Ride Her Shoes

1- His request

A girl is innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and motherboard dragging a doll by the foot
~Alan Beck~

Uga, Nigeria. 1993.

The gliding movement of the eke, python snake as it rubbed it's stomach on the ground moving freely as though it owned the area, instigating fear in the hearts of visitors who dared not go close to it while increasing the pride of inhabitants of the area as it moved.

No one dared to kill it for the fear of the elders and the consequences that would follow as it is said to be harmless and had helped them in the past.

One could easily differentiate between a visitor and an indigene by their reaction when they see the snake. As usual the visitor would always run away from it, even children who are of the land would run showing just how little they knew about their town.

It was August in preparation for the New yam festival and masquerades were always coming out to entertain the people and it would continue until the celebration was over.

The laughter of the children dancing to the song of the masquerade while running away from it could be heard from afar.

Although, it is unethical for anyone who hasn't been initiated into the masquerades fraternity —which is only for males— to dance to the masquerades drum, it is sometimes irresistible as it holds beautiful tones and rhythm.

Nmachi could have been one of these children had she not attained maturity rapidly. Her breast occupies the entire space on her chest and her nipples stood firm, peeping through her dress. Her hips were a lot wider, giving her a more defined and curvy feminine body.

At an early age of 7, her mother, Nwabuko had taught  her everything there was to know about womanhood and that everything was farming, cooking, marriage and child bearing.

Every young girl knew this as a matter of fact, they looked forward to doing these things and bearing children especially male children as they were the pride of every family and any woman who failed to give birth to a male child stands the chance to share the love of her husband with a second wife because men always want someone to take up their names and inherit their lands and huts.

If any man fails to have a male child and dies, his properties would be taken away from his wife and daughters by his family.

Now 18, Nmachi didn't see things in the same light as her mother and that some times is the cause of their disputes. Her mother wanted her to be a wife and a mother but Nmachi wanted more out of life. She wanted what her mother wanted for her but many more before that and it scared her mother a lot

"Nne," Nmachi called Nwabuko who was plaiting her black afro hair using a black thread which is specifically used for hair making.

"Mmm," her mother hummed while trying to adjust the thread with her lips as she whipped it continuously around the portion of hair she had singled out.

Without thinking of the possible implications of what she was going to say and how best to present it, she said,"Nne, I want to go to the university and become a big woman like Aunty Akudo."

Upon hearing that, her mother gave her a heavy knock on her head

"Eeey, Nne what did i do?" Nmachi asked as she got up immediately from where she was sitting with her two hands rubbing on her head, rubbing the spot on which her mother had hit her.

Nwabuko pointed at the position in front of her where Nnmachi had gotten up from,"Ngwa, sit down." She ordered and Nmachi reluctantly  obeyed in fear of another knock.