Ndi Igbo (Discontinued)

Otu

Ada allowed the cool breeze to stroke her body a few more minutes before entering her compound. She left her friends a couple minutes ago and decided to reminisce on the night she just shared with them, a much needed one. She thought back to the first time she arrived in Lagos and chuckled; the steel bridges and fast moving cars made her jump every other second, the number of Mr Biggs she saw was more than all the local shops in Nsukka. She was sure she wouldn't be able to last a week in this monstrous city. That was until she met Azu at the market on her third day. "What was the point of bringing her here, to sit idle?" Her madam had retorted to her husband after he shared his disapproval of Ada going out by herself already.

As Ada walked through the market, her eyes caught some fresh ugwu at an elderly woman's stall, she almost drooled at the thought of her mother's okro soup. Mama's soup was always a vibrant green from the okro and ugwu leaves, finely chopped. "Mama, how much for three bundles" the old lady took notice of Ada's accent, it is clear she was not from around here, "300 naira dear" as Ada was taking out the money, she heard a shriek from behind, "300 ke! Madam how did you come up with such a number?" Ada turned around to see a tall girl, skin the colour of Saharan sand. Everything about her was slender and symmetrical, her top lip just as plump as her bottom, her eyes reminded her of a black cat's, a deep brown colour staring at you like they had just figured out your secret. The shrieking girl reminded her of those women she saw in the magazines lying around in her madam's bathroom. They looked so elegant with their slender fingers and perfectly manicured nails, but this lady standing in front of her acted bullishly waving her right hand while her left was firmly placed on her hip. "Look how fresh this ugwu is, can 50 naira give you this?" The mama retorted back but the shrieking lady only laughed "you don't even have shame, old woman like you sees a naive girl and wants too teef her. But it's ndi igbo that love money to much" the shrieking lady kissed her teeth and grabbed Ada's hand "Nne let's go to a correct stall" Ada was too overwhelmed to know how to react but her body went along with the force of his lady. The shrieking lady was right, this ugwu looked fresh and was only 50 naira, "thank you ma" Ada softly said only to be granted with another shriek, "ma ke? Please I'm only 18, don't make me older than I am! My name is Azuka, what's yours Nne?" Ada smiled as she opened the gate into her compound. Her Azu, her nwanne nwanyi.

Ada was about to close the gate until she saw bright flashing lights coming closer to her. Who could be driving up to the house at this time? She saw the body of a woman but knew it was not her madam because it was not her car, this lady also had curly hair unlike her madam. Ada continued to gaze at this mystery car until her squinting became bulging. The woman turned on the car lights showing the clearer image of her and a man in the car. Her oga. By the time Ada had sense to run into the house, Chuks' eyes met with hers and mirrored her reaction. The woman's hand slowly dropped from Chuk's face as he hastily climbed out of the car and made his way towards the timid girl. "Ada it's late, what are you doing outside?" Chuks asked sternly, the sound of a man angry at being caught. Just like Chuks, Ada had no reasonable explanation for being out so late, so she did the first thing that came to her mind, she ran. She ran into the compound, past the boys quarters, into the house and straight to her room. She got into bed and closed her eyes instantly, she didn't feel like reading anything tonight.

"Nne the red or blue dress?" Rose stood in front of the mirror as she held the house telephone between her ear and shoulder. "You already know my answer, ikebe super for that red dress" Rose's friend Uchenna replied causing her to chuckle and kiss her teeth. Their friends were coming round for dinner this evening. She was not in the mood for guests tonight, especially after hearing Chuks sneak into bed late, again. She'd like to think he was staying up late to work, she'd like to pretend he was staying up late obsessing over the latest Biafra update, she wouldn't even mind thinking he just didn't want to come to bed with her. But at 11pm, when he was sure she was deep in sleep, she'd hear the front door creak open and shut softly. Many times she had prayed to tune out those light sounds that shouldn't even wake a baby, but every night, her stomach would tighten and her heart clench. Rose said her goodbyes to her friend and looked over to her husband who was still pretending to sleep. He thought she never noticed but she was well aware that he'd do anything not speak to her. "I'm going to shower, you will be late for work if you don't get up now" Rose said as she walked into the bathroom.

"The restaurant was so fancy guys, and they had this beautiful aquarium" Ojiugo was telling the girls about her date last week as they walked to school. "And when I tried to pay, he looked at me like I was crazy! But if it was to buy pure water on the road, Eme will be avoiding my eyes, onyara" Ojiugo's statement caused Azu and Ada to laugh. "I thought you were Ojiuga Nwa Nsukka, Ndi Igbo" Azu mocked her friend beating her chest three times causing Ada to laugh again. Ojiugo kissed her teeth as they turned a corner "please, Ahmed is just fun, nothing more." Ada looked at her friend confusingly "but he's from a good social background, he can take care of you. Hausas don't play either, they date to marry" Azu rolled her eyes at her naive friend "Hausas Nne. Hausas marry hausas. They will sleep in our beds, eat our food, dine us and take us back to their hotel rooms. They will take everything but our hand in marriage. That is reserved for the respectable and groomed north girl" Ada turned her focus from her friend to the skies in an attempt to avoid another political conversation. She especially needed something light after the night she had. She could not sleep with the ingrained picture of her Oga and that woman in her mind. She always held him in high regard, he always respected her, smiled down from his newspaper every morning and greeted her with a "good morning Nne". He would help her when she couldn't reach the spices at the top of the cupboard, he gently shooed her away when her madam was starting to become irritated by everything. He was such a patient man, even in the market when they tried to cheat him, he never fought, he always gave whatever they asked for. "I promise you Ada, they need those extra nairas more than I do" he would always say. Such a kind man. So she could not understand how he could do this to her madam, how he could be unfaithful to her. But she also remembered how her madam would always cut him off in front of guests, laugh at his discussions about Biafra in front of his friends. He was always patient with her but Ada still noticed the resentment in his eyes, the way his lips would form a firm line whenever she embarrassed him. There is only so much a man could take, maybe he reached his breaking point much earlier than Ada realised. Either way, according to Ada, that issue was for them to figure out between each other, she would not be burdened by who to be more loyal to, especially for a woman who once called her the light of her mother to now refer to her as the house help.

~ Guys I am so sorry for such a late update. I have been sitting on this chapter for ages but was apprehensive to post it because it felt unfinished to me. However, I decided I could use the first few chapters to set the scene and establish main characters. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think.

Debs