By Amie Sillah
Abisatou
She came to congratulate the couple on their successful wedding ceremony. As they loved themselves kissing and cuddling each other she smiled amused as the young couple celebrate love. Abi greeted her brother and before she completed her congratulatory message, he rebuked her.
Bangi
“How did you dare me by flouting my orders?” She expressed surprise.
“Why did you give my hard earned money to those old fools at the village? Didn’t I warn you? I am going to teach you the lesson of your life your allowance is hereby suspended until further consideration.”
Ify
She is flabbergasted and dismayed.
“Bangi this is undone! How could you say such hurtful words about your parents? Your dad is struggling to makes ends meet as well as mama who gave birth to you being the only surviving male child ad your sister; please stop embarrassing her she is just being a dutiful girl. Are you not possessed to be despising your parents as such?”
Bangi
He pointed at Abi;
“My decision is final and I don’t care what any fool can say or do about it!” He pushed Ify aside and said to her;
“Mind your business this has nothing to do with you it’s my family and not yours.”
“It has everything to do with me as your wife gossip will blame me in the long run as being responsible for the anomaly.” She posited.
In bed
Ify tried to put sense into him;
“Honey! What has your parents done to you? I cannot get it; even if they have offended you don’t you have the heart to forgive them? Look at us living in affluence while your parents live in abject poverty? People are talking and I’ll be damn to be part of the accused. I’ll talk and if not enough I’ll shout to be heard by everyone.”
Bangi
“You can shout and if it is not enough go to the market place in order for everyone to hear you this is my fight and it has nothing to do with you period!”
At the Village
Papa went to the backyard garden and dug out some cassava tubers. Mama shouted at him;
“Do you want to put me into trouble? If you collapsed here I’ll be blamed for being a bad wife your people are already pointing fingers at me for being bad luck and responsible for your failure in life.” She grumbled.
“Let me prepare your favourite ‘cassava porridge’ (ebe).”
“My mouth is already getting watery!” He posited.
At the City
Bangi won a fat contract on Oil Exploration in the range of millions of dollars. He ran home excited as he announced it to his wife.
“Our lucks are tied together you see what Allah has done for us?” He announced the contract awarded to his company amounting to millions.
He swept her of the ground and whirled around with her singing their favourite love song;
“You are my sunshine on a cloudy day; you are my life you are my everything! Name any prize and it is yours!” He laughed aloud.
“A Foundation to help the Poor and Needy! Let me think about the beneficiaries.”
“Your wish is my command!” They went to their bedroom to complete the celebration and later Ify cooked his favourite dish.
At the Village
Papa cannot still quit his bad habit of drinking alcohol and gambling away his scarce money given to him by his sojourn friends from a neighbouring war torn country Pa Filly and Pa Ibra; they normally sit at a village joint to eat ‘bush meat’ pepper soup and drink local liquor (sanga); the bad habits intensified when he was duped abroad. Mama Singi sells all sorts of food to serve all kinds of customers. The old friends owe her and she was not ready to give them any more food until they pay for it or clear their old debts.
Pa Filly
He ordered for himself and his friends and asked for how much;
“Take your orders!” He told the other two Pa Billey and Pa Ibra.
The duo ordered two plates of goat meat pepper soup plus two bottles of liquor and ate to their satisfaction.
The Conspiracy
Unknown to Pa Billey the other two have already paid their bills and left one by one. Mama Singian approached him and asked for her money. He searched his empty purses and asked to be allowed home to come back and pay for his bill.
Mama Singi
“No trust if not you paupers will get me out of business and how would I fend for my young family being a widow and all that!”
Pa Billey
“I have a very wealthy son. My friend deceived me to think he was going to settle the bill, let me go home and bring the money.” He pleaded.
Mama Singi
“No way you people owed me a lot last time, you have to pay now and then period!”
“Are you not hearing me? I did not say I’ll not pay but I’ll do it later can you send your bar girl to go home with me?”
“No way! Am not sending anyone with you, pay my money now and here!”
She pulled his wrist watch and seized his brand new sandals.
“I’ll hold onto these items until you settle my bill go home bare footed you useless elder, your super rich son my foot! What has he done for you?” She spat on the ground just to ridicule him.
Gossip
He past some village women going to the market, they greeted him but he did not hear them as he was in deep thought about his hopeless life.
“‘Ndeysan’! I understand his half brothers placed a ‘juju’ curse at him, he was a rich man, he went to Mecca but look at him now turned into an alcoholic, he is not even wearing shoes, so haggled, tattered and torn; look at his super rich son the brothers estranged him from his dad and I understand he does everything for his uncles, aunts, in-laws, villagers, friends but not his parents! This is a terrible life! When will he ever escape abject poverty?” Ndoumbe asked.
“Death will make him and his wife escape abject poverty!” Hoyan posited.
