By Amie Sillah
Nyongs’ Shop
The friends were seated in the office inside Nyongs’ shop.
“You are a graduate, for God’s sake find something productive to do and not be a complete house wife,” Nyongs posited.
Ify
“Something like what? Bangs gives me more than a graduate salary and moreover he takes care of my parents, what else do I need to work for?”
Jaha
“That is her wish, let her be. I would have done the same had I married a super rich hussy.”
Nyongs
“I differ from both of you, what about God forbid if the worst happens such as death of a spouse or divorce; how will she cope if she’s totally dependent on Bangs?”
Jaha
“Be optimistic for once, the future will take care of itself. Lets’ think about the present and make the best out of it.”
Ify concurred but Nyongs stuck to her guts.
“The future will absolve me we’ll discuss it again; another point to discuss, I heard that your super rich husband does not take care of his parents whom he left in the village in abject poverty and in penury?”
She got upset and very defensive;
“Who told you such blatant lies, how and when? As my bosom friend do you believe in such rumours? You have greatly offended me and it is only complete failures who engage in such futile ventures,” she left enraged.
Jaha intercepted;
“You should not have asked her.”
“Why shouldn’t I? I believe her husband is a ritualist,” Nyongs posited.
“It is her cup of tea; look at me here no hussy wants to marry me not even a ritualist,” Jaha posited.
“It is not true, so far how many suitors to my knowledge have you rejected?” Nyongs reminded her.
“Real men I mean men with cash like Bangs, those that appear cannot carry my load not even my ‘makeup’ not to talk about my wardrobe,” she bluffed.
Ify at Home with Bangs
She is excited and Bangs enquired for the reason.
“Why are you excited and what is the matter?” She smiled and showed him the letter.
“See for yourself.”
He jumped up and stooped again before his wife.
“So you are pregnant! The mother of my first son, the fruit of our labour!” He swept her off the floor and whirled her around the house.
Bangs visits his in laws
He took a car load of every provision and took to Ifys’ parents. Uncle Bankoli and Aunty Ayodele were flabbergasted.
“But last months’ provisions are not yet exhausted and you brought another car load; all the same thank you for your consideration. How is my jewel?” He asked after Ifisini.”
Bangs
“I am very pleased with your virtuous daughter, Allah has blessed us again as she has conceived and scan shows a baby boy, I’ve come for you to bless us all the more and I’ve also won a contract amounting to millions of dalasi; your daughter is a blessing to me.” He also gave him a cheque for D50,000.
Uncle Bankoli
“Is it not too much? The cash is also not yet exhausted.”
“It is okay sir you deserve all the more. Everything happens because of your jewel.” Aunty Ayo entered the house.
“Mama I’ve come to announce the good news, we will soon give you a grandson and you’ll be invited to the city to come for ‘bambane’ (nannying).
“That is good news and may the good lord answer all our prayers and bless us all the more.” Bangs left.
Aunty Ayo
She saw the provisions and became guilty.
“But last month provision is not yet exhausted? People are talking and it is not fair, how can this man be giving us such quantity of provisions like opening a shop while his parents stay hungry? It is abnormal and absurd; talk to him and if he continues such queer ways we desist accepting his gifts because he is giving us bad name and also our daughter is being blamed for bewitching him which is false as he is the only one who can answer the puzzle.”
Daddy Banki
“What do you expect us to do? Lament that he is not taking care of his parents? What is our take in it? Should we cry for having a very generous, rich son-in-law who is taking good care of us? Has our jewel not added to his fortunes? Mind your business and let sleeping dogs lie. Didn’t hear last time when our daughter reported him to us and I called him, what did he say? Did he not nicely ask us never to talk about it? Let the people talk any nonsense. I just don’t care. It is only our son-in-law who should be guilty and not us, case closed and never mention it to me again!” He rebuffed her but Mama Ayo is an independent woman who has her opinion;
“I don’t care how you think but I am opposed to the whole idea, period!”
Daddy Banki became sarcastic;
“You are opposed to it then don’t consume any of the provisions. I’ll eat and open a shop to sell some of it, whenever he brings I’ll accept.” Mama Ayo hissed and went into the house.
Daddy followed her and asked about the meeting she went to attend. But she gave her a cold answer to show her disproval and her husband’s attitude to the whole episode.
“As the man you’ll never be blamed by the society it is only us the women who bear the brunt.” Daddy B laughed aloud and mocked his wife.
Abi
By instinct she realised not everything is well as she confided to her best friend Yaa Lisong fondly called Yaasong.
“Not everything is well at home, my body is heavy and I can feel it; my dad is sick and there is no money to care of his health.”
Yaasong jerked from her seat;
“Are you kidding me? Your brother is super rich, he lives in a big mansion and a philanthropist at that, how can he not take care of his father? I refuse to believe the rumour until now.”
“As my bosom friend I’ll not hide anything from you, you are not from my village then you would have appreciated the degree of penury and abject poverty my parents live in; my super rich brother must be a ritualist not to take care of our parents, he does sponsor my education and girlie needs but warned me sternly that I should never used his hard earned money to take care of our parents. I defied him and did what I should do as a faithful daughter but he has suspended my allowance because I did buy some essential needs for our parents. This is the type of devilish brother that I have.”
Yaasong
“This is spiritual and don’t rule out the hand of the wife.”
Abi
“Astafurlah! People will be burned in hell fire if they do not ask this angel of a wife for forgiveness! She fights, quarrels and talks to him every single day to take care of his parents and I am a living witness; spread it far and wide and exalt my sister-in-law. She is an angel. My brother must be a cultist and he is the only one who can explain his queer behaviour. Ify has nothing to do with it I am her living witness, many a times she secretly brings provisions for them but my brother must have parasitic agents in the village who report back to him with diligence and he always comes back with his wife to collect back everything she gives them it is not once, twice and three times.”
To be Cont.