Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Mirror of Choice

With the instructions her mother left behind, Olape spoke with authority to Asabi. “You cannot leave until you clean the freezer”. Asabi merely grunted, if it were another day she would have hissed or sang aloud how tomorrow is very pregnant. The master always ends up serving the servant in most of her songs. Today is different though. It is Asabi’s last day as a maid in the Iteyin’s household. She is traveling back to her village to get married.

“Aunty Olape, what are you going to give me before I go” she shouted with glee. The girls are only eight months apart but because of the position Olape held in the house as the master’s daughter along with Asabi’s upbringing in a community that believes one has to give respect to anyone who is at least six months older, Asabi is bond to call Olape an honorary aunty.

“Give you? I don’t know why you are happy, you barely know the guy” She remarked in disgust.

Twenty year old Asabi gave a coy smile. She twisted the dust rag around her index finger as she answered “I remember he sold fish in our night market before I left the village five years ago but now he is rich. Mami said he now owns three okadas and he rents them out to drivers. I will be his first wife”

“How old his he?”

“I cannot say, he should be Baba Iyabo’s age but I know he will take care of me. Mami said he paid for my trip to come back to the village, she also said I will be the madam of his house”

Olape felt sorry for her. Baba Iyabo is the Iteyin’s driver and he is in his early fifties. She wondered in amazement the poor choices these illiterate girls make. Items not worthy of being classified as luxury dangles in front of them and they fall for it. Asabi is going to marry an old fart just because he has three okadas. Thank God she, Olape Iteyin is educated and can see beyond okadas.

*************************************************************
“Olape, you have to weigh this option carefully. Kola’s mother just spoke to your father and me concerning your hand in marriage. When did you start dating Kola? I thought it was Segun family you introduced us to?

“Mummy, Segun is not serious. He never wants to do anything, we don’t go to the movies nor do we go out to eat. There is nothing romantic about him. I met Kola two months ago and mummy can you believe he is based in the US” ?

“Olape, your choice should not be based on that. We know Segun and his family very well and they are nice people. We don’t know too much about Kola’s family and they want to hold this marriage next month. As your mother, I will advice you to give it a thought.”

“Mom I have made my choice. I love Kolawole very much” her eyes glisten as the thought of living in Boston came to her already distant mind.

34 comments:

webround said...

"Thank God she is educated and can see beyond okadas. Olape thought"...were you referring to Olape or Asabi?

I thought initially it was Olape but the word "she" seems to imply someone else. Then i thought it was Asabi, but that seems to be contracdicting Asabi's initial statements/character.

Thirty + said...

@Allied, surely you are not comparing Asabi with?! 'cos "she Olape Iteyin is educated and can see beyond Boston...sorry I meant Okada (*winks*)

Lovely piece

darkelcee said...

different strokes for different folks but come to think of it all boils down to the same thing.........

every one wants comfort on different levels, whether na 3 okadas or a baeurrriiifulll life in Boston? All join!

Enjoy

Writefreak said...

Nice piece...aren't they both making mistakes???

People marry for the very wrong reasons, Asabi for 3 okadas, Olape for US...na wa o!

Zoe Believer said...

Lovely story, got me thinking. My aunt and I were discussing something she heard on the radio. It was a survey asking young people their reason/motivation for getting married. Number 1 was financial security, followed by companionship and some other stuff..what amazed her was that no one mentioned 'love'. I wonder if this is the reason behind a lot of troubled relationships these days...nice to see u're back.

princesa said...

Interesting.
At the end, their priorities are misplaced.
How u dey?

Ms. emmotions said...

hmmmm, happens all the time, misplaced piorities like princesa has said.

cheers

bumight said...

as the yoruba pple would say "ewo lofa ninu oje. (what's the difference
they are the same. okada or America, same thing!

Afrobabe said...

Hmmm two very different lifes yet intertwined in the same issue...

ToluTolz said...

Can you imagine...there was Olape feeling sorry for Asabi...who issn't educated...oh and thank God she is abi....the girl hears Yankee and who is Segun again. Hiss what makes her any better than Asabi? Nothing....Same script just a different cast.

Happy New Years Allied, are you going to continue with this story?

yayi said...

sometimes these so-called illiterate girls tend to be happier cos they dont yearn for too much.
Olape is bound to make a wrong choice, she is gonna be disappointed.
cant wait to read the rest of the story.Nice!!

Ms. Catwalq said...

See pot calling kettle black...o ma se o

Jinta said...

asabi is not so illiterate afterall...

