Nwayiocha
“Nwayiocha” they said she’ll be their ‘ego oyibo’ …she’ll even ‘bring more wealth ‘ to their family…
“I no fit marry that old man o, e no even fine at all at all. That ugly creature wey resemble beast.”
“Hey, don’t talk like that! Eh Amaka don’t you know that you do not open your mouth anyhow to talk about the man that will be your husband and head? You have to talk about him like your King.”
“But nma you know that I’m just 14. All my dreams, my plans, my goals in this life will be cut short because one old man with a hungry crotch for young girls wants to marry me! “
“Shut up dia, see this girl o wetin you know! Wetin you sabi? This is our culture. You should even be happy that your suitor has money. Do you know how many young girls out there are desperate to have a man that has plenty money like Okereke? In fact, most of them are ready to open their legs for him and use their juju to get his attention, but no! You’re here doing yanga. See why I miss your father. That wise man would have spoken sense into your ugly head.”
“The same wise man that used to beat you up anyhow and almost killed you, Ehn, sister m, that stupid man that did not die a good death. I should have been the one to kill him myself, that way you will know how much I hated him”
“It’s discipline na, it’s discipline! Don’t you know that a man should train his wife the right way? “
“Can you just hear yourself well, hear yourself. Wetin you dey talk for mouth wey dey sweet your belle! That man was always beating you because he didn’t know your worth even with how much money he spent on your bride price. Abi you don forget how that bastard used to beat you up like a goat and drag your hair around the community calling you ashawo because another man was admiring you! Even if you won’t remember that one, won’t you at least think of the way he slapped in front of everyone at papa’s burial because he wanted to ‘correct you.’ Abi you don forget? Eh, answer me na. Look here Amaka, when that man comes here this evening tell him to his face that YOU’RE NOT MARRYING HIM! ahnahn how can a 37-year old man be saying he wants to marry a 14-year old girl simply because she is beautiful? That is the same mistake your mother made. At least she was 16 when she married your father. Still, she never enjoyed her life.”
“Uju don’t say that. That man took care of us before he died…”
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“He took care of you and always called you aga because you could not bear him an Okpara… he was even planning to marry another woman if not that death took his wicked soul away, yet you say he loved you and took care of you? It seems you have forgotten your suffering when he died, how the whole community took you as his killer, made you sleep with his corpse, made you wash his corpse, and worse, made you drink the bath water… oh oh, or you have forgotten how he stripped you at the market on that Eke because you called him to tell him that money was not enough to buy his favorite soup items. I wonder why you still defend that man with all that you’ve suffered because you’re his wife. Sister m, I won’t let you drag this girl into the same pit you fell in because of your ignorance. In fact, Amaka go in and pack your things we’re going to Ajah together, let’s see what those stupid people that want to be your in-law will do about it!”
“Uju this is our culture that you speak evil of! I won’t let you do that!”
“Watch and see.”
If not for Aunty Uju’s intervention that day maybe I won’t be the Matron of Luth with a very happy family that I am today. Yes, I am Amaka, and this is my story.
