EBUBE NASTY!

 My mum, Ebube did not know her parents. The duo died in an auto crash on their way from Benin to the village in the eastern part of the country. She leant that she was also in the ill – fated car, but was rescued unscathed from the wreck. The onus of raising her then rested on her maternal grandmother, mama Uju. Mum never lacked good things of life. She grow to be a spoilt child and a tomboy. Mama Uju was dotting over her like a hen to her chick. Because of this over protection and indulgence, she was able to commit some grievous offences and went scot-free un like her peers.

I was told that she once slapped a male student-teacher who pinched her buttocks, when she was in the secondary school. When the issue was investigated, the horny teacher was sent off from the school and Ebube became a folk heroine among her mates. She even had a nickname; everybody was calling her Ebube Nasty!

As she was known for her notoriety in the village, Ebube was said to be very brilliant in her educational pursuits. When she sat for her secondary school final papers, she came out in flying colours. Mama Uju was very proud of her granddaughter and she grew wings and became uncontrollable. She was a regular figure at night parties and always on nocturnal trips, even outside the village, this weird development sent some jilters into Mama Uju. All her treats and entreaties to stem this behavior failed.

Respite eventually came. Whether it was the best option was controvertible. A young guy had just come back home from Dublin on vacation. Kalu’s (that was his name) Parents did not want him to go back to Dublin without a wife. He agreed to their request but with a proviso; the bride to be must be educated or possess a good result that would put her on a good stead to continue her education in Dublin. Ebube readily fitted in. The mariage rites were hurriedly arranged and performed. Her travelling documents were expressive processed and perfected and the new couple left the shores of Nigeria for their base in Dublin. Mum got pregnant in her first month in Dublin. Because of this development, she had to suspend her educational pursuit.

When I was born, I was taken to a foster home in order for my mum to prepare for her matriculation examinations. She was successful and offered admission to study nursing.

There was a snag though, the couple did not have enough financial clout to foot the educational bills and still cater for my up-keep. Contrary to the impression my dad gave when he came home on vacation, though he was well educated, he had not secured a permanent job. It was then resolved that I should be taken to Nigeria, this was hurriedly done and my paternal grandparents became my foster parents. My mum passed out from her school and was employed in the same teaching hospital. She gave birth to three other children, three boys in a tow and were all raised in Dublin.

I grew up in Nigeria and qualified as an English language teacher with combined honours in English language and education. My siblings were calling me Nigerian made. When they say Niger made I would answer them Proudly Nigerian!

I met this charming young man at a wedding ceremony. It was on that same day that the propose marriage to me. Though I liked him I found his request ridiculous and unbelievable. I was the chief bride made at the wedding ceremony, while Dan was the best man. After some months of playing hard to get, I gave in to his request and we started courtship. He was handsome, intelligent and comfortable.

After meeting into his parents, I traveled to Dublin to intimate my parents about the wedding arrangement. As promised during my visit, they came for the ceremony my mum brought the wedding gown, rings and other accessories. And even Dan’s wedding suits and pair of shoes were provided by her.

She had got our measurements during my last visit to Dublin.

My parents liked Dan. He two liked them. He even remarked enthusiastically once-“What a happy family you have Ini, I’m very proud of you all”.

An unbelievable thing happened in the week preceding my wedding day. Precisely three days to the D-day, we were putting finishing touches to the wedding arrangement, going through all what we had done and the one yet to be accomplished  when mum quietly called on Dad and said, “Honey, you won’t lead Ini to the alter on her wedding day. It will be morally wrong of you to do so” I thought my ears were playing some tricks on me. I pinched myself to make sure make that I was not dreaming.

“Dear, what are you talking about? Are you out of your senses? Is the tension of this marriage taking its toll on you?” It was my Dad that was talking. I decided to chip in something to douse the tension.

“Mum you…” She did not allow me to finish my sentence before she continued her verbal diarrhea.”Ini my daughter, you can’t understand. The truth must be told. I have wronged Oritse a lot. I must return what is his to him. Kalu, the truth is that barely a month before you came home on your vacation to pick me for marriage. A burial ceremony took place in the village. One of the daughters of the deceased, Aunty Vero, who was my cousin, came with her fiancé, whom she later got married to. A friend accompanied this man and I got intimated with him. I was his partner and lover throughout his stay in the village. It was after he left that I realized I had missed my monthly period. I was at the verge of sending messages to Aunty Vero to intimate her on my predicament when you came on the scene. Before I could put my acts together, you were talking about marriage and both families were all over me. I could not think straight before we travelled out.”

The issue had been pricking my conscience all these years. Respite came when we had to send Ini back to Nigeria for upbringing. Why I have decided to return Ini to her real Dad is that I met Aunty Vero some years ago during one of my trips to Nigeria. She told me that Oritse’s wife died during child birth. Since then, he had not got another child. Two other women, whom he settled down with on separate occasions, each left him without producing any child.”   “These women are now proud mothers in their respective homes, while Oritse remained childless. A meeting was arranged and I told him about his daughter. We have been on constant communication since and he is equally preparing for this wedding ceremony in his own way. He has met you Ini on two occasions but you did not know him. I would arrange for a meeting between him and us tomorrow so that we could sort things out.” I was too engrossed in what mum was saying to notice that Dad was just sitting down there, his breathing was no longer regular. While mum was giving her epistle, she was pacing up and down like a pastor delivering a powerful sermon from a pulpit. She too did not know that Dad was no longer listening to her. I drew her attention to his state of health and we rushed at him. He could not raise his limbs again and his mouth had bent at an unpleasant angle. We rushed him to the hospital where we were told that be had suffered a severe stroke! He died few hours later.