chapter 17

Fikayo arrived home a bit late than usual and he was so famished. He entered the house expecting greeting as usual from his wife and mother but didn't hear any. He then started to hear their muffled arguments from the kitchen, not wanting to face their trouble that evening, he started to tiptoe into the room until they both caught him.

"Baby, you're back?" Ifeoma said at the same time that mama said,

"Welcome, my son".

"Why are you walking on your toes like a thief?" Ifeoma eyed him mischievously.

"What kind of wife calls her husband a thief? You are so disrespectful!" Mama accused.

Ifeoma simply ignored the woman's attempt to get her angry again so she focused on her husband instead.

"Baby, go and take a shower dear. Your food will soon be ready" Ifeoma simply said and went back into the kitchen.

Fikayo rushed inside.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mama was desperately and intentionally frustrating Ifeoma.

"My son is not going to eat that nonsense you're cooking this night! Can't you see that he's tired and needs solid food? How can a man go and work all day and come back to eat macaroni?" Mama said.

"The way you keep saying he works all day like it's something that is unusual, one would think I'm a full housewife. I work all day too and we split everything we pay for in this house, you don't see my mother coming here to frustrate your son" Ifeoma said calmly.

"Are you saying I'm frustrating? Don't worry, the vegetable that you concocted that makes my son like you so much will soon expire! Just know that he's going to eat my food and not yours!" Mama retorted.

Ifeoma ignored her.

Fikayo sat patiently on the dinning table expecting his wife to bring him his food. He was confused when he saw both Ifeoma and Mama walking hastily into the dining room carry dishes of food.

"Baby, I prepared spaghetti just the way you like to eat it" Ifeoma said as she started to dish the food for her husband.

The bliss was short lived as mama opened her own dishes too.

Fikayo was beyond confused this time that he just kept mute and continued to watch both women act whatever drama it was that they were acting.

"Oko mi(My child), why eat that broom when you can eat your favorite eba and egusi soup?" Mama said dishing the food too.

Ifeoma was tired of her troubles.

"I'm confused in this house! Mama, are you a wife or a mother? Ehn! Why do you keep acting like a rival with me? My husband will not eat eba this late at night, he won't. Who eats such heavy food when going to bed?" Ifeoma snapped.

"What I know is that I won't let you starve my son. Why does he have to eat that stupid food? There's nothing you know how to do, nothing!" Mama responded.

Fikayo was confused as to what to do or whose food to eat so he simply stood up and went inside. He was having headache already.

'You haven't seen anything, you wnat her to live with us and here she is' Ifeoma thought.

"See your life! You have used your stupid food and nagging to send him off to sleep on an empty stomach! Ifeoma, my son will not die in your hands! Is it because of his property?" Mama shouted.

Ifeoma looked at her mother in law like she was stupid.

"Property? So he has property? Wonders shall never end. Mama, please, you're always out of point" Ifeoma replies and proceeded into the room.

"Its your whole family that will be out of point! Stupid girl! Very disrespectful!" Mama shouted after Ifeoma who had already entered into the room.

In the room, Ifeoma climbed on her husband in a playful way, Fikayo simply looked away.

"Baby, I'm tired of this house already and it's not even a month yet, not even close. I'm sure you are fed up too, was it beer like this when we were alone? Your mother comes with all sort of negative energy, I'm tired" Ifeoma whined, stroking her husband's beard.

"You keep indulging her too, Oma. Baby, can't you just do me a Favour and ignore her sometimes?" Fikayo pleaded.

"You of all persons know how much I do that. I do it everytime unless I'm pushed to the wall to talk. She knows how to get on my nerves! Talk to her too" Ifeoma snapped and got off him.

She was pissed that Fikayo still thought that most of it was her fault and that she has to be the bigger person yet again.

In the middle of the night, Fikayo awakes into the kitchen to eat the food his wife prepared for him right after microwaving it.

He thought about how he had suddenly became a rat that now sneaks around in the middle of the night as he puts each spoon into his mouth.

TO BE CONTINUED...