I catwalked to the dining room holding my handbag to my side. I was late for work already but who cares? I was the boss now.
Chief had given me control over his two branches in his state and i was managing it well.
‘good morning everyone’ i greeted pulling a chair. Not that i expected them to answer me, i was just fulfilling all righteousness..knowing fully well the kind of hatred they had for me.
Its been two months since my marriage to Chief and even though i dreaded night the most, i enjoyed all the privilegdes i got being his wife. Chief pampered me so much and i proved to be his favourite among his eight wives thus making them envious of me. Some of them were as young as i was, some were a little older. He no longer visited their rooms, infact, he was always with me every minute of the day. I was beginning to think that he really loved me because within this two months, he had gotten everything he wanted and so if he was truly concerned about my body, he should have left me uncared for like all of his other wives.
The saturdays when i remain at home, Chief made it a point of duty to stay with me all day.
I visited Ifepams three times in a week and i made sure they were well cared for. I bought a big supermarket for aunt Chime directly opposite their house so it would be easy for her.
‘madam…’ Didi said eyeing me ‘where is your husband?’ Didi was the wife before me, thats the eighth wife. A very pretty and curvy woman who had no children, of all of them, she hated me the most i could tell. Because rumors had it that the Chief had been very fond of her until his marriage to me, that must have been her problem but who cares? Everyone was only fighting for his future.
‘my husband is still in bed…’ i said laying emphasis on MY HUSBAND.
‘yes i’m sure, why wouldnt he? When you ran him down throughout last night?’ She said maliciously sipping from her tea.
‘oh! You must have heard our moans of ecstacy…Chief is the best man i’ve ever seen…’ i chuckled.
‘you are very stupid!’ Olamide, the second wife fired at me ‘wo this girl, you are so full of yourself! Who do you even think you are sef?’
I eyed her ‘i dont have your time!’
‘then you better shut up! You think you’re the only one who loves good things? Or because the Chief stays up all night scr.ewing you, you think you’re the next best thing to sharwama? Dont worry, its your time to do shakara, when Chief finally sees another prey, you become past tense!’ Olamide fired while the other wives nodded in support.
‘i will never become past tense…like the rest of you. And yes, i’m the next best thing to sharwama just incase you dont know. And if the Chief stays up all night sc.rewing me as you say, then its because he cant have enough of my body. My body is too sexy for him to resist’ i retorted.
‘were!’ Olamide snapped.
‘see Mide eh, leave this girl,’ Chief’s first daughter, Rina said, her name was Catherina but she had abbreviated it to Rina ‘i’m very sure father would soon be through with her’
‘rubbish!’ i hissed.
Madam Oge as she was fondly called came into the room that moment. She was accorded the highest respect among us being Chief’s first wife and being the mother of four of his kids, she had a son who lives abroad, five years older than me, i had never seen that one, i didnt even know his name. Then Rina, Amanda and Zuby, one rascal of a son.
‘goodmorning madam’ i greeted cheerfully smiling.
‘better person!’ Mide snapped.
Madam Oge looked at her sharply ‘is that supposed to be your goodmorning to me?’
‘i wonder oo…’ i said silently.
Mide eyed me ‘good morning…’
The others relunctantly greeted her. Madam Oge had been the nicest to me so far. Not that she was very very nice like very kind but at least, she responded to my greetings and inquired about my work sometimes and whenever i wanted to prepare a meal for Chief, she would always tell me the things to use and the things not to use, the things Chief liked and the things he didnt. Sometimes, whenever we met at the balcony, we chatted over unsignificant things and she was the one i like the most. But she was like that to everyone of the wives, she didnt favour anybody. She took care of us all as her mate and being the one who had been with Chief for a long period of time, she knew almost everything about him. Coupled with the fact that we were from the same tribe.
‘where’s Adetola?’ she asked me.
‘he’s still in bed’
She nodded and focused on her meal.
Mide and Didi exchanged looks before shooting me a deadly stare. Inwardly, i was scared but outwardly, i portrayed a kill-yourself-if-you-like-look.
This was one of the reasons i never wanted to marry Chief.
TBC
