Ship In A Few Words

Mrs. Okafor made herself comfortable on Ify’s bed. “Why are you up late? We are leaving tomorrow morning”. Mrs. Okafor said to Ify. Ify frowned. She walks to her bed. “I know!” She said as she climbed into the bed and told her aunt to help her turn off the light when she was ready to leave. She closed her eyes yawning. It was her way of dismissing her aunt from her room.

“I will, but hope Lanre is coming? It will be good if she comes, maybe I can find a way to see her parents. Gozie needs a wife”. Mrs. Okafor said. It was the very topic Ify was trying to avoid.

“Aunt, you would be meeting only her mom if ever you want to meet her parents. Her father is late”. Ify said. Mrs. Okafor made an exclamation of sympathy. Then she left after telling Ify how sorry she felt for Lanre and how Lanre would not need to worry anymore once she gets married to Gozie. Ify breathed in relief when her aunty finally shut the door.

The next day, they took a flight from Abuja down to Lagos. They were well received when they got to Lagos. Ify momentarily felt like a celebrity. She wonders how the next day would be. The engagement was to be on Saturday. And this was Friday. Unlike her and her aunt who already arrived Lagos, K was not yet in Lagos. Would he even come? If he comes, then she would believe he really did not care about Lanre. But the K that came to Nsukka to meet Lanre must have been madly in love with Lanre to be able to have leave Abuja to come propose to a girl he only knew for less than a month.

Her Excellency, Olashile Adewale had made Ify and Mrs. Okafor feel like they never left home.

Ify had to listen to her aunt and the Governor’s wife talk about how it was good that being friends, they were also going to be in-laws. Then they talked about how it was good that it was not just after the Nigerian civil war that this union was taking place. If it was in that period, then a lot of people would kick against this engagement.

Ify wanted to ship in a few words of her own at some point. But she had to honour the wife of the governor. And so she was only going to speak when asked to. Ify only wished for Saturday to come and be over. She hopes nothing works out. Her major concern was no longer anything to be worried about. She did not tell Lanre anything, which means she did not invite Lanre to come witness the engagement. That was the only thing that Lanre could rejoice in. Little did she know that her mother had called Lanre’s asking them to come. She had no clue that Lanre even recognised that she was the one. So she was still ok with thinking everything was ok.