NGỌZI

Chapter Nine.

EUPHORIC;
Gleeful, excited, joyous.

The African tradition holds nothing against men
who engage in extramarital affairs, unlike women. It is not a big deal for a married man to have a liaison with another woman.

In some parts of the Igbo tradition of Nigeria, a married man is entitled to have a mistress outside his marriage even with the knowledge of his partner, thus divorce was never an option for many women in my predicament.

I had learned to live with Gozie's immoral ways since it was so evident he was never going to be a one-woman kind of man. My major priorities became my children and their well-being, every other thing had no importance to me anymore.

Six years later I gave birth to my first female child. As I would always name my kids according to God's mercy upon me, I called her Cynthia Adaugo meaning beautiful daughter.

She was so beautiful and like her eldest brothers, she was dark in complexion and looked so much like Gozie.
They were all my kids and I loved them so much, irrespective of their resemblance and complexion.

I was starting to get used to finding happiness and comfort in my children, their birth minimized the sadness and loneliness I felt every night while waiting for Gozie to return home.

My submissiveness to Gozie remained unimpaired even with his disdain towards me, I still allowed him to exercise conjugal rights. Intimacy with my husband Gozie became feelingless and repellent, as it was difficult for me to efface the memory of his adulterous affair with other women.

Two years later I got pregnant again and gave birth to my after giving birth to my second daughter. She was so different from her siblings, and I named her Ruth Chiasoka meaning God is too sweet.

She was so fair in complexion that I almost thought I had given birth to an Albino.

When Gozie came to the hospital to visit us he screamed and said "You have given birth to an albino in my house"

With his hands behind his head, Gozie goggled at my baby with total disbelief. He almost let the questions out of his mouth.

But one of the nurses present assured Gozie that she was not going to become an albino rather she was going to be very fair in complexion and this change would happen as she kept growing.

The midwife who also was present at that moment looked at me and said " Mrs Ngọzi do not tell me you are surprised at your daughter's complexion, have you taken a good look at yourself? She is just your replica"

A statement I did not expostulate because the resemblance was obvious and I was satisfied with it.

With the birth of my four babies, I started gaining more confidence in myself and being more vocal towards Gozie's irksome attitudes, unlike before I would bottle up my emotions.

Months later I traveled back to Nigeria with my two daughters to see my sons who at the time were living with my eldest brother and his wife. They were schooling at the police children's school in Onitsha in Anambra state.

As it was a festive season as well, I returned to my home town Nneohia to see my father and siblings. I did not hum and haw on visiting my husband's family too.

It was a welcoming reception from my Gozie family, for the very first time in so many years I heard them say "You are welcome home our beautiful wife".

Wow! I muttered

What happened to the days of hissing and jibes? Well am not going to act like I do not know the reason for these sudden showers of love.
The reasons were standing right beside me, I muttered grinning cheerfully.