AN OVERSEAS HUSBAND
CHAPTER 1
It’s been 5 years since I last travelled to my paternal home in Imo state. Considering the high cost of transportation from Lagos to Imo state, daddy will always say, “don’t worry, we’ll travel next year.”
And that has been what we’ve been hearing for 5 years but daddy returned from work one evening and said, “we’ll be leaving in 2 days.”
“How can we leave in 2 days? We haven’t bought anything.”
My mother reasoned that travelling from Lagos to Imo, you had to be ready to spend. Sje already had a list. A bag of rice. Rolls of milo and milk. A carton of indomie. Half pack of spaghetti. Tons of tin tomatoes. A pack of maggi.
“Those have been taken care of. You remember Ifeanyi?”
“Is it that our customer we normally buy rice from?” Mummy asks.
“Yes. He’ll bring everything tomorrow. My friend, Okey, has promised to take us in his car.”
The happiness on my face as I packed some clothes into my box was akin to that of a 12 year old traveling to the village for the first time.
“Daddy, this one aunty is happy that we’ll be going to your village that doesn’t have light, let her stay back and watch the house.”
“If I beat you eh.” I replied as Jeremiah runs to my mother for safety. “Don’t you know that is where I will do my traditional wedding.”
“But you don’t have any husband or do you want to marry that brother?” Jeremiah asks as he puts on a questioning look.
My mother seats up, with curious eyes and raised brows, she draws Jeremiah to herself. “Which brother? Tell mummy, my boy.”
I was trying to give him eye signals to keep shut but he was bent on exposing me. I still wonder why my mum gave birth to him, probably to spy on us because that’s what Jeremiah is good at.
The other day, he had reported my younger sister, Hannah for pressing my mother’s phone. He doesn’t stop at making report but making it seem like a big offense. He told her that Hannah was calling her boyfriend with Mummy’s phone.
“Aunty Stella came to pick me up after school when one brother parked his car and was calling aunty, hey fine girl.” Jeremiah made sure to demonstrate how the said brother was calling me.
“What now happened?” My mother was seriously listening to him as though anything new was going to come out from his words.
“Aunty Stella went and answered him and even told him her name and gave him her number.”
My mother now turns to me, staring at me with a funny expression. She wanted to sound surprised despite the fact that I had told her about the incidence, although I didn’t tell her I had given out my number. She didn’t want Jeremiah to feel bad that she wasn’t surprised.
“But mummy, the brother is fine and has a big motor. Is he the one aunty wants to marry?”
“You ask alot of question, Jeremiah. When your elder sister wants to get married, you’ll know.”
“Will I be the little husband?”
“You mean little groom?” My mum asks as she begins to laugh. Jeremiah nods in affirmation. Most times I wonder if other 6 year old children are this troublesome and inquisitive.
We packed our clothes as I counted down in hours to the D-day. I had called Chika and informed her that we were finally coming to the Village. Chika is my cousin who’s a year older than I am.
No one knows why I’m really enthusiastic about this trip. Mother will be surprised when she finds out.
TO BE CONTINUED. . .
ยฉ Rejoice Kelechi
