Gbenga cleared his throat and began. “Hear the words of the wise man: Cleanse yourself before your own eyes, lest another cleanse you. When you prosper, found your household, take a hearty wife, a son will be born you. It is for the son you build a house when you make a place for yourself. Make good your dwelling in the graveyard, make worthy your station in the West. Given that death humbles us and life exalts us, The house of death is for life. Seek for yourself well-watered fields, Choose for him, a plot among your fields, Well-watered every year. He profits you more than your own son, prefer him even to your heir.”
“If you tell a wise one, he understands; tell a dunce, he runs into the bush.” Isiala concluded and they dispersed to their various houses.
Claude came out from the house after they left. He placed his hands on his waist, spacing into the sky. Guillaume approached beside him on the right while the mother on the left.
“Hope you understood the words of the wise man, your highness.” Guillaume told him.
“Not quite well.” Claude looked at him. “What exactly does it mean?” he asked him.
“It’s all about how to take care of your household, your son, the heir to the throne especially. And how you lead him to a better place. So it’s time you get a wife.” Guillaume explained.
“Yes, son, Chloe will make a good wife.” the mother added.
Hearing that, Claude directed his eyes to Chloe who was far, attending to some people to settle down. He exhaled. “I hope you said I can marry Eniola deaf and dumb.” he looked at Guillaume.
“Don’t tell me you’re considering having a deaf and dumb as a wife!” The mother interfered harshly.
Claude didn’t reply her, rather waited for Guillaume to answer him as silence creeped in among them.
“Yes, you can.” Guillaume finally answered.
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Days had past, Eniola, having the knowledge that Claude was living in the village, never made any attempt to see him. Actually she was preparing for her traditional wedding with Paul. She could be seen with her mother in the living room, smiling and selecting a befitting material for the wedding. Just then, Gbenga knocked at the door and entered.
“Aaah, papa Gbenga. You met us well!” Ayomide said, placing a colourful fabric on her thighs to examine it. While Eniola waved at Gbenga.
“Aah, which occasion are we planning?” Gbenga asked as he took a seat.
“My daughter traditional wedding na.” Ayomide looked at him surprisingly. “I thought you are aware.” she added.
“Yes, but I never knew it’s this soon.” Gbenga swallowed hard. “So your daughter is happy getting married to that man.” he asked her.
“Yes, look at her.” Ayomide replied.
Gbenga looked at Eniola to see her looking at a material and smiling happily. He stood up, hit his staff on the floor and adjusted his cap. “Is okay. Happiness is all that matters.” he left the house.
At night, Gbenga could be seen briskly walking through a narrow road with a torchlight like a snail hunter. He soared through grasses to the land of the hugos. He met a guard who called Claude for him. Both stood at a corner like premature thieves.
“Papa Gbenga, what brought you to our place by this time?” Claude whispered.
“The toad doesn’t run during the day for nothing; either its after something or something is after it.” Gbenga began. “I know that the love between you and Eniola is meant to be. It’s real because what an elder sees sitting down, if a child climbs on top of the hills, he will not see it.”
“Let the cat out of the bag.” Claude anxiously demanded.
“What have you been doing for days without going to see Eniola?”
“Just scared how she will react. Moreover, I have been working on how to secure a job in Lagos.”
“Well, Eniola is getting married tomorrow!”
Hearing that, Claude became emotionally sad. He exhaled, placed a hand on his waist and spaced into the sky again. Yes, his mind and soul had been on Eniola. Gbenga could see it in his eyes. So he began, “When your mind is dwelling on a past event, it is not for giving you pain in the present, but it is actually reminding you of an unsolved matter or an uncared wound that needs to be attended to, to get relief from the pain. Instead of ignoring that pain, it would be better if you accept it and find a way to reduce it by taking a suitable action. Always go for what your heart desires!”
“But does her heart desires me the way mine does?” Claude brought down his head.
“Make a move first! When people expect things to be done, that means nothing is done. Time does not wait for any man! Another man will take what belongs to you! If one fails to lick his lips, the harmattan will do it for him. The moon comes out; whenever it comes out, it shines. The time a person uses to do something he is able to do, is his own time. Utilize your time wisely!
Claude didn’t let Gbenga to finish before he took on his heels to Eniola’s house. He wore a short and a polo shirt. He knocked at the door severally before Ayomide opened it, surprised to see him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him.
“I want to see Eniola, please.” Claude replied.
“I’m sorry, you can’t…”
Claude interrupted her by barging into the house. Before he could get to Eniola’s door, the girl came out from her room and was also surprised to see him. She wore a night milky gown with a net that parked her hair at a spot. One of her hand was still on the doorknob when she saw Claude. She didn’t say anything but to read his lips.
Calude slowly went on his knees with tears that had circulated his eyes. His voice began to break as he said, “Eni, you need to understand that you’re my happiness! You know what we feel together. I’m so sorry for wh@ťěver I’ve put you through. I promise to make it right, just give me a little time. I can’t stop thinking about you.. I… I…” he stammered and let the tears drop finally. “I know deep down inside you, you have the same feelings. Give me another…”
“Enough!” Ayomide interrupted him. “You need to leave. You bring nothing to her but pains. “We are sorry, she’s getting married tomorrow.” she began to push Claude out.
“Please, you need to let her know how sorry I am!” Claude pleaded as he was being pushed away. “Eni, please, I beg you!! Give me another chance!!” He shrieked bitterly, but he was totally pushed out by the woman who locked the door. She turned to see her daughter motionless. Her hand had not even left the doorknob. She seemed confused and speechless even though she couldn’t speak. The whole thing just weakened her so she hurried and embraced her mother.
“Don’t worry, he’ll never bother you again.” the mother consoled her.
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The next day, as Ogechi was in the basement reading more about the hugos and how to avenge her father, so was Eniola in the midst of crowd; her guests who came for the traditional marriage. One could see many of them under canopies and the life band, singing their best. In Eniola’s hand was a cup of Palm wine. The traditional attire fitted her that her beauty doubled. She shook her body, hoping she was doing that according to the beat of the music. Yes, she danced sadly, locating her husband.
Everybody was happy for her, even an ant could testify to that. Ayomide, the mother danced beside Gbenga who played the fatherly role in the front of a canopy. The old man didn’t look happy too. Suddenly, Eniola dropped the cup of wine and ran out of the wedding ground. She could be seen running towards the road that leads to the hugos.
“Heeeeeyyy!!” People shouted.
“Alapa!!” Gbenga added.
“Eni!!!” The mother wanted to run after her, but Gbenga held her back. “Stay here while I do the running for you.” he picked his staff and galloped away.
Paul, the groom, became embarrassed and pissed off. “What nonsense is this?!” He shouted under a canopy.
Meanwhile, Eniola had gotten to the hugos. She stood at a spot looking around and shedding tears. If she could call Claude’s name, she would have done that with all happiness, but the poor girl was dumb, so she did nothing but to look around in tears. Many hugos were beginning to gather around when they saw a young girl in an expensive traditional attire which rose a soliloquy among them thereby attracting Claude’s attention. The young man came out from one of the houses to know what was happening, lo and behold Eniola running to him.
“Eni?” he called her and ran towards her. Both hugged tightly in a way her feet left the ground. The poor girl never let go of him as she cried on his shoulder. She wished she could express how sorry she was, how she had missed him, how she had never stopped loving him, but she couldn’t because of her plight. It was really a painful thing to her so she thought the best way to express it was to cry bitterly without little go of him. Even Claude couldn’t hold his tears too……..
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TO BE CONTINUED.