Love is A Mystery
Madam Nyezeh would be 80 years old by September, she returned to the village of Abulucha last year. She retired from the civil service about four years ago, she did not return to Abulucha until last year. She stayed behind to get her pension papers in order in the city before returning to the village of Abulucha.
Before her husband, Mr. Layenzey, passed on to the world beyond, about twelve years ago, they have built a house in the village where they used to resort to at the end of the year to celebrate the end of the year with other members of their family and other villagers.
Almost every indigene of the village of Abulucha likes the family of Layenzey because they used to assist the people of the village and give them instructions that would assist, usher in the citizens progress in their endeavors.
The husband and the wife di not give birth to a child before they left village of Abulucha for the city. Some years after they got to the city, they adopted two children from the motherless homes, one girl called Laog and a boy called Ohie. Those children were well taken care of by the husband and wife such that no one could know that they were not their biological parents. In fact the people of Abulucha when they saw them with those children some years after they had left the village of Abulucha congratulated them for their breakthrough, because they never knew they were not the parents of those children.
Laog and Ohie grew up under wonderful atmosphere under the family of Layenzeh, they were given all that they needed, and all that money could afford they try and provide for them. Before Mr. Layenzeh’s death, he used to take those children to the village to celebrate the Christmas and New Year festival with others in the village.
When those children finished their high school, instead of them to continue their studies in the country, their foster parents approached special centers that help people secure admission overseas, and they got for them admission in Federal Republic of Bulgaria.
After they had left for Bulgaria for studies, that was when Mr. Layenzeh died. His children were informed but they were told not to bother to return home because what is important to Mr. Layenzeh is that they will be educated and become someone important in life.
Mr. Layenzeh and his wife were begotten at the same day within the village of Abulucha. While Layenzeh was given birth in the morning, Mrs. Nyezeh was begotten in the evening of the same day, 30th day of September. Their love to some members of the village is considered love that transcends the physical because they have been fond of each other since their childhood days and it wasn’t surprising when they eventually got married to each other before they left the village.
After Madam Nyezeh puts every of the required papers in order for how she would be receiving her monthly stipends from the government she left the city for the village.
Now was not like in the times past when the village of Abulucha could barely be accessed. The government has tarred the road that leads to the village and the network providers have also erected their masts in the village such that internet facilities could be accessed in the village among other social amenities. What could only take Madam Nyezeh to the city now is when she wants to withdraw money from the bank. But with the recent developments globally, of the cashless policy of the world banking system that too is no problem, because about three stalls have been opened within the Village of Abulucha where Madam Nyezeh could take her Mastercard or Verve cards to, to withdraw money from them.
Thus, practically speaking at the moment, there is nothing that could draw her to the town, except on special church functions or government functions because she retired as a Permanent Secretary of the state. Outside these, there is nothing so compelling that could be taken her to the town’s center again.
When she got back to Abulucha, so that she would not be weighed down by sitting down at home doing nothing, she got some laborers to start vegetable farm for her on the land she and her late husband bought. That land is about five hectares of land. What they had in mind before her husband’s death was that when they retired to the village, they would establish farm on the land, they had it in mind to start poultry and other things on the land because Madam Nyezeh likes poultry.
Before she left the town, she has had it in mind that she will continue with the agreement she and her husband have before his demise. Before her husband’s death they have agreed that they will call the farm “Love is a Mystery Farms”. Thus, before she left the town, she got the name registered under the government of the country.
She makes irrigation into the farm, and this irrigation is being used to wet those vegetables daily. So everyday of the day, if you do not get fresh vegetables anywhere within the village, you will get fresh vegetables in Madam Nyezeh’s farm. Because of the well laid out structure of the farmland, people from neighboring towns used to come to Abulucha village to come and buy vegetables every day.
Within 6 months that she returned to her village close to fifty people have been on her pay roll. She is now making contacts to get experts to come and start the poultry work for her because she discovers that the vegetable farm has been blessed by God.
She keeps herself busy within Abulucha village and the Internally Generated revenue of the village has increased within a year that she has started the farm. Everything being equal, the poultry farm should take off before the year runs out because the pens and other things needed for the take off is about 90 percent completed.
The people of Abulucha are happy for this, and they continue to pray for her that God would keep multiplying her.
However, before she and her husband migrated to the city, they used to celebrate Youth carnival every year within the village. The youth festival during their days, used to be a weeklong festival, they will do sports, go to farms to work, the virgins amongst them have days they would dance round the village, they have special songs they would sing for them, and special prayers that would be offered unto God for them, that they would not miss it marital wise, the males who are youths and who have spouses among the virgins would make their spouse known unto others so that in the future there wouldn’t be clash on who is this lady for and who is that lady for, while those who will be getting married before the next youth anniversary would be known during this week-long program.
