‘Good grace!’ shouted the Master of Ceremonies (MC), ‘Here comes the President of the occasion and his wife. Please DJ welcome Doctor Chief DK Ekwe Udu and his sweet wife with the best music in the house. ‘
From behind the tables where they were sitting, chewing round dry sandwiches, a cheer from the guests broke out.
Actually, the MC only saw the president and not his wife. He took it for granted that a Chief of such rank, called for such an occasion and with such honor, would be accompanied by his wife.
But the president was alone in the lobby, without a partner. Driven by the magnetism of the ongoing music, he took a few steps toward a clear path that led to the high table. On second thought, though, when he was soaked in the embarrassment caused by the absence of a wife by his side, he quickly retraced his steps.
While Chief Udu thought his wife was with him, he was wrong. Her mind quickly returned to the last time she felt his presence. It came empty. He twisted his neck to the right and left, but could not locate her. Then he turned and looked back toward the pit in the hall, but she wasn’t there either.
As the president looked around the room for his wife, the song ‘Udor Akpuenyi, ———- no rope is strong enough to pull this cow’ by Sonny Bobo continued to great pace. Many more fans turned to see how the Chief would respond to the swaying of the music.
It was a tune that always made the Chief want to dance like a jubilant ram. If his wife had been by his side, he would have danced all the way to the high table. But he wasn’t, and it made his heart trouble.
Not knowing how to handle his pain, his hand passed over his head to confirm the position of his cap, the only stable thing in his life at the moment.
On top of the domed red cap was an accessory the size of a young man’s appendage. For no obvious reason, the Doctor groped for the appendix and, with it, ripped off the one-inch-tall red cap before quickly releasing it.
Now under scrutiny from guests at large, their insignia became their only defense. Either the red dome cap or the beads around the neck will impress onlookers, he thought.
The red beads circled three times around his neck, descending to the level of his navel where they were suspended by a powerful protruding belly, which for him was a hidden source of inspiration.
Pushed into a state of humility, his confidence began to crumble. He considered making the trip to the high table alone. “Bosses don’t walk alone,” he scolded himself.
Something about his father drew his tormented conscience. If he had followed in his wise father’s footsteps and married three women, at least one of them would have been obedient enough to support him, regardless of his temperament and at any cost.
Pointing out any decent-looking women in the audience to walk the short distance with him seemed like a reasonable option. As he looked at the front row, he was met with fierce stares from various spouses.
Without reading too much meaning in his eyes, he hoped some of the men would understand the brief nature of his situation if he called on any of his partners to walk with him.
However, what concerned him most was what his wife would do if she decided to reveal herself. You might make a last-minute effort to join him simply as a way to challenge any surrogate partners.
Lots of realistic scenarios flashed through his mind when, like a ghost, his wife stood next to his right flank. He shot her a sharp, reproving look, but she avoided any eye contact.
The MC saw the two of them together and began calling the audience once again to welcome the President and his sweetest wife, what an exemplary couple. The DJ turned up the volume on the music.
There is no better way to regain lost favor than by dancing. Chief Ekwe Udu began to turn to the right and sidestep a little to the left. She paused momentarily to move her beaded neck up and her shoulders down and around. The crowd loved the moves and began cheering and clapping.
His wife was still by his side, but he hadn’t minded looking in her direction. It kills me when couples don’t see eye to eye and still walk side by side.