chapter 20

"Hey Girls!" Ifeoma beamed as she ran to hug her girlfriends.It had been a long while since they ever came to visit her in her home. Marriage actually drew some distance between them.

When they called that morning to tell her that they would be coming to visit her, her joy knew no bounds. It was a Sunday and since they got back from church, she was just bored and in her room trying to avoid any form of encounter with her mother in law.Her husband, Fikayo was on his usual hangout with his friends somewhere.

"You! You just forgot about your friends just like that." Halima accused as she took her seat.

"It's not like that now, you know I always have you guys on my mind. It's just some issues here and there" Ifeoma replied.

She stood up and walked into her kitchen to get glasses of juice for her friends.

"You know that I take alcohol now. What's all these five alive something? I'm not doing wife material in my friend's house o. Get me Andre, Hennessy or something, abeg!" Bola said as her friends laughed.

"You can't even keep your attitude for a while." Halima joked.

" Abeg o! I'm not trying to impress anyone. Bring Hennessy and Cranberry for me jor !"

Ifeoma walked into the store and picked a bottle of Hennessy out of the wine cellar and then proceeded into the kitchen to pick a carton of Cranberry juice out of the fridge.

She balanced it all on a tray and as she walked out with them in her hands, she came in contact with mama.She sighed, already expecting some kind of remark from her as usual.

"Good afternoon, mama" She greeted before she proceeded to leave.

"Afternoon o, so who are those prostitutes in the living room?" Mama asked.

Ifeoma was triggered but managed to keep her cool.

"They are not prostitutes, they are my childhood best friends. I won't like you calling them names like that, please" She corrected as politely as she could.

"So I don't know what I'm saying? Is it not prostitutes that use so much makeup and wear clothes that tight?" Mama retorted.

Ifeoma didn't want to engage her so she simply walked out.

That infuriated mama as she walked to the living room with the aim of starting trouble.

"Good afternoon ma" Halima and Bola greeted as they both went on both knees.

Mama ignored them and sat at the other side of the living room directly opposite them. Bola and Halima stood up regardless, wondering what kind of madness was wrong with the woman.

"Ignore her" Ifeoma whispered to her friends as she balanced the tray on the center table.

"Girl! Halima has a good news for you!" Bola exclaimed with excitement.

Ifeoma looked at her friend, wondering what it could be.

"Don't bother to guess! I'm pregnant! A month pregnant!" Halima broke out with happiness.Ifeoma stood up to hug her friend, she was happy for her too.

"Celebrating others pregnancy when yours can't even hold blood" Mama threw at them.

"Don't worry. Just keep ignoring her, she's like a kid who does anything for attention" Ifeoma calmed her friends.

"I'm hungry o! Won't we eat lunch in this house?" Mama questioned.

"Mama, I already prepared Semo and the leftover egusi soup for lunch, it's in the cooler. Or should I serve you?" Ifeoma replied.

"I'm not interested in any Semo this afternoon! I want Pounded Yam." Mama countered.

"The poundo yam is finished already and I'll only get new pack on my way back from work tomorrow. Eat the Semo for today, mama" Ifeoma said politely even though her patience was running thin.

She knew how to put the woman in her place but she just wasn't in the mood for fight that afternoon.

"There are lots of Yam in that store and there is mortar and pestle. What's wrong with your hands that you can't pound yam?"

"Mad o " This time, it was Halima that talked.

"I don't know how you take all these insults from her sha! No mother in law can try all these bullsh*t with me. Before she knows it, she's already dining with her ancestors in Hell Fire" Bola said as loudly as she could trying to make sure that mama heard her.

"Oh my God! Bola, keep your voice down, she's directly there" Ifeoma snapped.

"I heard her already and I think that's her motive. She wants me to hear her insulting me in my son's house. The house that my son pays for and takes responsibility of. And this food I asked you to cook was bought with my son's money! Well, I don't blame her, I blame you for moving around with this unmarried indecent woman and calling her your friend. Well, it's expected since birds of the Same feathers flock together. I'm sure you sleep around like they do!" Mama insulted.

" Ehn ! Mama! Don't even think I'm like Oma o! Don't even cross my path! I'm very mad o, like I don't care who is who! Who are prostitutes? So marriage is now the new criteria for friendship? Eh!.." Bola flared up, ignoring Ifeoma's incessant pinches.

" Abeg! Stop pinching me! Let someone help you to put this woman in her place! You're too stupid jor ! How can she tell you to go and prepare pounded yam after you've prepared Semo already? Are you a slave in your husband's house? Even full housewives don't get treated like this, not to talk of you that work and pay bills like your husband! You even get paid more! What is all this insult! This woman wants to hear tales and I'll give it to her!"

"Ifeoma invited a mad dog into my son's house! Wonders shall never end"

" Taah! Your son's house, your son's house! Let us hear word! You act like Oma doesn't even pay for the house like he does! Ooooooh God! Oma, this woman doesn't know anything now! Why aren't you lecturing her sometimes? They both work, they both pay, they both buy things! It's their house, not your son's house!"

' Please, let her know !' Ifeoma was cheering her friend on in my her mind.

These are the things that she was always scared to say because she felt like it would be like an insult to her husband's ego. So most times, she let it slide when his mom says he pays for everything and he doesn't even counter it. She even gets more pay than he does and the new house they were to pack into as soon as it was finished has more of her money in it. But, was her own mother shouting?

"What are you saying?! My son pays for everything with his hard earned money and the only thing this woman does is collect from him to add to hers and spend on alcohol, clothes and hair!" Mama retorted.

That triggered Ifeoma."Did your son tell you that?" She asked, hoping it wasn't her Fikayo that was feeding his mother with those lies, because if it was so, he should be ready to explain when exactly she ever collected money for clothes and hair from him, right in mama's presence.

"Yes! And is it not true? All your

mami water look is what is killing your babies anyway!" Mama insulted yet again.

" Chai! And I didn't think Fikayo was such a fool sha!" Halima said.

"Why exactly am I a fool?" They heard a masculine voice ask as they all turned towards the door to see Fikayo.

TO BE CONTINUED...