nothing now but cry.

Mr Dike the gardener was still in shock. All the while he had thought Blessing was a responsible girl. But the girl she had seen with Daddy Teni in his bedroom was no responsible girl. Maybe he should talk to her; perhaps she was just being childish. Daddy Teni must have deceived her.

Glimmer Part 5

Dear reader, please accept my apologies for not fulfilling my promise yesterday. As a compensation I am posting parts 5 and 6. As always I appreciate your constructive criticisms and suggestions. Enjoy!

Bode’s job was on the line. First of all, the workers had gone on a strike, demanding a raise which his budget had no provision for. Then, the machines which they required for the job had been denied them again. COMI was the only company that had the kind of machines they needed, and for months they had been on the waiting list. They should have commenced work today, but after he had managed to appeal to the men he got a call from the company saying they had to wait again. It had taken a lot for him to control his temper. The deadline was just a month away and this job determined his rise or downfall in the company. Would he really have to consider bribery now? They would have the machines tomorrow if only the right hands were greased.
He pulled up to the gate of his residence and smiled. His home was always a haven for him. As if on cue, his frayed nerves relaxed. The kids had heard his car come in and rushed to him.
“Daddy, Daddy!” they screamed in excitement. Seeing them so joyful warmed his heart, they had both been ill in the past week. Malaria. He still didn’t understand how that happened. They always ensured that the windows and doors were closed. They were fine now and that was all that really mattered.
“Hey guys, I brought you some ice cream”
Their excitement rose to a fever pitch. They grabbed the ice cream and ran inside, chatting about what flavour their father bought. So much for the love, Bode thought.
“Welcome sir” Blessing greeted
For the next three seconds Bode was lost in the cluster of Blessing’s revealed breasts. Her top three buttons were undone. Tight shorts clung to her curvaceous body complimenting the view Bode was getting at the top. Where did she get those clothes from?
“Where is my wife?” he asked trying to regain control of his senses
“She has gone to Mummy Teni’s house” she responded
He checked his watch, it was past nine. Why  would Titi leave the kids, the house and the maid dressed so scantily alone at this hour? “Okay” he said.
‘Should I serve your food sir?”
“And risk staring at your breasts?” he thought inwardly “No, thank you” he said and turned towards the stairs.
“Err... Uncle?”
“Yes?” he asked wearily
“Is everything alright? You look tired. I hope there’s no problem?” she asked, concern written all over her face
“I’m fine, thank you” he said and walked up the stairs.
He didn’t see the wide smile on Blessing’s face.


Bode was trying to cast the image of Blessing’s voluptuous body out of his mind. He was tired and in need of companionship. Titi was not available and all he could think of was Blessing’s breasts. His head told him to get up and take a cold shower, his mind enticed him with the image of Blessing’s body and his body was gradually rising to the occasion.
“Who knew she had a body like that? No! Think about Titi. Think about your beautiful wife” he thought
Titi walked in full of apologies.
“Oh honeyplum! I’m so sorry. When did you get back? Mummy Teni lost her sister and I went to comfort her” she said all in one breath
“It’s alright” he said wearily
“Are you alright?”
“Just tired and in need of my lovely wife”
“Aww…pele” she pulled him close as he started to kiss her neck and run his hands down her arms
“It’s such a pity. She was just forty! She had cancer. It’s so sad” she said
“Yeah…” Bode could care less about Mummy’s Teni’s sister right now. he continued kissing her, pulling her to the bed and beneath him, kissing her passionately and exploring her supple body under her blouse. Who cared about Blessing’s body. This was heaven.
“Honey….honey…Bode” she said firmly
“What?” he asked exasperated.
"I'm on my period"
"You have got to be kidding me!" he said angrily
He rose from the bed and stormed off into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later he got back into the bed and turned off the light. Titi was bewildered.

Glimmer Part 4

Blessing
Claim ignorance.
That's the first and best strategy I can come up with to get myself out of this mess. How could I have been so careless? In my haste to cook another pot of rice for the children after I forgot the first one on the burner while I entertained my guest, I didn't remember to put away the extra condom he left on the bed. It is over. Just a month! My mother would never let me hear the last of this.

"I don't know about it ma!" I cry.
I summon tears of disappointment which appear to my boss as tears of remorse. She's not buying it.
"Who did you bring into my house?"
"No one ma" I reply as convincingly as possible.

