Chapter 7

"Oma, you are really trying with that woman you call your mother-in-law! If I had such Mother-in-law, God knows I would have poisoned her!" Bola, one of Ifeoma's best friends said nonchalantly.

Ifeoma had just two best friends right from secondary school, Bola and Halima. They attended the same university and their friendship seemed to grow stronger through the days. Bola was yet to be married but has a boyfriend who was a married man, Halima on the other hand was a year married on the basis of an arranged marriage to an Hausa man.

"Ah ahn! Bola, that is too extreme, killing on top what na?!" Halima exclaimed while Ifeoma just kept quiet.

"Look at this one! It's like you don't know what these Mother-in-laws are capable of doing! I trust myself. If I should get married and any stupid woman tries all that nonsense with me, she should be ready to join her ancestors in hell!" Bola exclaimed taking the whole issue personal.

"Oma, you had better not mind this girl who doesn't even know what marriage entails yet. Don't let her ruin your marriage!" Halima said disagreeing with Bola who was just fuming.

"What do you mean?! Oh you think the stupid arranged marriage that you got yourself into is what marriage is? The man hardly even stays with you! It's just as if he married you into his house as a living showpiece!" Bola exclaimed.

Ifeoma could have stepped into their bickering since they were already taking the matter to a whole different level but she was just too stressed up to say anything.

"And the married man you are dating who is deceiving you that he'll leave his wife for you nko? Am I not better than you?!" Halima snapped angrily.

"Ademi is a man of his words. He always does what he says. He's going to marry me and that's it. Oma, you need to see the enjoyment galore he put me through in Dubai last month. The shopping spree alone is enough to kill someone, I even bought us a matching gown. It's dope!" Bola said excitedly.

Bola is that kind of person whose mood never stays the same for over twenty minutes, the way she switches seems so impossible.

This minute, she's angry and fuming and the next minute, she's happy and excited. Ifeoma used to call her bipolar.

Ifeoma decided to contribute after minutes of silence, "But really, Bola, Halima is just telling you the truth. You are over thirty already, you are not getting younger. I don't know why you have always found married men attractive since our school days. That man will never leave the mother of his kids for you."

"He will. He definitely will! Meanwhile, they don't have kids yet and why are you guys now focusing on my own relationship life? Is my life incomplete just because I'm yet to get married? Ademi is the love of my life and he'll get married to me, I don't care if I have to be the second wife, he just has to be my husband." Bola insisted while Halima and Ifeoma shook their heads in pity."

"I hope it's not too late before you come to your senses! What joy would you derive from ruining a fellow woman's marriage? Or have you forgotten that it's the same cane that he's using to beat the first wife that he'll use in beating you too?!" Halima said.

"No! You guys don't even know him and you're judging him so much. He even introduced me to his mother and the woman likes me so much, they have just decided to keep it all low key till he can break the news to his wife." Bola explained.

"I am just so disgusted at you, Bola. It should be women raising other women up and not bringing them down. I have to be careful around you cos you can even snatch my own husband too since married men are your spec." Halima remarked angry at Bola.

"Hun, ode! Your husband that have been snatched already abi which one are you saying? A woman is probably grinding him right now and you are here shouting my husband up and down!" Bola said.

"You guys are taking this too far! Bola, it seems your mind is made up with your so called Ademi so just do quick and get married to him already, we want to eat rice biko!" Ifeoma said trying the lighten the tense atmosphere.

"Meanwhile, I'd better get going now before my husband comes back from work and doesn't meet his beautiful wife at home. You know how he gets when I come home late form work, I don't want wahala today, biko. You girls should take good care of yourself, I'll call you!" Ifeoma said as she departed.

"You people like carrying husband on your head like its a trophy!" Bola snapped.

"Ehn, isn't been married also an achievement?" Halima asked confused.

"No, been happily married is an achievement and the happiness in it is a huge difference!" Bola said conclusively.