romoke ,a story by swankmee
Romoke,episode 3,story by swankmee
"romoke! " I stirred and opened my eyes to see
my sister staring at me, she already had lines
that showed frustration and unhappiness on her
face.
" sis Nike " I said rubbing my blurry eyes and
sitting up in bed. Is it even worthy to be called a
bed at all? She sat close to me, adjusting her
already faded Ankara blouse. I stared a her even
more, God! I can't even believe that this is my
immediate elder sister. She was looking too old
for her age, Her light complexion had turned to
something else.
"romoke.... Hmm... How are you " I looked at my
sister she doesn't come to me to talk like this
except there was something serious to say
" am fine... "
" how is dimeji? And what is he saying
concerning your marriage "
" we broke up......... Yesterday " she frowned her
face and then released it again
" okay but I hope all is well? " she asked again.
" yes...... All is well..... He is just not serious "I
concluded.
" well okay then, actually maami called sister
Bose and I ". But why did maami call them? I do
the chores and the cooking, I also washed her
clothes. So why would she report me to my
sisters.
" but what have I done this time"
"hmmm......... Romoke relax you haven't done
anything wrong.... Am sure you know babatope "?
So what has babatope got to do with this issue
now, babatope is one of the richest men in our
village, he was also the first person to build a
mansion in the village, he is a very rich cocoa
farmer and he has about two wives, so many
young ladies were dying to be his concubine not
to talk of being his wife but I was an exception. I
never even liked the short, bald, arrogant man.
"yesss... I know him, so what did he do? "
" he is presently in maami's room"
But what is my sister trying to say? So many
thoughts ran through my mind, abi was babatope
having affairs with maami? But of course not!
She's older than him. I waved my foolish
thoughts aside and decided to concentrate on
what sis Nike was saying.
"he said..... He is so much interested in you and
wants to marry you as his third wife "
" what!!!! "
It sounded so new to me, it came as a
bombshell. But how on earth will I marry that old
cargo, I didn't even let her finish what she was
saying before I stood up to open the door, she
stood up quickly and pulled me back.
" ahnahn....... Romoke what do you want to
do?..... Sit down let me explain things to you so
that you can know what to do. " she pushed me
to the bed and sat close to me
" look, he has already paid your bride price to
maami and baba, he just wants to come and
finalize things so that he can take you home "
" what! How can they accept my bride price
without even letting me know? " I said asked no
one in particular as tears of anger, pain and
frustration clouded my eyes. My sister just sat
there patting me on my shoulders, I was
shivering, confused, disappointed, I didn't even
know what to do looking round the room an idea
struck my mind.I quickly got up from my bed and went to where
my clothes were and started packing my clothes.
My sister was still staring at me then she stood
up to go.
"well.... Romoke, just make sure you make the
right decision and follow your heart so you won't
end up like me". She tied her scarf to her waist
and left the room. Unlike me, sis Nike was not
lucky, she was sold out to a trader, I would say
sold out because Maami needed money as at
then for her firewood business so she sold her
out at age 18. Sis Nike got m, arried to the man
and he used her anyhow he wanted, though he
already had 3 wives. Sis Nike sometimes gets
beaten by her husband, sometimes when her
husband comes home drunk she would be raped
by him. Life was so unbearable for her, even
when she started having kids, she would be
beaten, starved. There was a day she ran to
Maami for money.
"I won't even dare make such mistake". I said,
tucking the last piece of cloth into my worn-out
traveling bag and zipped it carefully, I checked
round the room to make sure there was nothing
left then I closed the door and left.
***************** Babatope smiled to himself just
the mention of her name sent him sparks and
blood rushing fast and hot through his veins,. He
wiggled his legs again and smiling in anticipation
for Romoke's grand entrance, at least those
dangling orange-sized bossom will be his forever
he thought this time around he laughed out
causing his friend Aremu to look at him, but
where was his orange-sized lover? He frowned
his face it was taking forever to wait for her, he
whispered to his friend who in turn cleared his
throat and said
" ahemmm... Iya Romoke, time is going we want
to go with our bride" Babatope noded his head,
Aremu is his spokesman that was why he
brought him over to Romoke's house so that if
she gets too stubborn, Aremu would help him
bundle her out of their house.
"ahnahn Nike, Romoke is supposed to be here by
now, where is she "? Maami squeezed her face
and stared at her daughter. Her room is poorly lit
from the Lantern at the center of the room,
there is also a spring bed at the right side of the
room, beside the window is just a table and two
cane chairs beside it were piles of clothes neatly
folded on the floor, then a water pot is also at
the farthest corner of the room. Maami, Alake
(maami's first daughter and Nike sat on the bed
while Babatope and his friend sat on the cane
chairs.
"please go and check her again " Aremu said,
while Babatope shifted impatiently on the cane
chair,. Alake and Nike stood up to go and check
for Romoke while Maami tried to clear the
tensed air
" ehmmm my inlaw " she smiled revealing her
coloured teeth, Babatope did not smile he just
grunted and kept on staring at the door.
