WEEK 21: AT LAST – THE RULES OF US, Part 2 of 5


"Where are the boys?"

His breath caught
His head spun
His eyes bulged
His mouth parched
He bit his tongue
His heart ached

He seized her throat between clenched fists
Lifted her up to his bulging eyes
She flailed her legs, scratched his hands
Fighting for air, her small eyes lolled

"Ayyyeeeee!" shrieked Wife Number Three
To behold her last-born at Death's Door
She sprang from the hearth with godspeed
Followed by co-wives Two, One and Four

They swarmed to Obi throttling the child
Wife Number One lowered her head
And rammed it into his thin, tight frame
He staggered and fell but still held on

The living world left Ifegi-oku's face
She closed her eyes and heard no more
As Wives Two and Three pried Obi's hands
But it was Number Four who surprised them all

Sore and stitched from labor's pangs
Carrying along her useless dead leg
She lifted Obi from off the child
Lifted him high above her head

Gritting her teeth, her eyes crazed
She threw him back into his hut
The sound of thump! thud! and crash!
As he fell against his bottles of wine

All eyes now on Wife Number Four
Admiration, awe and newfound love
Then a rush to the child out on the ground
To return her life – is it too late?

That was only just yesterday
Ifegi-Oku returned to old routines
Though fearing now her father's hands
And the sense that things were still amiss

"Amaka!" yells Wife Number Three
"I'll break your neck for standing there.
Go and bring wood for our evening's meal
Before Snatching Darkness falls on you!"

(to be continued)

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