Three generations episode 2

THREE GENERATIONS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 2

After the New Year celebration, Anozie took his wife to visit her family. They all ran out as they arrived in the compound. Nwakaego was looking chic and lovely. Anozie had saved enough to give her a Christmas treat. He went shopping for her; he bought clothes which would make her stand out but wouldn’t show her beautiful figure. When she wore shorts, he asked her to tie a wrapper on it whenever she has to go out so no one would see her figure. She was a major asset he had and he wanted to enjoy alone.

Anozie’s concern was women that lived in that area. Some of them were residing there to keep the foreigners at the railway corporation company. He had seen men give their women out to their masters just for favours. Some men had to release their wives to their bosses who saw them and took interest in them. He knew his wife was well brought up but he also knew money could change people. It was one of the reasons he ended his relationsh¡p with Rose. Apart from falling in love with Nwakaego, he had seen her in the company of one of his bosses at the staff recreational centre. It sealed her fate.

A year after marriage, Nwakaego wasn’t pregnant yet. People had begun to talk which was getting to her. When they went to the village for burial, her mother-in-law asked her what was happening as her second daughter had dropped the third child and her last daughter who married just before Nwakaego was already weaning her child. Nwakaego didn’t have a response. It was Anozie that insisted they wait before seeking help. Her family members too were worried. She was scared she was going to lose her husband as was told her. If he married a second wife what will become of their love?

Anozie laughed at her whenever she brought up the issue. He told her not to worry about it. He even spoke to his family and told them to allow them to plan their lives the way that suits them. His exact words were, “When we are ready, the evidence will show”. He also warned against confronting his wife. He said all enquiries concerning that should be directed at him. His words shut them up. He was getting older but he didn’t care. His family believed living with the white man had confused him.

What broke the camel’s back was the altercation Nwakaego had with one of her jealous neighbours. Anozie didn’t hide the fact he loved his wife and most of the women didn’t enjoy such affection from their husbands especially when it was openly displayed. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, Nwakaego and Anozie bathed together in the communal bathroom. They usually waited until late at night when they believed everyone would be asleep to do it. Sometimes, passion took the better of them and they had their conjugal activity in the bathroom. They didn’t realise some of their neighbours were aware.

Mama Chibuike was supposed to clean the bathroom that day. Nwakaego got water for her husband to take a bath but met the bathroom uncleaned. She went to knock for Mama Chibuike to ask if all was well. She didn’t answer her. Another neighbour came to join her to knock but Mama Chibuike refused to respond. So Nwakaego washed the bathroom so her husband could bath and resume work early.

Later that afternoon, she saw mama Chibuike. She greeted her and asked if all was well as she knocked on her door and she wouldn’t answer. Mama Chibuike’s response created a scene.

“So, you were the fool that kept knocking on my door even when I didn’t respond. You are asking me if all is well when I should be asking you the same”

“Mama Chibuike, I was worried that was why I knocked on your door. Why are you insulting me?”

“Shut up your mouth. You think we didn’t hear you and your husband in the bathroom last night? The room is not enough for you, you have extended it to the bathroom. You have no shame. Even with everything both of you do there is no child to show for it”

“Is it because I knocked on your door you are reigning all these insults on me? What did I do wrong? You didn’t wash the bathroom and I did it for you and the appreciation you are to show me is to insult me? I washed the bathroom for you today, you will wash it on my day. I would have let it go but for this insult”

Mama Chubuike switched from Igbo to English so she could embarrass her in the presence of onlookers. “Don’t mind am. Either her husband is no man or she is no woman. She has no child to show for all the night activities they do. Anozie will use her tire and marry another woman”

For the first time since she moved in, Nwakaego spoke English to everyone’s amazement, “Mama Chibuike, you are jealous. I have never heard any night activity between you and your husband since I moved into this house. I am a young woman, allow me to enjoy my night activity, when we are ready, we will show evidence. You are just jealous of me”

“So, you can speak English. Barren woman! You have been married for almost two years and still no issue. Another woman will take over. Didn’t you replace Rose? That is how they will replace you. Look at this bush shapeless she-goat”

“I am bush and shapeless but Anozie abandoned a classy and shapely girl for me.” She removed her wrapper. She was wearing shorts and a small top underneath it. “Look at this shape, this is the shape that is keeping Anozie in the house.” She tied the wrapper back and continued. “I am educated. I finished standard five which many girls were not privileged to achieve. I studied with the reverend sisters. I can read and write perfectly. I hear what you say about me but it doesn’t bother me. But this confrontation from you today deserved a reply. You must clean the bathroom on my day otherwise all hell will be let loose. I have been respecting myself in this compound but if you desire disrespect, I will give it to you.” She walked away.

