Chapter 66: Chapter 66

"yes!" Natalie said excitedly, "I was wondering when we'll do that, I read online that Nigerians do a lot of things to throw a wedding ceremony. I am so excited to be a part of it"

"I hope you feel that way when you see things for yourself" I told her

"don't worry about me" Natalie said.

"Mommy, were you serious about bathing in the stream?" Juliet asked

"yes, I meant what I said. why'd you ask?" I asked her

"cool, it'll be like bathing in the swimming pool, I'm not allowed to bath in the pool so I'll have lots of fun bathing in the stream. As for running errands, I don't mind that" she said.

"it is easier said than done pumpkin, but don't worry, Mommy won't let you do anything that is too tasking okay?" I said reassuring her and she nodded

"Miss Udofia, you don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine. I've had a taste of hard life and rural lifestyle when I was in India" Scott said

"I don't know how India was but if you say you can cope, then that's okay," I told him.

"And you?" I turned to Jade "can you stay a day without luxury? can you survive a day in a rural environment?"

"did you say there are mosquitoes?" jade asked looking frightened

"yes, I definitely said mosquitoes" I told him

"oh.. no! no! no! I cannot allow those blood-sucking beasts to attack me," Jade said

"that is why I am telling you to put on long sleeves and trousers," I told him "but how about this?" he asked pointing to his face "this baby is the most precious thing in my entire body, I can't let anything harm this unblemished face of mine"

"seriously Jade, do you think your face is more precious than mine? hello... New York love my face and yours, not so much. you can put on a mask if you want," I told him

"if Scott can do it then I can do it" Jade grumbled

"no, this is not about Scott, it's about you. If you can't cope, it's okay, others can go and I'll stay here with you." I told him

"you can't do that! look honey, I don't care if I have to work or do anything, as long as you are there, I'll be fine" he said

"ok. one more thing guys, people will stare at you in awe, don't take it to heart, once they know you are one of us, they'll love you. Ibibio language will be spoken throughout, if you need someone to interpret what is said, you can ask me or any of my siblings. whatever you do, please try to let me know where you are going if you have to leave the compound, don't leave if me or any of my siblings are not with you" I instructed

Later that day, my sisters came back. we started packing and getting ready to leave for the village, that night we slept early, I was so excited to go to the village after being away for 2 years.

Early morning after breakfast of boiled yam and egg sauce, we packed our bags and some items we'd use the following day in the village, my older brother and the driver had taken a good number of things to the village Sunday morning.

It was a 4 hours drive from our house at udoette street to Ibam Edet village, in Ini local government area, Akwa Ibom state. At some point, we stopped to buy snacks for ourselves and 3 loaves of bread for my grandfather's wives who are living there.

When we got to the family compound, a group of 6 children were playing with sand. They stopped their game and stood looking as we moved in with a 3-cars convoy, the children jumped and screamed excitedly when they saw my father. "Sir Etim adi wo! Sir Etim adi wo!" (Sir Etim has arrived) my grandfather's wives came out as fast as their feeble feet could take them. Eka Imeime, Eka Uwem and Eka Anno, all three of them rushed down with their walking sticks. They surrounded us, hugging and kissing all of us.

"see onyibo!" (onyibo is a word used in describing a white skinned person) the children screamed when they saw Jade and "Sir Etim, mey niewo idongo me?" (Sir Etim, who are these people?) Eka Imeime, one of my grandfather's wives asked

"These are ukpono's friends, they came with her from the US," my father told her in Ibibi

"What are they saying?" Jade asked m

"That woman talking with my father is one of his stepmother's, she asked my father who you guys were and he told her that you are my friends who came with me from America," I sai

"Ukpono, come over here. Come say hello to your grandmothers," my mother sai

"Excuse me," I said to Jade and went over to meet the old wome

"Mama mesiere," (good day Mama) I greeted each of the

"Oh my daughter, you look so beautiful" Eka Anno sai

"Look at how her skin is glowing, the white people are really taking good care of you" Eka Imeime sai

"Thank you Lord for taking care of our daughter, thank you for taking our daughter to a foreign land and bringing her back safely," Eka Uwem sai

After all the hugging and greetings, we went in to the house. I was expecting it to be dusty and dirty but the reverse was the case. According to my father, my uncle Paul, and his family volunteered to help clean up our house before leaving to Enugu state. It was a big mud house with 5 bedrooms, there was a small kitchen at the backyard, it wasn't part of the main house. Bathroom and toilet were not part of the main house too

Behind the kitchen was a shed built with bamboo and woven palm fronds used as roof. The shed had a goat pen, a chicken coop and a barn where yam and other food stuffs are stored

We all settled in different rooms. My parents in one room, my older brother and his wife took one, my sisters took one, Natalie, Juliet and I shared a room and my younger brother, Ukeme, stayed with Jade and Scott

Few hours later, one of my distant cousins who stayed with Eka Uwem came knocking on each door, calling everyone to come to the Éfé(family palace) for lunch. The Éfé was a big building made with mud bricks, it was once my great-grandfather's palace when he was alive. It's usually used for family gatherings, eating, and other occasions which would warrant the whole extended family to come together. As the oldest male in the family, my father sat at the head, my mother sat beside him and then my siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles and step-grandmothers

There are no chairs at the Éfé, mats are laid on the floor and a long U-shaped table which is about 10 inches tall

Bowls of food were placed on the table, after the prayer by my father, my cousins dished our food into earthen plates. It was Nsana soup and fufu, during the lunch, we talked about so many things. The wedding, farmwork, the rainy season and other things

After lunch, my older brother and two cousins went to kill a goat for the introduction the following day. "Come let me show you around" I said to Jade and Julie

"I wanna come too," Natalie sai

"How about you Scott?" I aske

"You go ahead, I'd like to join your brother, I've never seen the process of killing a goat before," Scott answered and joined my brother

I took Jade, Juliet and Natalie to the backyard. "A life goat! Cool" Juliet said looking really intrigued by the goat. She wanted to touch it but she seemed scare

"You can touch it, it won't bite" I told he

She stretched out to touch the goat but it refused to come closer,

"Why won't it come?" Juliet aske

"I don't know, maybe because you aren't doing anything that interest it. Here, hold this for the goat" I said giving her cassava leaves. When the goat saw the cassava leaves, it came closer and ate the leaves from her hand. Juliet shrieked in excitement "again, again, again

As she was feeding the goat, Jade took out his camera and took a picture of her and the goat

"Mommy, what is that?" Juliet aske

"Oh, that's just a cocoa tree," I said to her.