Chapter 2: Fertility Wahala and Family Pressure

My family get one kind strong fertility for body, e dey pass from generation to generation. For our family, pikin dey flow like river Niger—nobody fit block am. If you check our lineage, na record-breakers we be for delivery ward. Dem dey call us 'multiplets' for church because anytime belle show, dem dey prepare two cots minimum.

My grandma born eight boys and two girls. That time, she chop landlord family reach dem pack go village. Omo, landlord sef dey fear my grandma, say she dey multiply faster than NEPA increase bill. For village, dem dey use her story scare small pikin: 'If you no behave, Mama Uzo go born you join her children.'

My mama born twins—boy and girl. She wan born more, but condition no allow, so she stop after that one, still dey regret till today. E dey pain her, sometimes she go dey look our old pictures, shake head, 'If no be say your papa lose work, I for born full football team.'

After two generations of experience, my mama no let me rest. Every Sunday after church, she go call me, sit me down, talk and talk. She go say, 'Amaka, I no wan hear say you go marry person wey no fit handle your engine o.' Sometimes e go sweet me, other times I go just dey tire, but I respect her wisdom.

"When you wan marry, find fine bobo wey get correct family. This your body no easy to handle. Twins na small thing for us. Triplets na normal. Once once, if you born four or five, nobody go even shock. So abeg, pick fine person, so your pikin go fine and you go enjoy to raise dem. Pick person wey get strong background, so your pikin go dey secure. Remember your grandma own—no go chop person family reach dem poor." She go fold her arms, eye me from head to toe, 'No come disgrace our name. Carry sense enter marriage.'

I just dey keep all this for mind. So I no dey rush enter relationship. Sometimes, my friends dey laugh me, 'Amaka, you dey do shakara.' But I dey reason well. I dey guard my destiny like woman wey hide money inside bra.

Until some days ago, when the Okoye family—the richest people for this country—post recruitment notice:

[Big money, abeg, we need daughter-in-law. Thirty million if you born boy, twenty million for girl. Just born pikin—the Okoye family no dey lack money.]

The way people rush go apply, e resemble fuel station wey get new supply after scarcity. Market women, graduates, all of us just dey hope say na our turn. Dem dey fill form as if na NNPC recruitment.

As I see am, I just apply join for fun. Before I know, I pass all stage, reach finals, come even carry first. Dem call me for interview, ask me wetin I fit bring come the family. I just tell them, 'My womb dey reliable. Give me one week, make you see.' Everybody burst laugh, but na so I win dem.

As I collect offer, I call my mama sharp sharp.

"Mama, e be like say we go soon hammer!"

She hear the whole gist, just shout,

"Ah ah, abeg, take am easy—no go run dem bankrupt o!" You know say she like to form gentle, but na so she dance for our parlour, dey tap leg like say na new yam festival.