Unmodern said...

Shame ...but na situation dey cause am . people hardly go into relationships for the right reasons any more.

ps- thanks for stopping by my blog

Kafo said...

i love it

same situation just different levels.

i guess we have come to the point in our society when dressing up things makes it okay
and so the different levels emerge making some things seem wierd and others the norm

Daddy's Girl said...

LOL at the 'old fart' with three okadas. Nice story - at the end of the day human nature is what it is. Please o, Allied, I would love you to participate in the Carnival on my blog... pleeeaaase???

Unknown said...

hmmmmm


all I will say is this:

Na Yam

little miss me said...

imagine Olape condemning Asabi over the very same thing she is doing..Asabi's own 'Boston" is the prospect of the three okadas her future husband owns..

great story.

Bukenzo said...

Talk about misplaced priorites! Nice one. i updated.

Bukenzo said...

I appreciate u!

Queen of My Castle said...

Seems to be that they are both one in the same. A classic episode of the pot calling the kettle black. Funny how some look down on others because they are more cultured or have more education. The title is very befitting. No one tells a story like you.

Queen of My Castle said...

Just read the comments and Catwalq said the same thing. LOL

Joy Akut said...

and thats why most people end up unhappy...the get hitched for the wrong reasons...
one chics idea of eldorado is anothers tufiakwa...lol'

Heartbeat said...

maybe Olape isnt so litterate afterall...

Happy new year Allied... thanks for stopping by mine - and glad to know u were able to join the thanksgiving walk

Afrobabe said...

lol @ fantasy queen's anoher tufiakwa....long time I heard that term...wahala now thats all I'll say all week.

anonymous gal(retired blogger) said...

like princ said misplaced priorities but nice one.

Rinsola said...

"poor choices illerate girls make?" Education sure has nothing to do with right choices either. Olape is an olodo for thinking that way jare. Howz ur week coming.

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

I liked this. It is amazing how those of us that have had the benefit of education look down at the illiterate. Book alone no go give you commonsense was my late grandmother's saying. She was right.

Anyone can learn something from someone else, no matter how unlikely such might seem. Thanks for sharing this.

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

Was there also a play on Asabi's name - I sabi pidgin for I know and thus a synonym for wisdom?

Na wa oh...

princesa said...

UPDATE PLZZZZ!!!

Simi Speaks said...

lol @ three okadas..

Ah, the basic things in life.. no BM o, or a high-rise apartment in VI, or a high-paying job with shell, just okada!! And that was enough!

The Life of a Stranger called me said...

"Boston huh" by the time the cold hardens her flesh, she will remember vthe statement she made to Asabi concerning okadas.....

Really enjoyed this story. Both of them with the same viewpoint but on different levels of desires.

drop by an email would like to speak to you.

Allied said...

@ Webround - that was olape talking

@ 30+ - lol.. Yes, Olape is educated now, how can she make a wrong choice…

@ Darkelee – I know, but is okada or Boston prerequisite for marriage?

@ Writefreak – yes there are but Olape’s types will not see it like that.

@ Believer – I won’t be surprised.

@ Princesa – Misplaced BIG time

@ Ms. Emotions – I know... and funny enough, no one sees anything wrong in it

@ Bumlight – Same thing abi Ikan kan na

@Afrobabe – Yep. The educated / elite think they always know better

@ Xhale – Happy New Year, no, they story is finished.

@ Yayi – You are right. But there is no continuation

@ Catwalq – Exactly

@ Jinta – No, she is not oh.

@ Unmodern – You are welcome

Allied said...

@ Kafo – Sa ara e ni atewo (clap for yourself).

@ Daddy’s girl – We are who we are when no one is looking...

@pamelastitch – lol

@little miss me – thanks

@ Bukenzo – my sis thanks so much oh! I appreciate you too

@Queen of my castle – Thanks, always looking forward to your comment.

@ Fantasy queen – Lol @ “one chics idea of eldorado is anothers tufiakwa” I am going to use this oh..

@Funmi – You are welcome. I was glad I did

@Anonmymous gal – True
@Rinsola – lol.. olodo rabata , oju eja lo mo je ( sorry I couldn’t ressistA)

@solomonsydelle – Your Grandmother is so right. You do not learn wisdom in books.

@ Simi speaks – You will be surprised some will not mind being the 10th wife, if they guy will just get them a raggedy apartment

@ TLOSCM – lol... I will send you an email soon.