He hesitated. “Guy, you know I cannot be seen roaming the village with a mad girl. Besides, Zainab chases everyone away with her stick besides you. How do you expect me to care for a girl that might bite me or split my head open.”
“Zainab is not a monster. If you are kind to her, she’ll be kind to you. Anyway, on the day that I’m to leave, I’ll take you to her and get you two acquainted.”
He gave a nervous chuckle and after a brief pause, he shrugged, “Okay but how long will you be gone for?”
“I don’t know, four to ten years maybe…” “Ten years?
“Guy, I go don marry by then o. Who knows, Zainab might even be dead by then.”
When I glared at him for making such a statement, he cleared his throat and quickly apologized and I went home.
On the day that I was to travel. I went to see Zainab that morning. When she saw me coming, a smile broke on her face but when she saw Kalu behind me, the smile faded. I explained to her that I was travelling and tried to get her acquainted with Kalu but each time he tried to touch her, she would shrug him away and move to my side.
I didn’t have enough time so I left both of them there. As I got into my uncle’s car, Zainab raced after it, calling out to me and crying too, begging me to come back.
To be continued…
© Angela Okoduwa
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