At the Village
Mba Nyaling has parochial sentiments;
“My eldest son must marry from the clan which has beautiful girls not outside it in order to be an example to his younger brother I want a daughter in law who is pure and will follow my directions to be a good wife for my son who is the apple of my eye.” She posited.
Uncle Jungkunda
He is her elder brother who is her ‘ndig’ (praise singer) as she gives him handouts he agrees to her every decision uncritical about her thinking.
“You are right sister equals with equals we should not allow our children to marry anyhow if not our lineage will be contaminated with ‘slave’, ‘wudeh’, ‘tega’ or ‘gewel’ blood I agree with you one hundred percent.”
Mba Nyaling has an ally in Uncle Jungs.
Mba Jonsaba
She held hands with her daughter Majula as they strolled the village singing and having fun they met with Mba Nyaling;
Mba Nyaling
“Who are these jolly fellows holding hands and singing lullaby to each other? Why are you merry?”
Mba Jonsaba
“We have just heard the news that my daughter in law Suntu had given birth to a bouncing baby boy that’ why we are very happy.”
Mba Nyaling
“Who is this beautiful damsel you are happily strolling with in the village?”
Mba Jonsaba
She called Majula,
“Maju, Julamuso come and greet your aunt.” She humbly came and stooped before Mba Nyaling and greeted her.
Mba Nyaling
“Is she your daughter? But we don’t know her. You are welcome my niece such a beautiful fair damsel.”
Mba Jonsaba
“She is my only daughter but trained at my maternal home where my mother, her grandmother took care of her on the pretext that if I bring her up she will become a spoilt child because of over pampering. She has done her schooling Lower Basic, Upper Basic and what is left now is tertiary her ambition is to go to university and proceed to the zenith.”
Mba Nyaling
“We are booking oh! We are booking for my son who is very successful and handsome and works in a bank at the city; remember us we are coming.”
Mba Jonsaba
“We will be waiting for you we will be waiting oh!” The ladies laughed over it.
The Phone Call
Mba Nyaling
She called Fams and he was at work she shouted at the phone;
“It is me your mother.”
Fams
“I know mom is it an emergency? I am at work wait until I reach home and we’ll speak at length.”
Mba Nyaling
“I can’t wait let me give you a gist I saw a beautiful damsel part of our Kabilo she was trained at her maternal home but has now come back home I want you to marry her for me she is beautiful, educated and will take good care of you. Be careful with those city prostitute who are gold diggers and can never make a good wife.”
Fams
“Okay mama wait until I come to the village and we will speak about it.”
Mba Nyaling
“Come to the village this weekend your uncle and I will be waiting for you bye-bye.”
Jaato
He came in and enquired;
“Is it your mom?” Fams nodded his head,
“Is it about marriage?”
Fams
“How do you know?”
Jaato
“When it comes to marriage and who to marry all moms are the same.”
Fams
“You are right say it again my mom is at my neck instructing and ordering me as to who I should marry.” Fams lamented.
At Fam’ Home
Jaambi spend most of her time with Fams her boyfriend and go home only at weekends to do laundry at home and to clean up her house she does everything for Fams as she acts like a wife to him without tying the knot.
Jaambi
She gave lift to Njillan to work whose car is broken down and at the mechanics enroute the duo chatted heart to heart;
“I have start to make plans for my marriage to Fams he is very nice, romantic and loyal to me he’ll surely make a good husband the man of my dream.” She was excited and Njils cautioned her.
Njils
“Jaambi my sister I love you very much your heart is pure and kind but please my sister I am cautioning you take it easy with these men most of them are not truthful and does not worth the grain, don’t plan any wedding until Fams propose and take concrete steps don’t appear cheap and easy going easy, easy let Fams propose first is my candid opinion.
I for once does not want to marry Jaato he is not my type.”
Jaambi
She is very surprise to learn this from Njils;
She said to herself;
“So Njils does not want to marry Jaato so why is she dating him? Is it just to have fun? I don’t agree with her perception.”
Jaambi is a home maker she does household chores for Fams and herself Fams house is sparkling clean as if he is formally married she cooks him delicacies and serve him romantically Jaato is jealous of Fams because Njils is not as dedicated as Jaambi he said to himself;
Jaato
“I wish Jaambi was Njils who is so lazy and not as dedicated as this sweet girl of Fams who does not know her value as our people say the cow does not value its tail until he loses it.”
Fams
“You are in deep thought what are you talking about? Your mind is far away.”
Jaato
“I was just imagining how lucky you are to have Jaambi as a girlfriend look at how sparkling clean your house is as if you are already married compare with my own house a typical bachelor house.”
To be Cont.
