UYAI ✔️

Uyai (six)

"I want to marry Affiong." he repeated. 
Uyai was at loss for words. All she could do was open her mouth and close it again. Perhaps she looked like a fish struggling for air, all she knew was that she was thrown off her saddle. Shock was an understatement. He actually didn't stutter. What the hell? He didn't stutter.

"W-what....Y-You...I-I" at this point she was a stuttering mess, frustrated she gave a tired sigh. Now she just stood there like a fool while the latter just nodded impishly.

Effiong walked up to her and took hold of her hand, his grip was firm and when he spoke, it held conviction. "I love Affiong. I want to marry her."

She couldn't help but look at him startled.  She blinked once, twice, she couldn't count. Then suddenly as if recovering from a stupor, she forcefully redrew her hand from his. She needed to do something to put him on edge. His sudden boldness was unsettling . She needed to say something. Sadly, the only question her mind could come up with was lame. Too lame for her liking. Well... 

"On what basis do you love my sister?"  

"Everything, I  love everything about her." Uyai was beginning to get annoyed and curious too. What happened to the stammering fellow? Why did his speech suddenly become fluent. No nervous cracks or titter.  Sue her, she preferred him when he stuttered, it gave her a little bit of power. Uyai frowned.

"Now excuse me, can you please tell me five things you love about Affiong?" she asked for the sake of it. Again another lame question, probably worse than the former. However she was a tiny bit curious.

" I love her smile, her eyes, her lips, her nose, and her hair." he finished with a wistful look.

Uyai cocked her head to the side and looked at him. She looked at him like someone that was mentally deranged. She couldn't help but mentally roll her eyes. He was the lamest person she had ever met. How tacky was that line? She wanted to throw up.

She definitely wasn't going to go easy on him.

"What about her eyes, nose, lips and hair is so captivating ?" she urged wryly to humor him.

"Easy. The way her eyes light up when she smiles, how she wrinkles her nose in a frown, how her lips crinkle at the corner when she's wistful, how her hair glows in the moon making it look like a black gem....I can go on, and on."

Uyai winced. Okay, that was definitely too cheesy and too romance novel-like for her. 

Uyai felt tempted to cover her ears.  She gave him credit though. If Edem was a sweet talker, then Effiong was definitely sweeter, he didn't even need to mention her amazing dance skills, this one might not even need a plant for that matter, all he needed was these words and Uyai was sure Affiong would fall for it. Wow! Double wow! Uyai needed to stop underrating these village men. They got more honey in their tongues than she ever expected. Indeed any woman hearing those words might blush and tremble, that is if they've not read  romance novels and if they were still sane like her.  Uyai suspected her expression must have shown her disgust 'cause he suddenly had on a skeptical look. She only had to snap out of it and regain her composure because she was not done with him.

No, not at all.

Uyai knew she had to step up her game and make him sweat.

Uyai coughed. "What makes you think Affiong would accept your hand in marriage hmm?" She raised a daring eyebrow.

Now it was his turn to look unsure, so of course the stutters came back in full force. She almost sighed in relief.

Thank God it's back.