At the Funeral
Ete came earlier to pay his condolence but Buge did everything possible to ridicule him but he restricted himself and ignored her. The rest of the family frowned at her behaviour. Then Alhajj arrived with his friend Laydem Buge asked Ete to get up and find chair for them Oyof protested but Buge ignored her. Ete got up and said;
“Darling it’s okay I’ll get the chairs.”
“You better do errand boy where money talks you are a nobody I cannot get my important guests standing while paupers sit down.”
“Buge you better mind your tongue guests are guests no matter their status and this Ete of a boy has been with us the whole day.” Aunty Rugi posited.
“I have said my own no matter how others think it is a world of cash without money you are nothing.” Buge asserted her in-laws disagreed.
Alhajj
Ete brought two chairs and Alhajj and his friend sat down and paid their condolence they took out a fat envelope each and put it on the condolence plate place at a centre surrounded by mourners.
They praised Papa as an easy going family man devoted to his wife and daughter;
“Na nice man may Allah grant him the heavens, amen!”
Buge sobbed bitterly and said;
“He was a sober family man devoted to his wife and daughter we will miss him O we will miss him!”
She looked at Ete and said;
“Thank you for the condolence money, money talks but some people come empty handed looking at us as nothing happened.” The family grumbled then Alhajj said;
“My in-law we are leaving but will come at charity day when will it be.” Buge hurriedly calculated and asked the rest of the family to confirm and it was done.
“Safe journey and we will be expecting you.” Then they left but Buge kept on throwing innuendoes at Ete it became unbearable and he got up and said he was leaving;
“I’ve seen that my presence is irritating some people and has become a source of conflict let me leave.” As he started to go Oyof wanted to convey him but Buge protested;
“Where are you going?” She asked her daughter;
“You are not going anywhere moreover, you cannot convey a person who has come to a funeral and he can leave to give space to people who will come with real cash not empty handed.”
“Thanks you my love we shall see later.” Buge hissed and frown.
The Conflict
The condolence plate became full up and Buge got up gathered the money and put it into her big bag.
“What are you doing why are up taking away the condolence money meant for charity and our fares back to our places?” Mam Degene and Pa Saul protested.
“Go to hell and rot there! Who is Papa’ widow? Is he married to you? Find your return fares but not certainly from the condolence money meant for our family after our bread winner is gone.”
Some of the family members left while others stay.
Mayatou
She came with Mandu to pay their condolence but Buge answered them through the nose Mayatou brought D10 but Buge returned it back to her;
“Thank you for paying condolence but you can keep the money you need it more than us.”
“But this is undone how can you return back my condolence money? Even though I am poor but I gave you the sum from the bottom of my heart.”
“Thank you very much I also return it back from the bottom of my heart because you need it more than us some rich mourners have donated us handsomely.” She teased.
Mandu remarked;
“What sort of person are you? Why are you so materialistically obsessed? We don’t care about rich mourners but we do care about our bututs from our heart no condition is permanent today we are like this but tomorrow will be different.”
“I’ll not reply to you naughty girl you do not know what I am saying but your blind mother very well knows what I am saying.”
“Why are you referring at my mother’s adjective? You don’t know what tomorrow beholds disability can befall any human being my mom was not born blind she got it from diabetes.”
Mandu held her mom’s hand and said;
“Let’s leave here mama before I am charged with trespass, this woman is so despicable!”
Oyof
She came and apologized for her mom’s wickedness;
“I am very sorry a neighbour told me what my mom did to Mayatou when she came to pay us condolence my mother is despicable and I don’t know how to handle her.”
“Your mother returned back my condolence money with insults and mocked my disability but Allah is awake and I leave everything to him I was not born visually impaired I got it through diabetes and took my condition in good faith.”
Oyof helped Mandu cooked ‘palasas’ and waited for Ete to come from the stream with catches and he gave her some fish to take home she always camouflaged and said she bought them from the market in order not to get Buge upset and today also she did the same.
At Home
Oyof came with some big tilapia fish;
“Your ‘waash’ is big where did you get them?”
“I bought them by the beach side and it is reasonable.” She lied.
“Thank you I’ll grill them and add vegetable salad for dinner I wish my in-law Alhajj was here.”
Wojay
She earlier past and saw Oyof helping Ete’ family and also saw him gave her the big ‘waash’.
The Rivalry
Alhajj intensified his visits to the village with gifts to Mama Buge but it did not make Oyof bulged a bit she and Ete continued their romance.
The duo
They met at their Rendez Vous and came up to a junction and started to kiss and fondle each other Wojay who is eavesdropping and following Oyof’ trail saw them and went to Mama B to report them and enroute she saw Alhajj coming out of Mama B’ home furious that he did not see Oyof and certainly knows he is dodging her Wojay stopped him and enquired;
“Who are you searching for?”
“Oyof! Do you know where I can find her?”
“Of course yes, come let me show you the place.”
“Can I give you a lift?”
“No! No! I have to be an undercover agent just follow me.”
To be Cont.