I've never seen her so furious. The children are wondering what all the fuss is about. By now they know the shiny sachet is not sweet. She slaps me and for a moment I am almost tempted to spill out the truth.
"I don't know anything ma" I maintain
"Since you have decided to keep lying, go upstairs and pack your bags. You're leaving my house this evening"
At this, I break down into violent tears.
"Aunty please... Ok, if I know anything about it may it not be..."
"Don't bother swearing! I don't think it can be well with you. Go upstairs and pack your things!" She yells

I'm packing my bag and crying regretfully. I have messed everything up. All the dreams I had! To think that I have to go back to nothing, there isn't even a kiosk anymore. There is a knock on the door.

"Unpack your things. The condom belonged to my brother-in-law. He used to use this room."
"Thank you ma!" I kneel down thanking her and my good fortune profusely.
What? I get another chance!


Bode Coker
Deji can be so irresponsible. He knows there are children in the house, how could he leave a thing like that lying around. Maybe now that he's finished his service year he'll conduct himself properly. It's just lucky that I called Titi at the right time. The poor girl must have been terrified; Titi is such a sweet woman but she also has a hot temper when provoked.

How do I tell her now that Deji wants to come and stay with us for a while pending the time he gets a job?


Blessing
I'm calm now. I've restrategized. At the top of my list is revenge. I'm in the children's room making their beds, I know they're just kids but life is not fair. I smile as I slide open slightly the mosquito net.

*The series continues on Monday. Watch this space! *

Glimmer Part 3

Blessing
It's been a month since I started working for the Cokers. Alhaja was right, they are good people and have treated me well so far. Aunty even bought me new clothes and underwear and I'm sure I've gained a little weight with the good food I've been eating. I have my own room! When they've all gone out, I watch AfricaMagic and Soundcity till it's almost time for them to return. Life is good.

Aunty runs her own business (I'm not sure what kind) and Uncle is an Engineer (at least his friends call him that). Their children Lolade and Kiitan are pleasant enough. I'm not sure what to make of them yet, but I like them for now. The house is a five bedroom duplex with a study, two sitting rooms, a kitchen, a laundry room, and a gym room- a whole room just for exercises! My chores are sweeping, cleaning, ironing, and cooking. I don't have to wash the clothes, Aunty has taught me how to operate the machine that does it. Hmmn! I will be rich!

Everyday my resolve to execute my plan is stronger. I must continue living this kind of life. Uncle is a fine man, he's quiet, and I know he loves his wife. It will take time for him to succumb to my charms, but I know he will. Why? Because my father was quiet too, and he loved all his wives.

I have a mobile phone now, Aunty gave it to me. Through it I've been able to keep in touch with my mother. She always reminds me to maintain my focus. Last night she called me to say that the government had bulldozed her kiosk. Now she needs eighty thousand naira to rent a shop where she can continue her trade. This is not the first time I'm rendering her financial assistance. I promised her I would get the money.


Dr Famakinwa
Blessing! I sigh with pleasure and lick my lips in anticipation. I know she's home alone and the children won't be back from school till the next hour. Virgin indeed! I laugh when I remember Titi's surprised look. She's always been easy to please. She's a good woman. I know Blessing is not ideal for them but she has come at a most opportune time; my wife is out of the country again. Thank God for an ambitious wife!

The gateman is questioning my presence at the Coker's at this time of the day. I didn't consider what I would tell him. Bloody ingrate! After all the tips I've given him.
"Get out of my way you idiot! Am I a visitor here?" I yell at him. It works.


Emmanuel
But why is Doctor here? There's no one at home. Is Blessing sick? It must be Blessing. My future queen, I will check up on her later.


Blessing
He is here. It's payday and I know what he wants. I offer him a drink but he's not interested. How can he be? I'm wearing my bum shorts. I lead him to my room, his eyes are glazed with raw desire.


Titi Coker
I have to be home early today. The kids start their tests tomorrow and I know Blessing would not be able to prepare them well. Besides, she's already tired by now with all the housework. I honk the horn several times before Emmanuel opens the gate sleepy-eyed.

"Welcome ma" he says
"And where were you?"
"Sorry ma..." he stutters
"Is that the answer to my question? Just get out of my sight!"

Blessing opens the door looking flustered. What a day she must have had. Perhaps I should get someone to help her with the housework. I sit down on the sofa to relax. It's been a long day. Kiitan comes running with Lolade in pursuit.

