Chapter 2: Family Rules and Broken Bonds

Aunty Hadiza carry one notebook, begin read rules one by one. As she dey read, Ifeoma face dey pale dey go. I think say na play before, but na for my parlour dem dey read am now.

She flip page like teacher, voice loud like town crier. "Number one, wake up 5:30 every morning, cook breakfast; every day different food. Number two, no show face for husband without makeup; always dey smile. Number three, hand over full salary every month, if not, na disrespect be that." She continue, no pity for Ifeoma face. Rules reach like one hundred, people dey murmur.

My mama vex, drag dem commot for house.

"Na who una be? Una dey do like say una family na king for village. See as una dey make mouth! My granddaughter wey I love since she small, na una wan come use anyhow?"

Her voice carry thunder, neighbours come out dey watch drama. My mama remove scarf, slap her leg, and point at Musa and him mama like judge for village square.

"Musa na only secondary school finish, my granddaughter na first-class student. Look una face! If no be say my pikin like una, una no go even enter my house!"

She look Musa up and down, spit for ground like old woman for market wey no get time for nonsense.

"If una no wan marry, carry una wahala go! Make una comot, no expect make we follow una!"

She slam door.

The door shake, everybody quiet. Some neighbours dey peep from window, dey whisper. Ifeoma just stand dey look ground, tears drop for her face like small rain for dry season.

Ifeoma no fit hold tears again, she cry enter my mama arms. True true, she never suffer before, never even enter kitchen. How she go take manage?

She shake for my mama bosom, cry dey soak her wrapper. My mama rub her back, dey whisper old Igbo prayers to calm her. My heart dey cut, but I keep my face hard.

My mama console her tire. Me, I just dey drink. Na when my mama promise say she go carry her gold chain tomorrow go buy big gold bangle, Ifeoma manage smile small through tears.

She sniff, look her grandma with small hope. My mama touch her hair, nod, whisper say she go do anything to make her happy. I sip my schnapps, the bitter taste calm my nerves.

I cross my hand, talk with cold voice.

"Talk of gold bangle, the five gold things wey Musa promise never show. Abeg, hear your grandma, no marry."

I talk am steady, my voice no shake. My mama look me, eye dey beg. Ifeoma just hug herself, her shoulders dey tremble.

Ifeoma just keep quiet. She love Musa, but she fear to go suffer for big family.

Her silence loud pass generator. Everybody dey pity her, but nobody wan make she go suffer for marriage. Her eyes dey red, but her mouth no talk again.

My mama try calm everywhere:

"Better pikin no dey enter house wey no get luck. Ifeoma no go marry."

She talk am like proverb, her voice heavy. My cousins nod head, house quiet as church for Good Friday.

As she talk am, Ifeoma vex, eye red, look my mama:

"Na you be the unlucky old woman!"

Even the radio quiet, as if the whole house dey wait for thunder to strike.

The whole parlour freeze. My mama lips dey tremble. My body shock, I no fit talk for that moment. Ifeoma hiss, run enter her room, slam door.

She run enter her room.

But nobody fit sleep that night—the insult still dey hang for air like bad spirit.

My mama just quiet, wipe tears for sofa. Who go fit take insult from pikin wey she raise for over twenty years?

Her hand shake, she look window, her eyes blank. The rest of the house just dey tiptoe, fear make she no break down.

I wan comfort her, but this one na just beginning. When real wahala land, she go understand.

I walk near her, touch her shoulder. She wave my hand away, whisper, "Na God hand I dey." I sigh, pick my phone, go backyard, dey think of next move.

Early morning next day, Ifeoma pack her load, leave house—all because Musa tell her:

"No matter wetin, anywhere I dey, na your home."

She drag her small Ghana-must-go bag, no look anybody face. Her eyes swollen, but she still smile when Musa call her. My mama weep, say her pikin dey go enter wahala. Neighbours dey shake head.

My mama no understand. I just tell her:

"Children don grow, dem get their own mind. Leave am."

She sigh, pray under her breath, call her prayer beads. I hold her, tell her make she rest. E no easy to watch pikin carry herself waka.

I no get time to dey worry for pikin wey love dey blind. I call my sister make she sell the new house and car wey I buy, freeze all my money, leave only small for daily use.

My voice sharp, I tell my sister, "Abeg, sell everything, keep small for feeding, the rest hold am tight. Make nobody touch am." She confuse, but obey.

My sister no understand, dey ask me plenty question. I just dodge am, say she go understand later. For this life, dem no go see my money.

She argue small, but I lock phone. For my mind, I dey tell myself, "This time, dem go learn say na only who get sense dey chop life."