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“Ahh! Aunty Cynthia! Welcome… Ee don tey oo! " Femi echoes, as Cynthia and his wife approach the middle of the living room. Cynthia replies kittenishly, with her arm still over Amara's shoulder, "Uncle Femi!!!... I dey vex for una oo!... You and your wife did not come to my house opening party. It's not fair oo!..."

Then Femi smiles coyly, replying as they both take their seats on the sofa,
"Ahhh… No nau... You know sey we be travel dat period."

"Ehen nau..." she responds jocularly and then adds, "...Una go New York, con forget me for here. God dey oo! "
The three of them burst into prolonged laughter.

Afterwards, Femi continues, "Don't worry… I saved a bottle of Bordeaux for you. I'll go and get it."

"Ooh! That's nice!... I go first shak small for here." Cynthia exclaims gleefully. Again, they all laugh while Femi leaves the living room.

Uju, who has been eavesdropping at the passage door quickly walks into the living room to greet aunty Cynthia, before heading to the kitchen. "Good evening, ma!" she echoes, waving slightly as she walks toward the kitchen door.

"Oh, good evening!" Cynthia echoes in surprise, afterwhich she turns to Amara and whispers, "Who be dat? "
Amara replies subtly, "Na the girl wey dem bring come for me."

"Eh eh ehn?... From where?" she inquires.

"Owerri nau. I be tell you! Na Obiageli bring am nau!..."Amara emphasizes in hushed tones.

Upon hearing this, Cynthia tilts her head in even more shock, saying, "Obiageli???... That ekwensu! You sure sey no be satellite she bring come your house so??? "

"Haba!.. Cynthia, you sef!! " Amara exclaims.

"Na true I dey talk oo!... Hmm! You can never be too careful. You know sey you get pikin oo!... Just make sure you watch her closely… Hm!... You know wetin house girl don take my eye see o. Me, I no dey carry again!" Cynthia avers, while Amara listens to her intently. Thereafter, Amara chuckles slightly, saying, "Ah ah???... You no trust me???... No just worry. I put eye down."

"Hmm... Okay oo. I trust you sha." she responds, shrugging a bit. "...Ehen! Where is T-boy?" she inquires, increasing her voice now.

Amara chuckles in response, saying,
"I'm sure he is still doing his homework..."

"...I'm here!!!" Tobi interrupts her, after running into the living room with shy speed. He stops a few metres away from the both of them and starts smiling and giggling coyly, afterwhich aunty Cynthia asks him kittenishly, "So Tobi, you heard my voice and you did not come out to greet me?"

"No… I had not finished my homework yet. And I went to pee first, so..." he replies, in suppressed laughter.

"Okay, no problem... Come here!!!..." She hugs him tightly and then continues, smiling radiantly, "... I heard you topped your class last term... Which means, I owe you a present!"

Then Tobi giggles again, as she releases him, "Thank you ma!"

"Alright, go finish your homework dear." she replies, ruffling his hair with her palm.

"Okay" he responds, before slowly walking away. But then stopping at the door, he turns back to whisper at her mischievously, as though trying to prevent his mother from hearing,
"Aunty Cynthia... in case you haven't made up your mind yet... please buy me a smartphone."

"...Will you shut it there!... You are not getting a smartphone." his mother quickly interrupts. Then Cynthia bursts into uncontrollable fits of laughter, as Tobi quickly zooms off.

"Ehen... How your husband?" Amara asks, while adjusting her bun properly.

Cynthia smiles faintly at first, but then looking to the ground. She clenches her palms together and replies,
"Ee dey fine... Ee even travel go Benin sef."

"Okay… He go see ee mama?" Amara inquires in a concerned manner. Then Cynthia replies, wincing slightly,
"No oo... Na land issue carry am go. Person don go lay foundation for ee land. "

"Ewoh!... Heeeheee!!! Chai!... But Bini people sef!!! Ah ah!..." Amara exclaims in utter shock while dusting her palms together.

Then Cynthia cuts in, "Hmm... I dey fear dem o, my sister!... Why do you think I did not follow him there?... Mtchew!... I am not ready to see any unwanted faces. Abeg, I no just fit... before dem go still go talk sey, na me no dey make dem see their broda money chop. "

Amara shakes her head in response,
"My sister!... That is how inlaws behave everywhere. You no know wetin my oga family don do me?... Hmm... Na just God oo!... Even as I take suffer born this pikin... till today, dem neva ask of am once... because their broda no gree marry new wife."

Thereafter, Femi enters with a chilled bottle of champagne in one hand and a Bordeaux in the other.

"Wow!!! See groove oo!!! " Cynthia exclaims in excitement.

Then Femi smiles and echoes, "Let me get some glasses."

"... I don't drink alcohol.", Amara states cheekily, holding up her right arm in a sassy manner.

"... Then more for us, Sister Mary!" Cynthia responds in an equally sassy manner and then adds, "... Uncle Femi, please give me her share."
They all burst into laughter. Afterwards, Femi shakes his head and heads toward the dinning room.

Cynthia on the other hand, sighs a bit and turns back to Amara, "My sister, I will need to leave soon. I still have to arrange and unpack the stuff in our guest room at home. Sylvester might arrive with his brother from Benin."

"Okay… And since Osato and Efosa are still in school, you are all alone at home. I'm so sorry, my sister." Amara replies sympathetically, rubbing her palm behind Cynthia's back.

Cynthia sighs once more. "Yes oo... Their visiting days will be two weeks from now sef. I need to start buying some school supplies for them."

"Doh!... You know what... let me just follow you and help you finish unpacking. I have things under control here." Amara offers.

