By Amie Sillah Ndungs She confronted her mom. “You are insensitive and heartless as dad has described you! No matter the circumstances you should have never left your three months old baby and your matrimonial house to blind destiny. Compromise with dad to absolve yourself from society condemnation.” Ndungs left in a rage and went straight to Minah’s home. Restrategize The duo Re-strategized. They whispered and went about with their plan. The Plan Ndungs prepared dad’s favourite dish and served him with diligence. Ndungs “Dad I’ve surprised you by preparing your favourite dish, ‘Mbaahal Mu Tilim’ (boiled rice with steamed groundnut powder, dried fish, smoked fish, locust beans, beans, with palmoil peppery sauce.). Enjoy your meal.” She smiled. Nopi He is very pleased with his daughter. She reminded him of his wife who was such a good cook and a specialist of ‘Mbaahal Mu Tilim’. “Thank you my daughter, this is my favourite dish and I’ll enjoy it.” Ndungs served it with chilled home made mango juice. Ndungs She invited her mom Cissy. She asked about Nopi’s where about. Cissy “Where is your dad? Don’t make me meet him in his house; I don’t think you’ll want us to fight at your presence?” Ndungs “Not all! Dad has gone on trek to inspect his provincial projects. Mom I have cooked your favourite dish, ‘Mbaahal Mu Tilim’.” Cissy She reflected on how her husband used to be excited when she cooks it. Ndungs realized her mom was on deep thought and she tickled her back to reality. Ndungs “Your mind is far away! What are you thinking about good old days? Your mind is far away,” she teased her. Cissy “Nothing, my mind is just wandering these days.” She lied which did not convince Ndungs, her wise daughter. Ndungs “Mom enjoy your meal and relax.” She served her a chilled home made mango juice. The Duo The girls met at the control room to monitor the estranged couple. They laughed and joked about them. The Drama Enfolds They ate their lunch and enjoyed it as they separately praised Ndung’s dish. Each becomes dizzy as they drank their juice. Cissy “What’s happening to me? The ‘Mbaahal’s’ sweetness is having effect on my senses, I have not eaten it for ages,” she reasoned. The girls laughed at her in the control room. Nopi He too is complaining. “I’m I dizzy? Is it the ‘Mbaahal’s’ tastiness?” He then called Ndungs. “Daddy’s girl! Where are you? Your ‘Mbaahal’ is tasty!” He expressed. Ndungs The girls smiled. “It is having great effect, the magic is working. Dad! I’m coming, enjoy your meal and relax, you can always have more if you want.” The couple struggled until they got into a deep slumber. The girls dragged them to the sitting room face to face glued to their chairs and let them sleep it out before the drama proper is staged. The Drama Proper They woke up at the same time and were dismayed and surprised to face each other at such an unusual way. They both reacted angrily. Nopi “What is happening?” He robbed his eyes over and over again. “What is this Jezebel doing in my house, who invited you? Ndungs!” He shouted calling his daughter. Cissy “What is happening? What am I doing here? Did you connive with your skillful daughter to bring me into your God forsaken house to ridicule me? But you have failed, it will not work,” she yelled. The estranged couple threw angry invectives at each other as the girls let the venom out of their angry systems. After exhaustion the truth finally came out. The Truth Cissy “I always believe in you since our courtship. You were ‘perfect man’ and my friends especially my best pal always warned me not to vouch for men; I refuted her but she proved me wrong; first it was your secretary poised in compromising postures; then sexting with ‘call girls’. My action was immature but I had no choice then but to run away if not I would have died with hypertension. Blame your lascivious action for our family break,” she yelled. Nopi “Are you not a naïve fool to allow your serpent friend break up your family? Your almighty Rugi was jealous of your success, healthy marriage and healthy home. Rugi stalked me to sleep with her and when I refused she categorically told me that she will break my home and when I called it a bluff she told me to watch how she will do it.” Cissy screamed with disbelief. Cissy “It’s a lie! Rugi can never do that to me! You are making it up to absolve yourself. Nopi “Are you not confirming that you are a naïve fool? Rugi knew your weakness and has manipulated you. Throughout your life your relationship was always top-down but when you married me she became jealous of your successful life; she tried to double cross you when I tumbled with you since the first time we met; I ignored her and she felt hurt and humiliated; but the serpent would not give up, she stalked me to my work place, my club, everywhere but when I would not bulged she became enraged and swore to poison your mind against me. And she did succeed because she controlled and manipulated your mind.” Nopi showed her the pictures taken of Rugi stalking him and her words were also recorded. Reflections The words were changed into actions and she reflected all the stages when Rugi changed towards her and always trying to poison her mind against her husband. Rugi “He is a cheat, don’t believe in men, they are all the same and your Nopi is no exception, he is the dangerous type, snake under a green grass. Beware!” Cissy “You are right, everything is coming back to focus, Rugi was never happy since I was married especially when I starved her of information of how I intend to live with you with no outside interference, when we went for our honeymoon without her knowledge she became mad with me.” Reflections “When we arrived from the U.S. she came to me enraged. ‘How could you do this to me? How could you go for your honey moon without my knowledge? Are you now excluding me from your life; showing me that you are now a married woman while I am a spinster?’ Ndungs ‘It is not like that! Mama went under chemo and was insisting to see us before anything happens to her and I was obliged to make both my husband and my mother in law happy, I am very sorry.’ ‘Rugi Don’t tell me you spent your honeymoon in hospital with a poor dying woman, no wonder you did not tell me I would have talked you out of such a stupid decision.’ “I confirmed it and said; ‘That’s why I did not confer in you, that poor woman is my husband’s dear mom who made us what we are today.’ “She banged my door and left, I did not see her again until she fell out with the traffickers.” To be Cont.]]>
