Bride Price Wahala Scatter My Home / Chapter 3: Suffering and Stubbornness
Bride Price Wahala Scatter My Home

Bride Price Wahala Scatter My Home

Author: Elizabeth Martin


Chapter 3: Suffering and Stubbornness

Ifeoma stay for Musa family two months after she leave. When she come back, she don lean, hand rough like person wey dey do bricklayer.

Her skin dark from sun, nails broken, hair no dey shine again. The Ifeoma wey leave my house as soft pikin, come back with the look of person wey don see things.

My mama heart cut, run market buy fresh things do pepper soup for her.

She dey slice utazi leaf, pound yam, even borrow money to buy goat meat. As she dey cook, she dey sing old folk song to hide her worry.

The plantain dey fry for old black pan, oil dey pop like firecracker, and the sweet smell fit wake person from deep sleep.

Ifeoma hold me, dey happy dey talk how she dey live village life.

Her voice no carry regret, she dey dance small as she talk. "Daddy, you know say for these two months, I don sabi wetin 'to born pikin na wish, to train am na virtue, to support na grace' mean."

She look my face, want make I praise her for suffering. I just nod, dey listen, but my mind dey wander.

"My mother-in-law dey go bush everyday, dey cut firewood, sell am for market. She use money buy meat for Musa, herself dey chop only garri and vegetable. She suffer over ten years just to train Musa reach secondary school. No be big thing?"

She dey explain with pride, as if say na trophy. My mama squeeze her hand, dey pity her. Me, I dey watch for sign say she go wise up.

"I think say I suppose work hard too, so Musa fit enjoy life. So everyday, I follow my mother-in-law go bush, cut firewood, chop garri and vegetable with her, give all meat to Musa. After two months, I feel say I don achieve something for my life."

Her voice dey soft, but her eyes dey shine with that stubborn light. My mama look me, her own eye dey ask question.

Na so, two months don wash her brain finish.

I shake head. Old Ifeoma for never gree. But love dey make person do wetin e no suppose do. My mind dey worry.

My mama just invite Ifeoma make she chop pepper soup, but after she hear all this, she just shock. Pikin wey she pamper now dey rush go suffer.

She cover mouth, look her with pity. House people dey gather, dey whisper. My mama dey wonder whether she spoil Ifeoma too much before.

As if say e no do, Ifeoma look the pepper soup, talk:

"Musa never chop better food like this before. How I go chop am? To support my husband na wetin wife suppose do."

She push the plate go one side, carry all the meat put for nylon, no even ask permission. My mama mouth open, but words no come out.

She begin pack pepper soup, carry all the ingredient and soup for kitchen, even the pot she no leave.

Na so she empty kitchen, even take my best stainless pot. Neighbours dey peep, dey gossip say wahala don enter this house.

Me and my mama just look ourselves. How we wan chop? Anger don full belle.

My stomach dey rumble, but I just sigh, no talk. My mama dey wipe sweat, look Ifeoma with sadness. Hunger dey bite but pride no gree us beg am to bring food back.

After she carry pepper soup, Ifeoma begin dey carry things dey go. First na my rechargeable fan. Next, my sister lipstick and cream vanish. Things dey miss anyhow. If e continue, me and my mama go soon dey sleep for floor.

I notice say my wristwatch, my church offering money, even my sweet cologne don vanish. Every day, something dey miss. My mama dey complain, but Ifeoma just dey act like say e normal.

"My son, you see my bangle? The one I keep for safe—my bride price. How e disappear?" my mama ask me, worry.

Her hand dey shake, voice low. That gold bangle na the only thing wey remain from her own mother. She dey near tears.

Ifeoma just waka enter.

Her face show say she no send anybody. She drop wrapper for chair, open fridge, begin dey look for more things to carry.

"Oh, that one? I see say e go fit my mother-in-law, so I give her."

She say am like say she donate gala for traffic. My mama mouth hang open, her eyes red.

My mama body dey shake with anger. Na her best thing be that.

She hold chest, her voice crack. "Ifeoma, you thief my bangle? God go judge you o!"

