t most often, I was the one always at the receiving end of her protective counsel. Maybe because she thought I was too lazy for a man, and her first child at

’s no same as it might have been growing up in the east where our families were. We grew up not knowing our grandparents, neithe

iling, for her teeth were always open and scattered. Igbane would tease Ndidi, say something to offend her and she would chase him laughingly, then she’d stop chasing and take tur

and get over here,” Nne shouted from the ki

s she hurried. Nne rushed out. Her hands curled round her daughters’ leg, Igbane stood still watching. My legs were beg

the kitchen. Nne said nothing. Not because she couldn’t, rather because she saw her stubbornness in her own daughter. “It flows t

had nothing to show, years after running from home with her against both their parents will. They were young and in love, two people from different side of the East, different tradition and culture that were not in support of their union, but

oever was standing close by. She is as strict a disciplinary as should a mother, but deep down, she had a soft spot, mostly for family. She has a family now but wished she didn’t cut ties with her consanguin

saro’s greeted in her

odded with a grin. I would guess because she didn’t want to laugh out at the s

ant to ask if

ast ‘brother Ikenna’ would have sounded better. I didn’t know her age or class, but I suspected I was older than

, then to Osaro and replied “he’s home, where else can he

her grudgingly, Nne’s fierce gaze had stopped my dragging feet. I stood in front of Osaro like a boss, wanting her to speak first and I wou

me,” I said

d. I wondered why she didn’t sound respectful as usual; probably she had come to sense

have,

id you

stopped sketching images of her in my head, not when I didn’t know who she was, not when I wasn’t sure of seeing her again. I had to. At least there, i

e,” I said. “It will ge

oth ways as she kept her gaze towards me.

“especially when you consider

en lots of delay and setbacks. It was obvious we missed the whites, we hadn’t learned enough before seeking total

smiled. I beamed, not because of the invigorated reverence in

k on her face, I quickly added “that’s if you want.” It t

ally said. “Tomorrow mo

ut I was more stunned at m

_____

lding, the unkempt environs, and the widening pot holes inside its compound, things I hadn’t noticed the first time. What provoked her was the public holi

hing in common to talk about, we actually never talked, and the only time we said something was when we saw something funny and she’d crack a joke over it. She had a sense of humor, the Benin kind of humor. I think I was the problem, at least Nne thinks so too. As good a listener I was, I wasn’t the person to bank on starting a conversation. I was too careful to t

s static at the gate of our compo

. Then it dawned on me she expected me to listen. I did. All I could hear were

gloves, but whenever she was equipped with them, she meant to use it. I hurriedly got in between her and Iya Rotimi, who was in uproar, and

t have told himself. Igbane was quick to narrate to me what had happened, he too stood not

d flat it had been so. Since he wasn’t around, she delivered the message to his wife and that caused the whole disagreement. Nne wasn’t annoyed when Iya

sband; he is not your mate.”

he hissed. “I wonder how he built this house self.” She whisp

n public. Family is all that matters they both used to say, yet he never for once praised her for defending the family’s name in public. At fi

down and let’s settle

feet. “Let me show your mother pepper so

eel some kind of fear, but she was forgetting something. Nne was a typical Igbo woman brought up eating fufu,

ose my cool. It was true what they say; where two o

st time since I was there and sai

t noticed how outsized I was, and must h

he reduced her panting and sl

k, I’m l

, I had made Nne smile. She didn’t show it, it was the m

lazy, I like the d

ays wisdom in what he decides. If on

what to do concerning the man asking her hand. Nne never praised me to my front, not

attitude. She began bouncing and opened her mouth to say something, but cast a

you not talking a

ed unto Igbane and they started for inside, I shifted my gaze to Iya Rotimi and said politely, “I think its bes

mor and walked with us, wanting

_____

start another trouble on hearing the incident with his wife earlier. He didn’t, he came back from his journey and quietly went into his flat, and we didn’t hear anythin

as a good nourished meal to eat, like the new yam festival, when yam was generously given to

hat big conversation between father and son occurred on the table. But our house was different. Nna had nothing to teach us about being r

nning to think she was too young to always be near yet far away at the same time. That man must be the reason. I sighed. Women and their idea of marriage, they could never be understood. My

fictions, not at my age. Igbane didn’t answer; he was obviously rapt in his narratives. I wondered what Nna was telling that he refused to go get his food. Igbane nev

her but I saw the reaction on her face, it was uncertain

k you

curious as to what Nna’s lie he was being told, but Nne was

y war stories?” turning her gaze to Igbane “Oya go

yelling, even Nna himself. Nna washed his hand in the wash hand basin thoroughly, looked at his palm and soaked it inside the water again, before flapping it in the air then began to eat. I watched him swallow the first round he

u have nothing to say?” Nna didn’t reply. “Ok, spo

he looked at me as if for me to confirm what he just said. I said nothing, and Nna

my little boy. Don’t infe

e did seamlessly. It was obvious what she meant, but Nna didn’t care, he kept on swallowing his rounds of pou

but I won’t, I don’t hav

Tell me, how would

n peace, we can di

ling you now is what I will tell you any

food. It was the face he gave when

hear