"Ima wake up!" Mama tapped me.
I opened my eyes and shut them quickly against the bright light from the lantern that mama carried in one hand. In her other hand sat a bowl of mixed herbs in goat's milk.
"Ima wake up." She repeated.
This time, I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I heard the cock crow the second time.
"Mama good morning." I greeted.
"Good morning. Quickly, drink this." She handed me the bowl.
The smell from the bowl nauseated me. It smelt horrible.
"Mama, isn't it too early for this concoction?" I queried.
"Look, stop asking questions. Drink."
I already knew what it was meant for. I looked at Emem and Nsikak on the mat. They were still sleeping. I reluctantly gulped the mixture in a mouthful.
"May the spirits of our ancestors bring you good fortune." Mama said in a serious tone.
Then she left. I felt my head, it ached. And my eyes were sore from too much crying the previous night.
It was daybreak. I was sweeping the fire place and yard when my jovial friend, Idara came.
"Ima-obong émésiéré." She greeted in our local dialect.
Idara was a thick figure, very fair skinned girl with lips so red and nose so pointed she was assumed to be abnormal at birth. She was quite a talker but well protective of those she loved. She had immense strength and agility. Once, she had been in a fist fight with two other girls at the same time and she beat them almost to stupor. She was carrying a bucket.
"I have come to fetch you for the stream Ima."
She bent to whisper into my ears; "we have girls stuff to talk about." She said with a mischievous smile, eye brows dancing.
I laughed. We had talked about boys. Gossiped other girls. I wondered what news she had this time. I finished sweeping and went into the house to carry a bucket.
"Remember that uncle I told you about last week? The one whom Utibe is carrying a child for. Yesterday I saw him at the market. He walked up to me."
She paused, searching my face.
"Really!?"
I acted perplexed though within me I was not surprised because Okoi, as he is called had been known to be a woman chaser.
He had chased me once but I never told her for fear that the news may reach mama's ears and mama may not believe my own side of the story.
"Yes!" She exclaimed.
"He said I should tell my father that he wants to bring palm wine for him, concerning me."
She threw her head back and bursted out with laughter. I tried to force a smile.
"Ufan (friend), are you okay?" She asked.
I nodded from side to side but she wasn't having it.
"Spit it out." Her face was flushed with anger.
"I've known you for a long time, I know when you are disturbed Ima."
I spent the next few minutes filling her in concerning the ordeal of the previous day. She hugged me, said some words to brighten me up untill we got to the stream and filled our buckets with water.
*******
That afternoon, I visited Idara at her house.
"Get out of my house!" I heard Idara's father, Pa Essien say.
"Ette Idara, it is only palm wine." Another voice echoed shakily.
"Leave now before I kill you! What a joke! " Pa Essien's voice thundered.
The curtain, acting as a cover to the front door flew open and Okoi, the woman chaser ran out in a speed I had never seen before. He almost knocked me to the ground but I dodged out of the way.
I saw Pa Essien coming out with a machete in his hand. Idara followed, laughing hysterically. She laughed so hard that tears wriggled out of the corner of her eyes.
"Good afternoon Sir." I said but before Pa Essien could hear me he had gone into the house already. Unlike my father, he was peevish.
"That man actually came as promised?" I asked Idara.
She was still choked in laughter. I shook my head and smiled.
My friend was a beautiful woman. Her polished, sugary skin had attracted an army of ants to her abode. I felt unlucky. Not many men had chased me that way. We were both nineteen years.
When she was done laughing she slapped my shoulders playfully.
"Ima-obong, men will disgrace themselves." tuah! She spat.
"Now that you are here, come and join me break some melon." She said.
I followed her to her mother's bipartite kitchen. A goat that was lying down stared at me with eyes so grotesque, like I had come thieving.
"I hope you are preparing to attend the ekpo dance festival? I heard that some white men will be present!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"Truly?" My eyes bulged out.
She kept talking about pellucid matters but my mind rather drifted away from the present into the unforseen. My little head had a thing for melanin-absent humans. This, I have kept a secret.
🤩😎🤩😎🤩😎🤩😎🤩😎🤩😎🤩😎
Do you believe me now when I said earlier that you'll enjoy the story?
Well this chapter is a filler. The real thing starts in 1...2...3... Boom!!!
Move on to the next chapter already okay? Alright bye for now, see you in chapter 3!
Ta-da! 😘
©Maryamada Kasi
2020
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Life Before a Storm (A Nigerian Story) COMPLETED
General FictionA young girl meets two friends, both males. She falls in love with one and her love is not returned. From dropping out of school, to carrying an unwanted pregnancy, to losing her father, she had to go through the worst experiences of her life.
