Mama Osaro goes to meet the DHL delivery man as he delivers the box. She had prayed for her husband not to be around when the box was delivered. How could she explain to him what was inside? So with her heart racing, she grabs the box and shuts the door and locks it securely even though it is mid afternoon.
She looks at the content of the box as she opens it. She wondered if she could go ahead with her plan. It had taken all of her will to even have thought about it how much more agree for her friend to send it to her.
The conversation with her long-time friend had been heart to heart. Ifueko lived in Holland, the land of "anything goes" and has always been a free adventurous spirit from childhood. She was yet unmarried at 39. The conversation that day was so heart to heart Ifueko opened up to her
Ifueko: Oghogho, hmmm, you do not know the half of it. Men nowadays are just after one thing....two actually. They want to chop your body and then your money.
Mama Osaro: (Oghogho. Once a woman gives birth in Africa, she loses her nam an is named by her child. So she is now more Mama Osaro than Oghogho) Ifueko!!! You cannot keep thinking like that. There must be one among them that is yours.
Ifueko: Even if they carry an ID from God that says "Ifueko's husband", I will not believe anymore. I have seen pepper in this my life.
Mama Osaro: Pepper? Ha! You that have all the freedom and money in the world? You are enjoying I tell you.
Ifueko: Enjoy? hahahahaha. I will trade it all for one man who will truly love me.
Mama Osaro: Then get one
Ifueko: Easier said than done. Is it that easy? Me you are seeing here, I have cooked, cleaned and given a man my bank card. hmmm. I have even polished his shoe. Me Ifueko, finest girl in pharmacy, head pharmacist St. Antonius Ziekenhuis Nieuwegein, I have bent down and polished a man's shoes just because he promised to marry me.
Mama Osaro: I see your pictures on facebook and you have no idea how envious I am of you. Me, since I got married, it is like I immediately became ugly. Do you know even my wedding night my husband slept off and left me in my white gown? I pulled it off myself. All my fantasies of how romantic that night will be dashed.
Ifueko: Agbons must have been tired.
Mama Osaro. Tired? Did he go and play football or run a marathon? Did I not dance more than him on the wedding day? You have no idea how annoying to hear a man snore near you when you want him to touch you
Ifueko: If he does not touch you, where did Osaro come from? He must have been "doing" you every night because you had Osaro same year you married. You married in January, had him by November
Mama Osaro: Is it by many times? hmmmmmm. Before we got married, he used to fight me to sleep with him. It was you that encouraged me to even allow him sleep with me else i would have been a virgin on my wedding night.
Ifueko: Oghogho or is it Mama Osaro, so you really were a virgin? I thought you were lying oh. It was when Agbons confirmed it to me that he deflowered you that I finally believed. I thought maybe on one very good day you had given it out to one guy back in secondary school or something.
Mama Osaro: God forbid.
Ifueko: So no "bros" deceived you into his room and told you to "act matured act matured" and put his....
Mama Osaro: Pls it is enough. Do not spoil me
Ifueko: Holy virgin mother of Osaro. In fact, I am sure you do holyholy in bed when you should be giving him strong....
Mama Osaro: stop stop stop.
Ifueko: Stop what?
Mama Osaro: You know I am born again so I cannot be....
Ifueko: Okay you are born again, why are you telling me how your husband snores?
Mama Osaro: em... I don't even know why I said it
Ifueko: How long have we known each other?
Mama Osaro: at least twenty five years
Ifueko: So with how long I have known you and how exposed I am, you think I cannot tell when a woman is undersexed and sexually frustrated?
Mama Osaro: em...well.... (sighs)
Ifueko: Do you touch yourself?
Mama Osaro: God forbid. It is a sin
Ifueko: Hmmm ok. I will not argue with you. But for me, it has reached a stage where if I see my own fingers or small batteries, I get turned on
Mama Osaro: Jesus!!!
Ifueko: Even the fat candles of the priest in church makes my mind wonder...
Mama Osaro: May God forgive you
Ifueko: Amen. Is it every time you will call Jesus name even? I use cloth to cover my bible and rosary when I want to "love myself like my neighbour"
Mama Osaro: You mean "love your neighbour as yourself? This Ifueko! You will turn the Bible upside down. Moreover whether you hide the Bible inside wardrobe, God can still see you.
Ifueko: So what will not be a sin to you?
Mama Osaro: See, you know I am very shy. Do you know I have never once asked my husband for ...you know...
Ifueko: really?
Mama Osaro: How will I tell him? Papa Osaro or Agbons or honey I am .... I cannot.
Ifueko: So what do you do?
Mama Osaro. Nothing. I wait for him to want me
Ifueko: And how often does he want you?
Mama Osaro: Well, between drinking with friends and staying too long in the office and watching Arsenal, hmmm...then being tired and having head ache or stomach pain....or being too drunk or even having malaria that goes away once it is morning....I would say......