However, about 4 years ago the trend of things about this weeklong youth carnival changed because they included discussion time. The date of this discussion they slated for Saturday when people would not go to offices, and they used to use Abulucha’s primary school football playground for the discussion as from 9:00 to 12:00 hours while as from 16:00 till 18:30 hours they would round off their sporting activities, with final match of the football game, athletics final and the award of prizes to different people.
The organizers of this year’s Youth carnival have contacted Madam Nyezeh that she would be talking to them during the talking session in the morning. After contacting her, they have given her official letter to back it up.
The venue that will be used for the discussion which is the Abulucha’s Primary school open field has been well set, with engines and speaker well arranged by the mechanical team of the organizing committee handling this Year’s youth carnival. Canopies have been gotten of different sizes and types, the chairs for those who will be at the high table have been well set before the time.
As soon as it is 8:50 hours people have started to arrive at the venue of the program. Some of the customers of Madam Nyezeh who have heard of the program have also arrived for they wanted to listen to an industrious woman speak. The venue has been full to the capacity.
The youths after singing briefly and entertaining the guests, they invited Madam Nyezeh to the podium.
After she gets to the podium, there were shouts here and there by the audience, one of the youths Abulucha asked his partner to guess the age of Madam Nyezeh. His friend is not a citizen of Abulucha, this guy and his girlfriend met in the school and they have been involved with each other since then. The lady, Miss Ayeloja replied that she should be in her late sixties since you said she has just retired from the government work. Her spouse, Sayejeje asked her to guess again because she was not right. Miss Ayeloja made another guess but missed, he gave her chance to guess for the last time, but she missed again and then he replied her that the woman would be 80 years old by September 30th. Miss Ayeloja couldn’t believe what her boyfriend told her, she said, she does not show that age, she looks younger than that, if not that you tell me that she has retired, assuming I met her on a plain ground without an inside talk, I would say she is in her late fifties. I couldn’t believe either but, my late father confirmed to me that she is older than him by 2 years when she and her husband visited home before his husband’s death about twelve years ago.
“Wow!” She exclaimed. “She has taken very good care of herself”, she replied, “I hope God gives me such physique”
“Assuming she isn’t a Christian I would have said she has a charm that she is using to renew her strength and physique”
“Uhm”
While they continued to talk to each other, Madam Nyezeh collects the microphone from the Emcee of the program and one of the Youths standing up started this song,
“Mama oh, Mama oh, may God protect and preserve Mama for us”, while the entire audience joined him in singing the song.
After they finished the song, and there is calmness, Madam Nyezeh greeted everyone, the important dignitaries, chiefs and kings invited to the program, all the Youths executives for given her the rare privilege of coming to speak with them, for what and who is she that the Youths could bestow such honor on her? “I am nothing before God and I am small among the many citizens of this village who have been blessed and promoted by God, but none the less you counted me important to be invited here to speak to you, I am mostly honored”
As she was saying this, the audience started clapping.
While the clapping died down, she said, “about 65 years ago, my husband of blessed memory and I were youths like you all are at the moment, and as from then we have joined other Youths within Abulucha to celebrate this yearly Youth Carnival.
As she said this again, people clapped with some people opening their mouths like Miss Ayeloja for she now believes what her fiancé told her that the woman would be 80 years this year.
“During our time, we used to keep ourselves pure, and it was during this time that people have known that my husband, Layenzeh, of blessed memory (as she said this her voice shook, she paused, took out her handkerchief to wipe tear droplet from her eyelids before she continued) and I would become something in this village, people have known that we are secretly in love, though we have not really be dating, but then it is very clear, because we have become fond of each other.”
Some people among the audience looked at themselves before she continued.
“Then, immediately we are in love we announce it at the gathering like this so that there won’t be clash in the future, I do hope that is yet in play”, the Youths are nodding their heads to show that such is yet in place, as she continued, “I said this because the world has changed, every day things change in the world, and you, the youths of today are on faster terrain. No one could blame you, because technology has placed you on faster terrain”.
“I am here today to speak to you briefly on your relationship, as contained in the letter given me. I will start by saying this word of prayer, it is the word of prayer my mother prayed for me when I was ten years old, well before I started dating my husband, and the word of prayer is “Ọlorun ko ni jẹ ki o fi oko rẹ se ọrẹ rẹ” (translation; God would not allow you to make your husband your ordinary friend)
The audience said “Amen”
As the shout of “amen” died down, she said, that was how I said “amen” that day, but I did not know what it means, and I asked my mother to expatiate because I am an inquisitive girl. And then she starts by telling me a story to explain what the prayer she prayed for me meant. I still recollect the story very clearly, let me share it with you today.
“There was once a man in the centre of our village”, my mother hides the identity of the man, although I later got to know the person she was talking about through my spouse because his father told him who the person was, but I will also hide the identity as my late mother did. Madam Nyezeh cleared her throats as she continued, “This man was not a native of our town, but he was industrious, hardworking, disciplined, principled, loving and caring. Whatsoever this man touches becomes blessed, because of his accommodation and hospitality, many children usually throng to his place, playing with him, he never got annoyed for once with any one of those children, in fact, what those of us who were parents will beat our children for, for asking from us, or for mistakenly doing, he would laugh over it and in love correct those children. This attitude of his endeared him to many people's heart the more, as people started wondering what kind of man is this.”
