Alacrimia | √

Chapter Eight

03:20 pm, September 10
Kogi State, Nigeria.

It was the naming ceremony of the Mádégún twins. They'd just been named Oluwatade, Hairum and Oluwajoba, Haysam each as they were Muslims. It was a joyful ceremony as everybody wanted to bless the twins with gifts. Even  non-indigenous guests from the cities had come to grace the occasion, mostly the new parents' family and friends. Gifts of different shapes and colour just kept piling up under the gift canopy to the delight of the glowing parents.

The village women now busied themselves circulating food around the numerous tents in front of the house. There were varieties of local dishes; Mọ́ín-mọ́ín, ẹ̀kọ, àmàlà, jollof and fried rice, iyán, ẹ̀fọ́, and many more to feast the eyes and mouth on.

Eniiyi was feeling extraordinarily happy today. Everything had gone well since morning; she hadn't encountered Taiwo or Lastborn — who were now on her black list of perpetual enemies, Grandma had taken her to the local supermarket in the next town to shop and, to her own gratification, hadn't fed the one thousand naira note to goats like she'd promised (That had nothing to do with her fear of goat, did it?) and had bought a pair of baby beanies with pompoms and wrapping paper for the twins. And now food was flowing in like wine and she couldn't help sampling a little of everything even though she was a light eater.

She was busy sampling some hors d'oeuvre: a mixture of sweet, sour and bitter fruits, veggies and garlic. And the taste was so amazing that she decided to go for second helpings. One had been served per person so she had to make her way to the back of the house where food was coming from.

' . . . said she needs to spend about two more weeks to fully heal,' a voice was saying, as Eniiyi got closer to the backyard.

'Eewo, kílódé tóbẹ̀?' another woman said.

'After all the fourteen domestic fowl and other expenses made?'

Eniiyi paused at this. She didn't want to venture into the midst of so many women, especially since she didn't like most of the village women. And, it'd feel so awkward going there, she wouldn't know how to greet, and if one thing, she'd found out that the village people took umbrage if not greeted by a child (rubbish, if you asked her). Moreso, she wouldn't know who or where to face exactly with those numerous scrutinizing eyes that'd be pinned on her. If she faced one person and greeted, the others would think they'd been ignored and it wasn't possible to face them all at the same time. Ugh, villagers are stupid and boring!

'He sha knows what he's doing, abi? Has he not cured many others?'

'These diseases those city people bring upon themselves. And she won't even admit it, instead, she keeps insisting she has this stupid cancer,' another lamented.

'What's to expect? Living in those ill-aired places where the air is constantly polluted by modern contraptions, and eating all those junk òyìnbó food?'

'I'm worried, my brother's son lives in that Abuja, too, o.'

'No need to, Iya Moji, just send them local herbs on regular basis.'

From what she'd heard, Eniiyi believed they were talking about that woman she'd met for the second time the previous day. Anger bubbled from deep inside her. So these were the people harming that woman! Well, they deserved to get a piece of her mind.

She didn't know when she stomped out of her erstwhile spot and faced into their midst.

'Rubbish!' she declared. 'That fake man is just exploiting you, he has nothing to cure cancer, he's not a doctor!'