I vex, slap Ifeoma.

The sound loud, everybody shock. My hand dey shake, but I no fit control the anger. Neighbours gather for window, dey gossip.

"Go bring that bangle back. If you no bring am, no come this house again."

I talk am with finality. My voice thunder, house quiet. My mama dey sob, Ifeoma stand like wood, no talk.

Ifeoma no even show remorse. She answer me with bold face:

Her lips strong, she no blink. "My mother-in-law na better woman—she deserve to wear expensive gold bangle. You, old woman, just dey sit down dey chop life, but you no fit wear better thing."

The insult choke, house silent. My mama lean back, her body dey shake, chest dey rise and fall.

My mama too vex, na so she get heart attack. If no be say we get emergency medicine for house, she for die there.

I rush, find her drugs, neighbours help fan her. Ambulance no come on time, but God save am. My own hands dey shake, fear grip my heart.

Ifeoma no even care, still dey ask me:

Her face dry, voice steady. "Daddy, Musa no get work now. You fit arrange work for am for your university? E no too big."

My anger no get part two. I work thirty years to be professor, now she wan make I give job to person wey only finish secondary school?

I rub my head, try hold tears. This pikin no get shame? All the struggle I struggle, e still dey ask me to risk my own job for Musa?

She know say if I do am, I go lose my work.

Even my colleagues for university go laugh me—dem go say I dey use power anyhow. If HR hear, na sack letter sure pass.

I just look her, talk am one by one: "No way. With him certificate, the only job wey fit am na to carry block for site."

I talk am slow, make am understand. She frown, tears dey her eyes, but I no pity her this time.

Ifeoma burst cry.

Her cry loud, echo for compound. People dey peep, dey whisper. She throw hand for air, shout say life no fair.

"Why you dey look down on Musa? Even if na only secondary school he finish, na person wey my mother-in-law train alone. Who you think say you be?"

She stamp foot, voice break. My mama just cover face, dey pray. I just shake head.

Support? Wetin be support?

I dey remember all the money, all the effort, all the sleepless nights. Support? Na so support dey turn to curse?

To make she sleep more for morning, I buy house near her school—na support be that?

I shake head. For her mind, all this na normal. She no dey appreciate.

When she no dey pass, I pay for lesson teacher; I pay for every lesson, na support?

I count all the times I run from work to lesson centre. She no see am as anything.

Before exam, I beg lecturers make dem teach her—na support?

I humble myself, beg people to help her, just so she go shine. Still, she no see am as love.

When she wan marry, I buy house and car so she no go suffer—na support?

I do am so she go stand well for husband house, but now e turn to problem.

I no understand. Wetin I dey do since all these years?

I dey ask myself, if all this na waste of love or na me no sabi show love well. I pour drink, swallow am like medicine.

This chapter is VIP-only. Activate membership to continue.

