Cowardise

K arrived the Government house. Since he was asked to come to the government house, then it was an official invitation. The Governor had used his office to stop him from going to Ibadan, and he could not disobey. He was going to meet the Governor, not his father.

Before coming, K had to change his casual wear. There was no way one would go meet the governor looking like he was in his house. “Your Excellency!” K said when he got to the Governor’s office. He was asked to seat down. The Governor asked him when he will get to work. K was baffled. He had just been given an unexpected contract, and here the Governor was asking him when he was going to commence with the work.

“I have a period of eight months to carry out the work Your Excellency”. K said to the Governor. The Governor nods his head and then he looked at K. The look he gave K was one K was all too familiar with.

“A man who takes a public decision should not relent in keeping his words. You have made it known to the general public that you will marry the Igbo girl in two months, if you relent, then you will be a coward. I want to believe my son is not a coward”. The Governor said. K gritted his teeth.

He wondered if that was what proved to be cowardise, not marrying a woman he had publicly said he would? K hated what his father just said.

“I said that to please parents! Why would I go into an arranged marriage?” K said. The Governor frowned.

“Kehinde Adewale, in this seat, I am not your father but the Governor, your Governor. You must accord me that respect”. The Governor said. K scoffed. He was on an official seat talking about unrelated matters. His father sure wanted to bend his head to fit into his palms.

“Are you, Your Excellency?” K said. The Governor shook his head. “You must not go after that woman any longer. You already missed the chance of having her. Now you must let her go and marry that Igbo girl”. The Governor said. K told him he could not promise that. The Governor told him he had no choice, it was now an official order.

K stood up proving disrespectful. “What happened to human rights observation? I have a right to choose my wife!” K said. The Governor stood up as well.

“And you think you have the rights to fool another woman as well?” The Governor asked. K asked him how he even knew he wanted another woman and not Ify. The Governor told him he would not have been the governor if he did not have his own means.

“If you go near that woman and refused to marry the one you have publicly announced you would marry, then I will make sure that woman’s name is wiped out from among those living on earth”. The Governor threatened.