Chapter 3: Chapter 3

It was mid afternoon and like all other times he had company, many came all the way from their homes to escape their wives and some came for the addicting game of Draft, while they placed unnecessary bets. Others came to argue their Chieftaincy title, who was deserving of it or not. Sometimes he often wondered why they always called on their dead forefathers who they'd never even met while they argued. It wasn't long before he heard them rain profanities at each other.

Ete Affiong shook his head.

Despite the rowdy atmosphere, he still felt it was serene and like always smelled of wood and other pungent smell that came from the occupants of his front yard. The smell of snuff filtered through the air reminding him of the lone man at the corner sniffing away with glazed eyes. Again the sweet smell of palm wine greeted him erasing every other smell.

"How is Mama Affiong?" His best friend the renown palm wine tapper asked, after downing a large gulp of palm wine leaving some to trail down the sides of his lips. They sat opposite each other with the game of Draft separating them.

"She is faring well. Ah you have been outnumbered!" Ete Affiong exclaimed as he took out his opponent's stone, his eyes pointedly looking at the almost emptied spots that once had his opponent's stone.

"Chai... You caught me unawares. But you should know I still have an advantage here." The palm wine tapper forced a grin, his eyes looking intently at the bored as if wishing for a miracle to happen, hanging on a single thread of hope, his king which he tried to place in an advantageous position. He gulped loudly, hoping it'll sway Ete Affiong off his track.

Ete Affiong smirked as he observed his game. He had two gateways and also a loophole which he hadn't failed to notice. Of course he kept silent not giving away his knowledge of the fact that whatever move the palm wine tapper made, it had him at a disadvantage granting Ete Affiong the victory like always.

"Indeed?" He furrowed his brows in concentration as he curiously observed his work and his opponent's pretending to be unaware of the game he had purposefully set to guarantee his win.

Hmmm...

"Let us make this interesting...Let us make a bet." Ete Affiong finally said and leaned forward towards the still half smug and half petrified looking palm wine tapper while raising a daring brow.

"A bet? Wouldn't your wife disapprove?" The palm wine tapper paused and shot him an indecisive look but Ete Effiong maintained a steady front, a look that told him he was serious.

"What she doesn't know won't kill her my friend." Ete Affiong smirked.

"Okay...if you say so. Name your price" he relented after a second thought.

"One week of free Palm wine." Ete Affiong belched out, his left hand caressing the bottle of palm wine he held, while his right hand held the wooden cup which was filled with palm wine.

"Really? Isn't it always free? Íbod affàna fi?" what was wrong with his friend? As long as he could remember, he always brought free palm wine. How narrow minded was his friend that he couldn't even tell the palm wine clutched in his hands which was heading towards his mouth was free.

"Ha! But not your best. This time I want the full bottle every day for a week." he said in between large gulps of the said palm wine.

"How is that possible? I only tap once a week." he glared at Ete Affiong as if his head had grown wings. "You must be drunk out of your mind, name another prize. I won't settle for that." he shook his head

"Very well ." Ete Affiong hiccupped "A hectare of your land then for the new set of wonder yams I am going to plant." he finished and wiped his mouth with his wrist.

"Ha Ha, very funny friend. What do you want with that measly piece of land when you got a vast one which I dare say remains unused?"

"One can never have enough farmlands especially for this new breed of yam which I imported from the neighbouring village. " He poured himself another cup of palm wine and did the same for his friend the tapper.

"And the unused farmlands?" The palm wine tapper asked watching his friend swallow his palm wine in bliss

"Remains unused for a reason." Was his only reply.

"Pray tell. What could be that reason?" He urged. It was something he had always been curious about, why his friend suddenly stopped farming.

"It's a secret my friend." Ete Affiong laughed nervously. Secret indeed. The truth was, he was in fact lazy. He had long lost the will to go plowing and tilling. Another reason he had employed a male servant to work in his stead. Unfortunately the male servant had fallen ill to a terminal disease that took his life. No herbs could cure it. It made everyone believe his farmland was cursed. He had begun to believe it especially after he tried farming and dislocated his ankle.

"I'll accept your prize. Here's mine."

Immediately his ears perked up "What is it?" He filled his cup with palm wine but this time around, he slowly sipped it.

"Nothing much," The palm wine tapper shrugged "only that your daughter would marry my son."

The wine spewed out of Ete Affiong's mouth, some escaped his nose. He coughed loudly, beating his chest with his fist.

"Gently, gently." his friend consoled giving him a heavy pat on his back.

"Repeat what you just said..."

"I said-" his friend began,

"Wait! Don't. Don't repeat it. I heard it loud and clear...too loud even." Ete Affiong interjected swallowing loudly he pulled his face into a frown.

"You do know your son don't you?" he whizzed out.

"Of course. He's my son." The palm wine tapper nodded bewildered.

"The hellish rake in this village. News of your son and all his concubines have reached the neighboring village, and to even suggest that y-your wayward son marry my daughter... come to think of it," Ete Affiong paused, angling his head "which of my daughters are you referring to?"

"Who else? Affiong of course. Not that Uyai isn't good enough, it's just that she's slightly, err... How do I say this? Unappealing?" The tapper shrugged casually with an uneasy grimace.