She avoided the neighbours for the rest of the day. Why was Mama Chibuike so bold to call her barren to her face? This their childlessness was becoming a burden. She knew many of her neighbours were jealous of her and Anozie’s love but she didn’t know how deep the dislike was. But to call her barren showed they believed she was. Was she really barren? She thought to herself.

When Anozie returned that evening from work, he met her lying on the bed in the bedroom. It was obvious she had been crying. He tried to talk to her but she didn’t respond to him. This was strange. He left the room to ask his neighbours about what happened. He was told all that transpired. He came back to the room and said to her,

“You played right into her hands. Mama Chibuike is jealous of you. What time do you see Papa Chibuike enter the house every night? You wouldn’t know because we must have retired by the time he gets home. When I was single, I used to stay out late with him. She is frustrated, you should have ignored her.”

“I won’t ignore anymore Di m (my husband). I want to get pregnant and have children. Even if it is only one, I want to have the child”

“You will have a child.”

“Why don’t you want me to have a child?”

“Why do you think I don’t want you to have a child?’

“I know you don’t. I see what you do but I did not understand it. I had to ask Sister Martha about it and she told me you are allowing your seed drop on the ground. I did not challenge you but I know. Why are you throwing away your seed?”

“Nwunyem, let us enjoy our lives for the next three years before we have children. I have seen how children separate couples. And apart from that, once you have a child this small wa-ist of yours will expand and wouldn’t be small again”

“So, you prefer for people to call us barren than for my wa-ist to expand? Anozie, I thought you loved me. They gossip about me makes a mockery of our marriage and you would rather encourage them than shut them up with a child”

“I know what I have said sounds selfish but I want to be with you, just you for some years so when the babies come, they would be an addition. You know we didn’t court; I want us to remain like this even after the babies come. We have to build that bond first. Try and understand me”

“Anozie, I love you. I want to have your child. I want to be pregnant. That is all that will make me happy. I promise you will continue to be my number priority while our children will be number two. Also, I will try to trim my wa-ist down to almost this size. This body belongs to you and it will forever be yours as long as we live”

Anozie looked at his wife with pride. She has struck a very good bargain he couldn’t refuse. He thought he was being smart not pouring into her but she had investigated and discovered what he was doing. She was sharper than he thought. He was hungry and looking around he could see she brooded all day and didn’t make any food. It was his fault and he was willing to remedy the situation.

‘Get dressed. Wear one of those gowns I bought for you, the yellow and white one. Wear white sandals, I am taking you out to eat. I don’t want to stress you; you will need all the energy to make a baby”

Nwakaego laughed happily. Anozie was the best husband every woman would desire. Since they got married, they had never quarrelled or gotten into an argument. At the end of the month, immediately he receives his salary, he would give her money for the housekeeping, money to send to his parents and to her father. She was responsible for sending the money. She didn’t know how much he earned but he would always tell her, “The balance is in a savings account for our future”. She managed the resources given to her and had savings too from there.

When they came back from the restaurant they went to eat, they went to the bathroom to take their bath. Nwakaego was shy and reluctant to mate with her husband there knowing their neighbours heard them. But her husband said to get her revenge, they will increase their tone so Mama Chibuike will be pained. That was exactly what they did. When they were going back into their room, their neighbours opened their doors to check the culprits with mischievous smiles on their faces.

“Nwakaego, this wrapper you are always tying is covering many things o. People couldn’t stop talking about your shape when you exposed it. Now we understand why Anozie doesn’t go out again. If any of the white men see you without the wrapper, they will snatch you from Anozie”

“Anozie doesn’t like me exposing my body to anyone, whether male or female. It is for only him”

“I knew it was Anozie that insisted, he knows what happens around here. You are a good girl for obeying. Anozie chose well”

Two months after the altercation with Mama Chibuike, Nwakaego became ill. She couldn’t stand up from the bed. She had a headache on one side of her head. She was vomiting and had no appetite to eat anything. Anozie was worried. He invited one of the nurses in their clinic who lived nearby to check Nwakaego. The lady asked questions and finally asked her when she had her last menstrual period. She couldn’t remember.

“Oga Anozie, it seems your wife is pregnant.”

“Pregnant? So soon?”

“You have waited for how many years and now it has happened. You should be grateful”

Tbc