I thought Ijele was the one…
Perhaps, with the way he always look at me during the moonlight nights.
Always offering to help me with my pot of water even as I walk back from the stream with Oge and Nkoli.
Many times, he had come to the house looking for me…
Many times, I had caught him staring at me….
Penetrating stares, which runs deep with the blood in my veins.
I thought Ijele was the one…
Perhaps, with the way he always took my hands in his, fondling it with such a tender care.
Looking into my eyes, he said he could see and count the stars in them.
Many times he had come to the house to help me with the chores.
Until, I started wishing he could properly come to the house with a bottle of gin and kolanut to ask for my hand in marriage.
I thought Ijele was the one…
Perhaps with the way he ignore other girls especially Ukamaka, my rival in Efete dancing group.
This alone gladdens my heart.
A man like Ijele is hard to come by…
Such a powerful warrior, but so kind at heart.
At a time I started boasting to my friends that Ijele is the bone of my bone…
And the flesh of my flesh.
But I noticed Ukamaka’s silent laugh each time I talk about him, a silent muffled laughter.
Hidden in between jealousy and callousness, so I thought… , but I never knew…
There was more to that, very much more.
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A man like Ijele is hard to come by, so I thought…
But he is just like any other men in Efete village.
Glued to every thing in Jigida, wicked in the heart and ugly in the face.
Ijela has been stopping me from visiting his house..
I believed him when he said he want to fix his roof and arrange other things so that when I finally come, I will be impressed with the sight that will greet my presence.
But, I never knew, there was more to that, very much more.
That particular day, I was feeling bored and uneasiness settled in my soul so I decided to go and visit the “Love of my Life” Ijele.
I dressed up in the best of my apparels, adorning my self with the best of Jigida.
My body and face was painted with the best of “Uli”, and I as I sneaked out of the house, I walk in calculative steps, like that of a mother cat.
As I strolled the lonely road that leads to his house, heads turn to behold my lovely looks and majestic steps.
I was so happy.
When I got to Ijele’s house, everywhere was quiet but I knew he was around because his double- barreled gun was outside.
The uneasiness tightened in my chest down to my stomach and I decided to tiptoe inside his hut.
I quickly flipped the door open, and let out a loud painful scream.
Ijele was lying down in his bamboo bed with no other person but my rival, Ukamaka and they were locked up in tight embrace.
I rushed out like a wounded lion and get hold of his gun but he seems to know what is on my mind, he rushed after me and snatched the gun, pointing it at me, he said in a calm but authoritative voice.
“Get out of my house ijeoma, did I promise you marriage?
” I was just being nice, no emotions”, he said with a sly smile.
Ukamaka was standing at his back laughing at me.
I left the house, tears dripping down my cheeks.
Then I wonder why he was ” just being nice”.
A man like Ijele, is never hard to come by…
Because you can meet their kind anywhere.
At the bar, in the hut of the flat- chested shameless widow, in the bush; fumbling with teenagers.
I don’t even know which way to feel, but my head is full.
So I sat down under a tree and had a good cry.
