Chapter 45

Njideka gave a confused frown now. "Circumcised how?"

"Like... Cir-cum-cised!" Nduka indicated by imitating a snipping scissors with his ring finger and index finger.

Njideka's eyes widened now in horror. "Wait o, you mean like they should trim or completely cut off my clitoris?! Genitalia mutilation?" 

"Yes... something like that!"

"What kind of stupid question is that? Why would I want to put myself through such barbaric mutilation? Do you want to kill me? Don't you know that the clitoris is a reason for any woman to live for? You want me to be a wasted woman? Tell me, how do I enjoy orgasm if I'm circumcised? Or do you think sex is all about penetration and consistent banging?" She questioned.

"Please, don't get angry..." Nduka pleaded, having seen her reaction. "It was just a question."

"A question indeed." She eyed him. "In fact, come to think of it; was your late wife circumcised?"

"Erm..." Nduka hesitated. "It doesn't matter, she's dead and gone, so let's not discuss her." He evasively said.

"I hope you are not a missionary kind of man o? Because me, I like different styles and I like having sex at least four times in a week." She revealed.

"Four times in week?" Nduka's eyes widened in shock. "What is it, is it food?!"

"You are the one that know that one, except you want me to masturbate."

"Don't say such a word here!" Nduka reprimanded her. "This is a Christian home, Njideka, have some respect for God!"

"I've heard..." She mumbled.

He sighed then after a slight pause, he spoke again, "Um... concerning your education, what level are you in?"

"Three hundred level... I'm starting the second semester in three weeks’ time." She answered.

"I see...but must you finish it?"

She frowned again. "What do you mean by must I finish my education? Are you in any way trying to say that I should drop out of school?"

"Not exactly..."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm just wondering how you'll be able to care for the home and for our kids when you are schooling."

"You'll get a house-help or nanny na..."

"I don't want outsiders in my house."

"Then bring in a younger relative of yours. If I can carry your children for nine months and also give birth to them, then the rest of the responsibility like bathing and backing the baby, washing our clothes and also helping around with other chores should fall on your relative."

Just then, Vincent came into the house and paused, a bit surprised to see his father who had traveled for a week. "Good evening, sir." He greeted.

"Where are you just coming from?" Nduka asked Vincent.

"From jamb lesson, sir." Vincent answered.

"Who's this?" Njideka asked, staring at the tall adolescent boy with some interest evident in her eyes.

"That's my son, Vincent." Nduka answered.

"He's very handsome." She complimented, scrutinizing him from head to foot.

"Mhm..." Nduka murmured under his breath then said to his son, "Vincent, this is Njideka, she's the wife I told you that I was going to marry from the next town and she's going to be your stepmother, so I want you to respect and treat her like you would your mother."

"Yes sir... You are welcome, ma." Vincent simply said to Njideka and walked past her into his room and her eyes followed him.

"How old is he?" She turned her head to ask Nduka in a quiet voice.

"Why? He's fifteen... He'll soon go to a seminary. I want him to be a priest."

"You mean you want such a handsome boy to waste away by becoming a Reverend father?" Njideka was surprised.

"Serving God is not wasting away!" Nduka stated, rising to his feet. "Let's go in so that you can freshen up. Father Thomas, a very good friend of mine will be coming this evening to see you and bless our union." He said, taking her luggage in his hands and she got up and followed him into the bedroom.

                                                                               ★★★

Nduka sat up in the middle of the night thinking about his new wife, Njideka. She was asleep by his side, snoring without a care in the world. He lifted the blanket and took a peek at his nakedness; his limp manhood looked forlorn. In fact, what was more annoying was the fact that he had felt absolutely nothing while having sex with her. 

At first, he had doubted if he had penetrated her, but when he had felt some warmth and wetness, he became certain that he was already in her, but he still couldn't feel the walls of her vagina gripping his manhood the way Oluchi's used to. He had ended up having sex with Njideka, ejaculating and not even enjoying it one bit and now here she was, sleeping like a beauty queen.

What had he gotten himself into? Just a week ago, he had thought that he had finally found the woman for him after stalking her movement and finding out that she often went to church, well he had been deceived. 

Njideka was too wild for him. He began to plot on how he would have her circumcised and how he would also stylishly end her education. There was no way he was going to sponsor a woman to the university where young boys who were only a little bit older than his son would be competing on his wife with him. Glancing at Njideka again, he forced himself to go to sleep.

When he woke up in the morning, he was shocked to find out that Njideka was still in bed. Glancing at the wall clock, he realized much to his dismay that it was twelve minutes to ten. Angrily shaking and tapping her awake, Njideka who was irritated by the fact that her sleep was being interrupted, reacted with open displeasure. 

"What? What? WHAT?!" She angrily asked in irritation, propping on an elbow.

"Njideka, what's the time?!" Nduka asked.

"And what's my business with the time, am I a timekeeper?" She retorted.

"What sort of stupid question is that? Is a married woman still supposed to be in bed by this time of the day?"

"And what book of law states when and when not a married woman ought to be in bed?" She asked.

"Njideka, I don't know if you are trained well, but a good wife ought to be up and about cleaning the house by now. Courtesy demands that my breakfast ought to be ready by now!" Nduka stated imperatively.

"Please let me hear word!" Njideka angrily waved a dismissive hand at her husband. "What is it sef? Ever since I stepped into this house, it has been courtesy that or courtesy this? Why are you still in bed too or do you have two heads? Can't you be a good husband and act as an example? After the long journey of yesterday, you don't want me to rest, abi? Bia, Nduka, I did not get married to you to suffer! Marriage is meant to be enjoyed, not endured! If you want breakfast early in the morning, get up and go to the kitchen yourself, you won't die! As for me, I need to enjoy my beauty sleep!"

"So that's all you have to say?" Nduka was shocked at his wife's indifference and outright defiance.

"What do you want me to say? Don't even get me started on last night's sex too!" She said scornfully, hissing too. "Because if I begin to pour out my mind, you might not be able to withstand the storm!"

"And what was wrong with last night's sex?" Nduka asked, adjusting his sitting position on the bed. "I performed well!" He bragged.

"Everything is wrong with the sex, Nduka, everything! What was that thing you did last night? No foreplay, no kiss, you did not even touch my breasts, you just entered like that! You did not even change style! Who does that?" She asked with a disgruntled look.

"And why should I waste my time doing such when the only place that can give me children is down there? Ehen, concerning last night, why did you not moan? You just laid there like a log of wood! Do you know what such can do to a man's ego?"

"Moan for what? Is a fish significant in an ocean?" She shot.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Nduka's frown deepened.

"It simply means that your manhood is too small, Nduka. Sharks are more significant than a fish in the ocean, that is to say that I didn't even feel anything last night

"And how's that my fault?!" Nduka flared now, his anger piqued by her insulting comparison. If anything, you are the one to blame, you are indeed an ocean!" He fired.

"Ehnnnnn! Don't insult me o! Nduka, don't just insult me at all! I'm not the one who told you to be absent on the day God was sharing bigger portions! You probably got the leftovers!"

"Instead of running your mouth, you had better go do something about your wide womanhood! If you are willing to comply, I can talk to some women and they will perform infibulation on you." He suggested.

"God forbid!" Njideka suddenly spat, suddenly sitting up and swinging her arms around her head then clicking both thumbs and index finger towards the floor. "So, you want those women to cut or reposition my labia then sew part of my vagina close? It will never happen!" She vehemently refused.