Chapter Two

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2

Later that evening after dinner we were sitting outside I and mama,Mama untied her wrapper and released the knot at the end of her wrapper and brought out some cash folded together and she handed it over to me.
"You said you wanted to go to school,take this and go register that exam you said you want to register"I looked at my mother's face,her face was full of wrinkles now she had me after 12 years of marriage,she said she had thought she was barren,then God blessed her with me
Mama was against me going to further my education.....this village was all about finishing your secondary education and getting married,Mama wanted that for me too but Mama giving me money for JAMB was something else.
"Maami (my mother)"I managed to voice out
"Wo omo mi (see my child) my only fruit,my Beautiful daughter,Ajoke mi(my Ajoke)I know I told you not to further your education,I know I told you to get married like your mate but I had a deep thought about it,I saw we are not like everyone"adjusting her wrapper "Ajoke go and do whatever makes you happy,,,,Wo omo mi(my child) make me proud "
"Maami Eshey (Thank you my mother) I will make you proud"
"See am going into my room I want to sleep my leg has being aching me"she went inside after giving me a beautiful shock.
I was so happy....first thing in the morning am going to Mr.Steven house so he can help me with my registration.

I was close to our house when I saw Mama meeting women outside.
"Ah what are this women looking for"I was frustrated by just looking at them but they can't kill my shine...I was just so happy today.
Those women were busybodies always with the latest gist,but what can they do in this small village where nothing special happens so the little that happens they make it big news.
"Good evening maami,good evening everyone" they all replied
"Ah Ah mama Wumi see as Wumi's hips is getting wider"iya labake said staring at me.
I just laughed in response cause left to me I will use my eye to kill her....I just went inside
"Am her mother of course at her age my hips were wider than that"I heard mama telling her
From where I was in my room,I could hear the conversation going on.
"Ehn ehn...that aside iya labake(labake's mother) I heard Labake is getting married to our chief's son congratulations o"iya Jude said.
"Abi o"iya labake said laughing am sure she would put on that her proud look by now,they started talking about cloths and when the wedding will hold
"Congratulations"I heard mama say "but when are we starting this meeting...I left my shop to get to this meeting "Mama said impatiently.
"Ah ah iya Wumi be calming down now...abi are you not happy for labake "the snake of the group said...iya bisi was a monger for trouble,she loved starting fights.
"Why won't I be happy but some of us got things to attend to" Mama said with a calm voice knowing my mother well she was already pissed off.
"Abi now let get to what we came here to do now!!"iya Lola added.
"Ehyaa iya Wumi I didn't know you were pained now,sorry ehn,and Wumi is a fine girl o why won't she get a husband and iya Lola Is Akani already tired of your daughter? Is that why you won't allow others to celebrate with me ehn?" Iya Labake said.
Mama laughed out loud"iya Labake why would I be pained my daughter wants to forward her education,when she is done with her university education don't worry we will call you for her wedding" Mama hissed out loud.
"Akani has promised to marry my daughter alright,let get this meeting started before I beat the living hell out of someone here today"things were going wrong already.
"Come and beat me now you crazy woman...no wonder your husband carried another wife"that was a really low blow thrown by iya labake to iya Lola everyone knew she was still sour from what her husband did.
"Iya Lola look at me"I heard my mom say"don't let it get to you if not for the mother of the popular thief in the village and the mother of doctor John regular customer all this won't have happened calm down my friend" I was close to the window now looking at what was going on.
Mama threw one eye at Iya bisi daring her to say a word...everybody knew doctor John was the abortion doctor of our village and we also know that Bisi was always removing a child,Niyi Bisi's older brother was always caught stealing one thing or the other.
This was really going to end bad.
"See if you know you want to fight iya labake let meet another day ,today I need to get to my shop,see meeting is over"Mama stood up.
"See her jealous woman!!that why she has only one child"iya labake said from where she was sitting down others were already standing up and going to their house.
"Nike"my mother called out Iya labake name" do you want to have a black eye and broken leg on your daughter's wedding if not go home now without saying any other word"my mother said staring her straight in the eye.
She just hissed and left when I saw that coast was clear I came out and saw my mother comforting Lola'smum who was sobbing quietly.
"Is alright don't mind that fool"mama hugged iya lola.
After iya Lola left I turned to my mother and saw her staring into the air.
"Mama are you okay?" I said knowing fully well that my mother may feel affected after what iya labake said,my mother loved a lot of children and wished for a lot of children as a young girl....she looked up at me and smiled.
"See my beautiful Ajoke...am fine,I won't let those women get to me...just study hard and bring all those big big beautiful cars and a very rich man"I was laughing hard now "then they will feel seriously burned"
"Pepper them"i said.
"Yes pepper like atarodo "Maami said I couldn't stop.
Laughing and mama was smiling I just loved this woman.
Looking at her I promised myself that day to study really hard and become successful to pepper them like atarodo.

I love Mama's character so much 🥰
In every proper Nigerian society there is always one or two people like iya labake and iya Bisi🤦🏼‍♀️
Iya means Mother (in Nigeria we call someone's mother by their child's name so it will go like Iya Wumi)
Atarodo means red bell pepper 🫑

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