“Ehis, Ehis, Ehis ee” Mother called stressing my name at her last call.
“How many times I call you?” She further asks.
A question that could be left unanswered, so I remained mute with both eyes piercing the ground.
“Nor be you, your mama dey follow talk”
Father who had been quiet all along asked.
I looked at him with blank eyes, honestly contemplating if I should sit and indulge the barrage of insults that may come with this inquiry or as my younger brother once coined it “pointless interrogation”.
My father hissed in defeat, seeing I was not willing to give his wife a reply.
Mother too soon realized this and fired on.
“If you like you nor answer, that one nor mean say I nor go talk wetin dey my mind”
She pauses for a moment to readjust her wrapper which was perfectly fine before. A perfect case of Fela’s song “Fefeneye”
“Ehis na me and your papa dey here, I one make you tell us with your own mouth, wetin you see for that girl body wey make you talk say, this family go scatter if you nor marry am”
I took a deep breath and my eyes fizzled from my father to mother before turning to the ceilings.
To be blade honest, I had no idea how I would explain it for them, way dem go use take understand, how do I tell them that that girl has taken a fragment of my soul and buried it in love’s graveyard.
Truthfully, I saw no reason why they had problems with her. She was beautiful and smart and her eyes. God, her eyes, they could pierce a warring heart and bring it peace. I gazed at mom for a moment before replying her question; I had to, ignoring her twice would surely be disrespect.
“Daddy, mummy” acknowledging them both.
“We have had this talk before. Several times sef And I never seem to get you guys to like her, so I don’t see how this would be any different”
My mother eyes turned red furious at the audaciousness of my reply, she turned to my father whose hands were at akimbo and eyes staring blankly at me. I had no idea what to think. His thoughts unreadable as his always have been. I waited for his reaction in anxiety and fear; I had no idea what the man would do next. He could very well disown me as he had threatened countless times. But in a jolt, he rose to his feet and turned to his room not uttering a single word. I was stunned and paralyzed. Mother tried calling him back
“Papa Ehis” but he just walked until all we heard was the slam of his bedroom door. My presence irked mother, as she looked at me with irritation, after a while she stands up and goes into father’s room, She would try to beg him to still come and talk to me, The woman nor dey ever tire o. I was relieved at her departure, slumping into the couch and delving into a reverie of just her and me.
Her black, smooth skin and elegant gait which wiggles the waist, with promising enticement of a good night. I doubted I was the only man that loved her, am sure there were others yet she chose me, a sense of pride and conquest sweeping my entirety.
To tell no lies there was absolutely no reason not to fall. She told me truths about myself even when I least wish to hear it, and drives me on when am devoid of hope. Her silent weeps for wrongdoings and love for all that’s good and raw. As the curtains drew close and slumber enticed my weak body. I recalled the reason I had fallen for her. She possessed awe-inspiring passion, YES! that was it.
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