ISOKENE (I DON’T WANT MY WIFE SMILING)
© Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde
Episode 10
“Aunty, You know I told you Ibidolo was to return three days ago which was exactly a day after I came here, but I didn’t know he wanted to give me a surprise.
Ibidolo returned the morning I was coming to your place , he said the Taxi was close to our house when he saw me coming out of our gate. He had told the Taxi man to stop immediately as he was surprised when he saw me coming out of the house all wrapped up.
He said, he knew the body was mine but why was I wrapped up ?. He said Instant Anger rose up in him, thinking I was going out to meet a man. He told the Taxi man to trail me. Ibidolo said he was fuming in the Taxi wondering where I was going. He trailed me till I got here. He said he was quite shocked when he saw you coming out of your house to meet me at the gate….Aunty Betty, you won’t believe Ibidolo stayed in the Taxi for the 3 hours I spent at your place…
After I left your place that day, I went straight to the market to get some food items all still wrapped up, my thought was since Ibidolo was to return the day after, I wanted to get his best meal prepared and have the house really clean.
I was still wrapped up, even though I was all sweaty and uncomfortable, all I kept telling myself was. “I am playing the FOOL now, so that my Joy can be FULL”.
“ I am playing the FOOL now, so that my Joy can be FULL!
I am playing the FOOL now, so that my Joy can be FULL”.
I must have said this like over 100 times though the hot sun was telling me what I was doing all wrapped up was a wrong thing…
I got to my junction and waited for over 15 mins to get a bike home, but I couldn’t get one.
Ibidolo parked at a far distance and gave me a phone call…
“ Did you suspect He was around?” I asked Isoken as the story was quite intriguing
“At all, even when we were speaking on the phone I didn’t suspect a thing…So Aunty, please let me continue my story” She laughed heartily
“ Hey Isokene my dear” Ibidolo had said when he called
“ Ibidolo, my love how are you? how is Abakaliki… I am really missing you….”
“ I miss you too, Will be home soon, don’t worry”
“ Tomorrow is not soon ooo, It is too far for me.. because I have a big surprise for you, something that will make you smile”
“ Really! tell me…I can’t wait to hear it” Ibidolo said
“ It won’t be a surprise anymore if I tell you”
“ Come on… do you want me to tickle you over the phone” ibidolo said laughing
“ Now, You are making me laugh, Ibidolo”
“ Wait ooo, where are you that you are smiling this way, hope it is not where everyone can see you?”
“ I can assure you that no one can see my smile, because I have found a lasting solution to it,”
“ What?”
“ That’s the surprise… doesn’t my voice sound deep”
“ Yes it does like you have a cloth over the phone!”
“ That’s it, I am not saying anything again”
“ Aunty, I laughed and hung up but little did I know that Ibidolo waited till I got a bike and trailed me till I got home. “
He said his heart almost burst, he saw a woman who loved him so much and was ready to sacrifice her smile for him…He didn’t know when tears fell from his eyes and the taxi man said..
“ Oga,( Sir) even though your wife is a veiled woman, you still don’t trust her?, but thank God you have seen that She doesn’t have a boyfriend….Sir, please trust your wife, it will give you peace of mind… I have been in the cab business for 30 years and my wife is a beautiful hairstylist, my friends told me I should keep her indoors since Most times I am always on the road and I only get to see her for few hours in a day, but I choose to trust her… and till now she is still my wife after 35 years”
Ibidolo said he couldn’t explain to the man I wasn’t a veiled woman as he couldn’t find his voice yet. He paid his fare and walked in….