Madam Nyezeh readjusts herself, drank a warm water placed before her on the podium as she continues with time maidens, virgin ladies started visiting him, but this man did not show interest in any of them. Later, my mother said she got to know that his heart of love has been wounded on several occasions by maidens and this has made him lose his feelings of love for women. However, he started expressing the feelings of love to the children, because there couldn’t be vacuum in life.
The elders in our land would say, “elders cannot be in the market place and the head of a neonate is not well placed without the elder calling the attention of the lady carrying the baby to make adjustments” (“Agba ki i wa lọja, ki ori ọmọ tuntun wọ”). because of what I get to know about him, my mother said she called the man and advised him that if one does not forget what has happened in the past, one would hardly play with anyone again. She advised him to forget all that has happened between him and some ladies in the past and chart a new channel for himself within the village or as the case maybe with other ladies from different village that he sees.
After this and other talks my mother said, the man profusely thanked her and said though several people have been talking to him about this issue, he would just thank them, leave them, but would not do anything about it and would continue with his life. But my mother said, the man said what she told him was as if no one has spoken to him about this before, because the word sank into his mind, the word was sown on a good soil in his heart. She there and then promised my mother to do something about it, forgetting all that has happened before and charting new path for himself.
True to what this man said, he started wooing some ladies, but a particular lady which he talked to and whom he confided in my mother that he really loves and prays would be hers, when he approached the lady, the lady looked elsewhere, because he was not an indigene of our village.
My mother said when this man told her of the lady, she also loved the lady and wanted her to be married to this man, because the lady too is good girl. Therefore, my mother said she called the lady talked to her on behalf of the man, telling her she will enjoy the man, and that she should reconsider her stand, but she the lady did not listen to my mother. My mum said the lady told her that all she wants to do with the man is making him one of his friends, because he is accommodating to all. “I cannot possibly be married to him”, she said to my mother.
After a while that they have been pressing the lady, but she did not yield, my mum said she called the man and told him to look for another lady.
God blessed Abulucha village with beautiful ladies, I do not know why our ladies have not won the most beautiful lady contest she added as the ladies shouted yes oh Mama, continue.
When the noise died down, she continued, this man moved ahead to another lady, and interestingly the man kept my mummy in confidence, whatever steps he will take, even before taken it she will tell my mother about it.
So, she approached my mother and told her about the new lady that is in his heart. My mum said she helped him to ask if she has declared during any of the Youth Carnival like this that she has a spouse. After her findings she discovered that the lady has no suitor despite her beauty, she must have been hidden by God for this man, my mum said, so, my mother told him to go to the lady, that whatsoever she says he should let her know to monitor the progress.
As fate would have it, this lady did not delay this man, maybe because of her friends that have been engaged that she is yet single or maybe that is her nature, my mother said she couldn’t say the reason behind her prompt reply, but all she could say was that, the woman did not tarry before replying the man. And that was how they started dating.
Within a short time, they have been married, my mother said she was among those who stood as parents for the man because his parents were dead.
They were married, blessed and have three children.
The lady who turned down this man also got the person she wanted but she never enjoyed her marriage. The lady would come back to my mother later to tell her how erroneous she has been telling my mother that, and you pleaded with me to reconsider my stand, but what would not let me hear blocked my ears. This lady eventually got separated from her husband after 7 years of marriage. Because divorce is not common in our land then, she has to leave Abulucha village for another village because she couldn’t withstand the shame.
Again, I am praying, “may God disallow you from making your husband your friend alone”, I said amen.
I am also praying for you that God would disallow you from making your spouse your ordinary friend. The audience said amen.
This story does not mean that you are to marry someone who is not your friend, because if you do that, that would be one of the greatest errors you can make in life, but it is saying that the person you ought to marry, you need to leave the stage of ordinary friendship to really being in love with each other. When you are married to a person who is your friend, your home would be heaven on earth. For all the years that my husband and I lived before his demise, people see us as twins, brother and sister. We really enjoyed our marriage.
You will enjoy your marriage when you are married to someone whom you are friends with, someone who will correct you in love, someone who will see your fault and cover it, someone who will be pampering you all the days of your life. This is what a friend does to his friend. Let nothing blindfold you, let race not debar you from marrying the person who is your friend, but don’t make him friend alone, when you see that something wants to come up among you.
Thank you.
Long live Youth of Abulucha!
Long live Elders and King of Abulucha!!
Long live Abulucha!!!
As she said this, the audience started clapping as Emcee comes forward to take the microphone from her to ask for those who have one or two questions to ask from the speaker, Madam Nyezeh.
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