You may also like

Bride Price Wahala Exploded
Bride Price Wahala Exploded
5.0
Tunde faces shocking betrayal on his wedding day when his girlfriend’s parents demand an outrageous ₦50 million security deposit, threatening to shatter his dreams and disgrace his family. As tensions rise and hidden resentments erupt, Tunde must choose between family honor and the woman he loves. With every moment, the risk of losing everything grows, and what should be a celebration turns into a battle for dignity and true love.
Bride Price or Blood: My In-Law’s Trap
Bride Price or Blood: My In-Law’s Trap
4.8
After paying ₦2.8 million bride price, Chijioke travels home for Christmas to seal his engagement—only to face a greedy in-law council demanding millions more, plus a house for his fiancée’s brother. Humiliated, abandoned by Ngozi, and driven to the brink as his father lands in hospital from the stress, Chijioke must choose: lose everything for love, or fight a family ready to sell their daughter like cattle. In a world where tradition becomes extortion, how much can one man sacrifice before he breaks?
Bride Price Wahala for Village Love
Bride Price Wahala for Village Love
4.9
After ten hard years as a househelp, Ifeoma returns to her village with only her pride and dreams. When she’s faced with a marriage proposal from Musa—the so-called 'old bull' of a powerful, dramatic family—she must battle gossip, jealous co-wives, and her own fears to claim happiness. But in a world where bride price means everything, will love or tradition win?
Bride Price Jar: Traded for a Bridal Keke
Bride Price Jar: Traded for a Bridal Keke
4.7
When hunger drives Lilian from her aunty’s house, she’s dumped with the proud Okoli family—forced to fill an impossible clay jar before they’ll call her wife. Every kobo is earned with blood, sweat, and public shame, but just as the jar fills, her engagement is switched to an even poorer rival family. With her pride and savings in hand, Lilian must choose: suffer for a loveless marriage, or ride away in a battered keke, dignity ringing louder than any wedding bell.
Bride Price Palava
Bride Price Palava
4.9
Yusuf’s dream wedding turns to disaster when his wife’s so-called childhood friend, Kunle, disrupts every tradition and exposes a shocking secret that threatens to tear their marriage apart. As Morenike struggles between loyalty, shame, and love, Yusuf must decide if his pride and trust can survive the ultimate betrayal. With family honor and millions at stake, every move could spark a fresh wahala.
Bride Price or Blood: My Marriage War
Bride Price or Blood: My Marriage War
4.8
Midnight rain pounds the zinc as my wife guards her bride price like gold, refusing to save her own mother in the hospital. One IOU, one broken phone, and curses fly as family turns enemy, and tradition becomes a weapon. Tonight, I must choose: betray my marriage vows or let blood spill—because in this house, money is thicker than love.
My Wife Sold Me For Bride Price
My Wife Sold Me For Bride Price
4.9
Tunde sacrifices everything for his wife’s family, only to face betrayal when she shames him publicly just to force him to buy a house for her brother. With his respect, marriage, and sanity on the line, Tunde must choose between being used or finally fighting for his own happiness. Will he escape their grip, or lose everything in the process?
I Paid Bride Price for Udara Boy
I Paid Bride Price for Udara Boy
5.0
Ngozi’s entire future is on the line after she accidentally kills her supervisor’s beloved udara sapling. Desperate to cover her tracks, she stumbles into a wild Naija WhatsApp scam, buying a ‘tree’ that turns out to be a fine campus boy with bride price attached. Now, shame, heartbreak, and pure wahala threaten to destroy her reputation—and her degree.
Betting My Bride Price Against His BMW
Betting My Bride Price Against His BMW
4.9
On New Year’s Day, my cousin slammed his BMW key on the table, daring anyone to match his pride in a high-stakes card game. With my fiancée’s wedding gold and our future apartment on the line, I risked everything to defend my family’s dignity after he disgraced my father in front of everyone. As the stakes soared—money, houses, even bride price—one wrong move could destroy my love, my home, and my father’s honour forever.
I Bet My Marriage On My Wedding Night
I Bet My Marriage On My Wedding Night
4.8
On her wedding day, her drunk husband loses ₦380,000 at a rigged family card game. The crowd demands payment, shame threatens to bury her parents, and her new marriage hangs by a thread. But when she sits at the table and reveals a secret no one in the village knows, the real game begins—because this bride is ready to gamble everything to save her family’s pride.
My Bride Price Shame
My Bride Price Shame
4.9
Princess Adaugo returns home with a secret that could destroy her royal family’s honour. Forced to choose between her love for Musa Bello and her duty to the kingdom, she faces betrayal, gossip, and the heavy price of peace. In a world where a woman’s worth is traded for war, will Adaugo’s heart survive the storm?
Behind the Wall: My Neighbor’s Secret Bride
Behind the Wall: My Neighbor’s Secret Bride
4.8
Through a small hole in my shabby Lagos flat, I watched Amaka—a woman too fine for her own husband—hide a double life, hustling love for survival. When stolen bride price money sparks violence, betrayal, and death, my own dreams of love and escape twist into a Lagos nightmare. Years later, as I finally find happiness, the past returns with one look from the woman I thought I’d left behind.