"Don't you two have books to read?"
"Mummy, Kiitan won't share"
"Share what?" I ask
"The sweet"
"Kiitan give it to me, you're both sharing it"
He hands it over reluctantly. This is not a sweet, it's an unused condom.

"Kiitan where did you get this" I ask quietly, trying to steady my nerves.

"It was in Aunty Blessing's room".

Glimmer Part 2

Titi Coker
I like this girl. She speaks fairly good English and looks presentable, but she's older than I expected; she already has the body of a woman. This shouldn't be a problem, in fact, it is not a problem. I trust Bode, we have a good marriage. Enough of these gloomy thoughts! I just hope she passes the tests. Dr Famakinwa has always been our trusted friend and I'm sure he'll take her through all the necessary tests.

She looks nervous. I don't blame her, I would be too. I hate hospitals. We are waiting for the results now and the entire process has gone well. She is a virgin. Unbelievable! I don't see why she would have lied about it when Dr Famakinwa asked if she was sexually active. Bode is calling. Oops! In my excitement I totally forgot to tell him about Misturat, no, Blessing. Her name is Blessing now.

Blessing
How could I have told them that I was not a virgin? I can't believe they were so gullible. I must continue to keep up this good impression so that my plan goes smoothly. I'm not going back to Osogbo the way I left.

The nurse calls my madam. How long does a phone call take? Rich people sha! The nurse insists that I go in to see the doctor. I am terrified, the man has such a mean look. I enter his office and he tells me the results, my madam walks in a few minutes later and he shares the results with her, we are both relieved.

Titi Coker
Thank God she passed. Finally I'll have more time to run my business. I am anxious to get her home so that I can acquaint her with her job but first I have to wait for her to get her medication; her blood count is low and she tested positive for malaria.

Blessing
Thank God I passed! I'm on my way to the good life death snatched away from me. I walk lightheartedly towards the pharmacy where I'm to be given the medication for the STI. The doctor and I have made a deal. What a blessing he is! Wait a minute, that's my new name, Blessing

Glimmer Part 1

Dear reader, by popular demand I have begun a series. I'm not sure how long it's going to run for, so be sure to follow my blog! The story is about... nah, you can find out yourself!

It has been seven years now since the death of my father and sometimes I miss him so much. Today is one of those days, when I'm reminded of how life used to be: full of hope. Alhaja has come for me like mother said she would and I am ready. Last night my mother spoke extensively to me; this was my second chance at a good life. Although my mother was the third wife of my father Alhaji Olagunju, we had been comfortable. Upon his death however, his brothers and other family members took over all his properties leaving my mother and her colleagues penniless. We had to relocate to Osogbo, to my grandparents' where my mother has been selling food in a kiosk by the roadside. Although this caters for our immediate needs, we are constantly in need when it comes to the bigger expenses such as school fees and bills.

Alhaja is my mother's customer. She especially likes her lafun and abula garnished with bokoto and ponmo; her maid Biliki comes for it every afternoon. She had told my mother about one of her friends who lived in Lagos and was in need of a house help; a young girl who was semiliterate and could communicate effectively with her other rich friends. I would be well taken care of; her friend wouldn't have her house help dressed in rags or inferior clothing. She was willing to pay fifteen thousand naira monthly. I would have to open an account though; she would pay my salary directly in my account. Alhaja thought I was perfect for the job. My mother was excited. Last night she went on and on about how large I should shine my eyes. I am seventeen years old and my body has taken the shape of a curvaceous young woman. Puberty came early. My mother doesn't even have to say too much. I am tired of this life of wanting.

Alhaja was right about the house. It is magnificent. The security guy opens the gate and greets Alhaja effusively. His reward is swift. She promises him a tip on her way out. Before we enter the house she warns me again to be on my best behaviour. I promise I her would. We enter the house. Alhaja calls out to her friend telling her that she's brought me. A beautiful middle aged woman with warm eyes comes down the stairs in a few minutes. I like her. I go through an interview and she seems satisfied with me because she tells Alhaja that she hopes I pass the test. What on earth she is talking about I wonder. I am angry. Am I an animal that is to be examined before it is bought? I am not one of those other house helps from Togo or Benin. I am a school cert holder merely faced with the harsh reality of life. I am about to object when Alhaja says "You better set out now so you can make it back before the rush hour traffic." My fate is sealed. However I have enough confidence left to ask "What kind of tests ma?"
"See this foolish girl, what kind of question is that? Do you think she wants to use you for blood rituals?" Alhaja snaps at me, furious that I would dare to be audacious.
"Ah ah Alhaja don't worry about it. It's just a simple question. You are going to do a pregnancy test, HIV test and any other tests the doctor advises" she calmly explains.

