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CHAPTER
ONE
Life
sometimes isn’t fair, from the day one is born till the day he dies and the
soul returns to God, however for some people before the end a change takes
place that brings about a new a better lease of life.
Ekaete
Bassey was born into a polygamous home; her father was married to 4 wives, two
he married himself, the other two he inherited from his late brothers. Her
mother was the first wife and she was married for five years to her husband
before he decided on another wife because he wanted male children. Ekaete
mother had four girls she was the last of them all.
The
arrival of the second wife and her subsequent delivery of twins 2 boys changed
the cordial and peaceful atmosphere in the house. Eno the second wife become the
king of the whole compound. She lost total respect for Ekaete’s mother even
though she was barely the age of Ekaete’s Auntie from her mother’s side who
resides in the same compound.
According
to tradition in those days, when marrying, ones younger sister is expected to
go and live with her, she becomes the responsibility of the family and also she
is of assistance to her older sister since there were no maids available except
you were absolutely rich.
There
was constant quarrel and even fights because Itoro could not stand to see
anybody, her own mate insult her older sister. Peace took complete leave from
that home but Uwem was unaware of all the trouble. He was carried away by the
arrival of the boys that no other child mattered. A major reason he gave his
first three daughters away in marriage at a very early age. Their mother had no
say since her husband was the lord master of the house. The dowry he collected
in form of farmland and money, he used for the upkeep of his sons and their
other things, Ekaete and her mother became outcast in their own home. They both
prayed things would return to normalcy but alas it worsened. Uwem said it was
waste of money to send Ekaete to school since she’ll so become another man’s
responsibility this was disheartening to the poor girl.
Afterwards Ekaete’s mother took ill, it was so
bad that she was carried from hospital to hospital soon Uwem become tired and
went to dump her in a native doctor’s place. Ekaete had being told several
years ago by her mother that her family came from Duke Town which was the other
side of town by river which meant they were so far away. Her mother met Uwem
when he came with the white men to do some construction work in their town for
about a year. She was selling cooked food with her sister to the site workers.
So taking her to her people was out on the question. Even if Itoro who was
learning to be a seamstress wanted to go home, the funds she required were not
available his sister health wasn’t improving
because funds were not given to the native doctor. So Itoro took a very
painful decision unknown to anyone, she sold her body in exchange for payment
for her sister’s treatment. With time Mama Ekaete’s health improved but things
had gone out of hand for Itoro. She realized she could earn more and also have
enough to share for her sister who she told that she had gained her freedom and
so was been paid as she worked for her madam. Suddenly things improved for
Ekaete and her mother who now began to sell bean cakes and pap every morning
with the little she got, she enrolled Ekaete in a public school even though she
was bigger than everyone in the class.
Itoro
stepped up in her trade she began to move with even white men it was on one of
the occasion of her visit to the hotel for her business that Mama Clement,
Ekaete’s mother friend who was a cleaner in the hotel saw her. Although Itoro
didn’t see Mama Clement that day, Mama Clement was so shocked to see Itoro held
by the waist by an older man and waited to see them collect a key to one of the
rooms. As soon as she closed that day, she left straight for her friend’s
house.
“Mama
Ekaete well done o, how market?” she said
“Fine
bo my friend how them Clement and work now?”
“Fine
I say make I come quick tell you wetin my eye see for my work place today, where
Itoro dey, she done return?”
“No
o, na evening around that kind 8.00 nahim she dey enter”
“Na
waha na asawo Itoro dey do o, I see am today with one man as they enter
together, collect key enter room I no fit see that kind thing and nor tell you”
“Hen
wetin you talk Mama Clement my own sister asawo, if no be say you be my friend
na hot oil I for pour your body, a beg begin de go thank you, you hear but you
disappoint me o”
“You
think say I dey tell you lie, okay no vex, I dey go you hear no vex”
After
she left Ekaete who overheard all they were saying came out to her mother and
said:
“Mama
I think what Mama Clement said is true, I saw Sister Eyo Auntie Itoro’s friend
in the tailor’s shop when I was coming back from school today she was asking
after Auntie Itoro, she said she has not come to work for over 2 months and she
has not even finished her training. She said always she planned to come here
and ask but work would not allow her. And see what I found on Auntie Itoro’s
bag when I was looking for a pencil”
It
was makeup, eye pencils of different colors and lipsticks which Itoro has never
used in the house.
