Resuscitated Hope - Episode 2

 

Emeka was sitting on a plastic white chair outside his shop as he and his friends played draft, laughed and chattered away in their Igbo dialect, while their servants looked out for customers.
Just then, he took a deep breath and let out, "Nna mehn".
This is mostly used when one have a dicey topic to bring up and his friends both gazed at him.
Dozie gesticulated, "Nwanna, I hope all is well". Nwanna is an Igbo word for Brother, as Chinedu stretched out his hand concurring Dozie's question..

Emeka grew with a wide grin and let out, "Nothing shele and Mega" taunting in a pidgin language.
"I'm getting married, finally", he quipped in.
"Oh boy!", they both chorused.
"I can't believe, our smooth talker is getting married before us . This life is complicated", said Chinedu.
"Oh boy, forget the talk, that's not the main; who is the lucky girl amongst the many you had mingled with", Dozie said.
"Err....., he wanted to talk as his eyes did a freeze tag with Mama Efe as she had been eavesdropping to their talks. That had been her way anytime she heard topic that seemed trendy to her ears. At least, she had seen topic she would discuss with her friend Mama Ofure whenever she came.

Read " The Missionary's Journey " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/resuscitated-hope

. Her gossip buddy had been the one with most gist these days.
Mama Efe quickly hissed after the stare, and flapped her fingers whilst rolling her eyes.
Emeka hence lowered his voice to avoid her hearing what they were saying and also informed his friends.

"Err, I'm getting married to Yewande", he finally said..
"What!", they both screamed and reechoed, a Yoruba girl?! loudly.
Now Mama Efe heard 'A Yoruba girl' word and was willing to hear more as Emeka, Dozie and Chinedu could see her trying to position her ears which wasn't fetching anymore talks for her. She was trying to stand and walk near them in search of what was not missing, so she could hear the remnant at least.
They couldn't take her nosy attitude anymore as they moved inside the shop and she bit her fingers in a regret.
She thought of how to link the 'Yoruba girl' word she heard and Yewande came to her mind.
"How am I going to link this", she kept thinking. I don't even talk to her.

Meanwhile in the shop.
"Say wetin?, A Yoruba girl?", Dozie and Chinedu queried.
"Any problem? Love wins", he retorted.
"This is more than love, so tell us what she used to win your heart?, their food? Pregnancy?", Dozie asked.
"Guy, forget", Emeka rebuked him.
Chinedu chirped in, "Anyhow, it's no problem, he is grown up and can make his decision; good or bad".
"Thank you", Emeka said wryly.

**********************
December 1979

"These loads are heavy", Yewande winced.
"Err, I told you to carry little. It's just a three weeks visit", Emeka told her carelessly.
"You know this is all for you? I'm trying to get this gifts for your mother and my mother in-law to be", she said putting her hands on her waist with you-cant-do-anything demeanour.
"Let me take a peak", Emeka said and came closer.. This is beautiful, he hugged her. In between the hug, he started having mixed feelings..
Will my mother accept a Yoruba girl? My father? Relatives? This is unbearable, but I love her and I will do anything to convince them. He had been a good child and never had a reason to disrespect his parents. The only boy and last born among six girls 
He snapped out of the thought and they both carried suitcases and bags to the car bonnet and arranged them neatly to fit, for their long journey.
"All roads leading to the eastern Nigeria", they chorused.
He drove off.
About thirty minutes drive, Yewande slept off..

In two hours time,
She woke up and looked around.
It was a sunny afternoon and traders were making noise, cars were honing and passer byes, heading to their various destinations.
Hawkers were running helter skelter trying to outsell the others in a long gridlock.
She turned to Emeka, "are we still in Lagos?, how many hours drive?, This is my first time to the east and journeying to a long distance and it all sucked"
"No, this is Ore, Ondo state", Emeka replied.
"Wow, I was made to believe Lagos is the only main city that could pull this large number of people and I thought people had abandoned their states to come to Lagos. Now, I know better", she said.
"Buy cold pure water, groundnut, banana etcetera", the hawkers chanted.
Just then, a girl who harmattan had dealt with came to their window with a tray of groundnut and banana. One could notice the severeness of harmattan to her from her white and peeled face to ruffled hair while her brother that wasn't left out in the misery, carried a bucket of cold pure water.
Yewande bargained with them and finally bought enough for herself and Emeka.

She was eating until the road was free and she kept observing the natural ecosystem around from Ondo to Edo and Delta till they arrived Onitsha, Anambra then to their home town, Nnewi.
Village children's could see a car and likened it to someone coming from a city for Christmas as those cars coming to their village was in season; Christmas and Easter it's for sure.
They all rushed out to welcome who it was and get some gifts.
Emeka stopped in his compound and came down with Yewande as the kids and some youths helped in bringing down their loads to their apartment.
He saw a hyperactive lady who was unnecessary happy as she carried the loads, then Mama and Papa Emeka came to welcome their son and his friend, they thought.
He could see the joy in his parents heart. They must be proud of him.
They offered them seats.
"Adaku, go and serve the food to your husband and her friend", she said as Adaku scurried away to the kitchen.

Emeka was jaw dropped but Yewande wasn't aware of her environment.