Chapter 20: Chapter 20
CHAPTER 17
They both retired into the sitting room. Simi's dad had taken a shower and had changed into a blue lace dress with a top that bore down almost to his feet so that only a little part of his baggy sokoto was seen. He sat in a two-armed cane chair after complaining to Teju that the sofa made his soft bones ache. His portable radio was turned on, and they both listened to King Sunny Ade with the volume turned low. The savoury scents from the kitchen filled the whole ambience and nipped their hungry stomachs. The scents were enough to serve as appetisers, and the mischievous worms in Teju’s belly clamoured; sending him a signal of salivation.
In no time, the table was set, and the four sat at the dining table to eat. After a long prayer anchored by Simi’s Dad, they started eating. The meal was amala, ewedu, gbegiri, soup, and beef, so there were no clank-clank sounds that could be made by the percussion of cutleries and ceramic plates. It was all silent. Everyone mound each bolus of amala, dipped it in the pool of ewedu, gbegiri and soup and then threw it into the mouth.
Teju had caught Simi’s Mom three to four times stealing looks at him and his wife as they sat together eating. He had started to wonder what could have gone wrong. He wondered if Simi had reported him to her for an offence he certainly did not know he had committed. Or if regrettably, she had started to be the typical African mother-in-law, who was, after one to two years, ever ready to worry about grandchildren. If it was the latter, he could deal with the pressure. He could simply tell her that they were almost done with their family planning and would start making love with purpose soon enough.
“Simi told me your first wedding anniversary is due in two weeks’ time, is that so?” Simi’s Mom finally said, after taking a sip of water from her glass cup.
“Yes, ma and we’re still doing some planning on how to give it a grand celebration” Teju rejoined, breathing a breath of relief and wrapping his bolus of amala with the fusion of his ewedu, gbegiri, and soup.
“How time flies!” she exclaimed, taking one more sip from her cup.
“Well, that's very good” she continued “more happy years of this shall come!” the old woman prayed as they all chorused a piping Amen except the old man, who seemed to detest taking a respite from a delicious meal.
“Hope there’s no problem with you two?” the old woman pursued
“No, not at all” Simi responded, Teju swallowed hard and nodded at the old woman with an instinctive smile creeping up his face. He wondered what could be wrong when their anniversary was just a stone throw away.
“Nothing will separate you both, in Jesus’ name” she prayed again as the prayer was also met by a resounding Amen, the prayer flying heavenwards with a stamp bearing amen on it. Teju could not say it well because the prayer had somewhat caught him between taking a large chunk-bite on his pliant beef and saying Amen.
“If you say there are no problems between you two, it is a good thing to hear from young couples like you. But don’t be deceived, anytime, the devil might take his turn on you, he might want to displace you both of your matrimonial homes, don’t ever think he will spare you, even if you bribe him. He will always come and create a problem between you both. I’ve lost count on the number of times the devil had played out his trick on me and your Dad, but over time, we have learned to fight the real enemy with the right weapon and in a legitimate way. There would be a problem between you two, it would come, it is a battle, but learn to fight it the right way. Don’t go around fighting each other. The devil is the enemy, and you can’t wrestle with him, he is not flesh and blood, but if you run to Jesus, if you wail to him in your closet, I can assure you He will fight for you”
It was such a long speech, a wisdom nugget it might seem but more of a sermon. Teju had paused with his meal, and he swallowed every word that proceeded out of her mouth. He took a sip of water, probably to wash down the words.
“And don’t hesitate to inform us if you have any problems no matter how minor it is.” Simi’s Dad finally spoke as he washed his hands and dry them with a napkin.
“The Yoruba people would say hesitating to share your problems is the beginning of ill-fortune. And the English people would say a problem shared is a problem half solved. It is harmful if you keep your problems from us, it is very harmful” the old man said.
Then, he started to narrate how he had once gone mad with his wife, and how he had almost fired her from their marriage. It had been over a decade after they had gotten married, and their only child, Simi, had just been admitted into a boarding secondary school. One day, while Simi’s Dad sat in his office, a lady who claimed to be a room service attendant in a hotel came over to tell him that his wife was cheating on him. Even if he did not love his wife anymore, cheating on him while the marriage vows were still binding them was the most irritable thing in the world. But he still loved his wife, and having her cheating on him could make him mad. He would not hesitate to hire a gun and shoot his wife and her supposed boyfriend right in the bed of their adultery.
With a blue fire flaming beneath his skin, he employed the lady to watch out for his wife. She would have to call him on the phone whenever his wife was in her heinous act. He acted normal at home as if nothing was happening. One afternoon, she did call him. And after he had taken an emergency leave from his office, he raced home to pack out his wife’s belonging from the house. Then he went to the hotel where his wife was allegedly committing treachery.
With the leading of the nosy lady, he had found the room, and he had stormed rudely into it with his face burning red. If his wife had not spoken up and claimed him as her husband, the whole gathering in the room would have mistaken him for a decent-looking madman. They would have telephoned the management to send in the security. Simi’s Dad had been disappointed in himself, and so had his wife. But they had big hearts, they loved each other and they could forgive.
He had earlier given the lady some money to compensate her for her service, but that day, being immersed in public shame, he had demanded an immediate reimbursement from her. He had collected every penny back from her before leaving the hotel. He was not going to lose his pride and money at the same time. As Simi’s Dad recounted the incident, they all listened raptly. Even Simi’s Mom listened as if she was not part of the story.
“And you didn’t even bother to tell me” Simi accused, facing her Mom
“You were just ten, it is inappropriate to bother you with something like that when you have to study” her Mom defended
“Don’t mind her. We should have told her so that she would settle our matter for us” the old man said, and everyone laughed.
“When you have your own children, you can tell them about all that happens behind the doors of your bedroom” the old man added.
“Oh stop it” his wife scolded, and everyone laughed.