Bangs
He is now desperate.
“Am I losing it? Am I losing my wife?” He rushed to Nyong’s Boutique.
At Nyongs:
He came and she snubbed him but he ignored her reception, greeted her and asked about his wife; “Nyongs! Where is my wife? Is she with you, or have you heard anything about her?”
Nyongs hissed and asked:
“For how long have you not seen your wife?”
“ About a month.”
Nyongs exclaimed;
“For about a month you have not seen your wife and it is now that you’ve come to search for her? Unbelievable! I have not seen your wife and never come here asking for her, am I your wife’s keeper?” She went back to her office inside the boutique.
Shamefully, he proceeded to Jaha’s house.
At Jaha’s House
He knocked and the security person, Mousa, came out to answer her.
“Any problem, can I help you?”
“Is your madam in?”
“Why do you ask about my madam?”
“Tell her I want to see her, tell her Ify’s husband.”
Jaha
“What is it, why do you leave your duty post?”
“One fine man, fair coloured,” he stammered and held his head, “said he is..” he stammered again and finally said,” Aunty Ify’s husband, he said he wants to see you.”
“That fool, I don’t want to see him buffoon. Tell him his wife is not here. What idiot!” She fumed.
Mousa came out.
“Madam said your wife is not here, that you should go and search elsewhere.”
“Can I see her?”
“No, you cannot, do you want me to lose my job? How can I feed 2 wives with 6 children? Do yaa go and leave me in peace.”
He struggled but Mousa ignored him and went back to his duty post.
At the Village
Bangs visited his in-laws but they refused him entry into their house and talked to him from outside.
“What do you want young man, can I help you?” Papa Banki asked in an unfriendly manner.
“Do you want to say you don’t know me, your in- law Baboucarr? Why are you acting in a strange way? Where is my wife? I’ve come for her.”
Papa Banki got wild:
“Bangs are you telling me that my beautiful daughter Ifisini Cole, nee Bangura, whom you took from my home into your home, is now missing and for how long was this because we are just hearing it from you? Speak out before I take legal action against you?” Papa Banki threatened as Mama Ayo concurred.
“I cannot believe that both of you are telling me this after all that I’ve done for you people? Can you quantify all what I’ve given you since I was courting up to when I married your daughter? Are you not being ingrates?”
His in- laws were infuriated and hurled insults at him.
“Good for nothing buffon! Do you think your petty, petty gifts can buy our conscience? You are mistaken. Your gifts have become a curse. Can you explain how you choke us with gifts when your parents die in abject poverty and penury? Go away and account for our daughter, your wife, or have you offered her to your cult as human sacrifice?” The couple went into their house and left Bangs stranded at their compound.
“You’ll be hearing from me ingrates. I know my wife is inside your house, I am certain of that; if not why didn’t you allow me into your house.” He hissed and left infuriated. But deep down he was worried.
“If she is not at her parents,’ then where is she? I hope she’ll not do anything stupid, my son! She is pregnant with my son! Am I not a damn buffoon?” He went into a soliloquy.
At the Village
His informer, Mama Saptieu, informed him about the lot of goodies Ify supplied his parents.
“It looks as if she wants to open a shop for them.”
“I don’t know where she gets the money to do that, all her accounts are frozen. All the same keep your eyes wide open and tell me everything. Thank you Mama Sap, you have been a good informer for me and I am grateful.”
“What are friends for? You took me as a mother and I’ll always be here for you and your interest. But my shop has depleted and I need new stock, the money you gave me is also exhausted.”
“I’ll send more through money carriers, just be there for me; you have nothing to fear and no one knows that you are my chief informer and I am grateful.”
He then hurled threats at his wife.
“Ify you are trying my patience but I am going to surprise you.”
The Graduation
Abi excelled and passed out with Double Honours in Tropical Medicine and IT which won her the Best Student of the Batch, and it also earned her an award to do her Masters in her field of study in U.K.
She refused to invite her brother but her parents and Ify attended which gladdened her heart.
Her friend Yandeh queried why she did not invite her brother.
“Why should I, tell me one reason?”
“Because she has sponsored your university education you invited your parents and his wife an outsider; you should have invited him. Don’t forget about yesterday; our people say anyone who forgets yesterday is not a good person.”
“Are you ready?” She nodded her head.
“All those I invited should be here, my parents and Ifisini our good wife, she is not an outsider. Her intervention gave Dad’s life back, if it was only left to Bangs, Dad would not be here today. He is wicked and good for nothing; he stopped his sponsorship for my final crucial year. If not for Ify I would not have completed the course we are celebrating today. We are better off without him.”
Bangs
“Why are people I did good for ganging against me? Look at my kid sister Abi, what have I not done for her? What have my wicked parents done for her education? Where did she know Ify? Ify went and won over my family against me, who should she side with but her husband, if she were a good, obedient wife? Now I am alone without a family.” He indulged into self-pity.
To be Cont.
