Coro Wahala (9)

(A week slowly rolls by for the Jobomes. Aghogho has slowly bounced back to health. She and Rume are watching the television about people’s reactions after the first case of corona virus is announced.)

Rume: Suddenly, everyone has something to say. How did everyone become experts? 

Aghogho: Well, I hope all those people who have been saying the virus is not real can actually see this. 

Rume: They should not have allowed that man to pass through. See what they’ve caused now. He’s not even a Nigerian. 

Aghogho: But he works here. 

Rume: So? Shebi he’s been hearing about the whole pandemic in his country, why did he not stay back and see how things goes?

Aghogho: Just like you were willing to see how things go from your school, right? If not that I had to keep talk your dad into bringing you back, you would have still been in school. 

Rume: Mummy, not again na. We’ve been through this over and over again. Shebi I’m here now? Anyway, what of Ovie? Won’t you ask him to come? 

Aghogho: I’ve been trying to reach him now, but his number is not going through. 

Rume: And I am guessing you don’t know where he stays, right? 

Aghogho: No. Why? 

Rume: (Shrugs) Because you would have gone to drag him back home. 

Aghogho: (Eyes her) You’re not serious. If not…… (She is cut off by noises from outside. She reduces the volume of the television.)

Mama Segun: Were ni ẹ. Ori ẹ o pe. (You are mad. Your head is not correct.) 

Aghogho: (Shakes her head) This woman again! She and who are exchanging words again now? 

(Mary rushes in from the kitchen.)

Mary: Ahh, ma, Mama Segun and her husband has started again. 

Aghogho: I thought as much. This hot afternoon! 

Rume: (Sitting up, excitement in her eyes) Oya, gist me. What happened? 

Mary: Ahh, my sister, Mama…..

Aghogho: Will the both of you leave here now? Aproko people! (Rume holds Mary by the hand and they both rush to the kitchen.) You had better not go there. 

Mama Segun: (shouting and clapping her hands) Ole! Ole! (Thief! Thief!) My God will punish you. The God that I serve will punish you. 

(The noise continues to increase. Aghogho groans as she gets up and walks towards the kitchen. She came out through the kitchen door and met a small crowd gathered. Mama Segun was holding her husband’s shirt, her hair scattered and gown torn in some places. They had been fighting in the house before dragging themselves out. Segun and Ayo were crying, begging them to stop.)

Baba Segun: Will you just keep quiet? Can you see how you’re disgracing yourself? (Pointing at the onlookers.)

Mama Segun: You are the one disgracing yourself. 

Aghogho: What is going……

Baba Segun: Leave my shirt now before the count of three. 1, 2,…..

Mama Segun: 3. I have counted for you. Do your worse! Do your worse ooo! 

Baba Segun: Leave me now or…. 

Mama Segun: Or else what? Shebi you are beating me because I’m telling you the truth? Waa pa mi l’eni oo. Pa mi, so o gbọ? (You will kill me today oo. Kill me, you hear?)

Aghogho: (Standing a bit far from them) Both of you should stop all these. 

Baba Segun: Tell her to leave my shirt. ( He slaps her and hits her hand, tearing the shirt in the process) Shey you see what you’ve done, ehhnn?

Mama Segun: (Tears streaming down her face) I say you are not going anywhere. Oponu! (Fool!) You want to go and meet all those useless girls, abi? No way! (She rushes back at him but he pushes her down, sits on her and throw blows at her.)

Aghogho: (To two young men) And you people are watching this? Will you take him off her? (They struggle to keep husband and wife apart.) Baba Segun, this….. (He looks furiously at her and enters the house. He comes back later with another shirt.) I need to talk to you. 

Baba Segun: (Pointing to his wife, still on the floor) She is the one that needs to be talked to, not me. (He walkS away angrily.)

Aghogho: (Angrily) Oya, everybody, out of here. (She starts to push them away.) Bye-bye. How did you all enter in the first place? What kind of gatekeeper do we even have sef, allowing you all inside? I said, get out! Segun, bring that wrapper for me.

(Aghogho turns to Mama Segun who is now seated on the floor, crying. Her face is swollen and mouth bleeding from the beating. She helps her get up and they walk to their apartment, followed behind by Segun, Ayo, Mary and Rume.)

Aghogho: (Stops and allows Segun and Ayo to pass) Ehhnn ehhnn, what is it? (Looking at Rume and Mary) Have you not seen enough? Will you go inside the house now! Aproko! (She entered the house with Mama Segun and locks the door behind her.)

(Mary walks into the house. Rume sees Nneoma driving in and rushes to meet her. Nneoma comes out from the car.)

Nneoma: Babe, how far? 

Rume: I’m good. Welcome.

Nneoma: Thank you. 

Rume: I have gist for you. 

Nneoma: Oh, really? Oya, tell me. 

Rume: Here? No ooo. Let’s go to your house. 

**********

(Aghogho enters the house hours later, looking tired. Okiemute is in the sitting room, scrolling through his phone. He looks up when she walks to meet him.)

Okiemute: (Chuckles) It must have been one hell of a fight. 

Aghogho: You knew? I thought you were asleep. (Sitting close to him, exhaling.)

Okiemute: I was but the noise woke me up. Rume told me everything. She said you were doing ‘peacemaker work’. (He laughs.)

Aghogho: That girl and her mouth ehnn….Will you eat your food now or what? 

Okiemute: I’m very hungry. I will eat now. I need to go to Kunle’s place. 

Aghogho: Kunle where? After everything we’re hearing everywhere? Abeg, nobody is going anywhere ooo

.

Okiemute: It’s a meeting. 

Aghogho: Darling, I beg you in the name of God. Please, don’t go. Please. Call him if you want to. Use Skype for your meeting. Whatever, but nobody is going out. Please. 

To be continued…….