Chapter 22: My husband and that woman

"Am so happy that am being celebrated I want to thank everyone for attending my birthday and graduation party and most especially I want to thank my adoptive parents for taking good care of me, without them I will not be the neatest graduating student, the most punctual student, the most well behaved student, thank you so much" she paused. The people started to comment on her speech, that she had spoken well. She allowed what she had said to sink and continued."How I wish my parents are here to celebrate with me I really miss them" she said amidst tears. The people started murmuring within themselves, no matter how well a child is treated by people that are not biologically related to them they will always remember their parents; while another said "you can never train another man's child and be rewarded". They said in their hearts. While some others pitied her because they knew what it meant to lost ones parent at a very young age and to crown it up her parents were well to do. Itohan had left Ewosa before, she did psychology and philosophy of education while she was studying so she understand what Eseiwi was going through in her mind now, she moved closer to Eseiwi and embraced her."Don't cry today is your day crying will only spoil the mood of our celebration" Eseiwi cheered herself up."Ok time to cut the cake" Itohan announced. Eseiwi, Ifada and Itohan stood close to the cake while everyone present surrounded them. After cutting the cake it was shared to the people. They were all eating and dancing. The sound of music was all over the place. Some of Ifada friends had used the opportunity to order for cartons of bear because they were in the mood of celebration they gathered themselves in front of Ifada house. The most interesting thing was that they were singing with a melodious voice a song different from what the DJ was playing, showering praises to Eseiwi, Itohan and Ifada. Their voices were so sweet that you will assume that they were trained singers. Eseiwi was so happy because she did not even remember that that month was her birthday because after the death or herb parents she had never celebrated her birthday, this was the first time she was celebrating her birthday after a very long time, her birthday was actually 21 of June which was the previous day but be it belated or the actual birthday she was very happy because someone still have her in mind. Meanwhile Itoya had left her mother place, on getting to Ewosa, it was not as busy as a normal Friday evening, what have happened to this place only after a few weeks I left here; she thought to herself. Getting close to her house she could hear the sound of music, who is celebrating and what are they celebrating she asked herself on getting to the front of her house she saw people dancing outside her house, some were eating and some were sitting together singing with bear bottles on their hands; they were playing for their songs. Itoya was so confused on what might be happening in her home when her daughter had not being buried. She walked straight into the house what caught her eyes was Itohan feeding Ifada with cake, they were starring at each other with so much affection, she found what she just saw unbelievable, what is Itohan doing here why will Ifada and Itohan be so intimate in front of everyone when he just lost his daughter on a normal day Ifada will not spend time looking at any woman apart from her what has come over her husband; they are so shameless, she said to herself. Unknown to her they were married. She marched towards the couple that was lost in their own world. "Can somebody tell me what is going on here" while waiting for answer she strolled towards the chair opposite Ifada and Itohan, because if she continue standing in front of them she does not know what she will do to them as she was running out of patience, the two people behaved as if no one was talking to them. The party attendees were discussing quietly the events of the day. "I thought Itoya will never come back again since her mother had relocated to Uromi""Why will she not come back she is Ifada first wife and will always remain his wife unless the bride price is returned""Who will return bride price is it that stingy woman that only thinks about herself""Return bride price or not Ifada is already married to another wife, it's her choice to stay or go back to her mother"As they continued discussing, the later part of their discussion entered her ear; her heart was beating so fast that she could hear her own heart beat. She stood up from the seat that she was occupying and ran into the room that both she and Ifada share only to discover that her belongings are no longer in the room, she does not know where to rest presently, at this juncture she cannot go back to her mother house and she cannot stay alone in her father house. Eseiwi was dancing when she heard what the people that attended her party calling Itoya name, she felt she heard wrongly but when she looked at the direction the people were looking at she saw Itoya running toward Ifada room, she followed her and on getting there she saw Itoya coming out of the room, she embraced her crying how much she missed Itoya. They both went to went to Eseiwi room, sitting on the bed she asked"What kept you there for so long that uncle had to bury Ose alone" Eseiwi could not help but to ask"What is going on between my husband and that woman" instead of answering she asked her own question that was bothering her