I would be lying if I said I was ready for this question. I didn’t expect to meet a panel waiting for me. I was the one who insisted I must bring my son over to MD’s house, the house of his father, so that his wife can be reminded that I am the wife who has given him a son. But most importantly, for MD himself to know that my son and I are an integral part of his home and his resources. But getting here to meet his family waiting to meet me wasn’t part of the plan.
“Em…well, everything depends actually….” I started to speak. I had no idea what I was saying but that was the first thing that came to my mind.
“Depends on what, can you explain?” the man urged me on.
“Well, it depends on what MD and Aunty Elizabeth want,” couldn’t come up with something better to say.
“Of course, you should know that before we even asked you, we must have discussed extensively with them. Or maybe you want to hear directly from them yourself…” The man turned to MD’s wife. “Elizabeth, you heard the young lady, she wants to know what your position is on the issue.”
Aunty Lizzy smiled. She had a beautiful smile that I really liked. It was the kind of smile that told you that she must be a good woman because her smiles often came from the depth of her heart.
“Of course, I am in full support, my dear,“ she said to me, sounding very truthful about it. “You know how I feel about you, Anita. From the very first day I set my eyes on you, I knew my husband had chosen well. And you not only gave us a child, you gave us a son, it can only mean that God too has approved for you to be part of this family. So, please, tell your parents that it is time for you to join us here as a family. This is your place and we are waiting for you,” she said, sounding genuinely happy about it.
At that point, I was confused. I was not expecting such an outpouring of love from her. Here was the same woman I thought would be scheming to push me and my son out of MD’s future plans and eventual WILL.
“I will discuss with my parents and with MD,” I returned shyly.
“What are you discussing with me again? I thought this was what you wanted?” said MD who had been smiling all through.
“Sure, it’s what I want but, still, I will have to discuss with my parents, they still have their reservations about me being married into a polygamous home.”
“So, you think your dad might not approve of you marrying the father of your child because he is already married?” the elderly man asked.
“I can’t say, sir, I will have to speak to him first,” I returned.
The elderly man nodded. “Okay, but what about you, what do you want, is it to be married to the father of your child or to drop his child and go and marry someone else?”
In my mind, I was feeling like, should I give this old man a knock on the head? What is he talking about? Would he advise his own daughter to start giving birth to babies for multiple fathers? But I managed to restrain myself. He is an old man, maybe old age has started to worry him.
“Of course, I want to be with the father of my child,” I retorted flatly, managing to put a faint smile on my face to conceal my disgust.
“Really? That’s good!” he exclaimed while the others laughed and nodded in approval of my response. MD too had a big smile on his face. From the corner of my eyes, I stole a glance at Aunty Elizabeth to see if she approved of my response like the rest did. To my surprise, she also had a huge smile on her face and it looked very genuine, like it came from the depth of her heart.
“I think we have questioned our wife enough, it is time for us to give her something to eat,” he turned to his wife, “Is the food ready? Can we move over to the dining room now?”
“Yes, we can,” Aunty Elizabeth answered. She stood up and walked gracefully to the kitchen. MD threw me a quick look, gesturing for me to follow her and assist her in the kitchen. I got the hint and I promptly did as he suggested.
The kitchen was the most beautiful kitchen I had ever stepped into. It was big, neatly arranged, with the most exquisite cabinet I had ever seen. They had expensive plates, cups, cutleries, some gold, some silver, all on display in the cabinet. I fell in love with the place instantly.
“This kitchen is the most beautiful I have ever seen, Aunty,” I said to her. There were two young ladies, both younger than me, cleaning cups in the kitchen. They both turned and greeted me. I responded with a nod.
Aunty Lizzy turned to me and smiled. “Thank you, dear,” she answered, beaming with smiles. “Many do say the same thing when they see my kitchen, it was designed to taste.” She paused and then went on. “Are you a lady of taste and quality, Anita?”
I wasn’t expecting that kind of question. Didn’t even know where it came from. Was she trying to rub it in to remind me that I am not from a privileged background? But I quickly flashed her a smile.
“Of course, Aunty, I think I am,” I replied promptly, looking straight into her eyes. “I have always been a girl of good taste right from my childhood days. And besides, if I wasn’t a girl of good taste, I don’t think MD would’ve approached me in the first place.” That must’ve stunned her a bit but she hid it well from me. It was a subtle missile. If her plan was to subtly throw shades at me, then she has met her match. But typical of her, Aunty Lizzy simply smiled again.
“I like that. I like when a lady is confident,” she returned. “But don’t worry, there is still plenty of time for us to talk about how you used your quality taste to catch my husband!” She struck back her own missile. I took it well too.
We began to serve the dishes and soon we settled down to eat. The nosy elderly man said a short prayer and everyone started to eat in silence. The stew was delicious. The meat tasted even better. Little did I know then there was still a bit of trouble waiting for me…
…to be continued