"What are you insinuating?" Ete Affiong glared at his friend.

"She's beautiful alright." The Tapper tried to assuage his words. " A natural beauty if I may say, but she lacks meat on her bones. A little meat here and there would do her some good. In fact right now, she basically looks like a teenage boy. Which red blooded male would find that appealing?" the palm wine tapper finished with another candid shrug.

"Speak for yourself." Ete Affiong retorted. "How many of your daughters who with the 'appealing' qualities have bastard children? Let me answer that for you. All. You have no idea who your son-in-laws are do you?"

His friend chuckled nervously, then appearing affronted, he filled his cup with his palm wine and drank in large gulps then with a bang dropped it on the stool. "I blame all that on their mother. She spoilt the whole lot of them." he waved his hand about.

"Whatever my friend" Ete Affiong waved. "sè ufan ami o, the thing is I cannot in my right mind permit my daughter to marry your son even if he is the last man on earth." He concluded and then with raw determination took out the King the palm wine tapper and kept to save his game. "I've won already. Taking back my bet."

Just realizing he's been bested the palm wine tapper yelled out a frustrated growl.

Ete Affiong leaned back on his chair with a satisfied smirk, rubbing his protruded belly. He turned and observed his fellows- the ones quarrelling over a Chieftaincy title, the ones arguing over a piece of land and even the lone man in the corner quietly sniffing his snuff in bliss. His gaze roved over till it stopped at his younger daughter tip toeing towards them like a thief.

He frowned.

He turned to observe his friends only to discover that their attention had been reverted to his younger daughter.

"Ehg- ehg" He coughed loudly to revert their attention to himself and succeeded only a little.

She ran to him and whispered to him "E-Err Papa your food is ready. Should I bring it here?"

"No!" he yelled. Realizing his voice had risen, he chuckled nervously, "Err I mean no... " he quieted his voice. Ete Affiong knew that if the food was brought here, he would be forced to share and when he did, he won't be spared as they'll end up eating everything and leaving him behind. So no. He wasn't going share.

***

An old man sat at the corner fuming, he looked at his snuff, the last he was about sniffing, he frowned, that was the last he owned and his supplier was dragged by his son to the city, at least that's what he believed anyway.

Suddenly, his eyes became glassy, his temple creased, a salty drop fell, then another, till it became a free flowing stream. Mucus had gathered in his nose, he was crying, he just realized. He sniffed and swallowed, his hands shook, his lips trembled. He looked at the minute powder he clutched shakily in his hands, the last of them. In just one sniff it'll all be gone.

Another tear fell...

Slowly and weakly he brought it towards his nostril, and sniffed it like his life depended on it. With gusto, he inhaled to the last bit.

Another tear fell...

A cry of anguish tore from his lips.

It's all gone....

My ancestors would come for me. He thought. His heart felt so cold, slowly fear crept in, and so did a mirage of thought.

A cloud came over him, and slowly he blinked. He blinked again.

It was his wife and two sons.

They hovered over him.

She gave him a smile.

Oh my beloved wife, "Imà mi" he whispered and smiled back.

"Come home dear." she said, but her lips didn't move. Clearly he heard her. With her arms outstretched, she beckoned him, he slowly reached out for her hands, but it began to fade. His eyes widened.

No, no, no...

He tried again, but farther his hands reached the more she faded.

No! He screamed

No. Don't leave me....

Frantic, he looked around, she was fading fast.

No...

His eyes rolled over and he staggered till his form came in contact with the cold ground floor.

"He's fainted again." Ete Affiong sighed when he heard a bang. He shook his head and stiffly arose from his sitting position; he walked up to where the old man's body laid, and looked beside him and saw the empty cloth where the snuff had once been. "Thought as much." He yawned, and rubbed his belly. He couldn't wait to be inside his hut enjoying his wife's meal, he could already smell his favorite okra soup.

He looked at the palm wine bottle that sat on the stool and looked at the old man.

No. I'll use water instead.

"Uyai!"

"Yes Papa!"

"Get me some water, a bucket full." he yelled

"Yes papa."

The others went on with their own business, obviously they had gotten used to the old man's dramatic episode of fainting unceremoniously.

"Quickly pour it over him." he urged his youngest daughter as she came heaving, in tow with the requested bucket of water. Without much ado she did as she was requested, and the old man awoke sneezing and coughing out water that had managed to invade his mouth and nostril.

"Where am I?" he asked in between bouts of coughs.

Ete Affiong looked at the disoriented fellow and shrugged casually "Heaven." he said.

From the dry expression he wore, you could smell sarcasm but the old man didn't seem to take notice of that for his eyes lit up. Quickly his gaze roved the supposed heaven, probably looking to find Jesus or perhaps father Abraham. Seeing no sign of magnificent and blinding bright light or an old man with long white beard, neither did he see sparkling germs and gigantic mansions, the light in his eyes became dim. Finally when his eyes settled on Ete Affiong with his still faded wrapper hanging loosely on his hip, his stained white singlet, his slippers that had experienced the hardships of life and of course the stupid smirk he now wore, if possible, the light completely died off and in its place was a heavy scowl.

"Welcome back Etè." Ete Affiong greeted, and the old man's scowl deepened.