Mama T came to visit the weekend after the Governor was assassinated, dressed in a bright pink lace that has tiny stones scattered all over it, it was sewn into a skirt and a blouse, she is a galaxy when she steps out into the sun, her hair fell to her waist, it is a high quality human hair that feels like silk when touched, Mama T’s rich dark skin complemented the dress

Febi was the one who opened the door, she had sat grudgingly on the stool in the kitchen as her mother cooked, her mother would not let her touch the pots not for the fear of Febi getting burnt but because she would not want her to waste her pot of stew when an important visitor is coming to their humble home today. Going to open the door was like being free from a prison. Febi ducked into their room as soon as she opened the door for Mama T. As much as Febi admires Mama T, so does she fear her. Mama T is the reality of all the glamour she sees in the Yoruba movies she steals out of bed to watch.

Her mother called and she smiled shyly when her eyes met with Mama T’s.

The bowl of steaming hot vegetable was gingerly carried into the sparse sitting room by Febi. Mama T readjusted herself on the settee, she was used to softer and more comfortable seats but her friend is her friend, she screwed her nose as Febi placed the soup on the table, Mama T stared disapprovingly at the chipped edges of the table. She still can not fathom why her friend would continue to deal with herself, she had vowed never to have anything to do with her again but what is there to do when your friend calls in the middle of the night crying and sounding really dejected ” I didn’t send her to open leg for a married man, silly miss perfect” Mama T cursed under her breath
She smiled wistfully as she remembered how her friend would keep malice with her for days because she went out with a boy she is not supposed to go out with and worse still she slept with him, she would nag and condemn her when she gets pregnant and abort it before it starts showing, her dear friend called her vile and a murderer for it, her sweet little friend eventually got entangled in a paternity mess, how sweet it was to see her crying every time Mr Olarinde hangs up on her the moment he hears her voice. She imagined him angrily jamming back the receiver . Righteousness has rewarded her friend well… With a bastard. She spits inwardly and gave Febi a shark like smile.

Febi’s mother entered the room carrying the smell of curry, thyme and nutmeg with her
” you smell like fresh meat about to be prepared” Mama T commented

Febi’s mother smiled thinly and asked when “he” would be coming
” soon Bisola, you should go and freshen up, you need not tell him how good your cooking skills are with this exotic smell oozing from you” Mama T clicked her tongue and looked at Febi from the corners of her eyes, she seemed to be asking her friend “does she know”. Febi’s mother nodded in the negative and stood up to go and have her bath

There was a knock on the door the moment Febi’s mother stepped out of the bathroom, she stared wide-eyed at her friend and stumbled into the bedroom, Febi opened the door and saw a giant of a man towering above her, he looked down on her in a condescending manner and sneered, Febi swallowed and stood still

” Didn’t your mother teach you well, invite him in if you can’t greet him” Mama T barked, she looked Febi up and down and hissed. The giant entered the sitting room and greeted Mama T with a smile, he took a seat beside Mama T after complaining about how the foams on the other seats would ruin his expensive suit

Febi’s mother breezed out of the bedroom and smiled warmly at the Giant, he smiled back exposing kolanut stained teeth, Febi noticed the tribal marks on his face and looked away, vertical lines that curved at the cheekbones is incised from the side of his face right into his mouth. He look no better than an ape and raises up his nose every time like someone who just perceived a dead rat rotting away.

Febi was sent into the room with a look from her mother, she could hear the Giant smacking his mouth minutes later and burping loudly while her mother giggles softly and Mama T chats loudly talking about how worse the economy has gotten, the climate change and other things that is stupid and equally useless to her and everyone around her. She often thinks silence brews animosity, she doesn’t want the atmosphere to be too tense, in fact she wouldn’t want it to be tense at all, silence would make her friend think deep and change her mind, she wouldn’t want that. She wouldn’t want her friend to change her mind about marrying Alhaji Goro.

They would make the perfect beauty and the beast, her so-called educated well-mannered friend will never have the price charming she thought she would have and almost had with Olarinde. It is better they both have miserable life, she wouldn’t be the only one to tell tales of her encounters with the wives of the Honourables and ministers she follows up and down, her friend too will never have peace with Alhaji Goro’s mad wives.

* * *
Febi was called into the room, Alhaji Goro plucks out meat from his teeth with a thread he appears to have cut from his expensive suit, his open belly reminds Febi of Aunty Falila’s own when she was pregnant, Alhaji Goro’s own is a little bit bigger than her aunty’s own.

” Febi, how would you like to have a new daddy?” her mother opened her teeth, Febi shook her head and looked at Alhaji Goro, Mama T and then her mother.

” No”
” what is wrong with this one? You are an ogbanje abi? I knew it you don’t want your mother to marry and have another child, ekwensu you are an evil thing” Mama T spits

” Don’t talk to my daughter like that ” Febi’s mother warned sternly, Alhaji Goro belched loudly and continued to remove the meats hidden between his ugly teeth

Febi shook her head and began to cry, her mother drew her close and rocked her from side to side

” very soon you will do junior WAEC, this one you want to continue sucking your mother’s breast ehehehehe” Mama T cackled
” How can she suck breast when I am here now, eh?” Alhaji Goro beamed his kolanut stained teeth on Febi and Febi screamed, Mama T and Alhaji Goro burst into laugher at the same time while her mother continued to soothe her
” it’s okay, stop crying or I will spank you, oya sorry, it’s okay you hear?” her mother continues to pat her
Febi shivered and gripped her mother tightly.

It is not what it is.


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