" Maami!!!..... We can't find Romoke! "
"romoke! " I stirred and opened my eyes to see
my sister staring at me, she already had lines
that showed frustration and unhappiness on her
face.
" sis Nike " I said rubbing my blurry eyes and
sitting up in bed. Is it even worthy to be called a
bed at all? She sat close to me, adjusting her
already faded Ankara blouse. I stared a her even
more, God! I can't even believe that this is my
immediate elder sister. She was looking too old
for her age, Her light complexion had turned to
something else.
"romoke.... Hmm... How are you " I looked at my
sister she doesn't come to me to talk like this
except there was something serious to say
" am fine... "
" how is dimeji? And what is he saying
concerning your marriage "
" we broke up......... Yesterday " she frowned her
face and then released it again
" okay but I hope all is well? " she asked again.
" yes...... All is well..... He is just not serious "I
concluded.
" well okay then, actually maami called sister
Bose and I ". But why did maami call them? I do
the chores and the cooking, I also washed her
clothes. So why would she report me to my
sisters.
" but what have I done this time"
"hmmm......... Romoke relax you haven't done
anything wrong.... Am sure you know babatope "?
So what has babatope got to do with this issue
now, babatope is one of the richest men in our
village, he was also the first person to build a
mansion in the village, he is a very rich cocoa
farmer and he has about two wives, so many
young ladies were dying to be his concubine not
to talk of being his wife but I was an exception. I
never even liked the short, bald, arrogant man.
"yesss... I know him, so what did he do? "
" he is presently in maami's room"
But what is my sister trying to say? So many
thoughts ran through my mind, abi was babatope
having affairs with maami? But of course not!
She's older than him. I waved my foolish
thoughts aside and decided to concentrate on
what sis Nike was saying.
"he said..... He is so much interested in you and
wants to marry you as his third wife "
" what!!!! "
It sounded so new to me, it came as a
bombshell. But how on earth will I marry that old
cargo, I didn't even let her finish what she was
saying before I stood up to open the door, she
stood up quickly and pulled me back.
" ahnahn....... Romoke what do you want to
do?..... Sit down let me explain things to you so
that you can know what to do. " she pushed me
to the bed and sat close to me
" look, he has already paid your bride price to
maami and baba, he just wants to come and
finalize things so that he can take you home "
" what! How can they accept my bride price
without even letting me know? " I said asked no
one in particular as tears of anger, pain and
frustration clouded my eyes. My sister just sat
there patting me on my shoulders, I was
shivering, confused, disappointed, I didn't even
know what to do looking round the room an idea
struck my mind.I quickly got up from my bed and went to where
my clothes were and started packing my clothes.
My sister was still staring at me then she stood
up to go.
"well.... Romoke, just make sure you make the
right decision and follow your heart so you won't
end up like me". She tied her scarf to her waist
and left the room. Unlike me, sis Nike was not
lucky, she was sold out to a trader, I would say
sold out because Maami needed money as at
then for her firewood business so she sold her
out at age 18. Sis Nike got m, arried to the man
and he used her anyhow he wanted, though he
already had 3 wives. Sis Nike sometimes gets
beaten by her husband, sometimes when her
husband comes home drunk she would be raped
by him. Life was so unbearable for her, even
when she started having kids, she would be
beaten, starved. There was a day she ran to
Maami for money.
"I won't even dare make such mistake". I said,
tucking the last piece of cloth into my worn-out
traveling bag and zipped it carefully, I checked
round the room to make sure there was nothing
left then I closed the door and left.
***************** Babatope smiled to himself just
the mention of her name sent him sparks and
blood rushing fast and hot through his veins,. He
wiggled his legs again and smiling in anticipation
for Romoke's grand entrance, at least those
dangling orange-sized bossom will be his forever
he thought this time around he laughed out
causing his friend Aremu to look at him, but
where was his orange-sized lover? He frowned
his face it was taking forever to wait for her, he
whispered to his friend who in turn cleared his
throat and said
" ahemmm... Iya Romoke, time is going we want
to go with our bride" Babatope noded his head,
Aremu is his spokesman that was why he
brought him over to Romoke's house so that if
she gets too stubborn, Aremu would help him
bundle her out of their house.
"ahnahn Nike, Romoke is supposed to be here by
now, where is she "? Maami squeezed her face
and stared at her daughter. Her room is poorly lit
from the Lantern at the center of the room,
there is also a spring bed at the right side of the
room, beside the window is just a table and two
cane chairs beside it were piles of clothes neatly
folded on the floor, then a water pot is also at
the farthest corner of the room. Maami, Alake
(maami's first daughter and Nike sat on the bed
while Babatope and his friend sat on the cane
chairs.
"please go and check her again " Aremu said,
while Babatope shifted impatiently on the cane
chair,. Alake and Nike stood up to go and check
for Romoke while Maami tried to clear the
tensed air
" ehmmm my inlaw " she smiled revealing her
coloured teeth, Babatope did not smile he just
grunted and kept on staring at the door.
" Maami!!!..... We can't find Romoke! "
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