Emeka woke up today in high spirits, it was Tuesday and he had planned to visit Onitsha main market to source for materials for his baby’s naming ceremony. He woke up at exactly 4;30am. Finishing school, starting his business at an early age and now owning two big shops at Nnewi Market with 10 employees {Chinedu was still under his two years’ probation so he didn’t count as an employee}, made him to always wake up early and keep to time, there was a rumour that said it was because of him the phrase ‘Time is Money’ came into existence.
Emeka started his day by saying a prayer by his bedside because by the time Amaka will wake up for their morning prayer, he would have been long gone, he proceeded to brush his mouth while filling up the jacuzzi with water. After bathing, he decided to wear a red Ankara trouser and blue polo he bought in the market two years ago, the trick to getting the best prices in the market and avoid being cheated was to dress like a poor man .He contemplated eating before leaving the house or buying Okpa in the market, after about five minutes of deliberation, he opted for the latter, he would eat properly when he came back home. He paid for his taxi to the market and by 6 am, he was on his way to the market.
Amaka had come to Nnewi Market two years ago with her brother, Anozie, to buy tyre’s for his Sienna, after perambulating the market for more than two hours, they ended up in Emeka’s shop.
It was love at first sight for Emeka, he stared at Amaka in fascination, he had seen beauty before but this one was a discovery! In his ten years of being a spare parts dealer, he had seen all sorts of women and how they looked in the market but none of them was touching Amaka, talk less of buckling her sandals! She stood at the entrance of his shop looking perplexed, her eyes were black, shiny, and filled with apprehension, she obviously didn’t fit in there, all he wanted to do at that moment was shield her from the sun;protect her for the rest of her life. He looked at her and he could already see her adorned in Hollandaise, driving a Highlander Jeep on her way to visit her friends and brag about her rich husband. he knew he wanted to be sitting with her under the barren mango tree eating tapioca and coconut while their children played in the compound. It was at that moment Emeka decided he was going to marry Amaka, he wanted to be eating her work and calling her “mummy”.
Emeka”s favourite thing about Onitsha main market was the dust ,the wit and sharpness you need so as not to get scammed, he liked the colourful display of umbrella’s in the market and when vendors displayed their goods according to colour, it was a feast for the eyes, the market was noisy and rowdy as a result of the hustle and bustle, customers bargaining for prices and vendors calling out to potential customers.
Amaka was three months pregnant, and he wanted to start putting everything in place before the baby was due, he had made payment for the Brabus S63 she requested for as ‘push gift’. The only reason he had not begun buying baby strollers and the likes was because Amaka had not yet decided if she wanted to go to the UK or to Canada to give birth. He had decided that the child dedication/ naming ceremony will be held in Anambra and it was going to be the talk of the town for a very long time, hence why he came personally to source for the best, that, and the fact that he didn’t trust anybody enough to buy things for him, make person no come cheat am!
He entered six different shops before eventually ending up at Alozie Textile Shop, the other shops were either more expensive or didn’t have the kind of things he needed. He bought four yards of both stoned and beaded lace for Amaka to choose from and headed back home, the one she didn’t think was best for the naming ceremony could be used to sew regular Sunday clothes.
The journey back home was longer than usual, a tanker had broken down in the middle of the highway, causing serious traffic. He forgot to buy Okpa as earlier decided and was now very hungry, his stomach rumbled and he was not in the habit of buying food on the road, he however bought palmwine to drink later in the weekend with his bosom friend, Ebube.
Two hours later, he had arrived at his house junction and trekked into his street, amongst his numerous achievements, the one that that gave him the most joy was this particular mansion he had built on the street named after him., he couldn’t tell if he preferred it because it was Amaka’s favourite or because unlike the other houses with 10 rooms, this one had just 7 rooms and seemed more private. The aroma of freshly pounded yam and Ofe Nsala filled Emeka’s nostrils as he entered the house, the thickness of the soup wafted through the air.
Obi’m, welcome , how was the market? Go and freshen up and come back downstairs, I prepared your favourite
Amaka said while taking the bagco bag from him. One thing about his Asa? She will make sure her man was well fed!!
