We Are All Corrupt

“Then tell my brother in-law to talk to his daughter”. Mrs. Okafor half yelled over the phone. A frown crept into Mrs. Ochuzi’s face. She became upset immediately.

“See, I don’t know the reason why you made me agree to let Ify marry the Governor’s son. But know this, papa Ify is not happy. He does not want his daughter to marry a Yoruba man. He is only keeping quiet because the father of the young man is a governor. Fear no go allow person talk anything”. Mrs. Ochuzi said. Then she tells her sister, Mrs. Okafor how a young man had come to create a scene in their house that he was Ify’s fiancé and that they have been engaged for two years. She explained to her that this got her husband angry to the point he almost beat Ify up. And then Ify left the house against his wish to Lagos.

“My husband is stubborn and won’t even hear Ify’s name in this house. You want me to tell him to call her? Hmm! Also, for your information there is something you must know”. Mrs. Ochuzi said to her sister.

“Your so called friend, Her Excellency, Olasile called me and asked me for a favour. She said since I’m the branch manager for CBN in Enugu state, I should help her husband acquire some funds for the election coming up next year. Like, is she out of her senses? Does she thinks that We print money and throw it into the bin? Like how does she thinks CBN works?” Mrs. Ochuzi said.

Mrs. Okafor could tell that her sister was already flaming up. She bit her fingers. Olasile wants to spoil everything for her and her sister even before the marriage.

“Oluchi, I swear I do not know anything about that. The only reason I wanted our daughter Ifeoma to marry into that family is because she is my friend it I know the young man is a gentleman. Besides, I never knew Olashile would do a thing like that. I’m so sorry! I will talk to her”. Mrs. Okafor said. Just when she was about to plead with Mrs. Ochuzi to still try to call Ify, Mrs. Ochuzi hung up on her.

“Like mother like daughter”. She grunted out in frustration.

“And so? What if you help them since you are the branch manager of CBN Enugu state? You people will be acting like saints, as if there is no skeleton in your cupboards. All of us are corrupt together. In this country, we are all corrupt and only the strongest will survive”. Mrs. Okafor soliloquizes.

Just then Anita who had returned from her honeymoon long ago arrived. She had come to visit her mother for the first time since her return.

“Mom, why are you talking to yourself? Who is getting you upset?” Anita asked. Mrs. Okafor controlled by her annoyance immediately blunts out everything to Anita. She didn’t even hide the part where she had arranged the everything so Lanre can be her daughter in-law.

“Anita, you are married, so you should have small sense. Please talk to Gozie so that we can go see Lanre’s people. Ify is becoming over dramatic”. Mrs. Okafor said.