CHAPTER ONE
The morning was bright and fresh, happy and cheery. Everyone or rather, almost everyone was up and about. Women were getting into their domestic duties; men, their family obligations; and young people, their chores.
The women could be seen sweeping all around their little compounds while their husbands prepared to set out for the day's work of checking traps, collecting latex from rubber trees, lumbering or even early morning hunting or fishing. This was not a sleepy community. Many of the men may be late risers, but most of the women had woken up long before daylight to prepare breakfast.
Yes, the sun was smiling affably and it seemed like every other normal day, but not everyone was feeling in sync with the weather. Newly-wed fourteen year old Caro was feeling apprehensive at the very least.
Today was the day appointed for her to officially assume the position of a wife in her middle aged husband's house. Right now, she was still in her father's house, pacing from wall to wall, experiencing the greatest moment of anxiety in her young life. She had a very important plan in mind and that plan must be executed before the next day. Why the rush, you ask? The key ingredient needed for the success of the plan had been promised her by a close friend and she wanted to receive it before she would leave for her new husband's house. Without that ingredient, her plan... in fact, there would be no plan at all. Her friend, Tina, had sworn on her life that she would deliver the item at the first sign of daybreak, but it was an hour past that time and still, Tina was missing in action.
Caro bit down hard on her finger as she regretted putting all her hopes on Tina's punctuality. She was one who never failed to have suitable alternatives, but this time, she could shamelessly say that there was no alternative to be found. She had to rely on Tina or nothing. But being disappointed like this? Ah!
As time went on, the speed of her pacing increased and she could hear herself praying. Very soon, she would be shipped off to the despicable creature she had been forced to marry and this chance would forever be lost. But wait... what was that? She came to a halt, her heart pounding like a jackhammer as she listened to what she thought was Tina greeting her mother outside. Speak of the devil... Tina walked in with a smiling face.
"So you are even smiling after keeping me waiting here for hours," Caro fumed.
"Eh eh eh, don't talk to me like that o," Tina shot back, trying hard not to break into a grin. "You should be thanking me for coming. If I didn't come now, you'll end up as one old cow with..."
"Come on, bring the thing here," her friend hissed.
Tina came forward and produced from the folds of her wrapper a little plastic bottle. Looking furtively around to ensure that they were alone, she carefully opened the bottle as Caro waited impatiently.
"Use small o, only small," she admonished as her friend took pinch after pinch of the powdery substance inside the bottle, stashing it into a little nylon.
"Tina, are you sure this thing will work very well?"
"Taste it na, you'll see what will happen. Ah ah. Do you want to take everything? It's my mother's own ."
"I know na," Caro nodded as she tied the half-filled nylon and secured it in the pocket of her frock. "I just hope it will work."
"Don't worry, it must work. My mother used to use it for my father when she wants to go out and it used to work everytime."
"Hmm. Then in that case, this my new husband will enjoy," Caro chuckled, clapping her hands merrily.
"So how much will you pay me?", Tina asked as she tucked the bottle back into her wrapper.
"please, come and be going," Caro said, hurrying her towards the door. "I have to get ready. You and money eh... I'm sure it's money your enemies will use to kill you."
"God forbid! So I will do this big thing for you and you will not give me anything abi? Okay na, we shall see."
"Please, please, come and be going back to your father's house. Thank you. I will reward you in my next life."
After she had seen Tina out by way of her hands, Caro came back into the room and offered a short prayer of thanks to God. She checked the substance she had received, ensured its security and began preparations to leave for her new home.
Caro had been here for over ten hours now. She wasn't feeling fear or apprehension of any kind now that she was finally in her husband's house. But she was anxious, very anxious (the eager, desirous kind). When such anxiety came, restlessness usually tagged along. Caro couldn't sit still, she moved like a wandering spirit all around the compound, ignoring the unfriendly stares from her stepchildren and trying her best to keep out of the way of the older wives or 'mates' as they were called. She was biding her time and waiting for a perfect opportunity.
Most of the men in the community had their wives in different places, but not Caro's brand new husband. Nicknamed 'Iron Fire', he was notorious and scary enough to have all his wives under the same roof with him and he was heartless enough not to care whenever they fought or quarreled. Right now, his focus was on his new wife. Tonight, he would break her in, into the world of matrimony as he understood it, little knowing that Caro herself had plans of her own.
Cooking had begun. It was evident from the smoke emanating from the outdoor kitchen and the children running on quick errands to buy ingredients that were not available in the kitchen. Caro kept her distance, but maintained a keen watch on the proceedings. Everything depended on timing. One second off track and the whole plan would go to ruin. Wife number three was the one cooking; she was still yet to find out what name each wife was generally called, but being fellow villagers, she knew enough to be sure that Wife three was a very rude and unfriendly personality. That was why she was scouting the kitchen from afar.
Half an hour... an hour... an hour and half, and it seemed the food was getting ready to be served. There was increased activity around the kitchen and Wife Three was cursing and ordering the children about, not forgetting to throw a wicked glance at Caro followed by an angry spit to drive home her hatred for the new wife. But Caro was far from bothered; all she needed was space and time.
Jumping to her feet, she hurried over to her husband's room. The door was closed and no living soul with anything short of two heads could go into that room without prior permission from the lord of the house, but Caro was ready to use to her advantage her position as new wife. Without knocking, she slowly opened the door and immediately heard a roar that could make anyone melt into thin air. After she had identified herself, the roaring voice changed to a welcoming laughter. He invited her to come in and take a seat beside him. Evidently, he was still intoxicated by the acquisition of a young wife, but that intoxication would die after she would have become like the other wives and he would then need to add to the harem.
She knelt down to greet him, but he was all impatience for her to sit close to him. She sat lightly beside him and acted as shy as she could while he beamed at her like a man surveying a much coveted prize. Before she could say Jack, he lifted her up and sat her on his knee. She blushed further and he smiled wider.
"Caro, Caro," he praised, patting her affectionately, especially her lower back.
"Hmm?", she responded, smiling shyly and pulling off the innocent girl act satisfactorily.
"Chunky chunky," he grinned and tickled her, reveling in the freshness and yet, virgin hardness of her body.
From the corner of her eye, she could see him lick his lips as he stared hungrily at her and she felt it was the right time to state her reason for coming in order to prevent an undesirable occurrence.
"Ehh... Sir, I think your food is almost ready, should I go and bring it?", she asked in her best innocent voice.
"Wow!", he exclaimed in joy. "You don't need to learn too much, you are a naturally good wife. Oya, go and bring the food, let us eat it together."
She got down from his knee and hurried out, receiving a pat on her backside as she went.