“Eh,
Itoro has finished me, she has brought shame upon my family, ah what am going
to do?” She lamented.
Not
less than 20 min after Itoro came in looking tired and sick. “Sister well done,
good evening”
Mama
Ekaete jumped up barely answering
“Itoro
what is this” she stretched all the make up and stuff to her
“Tell me Itoro why have you reduced yourself
to this why? So what I hear is true? Wetin push you go dey follow man? ha Itoro
who teach you? ”
Caught red handed Itoro said when she saw the
stuff with her sister no use denying she said to herself. She burst out in
tears bowing her head in shame and on her knees
“Sister
I am sorry I did it for you, I could not let you die just like that and I could
not bear to see us continue in suffer, the suffering being dey to much Sister”
“Itoro
e for better if I die than this one that you dey do so. You don scatter your
life” she began to cry
“Oh
Itoro why? Why?”
Itoro
was all in tears Ekaete joined. After a few days, Ekaete’s mother was able to
gather some money from her sales, she called on Itoro and said
“I
don think Itoro and I think say you too must agree say make you go back home to
our family. The bad things when you enter I nor want make you enter again. I
want make you commot from here go another place because you nor know how many
people don know say na asawo work you been dey do before. Your Madam tell me say you sabi the work only
to do man cloth you nor sabi, so that one go do you manage for house take this
money for transport and some things, I
know say you follow me gree.
“Sister,
well done, thank you I know what has happened is not a good thing and I nor
want make you tell our family. I will do as you have said, thank you for
everything, I’ll always send word to you as time goes on”
She embraced her sister, packed a few things
she had acquired and left that evening.
Ekaete
couldn’t stop crying, the only person she could relate with apart from her
mother left in the house has gone. It was very sad day, Uwem must have been
aware of all that was going on, not that he asked any questions anyway he was
so blinded by his sons and their mother. There was still so much bitterness and
bad blood in the house.
Something strange happened one night while Mama Ekaete left her room to use the toilet, she saw Eno carrying a pot of sacrifice and was chanting incantation as she walked round the compound. Her first reaction was to hide, she was so shocked that such a thing could be taking place in their compound. Quickly she used the toilet and went back to her room; she couldn’t sleep anymore because of what she had seen.
“If
I mention this matter to Uwem my husband, he will never believe me, why didn’t
I even shout to attract the attention of everyone” she thought.
By
morning, she quickly dressed up and went to see her friend Mama Clement they
had since resolved their misunderstanding. Mama Clement listened to all she had
to say and advised her to follow her to see some man she knew somewhere.
Although Mama Ekaete was reluctant, but Mama Clement pointed out that was it
until Eno killed her children but she would get protection:
“Don’t
you know that is how she was able to turn the face of Uwem from you and your
children. It is not ordinary I tell you”
With this point Mama Ekaete quickly followed
her friend to see the man who turned out to be a native witch doctor, without
saying anything the man said
“Hm
a mother who seek to protect her children from the hand of the wicked one”
This shocked mama Ekaete, “this man must be
very powerful, he even knows before I spoke” she said within herself
“Your
other children are not with you, but the one with you must be brought here, I
will perform some sacrifice on behalf of others and put incision on that one
with you and you, yourself. This is the mark evil will see and run from you. It
would only cost you one white cock and one keg of palm wine for the spirits”
“Thank
you sir, I’ll be here tomorrow with all and my daughter, I don’t want evil for
anybody, I only want to protect my children and myself”.
When
they left the place Mama Ekaete said to Mama Clement:
“I
thank you Mama Clement I no for know wetin I for do Oh thank you”
“das
why we be friends now, I don know that man since I dey small he does not grow
old and he is very powerful, everything will be okay, make sure your go see am
and quick quick o okay bye bye, I don already late for work.
“Bye
bye”
Next
day, Mama Ekaete got all that was required and took Ekate with her to see the
old man Ekaete could not understand what was happening, all for the best her mother told her. Incantations were chanted and finally
incisions were made in the middle of their heads and backs. It was very painful, but since her mother told her
it was for the best she didn’t complain. This was the beginning of problems for Ekaete.
QST: Was Itoro's move the best ?
Was Mama Ekaete's move the best?