Ifueko: No let cobwebs go dey for there oh
Mama Osaro: what?
Ifueko: You want make the thing rust abi?
Mama Osaro: Ifuekoooooo!!!
Ifueko: And here I was thinking married women have all the sex in the world with a man that comes home each night
Mama Osaro: You have no idea. Boyfriends aim to please but once they are promoted to husband, in fact it is almost early retirement especially after giving birth. But Ifueko, I am still fine am I not? (her voice breaks leaden with tears)
Ifueko: Do you want my honest advice? You should..........................................
Mama Osaro looks in the box and begins to check its content. Yes she was going to do it just like Ifueko advised. She had "researched" a few "new media coital lectures" which in truth was some porn sites Ifueko had given her links to. She was ready and resolved... or was she?
Papa Osaro comes home ready for it to be the usual evening then night. His every waking thought was with Arsenal Football club and he knew his whole happiness was based on how well they did.
He parked his car in the garage and as he came down he wondered the food Mama Osaro cooked. Mama Osaro,....hmmm she was aptly named Oghogho at birth meaning Joy and indeed she was a joy.... that was one of the things that he was thankful for...mama Osaro. She was his spine. She was so pliable...so calm....so uncomplaining. He always laughed when his friends tell him of how troublesome and disobedient their wives are.
Well, his classmate much younger sister Ifueko introduced him to her friend Oghogho and that has been the best thing anybody has ever done for him. He was ten years older and at 46 he felt on top of the world....good job, happy home, cold beers and then Arsenal. Life is good.
He sits down to eat a sumptuous plate of pounded yam and egusi soup. He notices that the mounds are a little more than usual and also how much more delicious it was than the ones prepared with powder. This was an Edo woman hand-pounded yam…pestle, mortar and all. He had learnt from his father that no matter what he did outside, he must come home to eat. He knew it was the height of disrespect to come home bellyful with food from another woman.
So with his tommy loaded he went to bed knowing it was straight to dreamland. He notices his wife’s eyes following him watchfully and wonders what is on her mind. It has been a while he made love to her but frankly he was not minded to. He has an early morning meeting or should he blame it on a headache or tiredness or simply a lack of zeal to do the very monotonous lovemaking that marital sex had become for him.
As his wife enters the bed beside him, he feigns sleep and turns his back to her as usual and his mind wanders again to Arsenal his football club. Wenger is now signing quality players. wonderfullllll
He awakens to a not so gentle slap on his cheek. He tries to touch it and finds he is handcuffed to the bedpost with a policeman standing over him. He panics and looks again and sees it is his wife standing over him in police gear. He must be dreaming he thinks and tries to wriggle his hands free to no avail. Both his legs and hands are secured by the handcuff.
“Osanobua! What is this? Oghogho. Mama Osaro. What is this?”He tries to say but finds he is gagged as well. He is at her mercy. “Iyevwe is this how I am going to die?”
Mama Osaro goes to him and slaps him again and pinches his breast. He feels a sharp pain. What has he done to her to deserve this? Does she want to inherit his house? But… oh… she sits astride him and puts her tongue on his nipples and nibbles and licks and bites. He tries to wriggle all to no avail. She is scratching and biting all of his neck and sides of his belly. It is pleasure and pain mixed and then what she has never done before….she is going down and down and he could feel how turgid he had become as she holds his... and puts it in her...what is this? Is she trying to talk to it? It is not a microphone…and she moves up to his face and orders him to...to...to to “Osanobua……Oba Atokpeye…….”
The next morning, he is at the table. Not a word is exchanged between he and his wife. The events of last night has left him tired and yet befuddled. He still could not make sense of it.
Oghogho: Papa Osaro, I need the money for Osaro’s school fees and uniform. You know he is starting a new class today. You said you’d give me this week
He gets up, gets his chequebook and issues a cheque of the amount, still saying nothing. He grabs his laptop bag and dashes off.
Later that day, Mama Osaro is watching a Nigerian movie starring Tonto Dike when the door opens and she sees her husband come in with her father and mother. Right behind them is his own father and mother.
Also entering was their pastor and a host of uncles and aunts including Doctor Nosakhare. |
Also with thme was the village herbalist.
They all take their seats…all avoiding her eyes. Even “Odiokpa” the oldest man of her husband’s family and his wife come in. He is the okaegbe head of family.
Mama Osaro: Epa, domo, koyo …what brings you all? What do I offer you
Eghosa: (he was the spokesman at their marriage ceremony and a senior cousin to her husband Agbontaen.) Mama Osaro, sit down, sit down. Do not worry. We have eaten. How is Osaro?
Mama Osaro: He is fine. I just put him to bed.
