By Amie Sillah Ken He visited Dor who poisoned his heart further. Dor “I’ll talk sense into her, as our people say the cow does not know the use of its tail until it loses it.” Ken thanked her and left after greasing her elbow. She is very happy that Ken has started paying dividends. At Mam’s Boutique Trio met at Mam’s and started giving progress report on Neneh. “Ken came to me to mediate between Neneh and him, is that not a good opportunity for us to further plant the seed of discord?” Dor asked. Mam “Of course! It is a good opportunity if you know how to handle it. What did you tell him?” Dor “I appeased and praised him and said I’ll mediate to put sense into Neneh.” “That is excellent, throw in more fire and pepper,” Mam advised. Neneh She paid Dor a visit and she told her that Ken came to report her. “What did he say?” Dor “He said you are making his life a living hell and he can no longer tolerate it, that he uplifted your poor family and transformed them to middle class status, but now you are into gentry he cannot understand you. But I told him my mind, that he has to help you become economically independent for you to reciprocate in a like manner but he went away in rage saying my friends and I and are the ones deceiving you. But I fought back tit for tat, you know me now your no-nonsense aunty! Fight for your right you are on the correct part. Don’t expose me to him Oh!” She visited Ken when Neneh visited Mama at the village. “How is Neneh behaving now, I hope she has changed for the better?” Ken He hissed and commented. “Neneh is not on speaking terms with me in my own house, she neglects her marital and motherly duties to our kids on the pretext that I refused her the chance to work and earn her own money. I do not but she has to give me the chance to fund raise for it but she is insulting and impatient and she is really getting on my nerves; I want to hire a maid and she would not hear of it, what should I do now?” Dor “Neneh is intransigent, insulting and annoying, I spoke to her to give you time to fundraise but she became rude and I would not accept it; she is taking you for granted and you have to teach her the lesson of her life.” “What do you mean, I don’t understand?” “Get a girlfriend and make her jealous then she will realize she no longer has a strong hold over you, she thought you can never leave her for another woman, her mom is a ‘mboor’ (champion) who controls her husband to his death bed; I also do not trust Neneh I think he is playing bond, using juju on you and acting innocent. Even if she does not Mama will to retain the ‘goose that lays the golden egg’.” Ken He came to the defence of his wife and mother-in-law. “She is naughty being unreasonable but certainly not a cheat; and as for Mama using ‘juju’ on me, that is unfounded. She is a noble woman who wishes us well and I can never hold her responsible for Neneh’s bad behaviour. I am now also convinced that you tell her the truth but to no avail but that should not warrant me to play bond, that is not in my character and Neneh’s misbehavior would not let me stain my character.” Dor She quickly changed tactics. “I was just trying to test your pulse, you are a good man and I’ll put more sense into Neneh to hold you with both hands.” “Please do aunty and I would ever be grateful to you.” Mam’s Boutique The trio invited Neneh to Mam’s boutique. She came a very frustrated woman. “We are no longer on speaking terms and he does not care a hoot how I feel; am I losing Ken?” She asked with desperation. The ‘aunties’ fuelled her all the more to rebel against her husband. “Deny her the intimacy of the bedroom, are you doing that?” “I now sleep in the guest room for many weeks now.” “That is very good.” “But it is not yielding result, what should I do next?” She asked with desperation. Mam “The medicine man is back. When I visited him he said a close person to me is about to lose her husband. My dream also alluding to that fact, it must be Ken and you.” Mam posited. Neneh “God forbid! That is not my portion, it cannot be me, help me do something, anything to keep my husband.” Mam She consulted the others and said; “We can take you to Baaba and he can help you.” Neneh “Mama advises me never to go diabolical, that I should pray, do good to others and give alms to the poor and needy; I don’t want to go to juju as a woman of faith.” The ‘aunties’ They frowned as they winked at each other. “Suit yourself, Baaba prays for people. He is ‘hafiz’ (well verse in the Qur’an) and is a futurist who sees into the future and does faith healing, if you don’t believe him then don’t go with us and never come to us again for a solution of your problem,” Mam posited. “Am I speaking your mind sis?” They concurred. Neneh thought hard and said; “I’ll go for prayers and futurism but not juju.” They winked each other with amusement. “Satisfy yourself small girl, let’s go and come back before it gets again.” Earlier she faked a story for Ken. “Mama asked me to go to her mother’s village to get her medicine and I’ll be back before it gets dark,” she told her husband. Ken He tried her number to no avail then he tried Mama’s. “Can I speak to Neneh?” Mama is surprised. “Neneh is not here, she visited last week, is there any problem?” “Not at all mama, it is fine.” Mama is not convinced and decided to visit the city. She came and found Neneh not yet returned from her trip. Mama She exposed Neneh. “She went for herself and not for me. When she comes you can ask her again, I am returning to the village. I am doing farm work and cannot wait for her.” Mama left in a rage. “This stupid girl is up to something but whatever she is cooking she will eat alone.” To be Cont]]>