Now I am afraid. Since my encounter with that unfortunate man, Lasun, Alhaja's driver I've been experiencing itching in my private part. We set out in her jeep and although I am enjoying the elegance of the vehicle's interior, I am anxious.

Taken

For all those who have been taken...

“You’re going to get yourself killed!”
“I can’t do this” Jemaima cried
“You have to! Look, it is either you die or you accept your fate”
“I’d rather die. I am a married woman, I have children, I am an usher in my church! I can not do this”
“Think of it this way, you’re staying alive for your family till help comes”
“Help? How long have you been here Adeezat?”
“Ten months” she replied
“And you say help is coming? Let me tell you what the reality is, it’s every man for himself out there. A few people are trying do something about this but really no one cares. The world has moved on. Help isn’t coming!”

Adeezat pondered this for a while, she was probably right but one couldn’t lose hope or face the gruesome death that awaited anyone who rebelled.
”They  will slit your throat” she said
“Then let them. I will never subject myself to this life”

A baby cried two rooms away; it was her son Mustapha. She had been abducted ten months ago along with some other teenage girls and women. The rebels had brought them into this big house where they had been kept in a room. They had all wept, consoled themselves and wept again till they came for them.

By nightfall they were distributed among the men and the best of them were reserved for the leader and his second-in-command. Those who had dared to resist had been beaten brutally and one of them strangled. The men were drunk and high on marijuana; they could not be appeased or reasoned with. She remembered Toyin the Yoruba girl who had taken her own life because she had lost the pregnancy she was carrying the night they were abducted.

Gradually they had settled into their new life as sex slaves. They cooked and cleaned during the day and surrendered themselves to the men’s passions at night. They offered no opinions, did not speak unless spoken to, took whatever was offered them and did their best to make the most of the situation. A few had tried to escape and were promptly executed.

Recently they realized that they were also expected to get pregnant and have male children, and when she got pregnant and had Mustapha she was “honored” with the responsibility to prepare the new abductees for their new lives. Her heart broke today however, when she recognized her friend Jemaima who lived on the same street with her. Not only was she sad that she was unfortunate to be in this horrid situation, she was also a reminder of home, who she was. She reminded her of the wedding she would have had two months after her abduction. She knew it would be difficult to accept this new life but the alternative was worse. It was getting dark and they would soon come for them. She tried to reason with her once more.
“Please reconsider my sister, stay alive for your family”

Jemaima gave her no response. She thought of her boys and her husband and her tears flowed freely, fear etched on her face. How could she accept this life? Yet she was very scared; these men were responsible for the death of thousands, how could she survive her planned course of action?

The door opened and they were taken out amidst screams and cries.

The Need to Be

He was gradually losing control. There was a debate going on in his mind weighing the pros and cons of the decision he was about to make. Here he was seated close to a beautiful girl who would give him what he wanted without any preamble. There was only one problem, she was five years old. His gaze lingered on her dark, silky, unusually long hair and her fair glowing skin. She smelled so good!

“Stop it!” an inner voice told him
“Why should I?” he countered

He wasn’t exactly handsome, in fact, he was far from it. His acne riddled face which was characteristic of his stage of development also made things worse for him. He was skinny and tall and his spoken English was so defective that he could not even say as much as a hello to the girls in his class without eliciting a mocking laughter. His already low self-esteem was made worse when his male colleagues found out about his virginity. Not only did they tease him to no end about it, they bragged about their legendary sexual encounters. Last week, Kenny had brought pictures of a girl he had slept with and had excluded him from viewing it because he was “still a small boy”. Whenever they were given an exhortation against pre-marital sex at the assembly ground, they whistled his name. Even the girls knew he was a virgin; they already thought him weird anyway. The only girls who would give him an audience were the “outcasts”, the girls who were too unattractive to be significant.

Now he finally had an opportunity with this beautiful girl who held him in awe because he always gave her biscuits and sweets. Today her mother had left her in his house to go and attend a wedding. His mother was at the backyard doing laundry, his Dad was out and his younger siblings were asleep. He had brought her to his room when the power had gone out and she could not continue watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He would do it quickly before his mother finished her chore. No one would ever know. He would tell Kenny that he was no more a small boy. He called he to him and set her on his lap.

