"Ma Jaye ori mi o, mi o mo la ooo. Ma jaye ori mi, mi o mola .Ma memu laye mi. '' Niyi Ojo was singing, and staggering as he approached the house. As soon as Iyin saw him, he ran off to sleep before he began to display, leaving poor Anu writhing in pain. She increased her groaning as she saw her dad.
He mistakenly hit her daughter and shouted, "Look at this goat on my way? How can a goat look so much like a human being? Wahala de!"(There is problem)
"Baba it's me, welcome home" She greeted with a shaky voice.
"Hahaha, what are you doing here? It's too late for a young girl like you? Abi you have started sleeping with men?" He voiced out reeling with alcohol. He was not totally himself.
"Baba, see I don't know any man. It is Mama. See what she did to me." Anu exposed part of the bruised body to him.
"This witch again! Wicked woman, witch. That's why I hate coming home. She nags a lot, she suffocates life out of everyone. What a woman. Hmm, sorry woman, sorry, I mean my daughter. You are my daughter. Anu, look for a place to go, don't stay with this witch again!" Mr Niyi Ojo told his daughter. He was touched shaking his head in sorrow.
"But Baba, where do I go now?" Anu asked, feeling surprised.
"Go and marry a good man, any man who loves you. This witch will kill you, kill you! Go away from here!" He yelled on top of his voice as if he was quarreling with someone.
"Where is this witch? You want to kill, gill , jilt , my daughter? Foolish woman. I regret marrying you. Come out right now!" He roared.
Moji came outside with a wrapper tied round her body. "Look at this godforsaken old fool, smelly idiot. Penniless fool, since morning he is just coming home. Irresponsible bastard. Agbaya!" Moji clapped her hands in sheer mockery of his personality. He is reduced to a smelly drunkard.
The provocation was too much for Niyi to bear. He landed three hot slaps on her cheeks, Moji screamed in pain, cursing him, and that landed her in more trouble. He pinned her to a corner and started to give her the beatings of her life.
She wailed so much for help that the neighbours came out.
"Help me neighbours!!!
He started again oh!
Please!!!"
One of the oldest men spoke out, shaking his head in deep thought.
"You people again? Why can't you allow peace to reign in this compound? Mama Iyin, you claim to be a church goer, whenever you start to sing, it's as if angels have come down to feast with us, but your mouth is like a razor blade. Haven't you caused enough damage to your family?" Baba Ibidun lamented.
"Oh oh, don't mind the witch!" Niyi concurred, feeling justified.
"Even you nko?. No responsible father comes this late. Real men don't beat their wives. They cleanse them by the word of God. Clean up your wife, you are the head of the home, take responsibility, provide for your family.
Stop behaving like a madman. Stop the beatings, be the leader at home. Lead with love. She is your better half." He preached on, he is an elder in one of the vibrant pentecostal churches in Modakeke.
"Ye, egba mi, God forbid, she is my tormentor, my neck- pain. I was a good husband before, you know it, not until life showed me pepper. Was I like this?" He roared, challenging Baba Ibidun.
"I was very good to this woman, giving her everything within my power …" Niyi's voice changed laden with emotions.
"Yes,you are right, Oga Niyi, when you lost your job as a company driver, then you later lost your dignity in her eyes. Hmm, woman isn't it for better or worse again? Isn't it for richer or poorer?."
"Don't blame me, haha, the burden was too heavy for me, the children needed money to go to secondary school. I knew what I encountered to meet up, including selling my fine wrappers. It's not my fault. Anu was to go to Senior Secondary School 1, while Iyin was going to JSS 1."She started to cry.
"It's okay, two of you. Let both of you be patient. Oga Niyi and Madam Moji, you will overcome it if you don't give up! Go inside and sleep. It's late please.
"Thank you sir" Anu responded after Baba Ibidun as he went to his room.
"Will you shut up your trap?" Moji shouted at Anu, eyeing her in fury and murmuring. After all, it was because of you that the quarrel erupted."
"Haba maami,what is it again?Why do you hate me so much? Was I not covering up for you? Were you not supposed to be the one to appreciate Baba Ibidun?" Anu replied with rantings.
"Anu uu! Leave the witch to sleep!" Niyi uttered.
"Look at the two of them, miserable people., Like father,like daughter." She hissed like a serpent.
"If you would not allow me to sleep, I will leave the house for you right away, shameless woman." Niyi yelled at his wife, leaving his face contorted.
"It shall not be well with the person making you stay in this house. Please go ahead and leave us in peace. Don't forget to go with your stupid daughter. Good riddance to bad rubbish." She hissed again.
Niyi Ojo has had enough, he turns away to leave the house in peace.
Anu knowing what he wanted to do knelt before his dad, pleading with him,
Baami, please don't leave now. I had a bad dream some weeks ago that someone hit you with a car and ran away. She started to sob.
The dad nodded intending to change his mind but Moji shouted at him,
"Hey look at the two idiots, both of you should leave and let me rest. Go and die! Who cares? You are already a living dead. I've been widowed for a long. Go to hell!" She retorted in blazing anger.
" Me go to hell or leave hell fire. This house is hell fire because of you. Let me go and enjoy my life. Better the company of alcohol than yours."Niyi hissed and staggered out of the house.
Anu called after him in pain, but he ignored her voice of reasoning and caution.
"Kai baami, don't go away tonight.I'm pleading with you. Oh my God! Please deliver him from death."
He was gone singing his song as darkness envelopes him.