He called me on phone and asked if I still remember Joy. I was confused. How would I know a particular Joy when there were many of them? I scratched my jaw and asked him the particular Joy he was yakking about.
He exhaled noisily then asked if I remember Joy the girl who accused him of impregnating her back then in the village. Yes, yes. I shifted on my chair with much curiosity. It’s been a very long time. It’s been about fifteen years!
He told me he was actually responsible for that pregnancy. From his tone, I knew he was crying. I felt goosebumps all over my body. My lips quivered. Was this a joke or something?
I could remember that very day, fifteen years ago. We were all under the mango tree at his father’s compound. We sat face-to-face with Joy’s parents. I sat beside him on a bench while his parents, his elder sisters and uncle sat on one long bench. Trouble had set in when Joy’s father opened his mouth and mentioned Uche’s name. I nearly fell off from the bench as he zipped towards the poor man like an aggressed masquerade.
His father, uncle and myself went after him before he did something stupid. I escorted him back to our bench and Joy’s father kept staring at him. Joy was then asked to name who was responsible for her protruded belly and she pointed at Uche who almost went out of control again. He said she was crazy to accuse him of what he knew nothing about. He called her names. He said he had never had any monkey business with her. He said their friendship was just mutual and wasn’t past the arm.
But I’d suspected him to be responsible for that pregnancy. He was closer to joy than any other living thing in the village. There was nothing more that could be done since uche said he wasn’t responsible. You don’t force a necklace on a duck!
Moreso, uche’s family was affluent. A wealthy family in the village back then. His father was a ward councilor and knew a handful of people in the government. Councilor was a big position in those days. You dared not offend the Okoyes without rotting in jail. Nobody had been thrown into jail by the councilor anyway, but we always assumed there was no other consequence for tampering with them.
I could also remember the day we’d met Joy on our way from the barbing saloon. I’d escorted uche the son of councilor to the best salon in the village – a little set-up by the roadside ran by a little man who always thought himself to be more exposed than everyone else.
We never thought joy could come our way. She had become a shadow of herself. I swept a sympathetic glance at her. It was apparent that life had become worthless to her. I knew she was going through a lot all by herself. Her parents were poor. I only knew her father to be one of the veteran hunters back then.
She made to stop us but uche didn’t wish to. I slowly went after him staring at the poor pregnant girl. I mumbled a greeting but she began to say a lot of things loudly. She laid curses on Uche. She said whoever had made her life miserable would never know peace. His life was going to be miserable – he was never going to produce any other child and he would die a painful death! My eyes had gone round. That was preposterous!
However, Uche had brushed her off. He said her words were like a drowning person’s and had no power over his life. I knew uche loved this girl. He was only being proud. He was letting pride rule his will simply because of his background. How could a son of councilor stoop so low to marry a nobody? His family could never let that happen even if he was actually responsible. Of course, no other person could’ve been responsible if not him.
Although I once had a quick one with joy when uche had traveled to an undisclosed place but that didn’t mean it could’ve resulted to her pregnancy. I had laid her just once while uche had her all to himself. Besides, I have three kids. If I was responsible for the pregnancy then, I couldn’t have produced any child as her curse bound…
CURSED DESIRES 1
© Victor SN Okeworo
