"And just as the police was embarking on their investigation, I woke up !"
*Iru ála burùku wò re ?*
*(What kind of a scary nightmare is this ?)*, I soliloquized as I stretched my arms and rubbed my face with my wet palms. Ordinarily, I sweat a lot and it is understandable why I am sweating more.
You will understand if you belong to the "nightmares club". Funny isn't it ?
Well, you don't even know this man. The man that just had a scary dream. I think I should do the introduction.
Well,his name is Daniel.
Daniel is a very young man of age 27. He is having a wonderful career as a banker even though his background was not that encouraging. But the Daniel's story is like that of the lotus.
Well,at this point,I will pause and do a bit of advertisement. Just in case you don't know what lotus means and how it became the perfect example for Daniels background, I think you should anticipate for a book by Shobowale Lukman ; titled *EMERGE* . Well,I have not read myself but I have seen some excerpts. So I recommend.
Back to the matter !
It sounded like a famous track right ?
Well, this is not a verse but the continuation of Daniel's story.
Daniel was born into an already big family of 15. Big in the sense that it is a polygamous family. Daniel became the last born of his parents,having 5 biological brothers. His mother,Aduke, popularly called 'Mama-Frayo' is a popular woman in the neighborhood. Since 'Sir Timo' who happens to be the man of the house is irresponsible, and the two other wives are not working, Mama-Frayo is practically the bread winner of the family. She would wake up as early as 4am in the morning just to prepare for the business of the day. That was how she became the owner of the biggest Canteen in the Community ; 'Mama Frayo restaurants'. Being a very hardworking Woman,she became a source of motivation to all her boys, including Daniel. With the food business, she would pay the house bills and take care of everyone in the family including the children of her junior wives.
What a big heart !
Since Mama Frayo is getting popular and rich with her business,her husband, Sir Timo whose original name is Timothy abandoned his 'Baba Ijebu' (Lotto) business and started to accompany his first wife to shop. He also forced the two other wives and their children to do the same.
Deborah ! Ruth abokokù !
Sè eni telè iyalè yin lo iso ni ?
(won't you go to shop with the big wife ?)
Awon Omo yìn ko ?
(Where are your children)
Gbògbòyin òya egbà iso lo !
(Everybody should go to shop this minute!)
Eyìn alai ni'nkan sé !
(You lazy people ! )
He would scream at them every day !
But unlike before when he would beat and maltreat her,Sir Timo now has maximum respect for his first wife (Mama Frayo). He would brag at the men's meeting that he established his wife.
Iyáwo mi siriosi ju awon aya yìn lo.
(My wife is more serious than all your wives).
Kòda, iyawo mi le ra gbogbo yìn pa.
(In fact, my wife is capable of buying all of you).
It is very obvious that Sir Timo is very proud of his wife. That makes me remember a popular Yoruba proverb ; 'Olòwò se oùn gbogbo tán. That is, a rich person is capable of doing everything. The foolish Aduke of yesterday, like her husband and junior wives called her,is now the big Mama-Frayo of today.
So it is true that if you want to see the red eyes of a mother;just harm her children. And if you want to see her happiness, make her children happy. Maybe that was the advice given to Sir Timo by his best friend ; 'The Shair' like he is fondly called,or Alaga. Sir Timo extended the kindness and love he now shows Aduke to all her sons alike. Making other children and wives feel jealous.
Sir Timo would not allow the six boys to do any home chores as he likes to be with them all the time. Even when they have done something wrong, he would pamper them.
But despite all these special treatments,Mama-Frayo never ceased to be the good wife that she is known as. She would respect her husband, submits to him and constantly consults him for advice. She also warns her children not to feel superior to anyone and should join their colleagues in home chores.
She does not dress big,she has the capacity to buy a car and build house but she didn't. She would tell people ;
Why will I buy a car when my husband has no bicycle ?
I can not build a house when my husband still lives in his grand father's house.
She would preach to her children about perseverance and that humility is the mother of all virtues.
What a Woman !
Inspite of these kind gestures and behaviors, her junior wives would not cease to envy her. They would lament how their husband forces them to the Canteen to work with Mama-Frayo and the special treatments that her children gets. Because of that,they disliked her and her children. And would discourage their children from playing with them.
Well,the law of nature is very clear. You can not plant onion and harvest Okro. Whatever man gives,he shall receive. Despite the hatred and several attempts of character assassination, Mama Frayo continued to expand in her business and her boys continued to advance in their academics
But on one unfortunate Friday,when the Muslim customers were returning from the central mosque where they had the Juma't prayer and rushing down the restaurant to have a yummy Mama-frayo delicacy as usual,something terrible happened. There was an outbreak of inferno in the popular and big Mama Frayo restaurant. This incident claimed 20 lives including some of Sir Timo's family.
Well, we shall find out about the casualties on the next episode of "Death in the pot"
Let me use this opportunity to pray for my real fans. I pray God bless you !
*Story✍🏽written by Maiyaki Abubakar Damilare*
Maiyaki813@gmail.com
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