Obiageli paid attention to all they discussed while she sat.  She listened to Chinaza argue with Pa Nonso, Mr Nwokocha, and Oga Philip about something she couldn't understand.

It was actually about something written on the daily newspaper. She never knew Chinaza was one to read the papers and could argue this fiercely.

Her voice was the loudest as she bumped her fist on the plastic table repeatedly. Due to Chinaza's intense engagement in the argument, Obiageli went to serve the two ladies that walked into the canteen.

More people had trooped in that instance and so Obiageli couldn't join the table anymore.

The factory workers had left before she could finish her service of food; this, she wasn't bothered about.

She had made up her mind not to go back to the table; she didn't flow with the men like Chinaza did. She stayed back at the kitchen instead each time the men came.

One afternoon, she sat in the kitchen after serving the customers their orders.

  She told herself she'd pack their plates later; she was hungry: they left their plates behind after eating, so all she did was walk around the tables, picking up plates. 

She scooped a heap of rice on her plate, as she made way to scoop some stew.

Workers at the canteen were entitled to two plates of food each day. This was one reason Obiageli  enjoyed working at the canteen.

There was no need to worry about food anymore. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulder.

Obiageli had barely cleared her plate when Chinaza  walked in with a slight frown on her face.

"Come, Oby!" She held her hand and tried dragging her out of the kitchen.

"What. . .Why?" Obiageli stuttered as she tried to steady her pace with  that of Chinaza who  was  walking quite fast.

Chinaza dragged her to the table of the factory workers and sat down immediately, urging her to sit too.

"Today's paper brought an interesting news today.  Read it for Obiageli  to hear." Chinaza said to Oga Philip as she folded  her arms.

Oga Philip cleared his throat and began reading. "Wife screams and cry each time husband tries to deflower her." He read the heading.

Obiageli tittered and Chinaza glared at her.

"You've not even heard the whole matter and you're  laughing, gbo?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't she? It's  funny." Mr Nwokocha chuckled.

"Tell her the full issue." Chinaza eyed him.

"What's there to say again?  The husband's brother  was asked to assist his brother since he was more experienced in dealing with virgins." Mr Nwokocha shrugged.

"I say that's injustice. Why should an outsider be asked to_"

"He's not an outsider. He's  a brother to her husband. Besides the husband agrees to this." Pa Nonso chirped in.

"Oby, what do you have to say about this issue?" Chinaza turned to her.

"Well," Obiageli shrugged, "since her husband agrees to it then_"

"What are you saying?" Chinaza scowled at her. "You talk like the wife is a thing which has no say at all about her life."

"A woman is to submit to her husband when she gets married." Obiageli shrugged again.

"Fact!" Pa Nonso clapped.

"That's  absolutely nonsense. We're talking about her body. She has a right to her body too, doesn't she?" Chinaza was literally fuming as she tightened her knuckles.

"Her body is now her husband's_" Pa Nonso was cut off by Oga Philip.

"Come and see o. That is not the only issue o. The new bride had done the same with the brother and so was summoned by the elders to explain her behaviour."

"What did she say?" Somto, one of the young workers who had been listening to the older men, asked. Everyone kept quiet as they listened to Oga Philip.

"Well, she has no hole." Oga Philip announced and almost everyone  fell into fits of giggles except Chinaza whose nose was flaring. 

"What's  so funny? Is it her fault that she doesn't have a hole?" She asked, talking to everyone but had her eyes glued  at Obiageli's  face. Obiageli looked down for she felt uncomfortable with Chinaza's intense stare.

The men had not replied her instead they continued to laugh about the issue. Chinaza, totally infuriated,  stood up and walked away. 

The men looked at her retreating figure and shrugged it off.

Obiageli  felt bad as she sat alone with the men. Adaobi and her boyfriend were no where to be seen.

It meant they had gone out together so she was the only woman at the table.

"Why didn't  you back Chinaza up?" A deep voice called out to her and she looked up immediately to see the youngest worker staring at her with a smirk on his face.

She was taken aback; he had never spoken to her before so it was strange to see him doing so.

She shifted on her seat as she shrugged. "I only said my own." She looked at him.

"So you feel her husband is right?"

"It doesn't matter what I feel. I don't even know them." Obiageli  turned to stare at the other workers who were engrossed in another issue from the paper.

She looked at him when she heard him chuckle. She wondered what she had said to make him laugh.  

"Ifeanyi." He offered his hands.

"Obi_" She shook his hand.

"Obiageli." He cut her off.

Obiageli's  eyes widened.  She was surprised he knew her name. He had looked less concerned when she had been introducing herself. It was a pleasant surprise that he knew her name.

"I wanted to ask you if you knew anyone here in Enugu." He wiped his mouth with the clean water in the bowl.

"No o." Obiageli replied, shaking her head and his eyes widened.

"So how are you coping? It's  strange that you would leave your comfort zone to settle in a strange town." He leaned back into his chair and studied her.

"Well, I did.  It's  more like an adventure." She tapped the table a little.

"Shocking!"

"What about you?  You live with your family here at Enugu right?"

"No." He smirked. "They are all in Anambra state. I'm  the only one here."