25 AND NIGERIAN,episode 2

Its the morning of the fourth day of January, Akudo's traditional marriage had come and gone. I was packing my things when my mother walked into the room and was smiling in her usual manner you'd know she was about to say something sarcastic and there goes it ''Nne this one you are running to go back,no one is chasing you away from your father's house o'',as if i knew and didn't want us to get into another argument so i just shoke my head in affirmation and she left the room whistling.

Soon i was ready to leave and my twin had volunteered to drive me all the way to Port harcourt since it wasn't a long distance from our home town in Abia state, i went into Mother's room to let her know i was leaving. She asked that i kneel so she could pray for me, my Mother didn't finish one sentence of prayer without asking God to bless me with my own husband,it was a routine that i had to be her prayer point at every single devotion and i was even used to it ,i only smiled and made low gigly sounds while i said Amen after Amen,i am just 25 and she is making it seem like i am 50,all wrinkly and fighting menopause but even if i were,what's the big deal. What if i didn't want to marry, i am sure all the church prayer warriors will make our house their second home where they can destroy every demon that would have pushed me to making such decisions.
Mother concluded her prayer that was majorly about my getting married,she even forget i was traveling so we had said the grace before she remembered she didn't ask for journey mercies,so much for marriage.

I was quiet all through the drive to Port harcourt,my brother thought i was even sleeping,the day's weather was cool so i let my mind slip away in thoughts while my eyes were shut, i thought about how i was going to become a millionaire with chains of businesses by the end of this year, travel to choice destinations and enjoy the good things of life.  One would think i am supposed to be bothered about my mother's marriage rants.... Nah! i was already getting used to them and only needed to think of a way out of her new found reason for official wahala.
 I was brought back to life from my fairy tale thoughts when Nnamdi's asked of the road to take, i opened my eyes and directed him till we got to the gate guarding the compound where i lived.
Its a story building and i occupy one of the one bedroom flat upstairs, i told my brother. The compound is rather too massive for just one building and i always wondered why the land lord had to build a small house on it. As if my brother read my thoughts,he asked the same thing about my land lord and his house space issues while making a joke of it and we laughed as he helped me take one of my bags out of the trunk of the car.  We got into my flat and i had to start cleaning immediately because it was dusty,Nnamdi said he had to go visit some friends at Choba and beat time as he had to leave back to the village before the sun sets.

 I was through with cleaning and dusting the house and was making a meal of jollof pasta and dry fish that i had taken from home when my phone rang,its my Mother. I had forgotten to tell her i was home,i picked and we talked for some time and as usual she ended the call with ''if you were married now,you won't be eating that food you are making alone.. You know it would taste better having someone around right?''. I just replied ''yes ma,i know,take care of yourself we would talk later,let me attend to the food so it doesn't get burnt''.

After i dropped the call,i had a flash back to all my mother's drama in the village and i have decided i was going to get married this year. I just needed to find someone who would go along with my plan to please my mother....
Yes,i finally had a plan!

To be contd!
Ifunanya Ononiwu (c) 2016