Eghosa: Good. We will try and not wake him up. How are you? (there is worry in his eyes as he asks this and now everyone looks at her keenly)
Mama Osaro:oruan mwen my inlaws I am fine. Why, what happened? Is everything okay
Eghosa: That is what we came to find out. Your husband told us all is not right with you so we have gotten the doctor to look at you and make sure that all is alright. You see, this heat in Nigeria is enough to make people go crazy so we said it may not be your fault. It is while someone is still at home that it is best to treat her and not when she has run into the market. Once you enter the market, there is no cure anymore
Mama Osaro: God forbid. Tufia. Osanobua de ba men. I cannot be mad
Eghosa: Ise. That is why we are here. To make sure….
Mama Osaro (To Papa Osaro) Agbons, what did you go and tell them?
Papa Osaro: What did I go and tell them? My wife handcuffs me like I was Lawrence Anini and Monday Osunbor, wears police uniform like she was Iyanmu and you are asking me?
Mama Oghogho: Iyevwe!!! Handcuff? Oghogho, you na policewoman? Wetin you say you want join wey you small, wey we no gree wey make you go read accounting, na your husband body you for come dey do olokpa?
Papa Osaro: Oghogho tell them everything you did. Tell them
Eghosa: Mama Osaro tell us what happened
Mama Osaro: Agbons, finish the story. You have started it, finish it
Papa Osaro: Mama Osaro. They are talking to you. Tell them.
Mama Osaro: Agbons…..Agbons
Papa Oghogho: My daughter, did you handcuff your husband
Mama Osaro: (unabashedly) YES!!!
(Iyevwe… Oviedo!! Walare. And other exclamations rent the air. Everyone is taken aback)
Papa Osaro: You see! I told you all she has run mad. Quick let us take her to the hospital
Papa Oghogho: Oghogho, my daughter, why did you handcuff your husband. What happened
Papa Osaro: let her tell you everything. If I pull my shirt, you will see all where she pinched and bit me. This woman you are seeing here changed into a tiger. I saw her tail. It is by God’s grace I am alive.
Papa Oghogho: My daughter, tell me what happened
Mama Osaro stays silent. Hand crossed across her chest in defiance.
Papa Osaro : Goes into the room and brings the handcuff and police uniform and puts it on the table) That is it. That is what she handcuffed me with and then she….she …she…
Mama Agbontaen: The Oba must hear this. Tell us what she did next. No wonder they said we should fear quiet people. To think she was my choice for you….
Mama Osaro: Ask your son if he enjoyed what I did to him
Eghosa: Iye!!! Enjoy what? You handcuffed him and and..pinched him and almost bit his breast away from his chest and you are saying we should ask him if he enjoyed it? Thank God Uselu Mental home is not far from here. Oya ……. Lets go.
Mama Osaro: (To papa Osaro) Agbons, if you lie, uwa zagha (you will explode and scatter to pieces) Did you enjoy it or not???
Papa Osaro:….(stays silent) em….
Mama Osaro: (reaches for her phone.) I video taped it with my phone. Here, you all can watch it.
Papa Osaro: (he dives at the phone, Mama Osaro refuses to hand it over and a scuffle ensues. Everyone joins the melee as they pull them apart)
Eghosa: Agbontaen. Will you behave yourself? This woman recorded it all. Are you trying to destroy the evidence and exhibit?
Papa Osaro: If you want to watch blue film or porno, go and buy. It is not me and my wife that you will watch
Eghosa: It is not that we want to….em…you see… we all need to watch it so that we can come to a good conclusion. You are truncating this case
Papa Agbontaen: My son, let us watch it to fully understand what went on
Papa Osaro: Nooooooooo……
Mama Osaro: No oh Agbons, you must let them see. Now that what happened between us you have gone to call everyone, let it all come outside.
Papa Agbontaen: What is it my daughter…the one in whose house I am always welcome. My favourite daughter in law, please do not be angry. He did not tell “everyone”. We are family. You are my daughter
mama Osaro: Then let him let me show it to you. Epa, see. Since I have been in this marriage, have I ever complained to anyone? I have done everything expected of me. Mama Agbontaen here jokingly asks me if I will not give birth to a second child and if everything is okay. I smile and say it is God that gives children. Is it God that will sleep with me when I am ovulating? My body will be ready, I will not see my husband to sleep with. He is working late or tired or headache…headache that does not worry him when Arsenal is playing. I have bought Panadol Extra and Alagbim and Phensic all to stop headache…no way.
Okay, I would have said he has a low libido or even low testosterone and then I find he is sleeping with this girl whose mother owns the bar he goes to drink.
Papa Osaro: Iye!
Mama Osaro: Iye what? Am I not the one who washes your pants? Don’t I see sperm stains? Don’t I smell the perfume on your shirts? What do you take me for Agbons? ………. You think I am a fool right (turns to the others) Epa, I have not even brought it up so I do not quarrel in my house. I simply cry to God and put it in prayers. I cry every night as he snores. I have looked at myself in the mirror, has childbirth flattened my breast so much my husband never desires me? When he touches me….1..2…3…
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