Chapter 2: Bride Price, Wedding, and Family Drama

I no know how Musa take talk to him people, but matchmaker come again, and na so dem bring better gifts, plus twenty thousand as bride price. Village people dey talk, say na sign say Musa no fit joke for my matter.

My papa and mama shock. E no easy to see that kain money at once for this side.

Musa family really mean am. The gifts full my room, dem pack am reach ground, neighbours come look.

Silver bangles, two sets of clothes for each season, bright red wedding lace, four pairs of embroidered slippers... My people dey dance, dey praise God.

Mama talk say the bride price na my own security. As I count everything, my savings reach thirty-one thousand, enough build big house or buy land. Mama rub my back, dey pray for me, say better thing don come.

Because of this, my papa and mama dey happy every day. Even papa wey no too dey show emotion, dey smile dey whistle for evening.

Wedding set for May 27. That date, everybody for compound no fit forget am again.

Since we dey same village, and Musa don craze for my matter—force him people give twenty thousand—everybody for village hear am. My name dey everywhere, even small pikin dey gist my story.

People even talk say he wan build house, say after marriage and pikin, space no go reach. Village gist no dey ever finish.

Him mama dey curse am, but still buy land near their house, build two rooms for us as wedding house. E dey like say she dey vex, but she no fit stop am.

With compound wall, e separate from main Musa house. I like am—my spirit rest as I know say I fit get my own space.

I sneak go look. One small rocky hill dey nearby—if dem clear am, we fit plant fruit, or put soil for melon and vegetable, or even keep chicken and duck. My mind dey plan how I go arrange garden, make everywhere fine.

On wedding day, elders and siblings come give wedding money. My small box full with coins, reach one thousand naira. I dey surprise, dey smile with joy.

I no fit hold tears. Mama cry, Grandma cry too. Tears dey everybody eye, but na tears of happiness.

Aunties dey console us: "E good as you marry near. You fit come house anytime." Neighbours dey nod, dey wish us well.

The two families dey close. My people say keke go do, but Musa insist say make dem play talking drum, carry bridal car. My people dey laugh, say Musa sabi how to make woman feel special.

He still talk say make dem waka round village nine times, say e mean happiness go last forever. Elders dey bless us, dey pour libation for ground.

He invite every family chop wedding food, say goat meat, chicken, even bushmeat go dey, palm wine dey flow, groundnut and chin chin, wedding sweet to carry go house. Everywhere dey bubble, music dey play till night.

All these na money, but him people let am do as e like. E show say he no really be old bull as people talk. I begin see am with new eye.

At least for Musa house, nobody fit really control am. I come relax, focus on wedding.

"Ceremony finish. Carry bride go room."

I think say na to waka go, but Musa carry me. As everybody dey laugh, under the red veil, my face red like palm oil. I dey shame, but I dey happy.

"Lift the veil, lift the veil!"

I no fit look Musa, he self no fit look me. Everybody dey shout, dey push us, dey tease us.

Dem pull us come serve wine to guests. We dey serve, elders dey pray for us, dey drop money inside cup.

Halfway, one young woman bring food for me.

"Third wife, chop something."

"Fifth sister?"

"Na me. When we small, I dey play with you, third wife. Now I sabi why third brother no marry since—na you e dey wait for."

I nearly spit food, choke dey cough. E shock me, how this girl dey see things?

Aisha smile, pour me tea.

"I no dey lie. You remember? When we dey play house, third brother always make you bride, make me and fourth brother kneel for you. If we no do am, he go beat us."

"..."

True? Maybe. Time don pass, I no remember well. But e sweet me small to hear say person dey reason me since childhood.

"Third wife, abeg manage third brother well o. No let am... Haha, I dey go chop. Later I go help clean."

Aisha na last born and only girl for Musa family. She wan talk more, but stop. She wink at me, like say we go gist later.

Wedding night, I dey nervous, shy. My hand cold, my heart dey beat like drum. I dey fear, no sabi what to expect.

Mama don teach me small, but I still no too sabi Musa. She talk say, "If e pain you, bear am. No be forever."

And e pain—well well. My body feel like fire dey burn me.

But Mama talk say make I bear, say all women dey pass through am, e go stop after. She rub my head before wedding, say, "Na like this e dey be. You go dey alright."

But I no comfortable at all. I just wan hold myself, dey pray for sleep.

When Musa come near again, I no gree. I turn face, hold wrapper tight. My mind dey talk say, "Abeg, rest."

He no talk, just lie down. E sigh, turn for bed, but e no touch me again.

I turn back, breathe out small. My body calm small, I try sleep.

For this village, I marry with respect—plenty gift, twenty thousand bride price. My people self prepare better dowry. Everybody dey expect me to behave well.

I no get wahala with Musa, just no too used to am. My mind dey adjust, my body dey learn new life.

From today, he be my husband. I suppose respect am, love am, obey am. Mama dey always talk, "Wife dey build house."

But...

I fit no do am. Sometimes, I dey fear, dey wonder if my life fit change overnight.

I no fit dey think say if he treat me bad nko. If I dey worry things wey never happen, life go hard. I just dey pray for better tomorrow. God, abeg, make my new home sweet pass old one.

So as Musa think say I don sleep, put hand for my waist, I just hold myself, no push am. I relax body, dey let things flow.

I fall sleep small small. For my dream, I dey waka for long road, dey find peace.

Suddenly, heavy knock wake me. My heart fly, I jump from bed.

I forget say I don marry. As I rush, I jam Musa chest, my body pain me. E be like say my bone shift.

"Ify... Ify... Ifeoma, e serious? Make I call chemist?"

I shake head. I no wan make wahala go outside. My voice low, "No, no need."

Door still dey bang. I dey fear, my leg dey shake.

"Third wife, Mama say make you get up cook!"

"..."

I shock. Which family dey call new wife make she wake up go cook before day break, day after marriage? I begin dey think say wahala don start.

My face, nose dey pain, tears just dey fall. I try hold myself, but I no fit. Na so village life dey sometimes, but this one pass.

Musa don get up. Door open, next thing na scream, then sound of something break. Everywhere scatter.

"Nobody dey house?" Musa voice cold. E sound like thunder.

Woman outside reply, "Third brother, na Mama..."

"Third brother, wetin you dey do?"

Bang.

"Ah..."

Scream just dey go. The whole house dey shake.

"Musa, wetin you dey do for early morning?"

"You no dey respect..."

Musa say, "I come call Mama make she get up cook for new wife. Mama, hurry up, else your daughter-in-law go hungry."

"Ah, Musa, leave me!"

"Musa, leave Mama!"

"Ah, Musa, why you dey beat me?"

"I dey beat you because you no fit control daughter-in-law. You like wake early—wake every day this time. If you no fit, I go beat you. Late once, beat once."

After all this, Musa shout for him mama, "Mama, hurry cook. When new wife ever enter house and mother-in-law still dey sleep?"

He scatter everywhere. The elders dey whisper, some dey laugh for corner.

My face and nose pain me, I dey cry, but now I just dey laugh. The thing shock me, but e sweet me—at least person dey fight for me.

After Musa drama, nobody try wake me again for morning cook. I close eye, sleep carry me like new wrapper—safe, soft, my own at last.

But as wedding day near, I dey fear—wetin if happiness no last?