Aduke knew there was no need to lie, she needed to face her mother square on. She was ripe for marriage. The knowledge of who her father was never seemed to bother her, until Adekunke rubbed it on her face. His last words, “Who will collect your brideprice?” kept ringing in her head.
“Aduke, I spent the whole Odunayo festival making those Ileke, how is it possible that you didn’t sell all of them? How do we repair our leaking roof now?. Maami asked with anger in her voice.
“Who will collect my brideprice, Maami?” she asked quietly.
Maami was shocked at her question. Where was this coming from?. Who did she meet at the market?
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“Who did you speak to. Ahhhh. You fell from the sky, Aduke. I don’t know your father. I sent you to the market to sell off Ileke, you return with questions. Aduke, I have no answer for you. When you are hungry, you can have your Amala beside your bed”. Maami said as she began to walk away.
” I wish I fell from the sky. It would have been better. Then I will know I’m a bird. But how can I be a human and not know my father, Maami? Adekunle asked me today, “Who will collect my brideprice?. I couldn’t say a word. I came home to you, and you told me I fell from the sky. It’s not a problem”. Aduke replied.
“Why do you want to know your father. Haven’t we been doing well all these years?. Have I ever bothered you about marriage or grandchildren? Why does Adekunle’s words bother you?. Is Adekunle not the struggling blacksmith that you kept turning down till he decided to be with Funmi? Have you changed your mind about him?.
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I have trained you to be strong, hardworking, stand on your own two feet. Who will collect your bride price? Aduke, go and sell the Ileke in the market, let us replace our roof before the rain starts”.
Aduke looked at her Maami. She had a lot to say, but couldn’t form the words. There was no need to continue with the conversation. Without thinking, she took her basket and started heading out.
“Where are you going to?. Maami called her in surprise
“To sell Ileke and repair our roof. Is that not what you want?. Aduke shouted back.
Without looking back. Aduke headed for the market. Maami knew that there was no need to pursue or beg her to come back. She knew her daughter. She had the anger and audacity of her father.
Aduke arrived at an empty market. Everyone had gone home. She sat amid her Ileke. She couldn’t even understand herself or why she came to the market this late. It was anger, one she didn’t get from her mother, who was a more patient person.
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This is how she was going to be a second wife. Ha! Not to Adekunle. He will mock her. He will make sure he ridicules her existence. Because there is no father to collect her brideprice, she will be a free wife, one who enters a man’s house without honour. This is not the life she planned for herself.
While she was deep in thought, her eyes fell on a shadow in front of her. It was a long shadow. She looked up and saw a woman. She was tall, beautiful, and light-skinned. No, she hasn’t seen that face in Odunayo. While she was staring at this stranger, it dawned on her that the market was empty.
Ha! A spirit has entered the market!. A spirit has come to buy Ileke. Who sent her to enter the market this late? She was in trouble?. This was a real-life spirit.
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Now she wished Adekunle would come to her shop to save her.
She looked up again, and this beautiful stranger was still staring at her. Aduke pushed her sacks of Ileke on the floor. She remembered what her mother told her, how spirit beings come to the market at night.
If only she could see the eggs that she would throw at this stranger to make her disappear. She was in trouble,
“So you allow your customers to stand in the dark, Aduke?. The stranger said.
“Mo gbe!. Mo ti ku” (I’m dead). Aduke shouted in tears. She has met a real-life spirit.
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