“Do you want another sweet?” he asked huskily
“Yes” she said bashfully. He gave it to her.
“Do you know you are very fine?”
“Yes” she replied, too distracted with unwrapping the sweet to notice that he was slipping his hands gently up her skirt.

“Dare!” his mother called
“Y…yes….yes ma!” he responded
“Bring Eniola o. Her mother is here” she said
“Y…yes ma” he replied

“My sister that was why I came back o! If I had driven into that main road, I would have seriously regretted it and …” Eniola’s mother was saying.
The first thing she noticed was the unmistakable bulge in front of Dare’s trousers. She quickly pulled her daughter to herself and checked her. Everything seemed fine.

“What did you do to my daughter?” she asked before punching him in the face

Mortification!

They had been travelling for about two hours and she was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. She was lucky. The loud discordant music playing on the radio was helping to mask the sounds of her flatulence and the smell coincided with that of the boiled egg the pregnant woman seated in front of her was eating. One of the children seated behind her was asking their mother what smelled so bad. Unable to endure it any longer, someone asked from the back:
“Madam, you sure say that egg never spoil?”
The pregnant hormonally imbalanced woman didn’t take kindly to the question. “Na your life go spoil!” she retorted. The ensuing exchange of insults increased the noise in the bus and she took advantage of it and further relieved herself. She wondered what she could have eaten. It had to be the vegetable salad she had bought from her favourite eatery last night. She had recently embarked on a healthy diet schedule, so she had had just chicken and salad, ant it was a lot of salad.
“Comport yourself!” she reminded herself, “I can handle this, just two more hours and I can dash into the nearest ladies room” she reassured herself. Suddenly the driver stopped. She looked up from her tablet to see the cause. They had been pulled over by the road safety corps. “Great! Precious time being wasted” she thought. The driver spent fifteen minutes negotiating how much he could part with as a bribe before they resumed their journey. She returned her attention to her tablet, finding solace tweeting about her frustration: “Worst journey ever! #roadtravelthings” she tweeted. She surfed the net, pinged, texted, tweeted, retweeted, anything to take her mind off the uncomfortable feeling in her bowels. It worked, for after a while she forgot her discomfort.
She was jolted out of her “cyber comfort” by the bus. “What now?” She thought as she looked up and saw a long stretch of potholes. The bus rocked violently, and every jolt increased her discomfort, causing her excruciating pain so that she almost cried out. One of the children behind her in an attempt to hold on to something suddenly pulled on her long braids.
“Get your filthy hands off me!” she snapped. The mother promptly apologised.
Finally, they were back on the smooth part of the road but the damage had been done. Her rectum was on fire. “I need to do this now” she thought. Quickly she searched her handbag for some toilet roll, there was just enough. Now to tell the driver. She was too embarrassed. How could a sophisticated lady like herself tell the driver to pull over so that she could relieve herself in the bushes? She was wearing jeans so that meant she would even have to bare her backside to the view of whatever was in the bush. She was horrified, but the intolerable discomfort she was felt made her come to a quick decision. “Better to relieve myself in the bushes than here in the bus, on myself” she thought.
With that in mind, she called out “Driver please pull over”. No response. She called out louder with the accent of someone who travelled to the UK regularly “Driver, please pull over!!!” The man seated beside her decided to intervene “You better speak up in a language he understands and do it quickly” he said disdainfully before returning to the paper he was reading, he had endured her flatulence long enough. By now she was sweating profusely.
She lifted her backside to relieve herself again, but this time it was different. There was definitely a wetness in her panties. “Oh no!” she thought, mortified.
“Driver, abeg stop I wan shit!!!” she said loudly. This time he heard her. As soon as she got off the bus, she dashed into the bush and relieved herself. Fifteen minutes later she got back on the bus and she was certain that they had all had a good laugh. The woman with the kids behind her even had the hint of a smile on her face. She brought out her tablet and tweeted “Mortification. #worstdayofmylife”

The bus moved on.

Great Expectation

The men sat on cement blocks facing the road, watching vehicles and people come and go, waiting for someone to make their day worthwhile. The market opposite them was gradually filing with up with buyers and sellers, the festive season was near. They had come with little or no expectation today because nothing happened yesterday. They had sat down for hours from dawn to late afternoon in hopes of a job. The few who came with little expectation had heard that two trucks laden with cement would arrive at the market today. Nafisat the food vendor approached them, a large stainless steel basin covered with polythene nylon on her head. Most of them ignored the aroma of her delicious pepper stew; they had eaten yesterday and had had no work to do, it made no financial sense to eat again this morning.