"Ohhhh.. thank you so so much, my sister!..." Cynthia replies with a smile and then adds cheekily, as Femi pours some champagne into the glasses, "... But wait... I need to ask bros for permission to steal you first."
It is quite obvious that Femi heard everything they said, but he does not utter a word.

"Don't worry… He's fine with it.." Amara avers. But regardless, Cynthia interrupts her and gently rubs both her palms together in plea, "... Uncle Femi... Jọwọ... can I steal your wife for just a few hours?... ẹdakun ki o le ran mi lọwọ."
Femi widens his lips into a fake but believable smile and then replies, "Ah!... Arabinrin mi, no problem nau."
Afterwards, Cynthia quickly genuflects from her seat to thank him, "Ahh... Mo dupẹ lọwọ yin lopolopo."

"Ah!... Jọ! Duro! Duro o!... Kini idi ti o fi kunlę fun mi?... Do you want your husband to arrest me?" Femi rebukes her humorously. Then they all burst into laughter.

After having a glass of champagne, Cynthia then rises up to leave. "Okay nau, bros! See you later. Thanks for the Bordeaux!"

"No wahala! Please extend my regards!" he replies with a warm smile. And Cynthia nods in reply.

Thereafter, Amara yells, "Uju!!!... Please get me my purse!"

"Okay ma!" Uju echoes from the kitchen. A few seconds later, she scurries into the living room with Amara's purse.

"Have you finished making the semo?" Amara asks. Uju enthusiastically responds,
"Yes, I have. I am about to dish out the food now."

"Alright, I am leaving."
Then she adds in a whisper, "Serve your uncle's food immediately."

"Okay ma. I will." Uju replies.

Before leaving with Cynthia, Amara bids her husband farewell, "Sweetheart, see you later. I'll call you when I am done... or... I might just head straight to the church and meet you there. I'll let you know... Take care!"

"Yeah." Mr. Balogun replies nonchalantly. Then both women slowly exit, chuckling as they begin yet another discussion.                     

                              
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GLOSSARY
Ekwensu - Devil (In Igbo)
Doh - Sorry
Ogah- Husband/Boss/Mister
No wahala - No problem
Bros - A name given to a (usually older) male, as a sign of respect.
Jọwọ- Please
Duro - Stand
"...Ee don tey oo! " - "It's been a while!"
"..I dey vex for una oo!.."- "I'm angry at the both of you."
"Ahhh....No nau.....You know sey we be travel dat period........" - "Ahhh.....No.....Come on......You know we travelled, that period."
"Ehen nau......Una go New York, con forget me for here!.......Dier is God oo!!!"- "Oh yes..... You both travelled to New York and forgot me!... God is watching!!!"
"..I go first shak small for here."- "I'll pop it open here, and drink some."
"Who be dat? "- "Who is that?"
"Na the girl wey dem bring come for me."- "She's the girl who was brought for me."
"Owerri nau, I be tell you!....Na Obiageli bring am nau!...." - "From Owerri! Don't you remember I told you?....Obiageli brought her"
"Obiageli???........That ekwensu!.....You sure sey no be satellite she bring come your house so??? " - "Obiageli???....That devil!.... Are sure she hasn't just succeeded in planting one of her agents, in your house???"
"Haba!.....Cynthia, you sef!!"- "Woah!... Cynthia, come on!!!"
"Na true I dey talk oo!.....Hmm!.....You can never be too careful......You know sey you get pikin oo!.... Just make sure you watch her closely.... Hmm!....You know wetin house girl, don take my eye see oo....Me, I no dey carry again. " - "I'm just being honest!....Hmm!.... You can never be too careful.... Remember, you have a child!..... So just make sure to watch her closely.... You're well aware of all I've experienced, at the hands of these house girls..... And I'm never bring any of them into my home again."
"Ah ah???....You no trust me???..... No just worry. I put eye down."- "Don't you trust me???.....Calm down, don't you worry. I'm watching her like a hawk."
"....I trust you, sha."- ".....I trust you though."
"Ehen, How your husband? " - "And how is your husband doing?"
"Ee dey fine....Ee even travel go Benin sef."- "He's fine.....He even travelled to Benin(Edo State)."
"Okay....He go see ee mama?"- "Okay....Did he go to visit his mother?"
"No oo.....Na land issue carry am go. Person don go lay foundation for ee land. "- "No... He went because of a land dispute.... Someone has illegally laid a foundation on his land."
".....I dey fear dem oo, my sister!......Abeg, I no just fit....Before dem go still go talk sey, na me no dey make dem, see their broda money chop. "- "...I truly fear them, my sister!.....I'm just not in the mood for all that....They might even start saying again, that I'm the reason their brother doesn't give them money anymore."
"My sister!.....That's how inlaws behave everywhere. You no know wetin my oga family don do me?.... Hmm!.....Na just God oo!.....Even as I take suffer born this pikin.... till today.....dem neva ask of am once!..... Because their broda no gree marry new wife."- "My sis....All inlaws behave like that... Don't you know what I've suffered, at the hands of my husband's family members?..... God was my only salvation!....... Ever since I succeeded in giving birth to a son, they've never asked of him.......Because their brother refused to send me away, and marry a new wife, when they asked him to."
"Wow!!!... See groove oo!!! "- "Wow!!!..... Looks like I'm in for a treat!"
".....Jọwọ.....can I......ẹdakun ki o le ran mi lọwọ."- "...Please......can I......so she can assist me."
"Ah!.....Arabinrin mi..."- "Ah!....My sister..."
"Ahh!.....Mo dupẹ lọwọ yin lopolopo."- "Ohh!... Thank you so much."
"Ah!... Jọ! Duro! Duro o!....Kini idi ti o fi kunlẹ fun mi?..."- "Woah!....Please stand up! Stand o!....Why are you kneeling to me?...."

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