“I tell you, Mustapha swore he saw them at Ogere” one man said

“I wouldn’t believe Mustapha for a moment even if my life depended on it’ said another

“Whatever you believe, I know those trucks are coming, I got the information from a very reliable source” yet another man said

The argument continued until eventually half of them were convinced that the trucks were indeed coming. Three hours later, the hot sun burned their skins, the trucks had not yet arrived and the men were still waiting. Suddenly, someone saw from afar the two trucks, their hopes surged as they anticipated getting paid at the end of the day. There was a holdup though, so to pass time they quickly called on Nafisat to sell them some food.

Finally, the trucks came and pulled up in front of the market. The men drew near to them, hunger quenched, ready to finally work. The trucks were opened but alas, in them both were sheep! The men could not believe their eyes, where was the cement? How would they pay Nafisat? They looked on as the sheep were herded into the market and the clouds began to gather.    

A Random Tale

Baba Okiki sat in front of his house picking his teeth. He had just had a meal of amala and ewedu soup. That new wife needed to be taught how to cook he thought. Iya Okiki would never serve him tough meat. Experience had schooled her in the art of cooking meat; what kind of meat to buy and how long it should be cooked for so that it was pleasantly soft and juicy. This was not the only reason he was dissatisfied with his new wife Toyin, she was so naive in a lot of things, the only things she seemed to know how to do better than the other wives was dress well and give him a good time in bed. The useless woman! He had spent a fortune on her bride-price and for the wedding ceremony and three months into the marriage he was beginning to seriously regret his actions.

“She will bring you great wealth, her head will see to it that all your lost glory will be restored, she has been destined for great wealth” the priest had told him.  He had married Toyin for this reason because he desperately needed to rejuvenate his dwindling resources. He had built a house when his first wife was pregnant with their second child and his block-making business was doing very well. He was going to acquire more land and build a bigger business when his mother brought Folasewa to his house one cold evening.

“You must marry her! We do not have bastard children in this family. All our children are raised under their fathers’ roofs. If you were bold enough to make love to her, then you must be bold enough to marry her”

And that was that. Within the next six months, he had married a new wife and become a father to a set of twins. He had greater responsibilities and it became financially burdensome to cater to all the family needs. His business was doing well enough, but he kept diverting his profits to his household needs. So he had married Toyin but she was only making things much more difficult for him; there was always a party and the need for a new dress, she always needed money for something. The marriage was still new so he had indulged her so far but his patience was wearing thin.

 He winced in pain as the broomstick pierced the soft flesh of his gum. He savoured the taste of his blood while he pondered what to do to redeem himself from the financial mess he was in. By nightfall he had decided he would go and pay Fadeyi the priest a visit early the next morning. The house was quiet, his first wife had gone for her weekly night vigils to pray out the demons in her home, Folasewa had taken her children to see her parents and Toyin had gone to a friend’s house to help her prepare for her wedding. He was going to be alone tonight but that was fine. He did not need any distractions.

In his bed he tossed and turned, too worried to sleep. That wedding was a huge mistake, he thought, so much debt! He had promised Isiaka that he would pay him the balance of the wedding cow the next morning. He had no money to pay and Isiaka had heard enough excuses. What would he do now? In his frustration he tossed the covers off his body and put on some clothes.

It was a cold night and he shivered  as he walked in the direction of Fadeyi’s house. He suddenly hissed in anger, he had forgotten to take some money. How was he to appear before the deity empty-handed. He considered going back home but then resumed his journey toward the priest’s house.

 “What have the gods given me after all the sacrifices and payments I have made?” they would just have to accept him empty-handed he concluded. He was in no mood for pleasantries so he decided to take the back door and avoid Fadeyi’s family members. He would go straight to the consulting room where Fadeyi would be concocting his herbal mixtures after a long day of receiving clients and tending to their needs. NEPA had been gracious enough to restore power and he could hear the television blaring. These women and homevideos! He thought. He was about to make the turn into Fadeyi’s consulting room when his eyes fell on a familiar slipper. Funny, he thought it looked like the one he bought for Toyin a few weeks ago. He dismissed the thought and opened the door. He stared first in horror and then in anger at his new wife who was trying desperately to be modest and then he closed the door.