“The mountain spooked at the foot
of the river… Santa was present at
this untowardly dinner table…
Don’t bother, old lady, to think
about the morrow…for the morrow
…oh, I forgot to mention, sweetheart,
our dance was under the spooky foot,
Where the mountain spooked
and the river goofed;
Behind such timid baby babbles,
…oh, let’s dance if you know
what I mean… yes, the morrow
Will take care of itself…”
He woke with a start. His breathing was heavy and laborious. He looked around him. Pillow and beddings were drenched with sweat. Well, well, well, he thought to himself, I remember the RN Announcer signing off last night… What’s going on here? Why am I sweating this way? May be I had a bad dream…
Papa’s voice interrupted his train of thoughts: “Are you all right, son?”
“Of course, yes. May have had a bad dream, Papa.”
“A bad dream indeed! Want to talk about it in the morning?”
“Not that I care Papa. It was a bad dream, that’s all. What more is there to talk about? Psychologists say (that) dreams are a result of our junk thoughts before sleep. So…”
“So, it’s nothing. Is that not what you wanted to say, son? Well, it’s still early to wake the cockerels. Go to bed. We’ll talk things over in the morning. There is no fire without smoke.”
Papa shut his door and retired to bed. He knew that his father heard everything. There was going to be no way round the bend when explaining last night’s encounter to Papa. He was a straight-to-the-point person, especially when it came to serious issues and matters concerning his family.
Papa was a Chief. He assumed his father, Chief Nee Nkor's, stool after he passed away in the late sixties. Papa had seen enough in his days to shilly-shally on crucial issues. Dee-or knew that with the arrival of dawn comes the crow of cockerels.
His dream last night wasn’t ordinary. And given the grave concern shown by Papa, he knew something sinister was about to happen in his relationship. But how could this be? Just last evening they spoke. Although Esor never gave him her words, he trusted she would do the right thing, given time. So why this dream? Or was he becoming somewhat superstitious? Or was he plain paranoid for no just reason?
Well, he had already told Papa that his own thoughts were playing tricks on him. Let’s rest the case there, he thought. It’s not Papa’s battle; it’s mine and mine to fight. Why then should I worry…about Papa? I’ll talk with Esor late this afternoon. I’m sure we’ll sort things out our way.
But a sudden knock on the door of his room broke Dee-or’s self-reassurance. He was not expecting anybody this early in the morning, not even Esor. Who is this then that would not let him put the goats out of the pen? He swore under his breath. He was reluctant to open the door. The knock persisted.
“Who’s it? Can’t you see the sun’s still sleeping?”
“I’m not blind. Open the door for me!”
It was Esor! What was she doing here this hour of the morning? Dee-or asked himself. This is unusual. “Don’t tell me my dreams are coming true so soon,” he whispered to himself.
He spun from the bed quietly, threw a wrapper around his waist and sat there listening to Esor’s persistent knocks followed by suppressed but furious babblings. On other days he would have been amused by this drama. Not today. He feigned ignorance of Esor’s presence at the door. “I say go away…do I owe you?”
“Yes, you do. Open this door, you…you…sleepy head!” Esor let her voice a pitch higher than usual.
She knew better than anybody else that Dee-or was wide awake but pretending. She was also aware that making obscene remarks this early morning wasn’t, in the strict traditional sense, morally accommodating.
“Even the worst debtor in this village is allowed to enjoy the comfort of his own house…whoever you are, how much do I owe you?”
“Open this door, you…”
“Dee-or, are you deaf?” Papa’s voice cut through like a sharp machete. “Open the door for her!”
“Papa, good morning.” Putting her head through the now opened door Esor whispered to Dee-or, “It serves you right, mister…!”
“Good morning, my daughter,” Papa responded to her greeting. “How was your night?”
“Good-o, Papa. I slept like the baby I’m… Thank you, Papa, for asking. And thanks too for prevailing on Dee-or to open the door for me. He would have…”
Dee-or reached through the door and gently pulled Esor in. “Come in and stop babbling like an old woman without teeth.”
“Aah! Can’t you be a little gentle to an old woman without teeth, gorilla-man?” She threw her arms around him. “I was thinking of you all night…couldn’t sleep…”
“So you lied to Papa?” Dee-or whispered under his breath.
“Shhh! The wall has ears. Darling, it was an unusual night for me. That’s why I had to call you up this early…don’t you believe me?”
He lifted Esor off her feet and gently dropped her on the bed. “I do. It was an odd one for me too…had a very serious dream about…”
“Don’t tell me it’s about us!” Esor cut in, excited like a baby in a new dress.
“Of course, yes. Papa heard it all…”
“Oh my God! What was it all about, dear? Tell me…”
“I will. But, first tell me why you really are here…” Dee-or said, parrying Esor’s inquiries. He knew that nature has a way of playing tricks on humans. This is probably one of those times when nature tries its tricks on humans like him. And anxiety can drive somebody crazy. What is it our people say about situations like this, Dee-or asked himself. His premonition right this minute was harbinger to what he hated to hear from Esor.
Esor noticed the unease that dotted her darling’s smooth but pale face. She could sense the level of anxiety in him. “Dee-or darling, are you okay?”
“Sure. Why?” Dee-or asked, pretending to be flabbergasted by Esor’s question. Deep inside, he knew something sinister was in the offing. He was coming apart with fear. For more than nine years he had fervently and patiently worked and waited for this very moment. He had suffered intimidation, indignities, and ignominy from Esor’s parents and some of his friends. His own parents had started asking more questions about the relationship. They loved Esor so much and were pressurizing him to go knock on Esor’s parents’ door. For her, he had fully committed himself emotionally, physically and financially.
At the moment, his life was twisted. He’d suddenly become a laughing stock among his friends. He’d turned into a gossip item on the lips of the old and young in the village. Dee-or was no more the proud, smart, intelligent and handsome prince of the village. How could he make Esor understand his plights and state of mind without breaking her heart?
“Dee-or, you’re neglecting me… what’s really going on with you?”
“Never mind.”
“Never mind what? You’re not talking, man,” Esor whimpered exasperatedly.
“What do you want me to say, Esor? Only the agama lizard is impervious to the barks of the hunter’s dogs...”
“Can you please talk for one moment in the layman’s language, honey?”
“It is only the strumming of the xylophone that can wake the drooling child. My hunch tells me darling, I’m playing the devil’s advocate here…”
“What!” Esor interjected. “I want to believe you didn’t mean what you just said!”
“Maybe, maybe not. Know what, darling? I’ve lost my flair and respect in this town. I’m the newest jerk, the story on the tongue of every household. Why? You! Yet, whenever I ask you a simple question, you pretend as if I was the jerk this town sees me to be… You don’t love me, do you, Esor?” Dee-or questioned almost shouting.
“Sweetheart, you don’t need to shout. I understand your plight…”
“My plight? What about you – don’t you care? Doesn’t it touch you?”
“Know what? I’m not going there with you. However, darling, I want you to understand this: I agonize each passing day. Why? Because there isn’t any doubt in my mind that you’ll make a wonderful husband. To share this life with you has been my dream.” She started to whimper. “It breaks my heart when you say what you just said.”
In the background, the transistor radio was playing an early morning tune: “Broken dreams and…it seems to me there was a time, it use to rain on friends of mine, now I look around and find, it only rains on me.”
Dee-or shook his head from side to side as if responding and equating the lyrics of the song to his present state. “Esor cut it and just answer me straight. Will you marry me or not?”
“The moment of truth…”
“You’re right. And I hold no exception to that. But please, answer me: will you marry me?”
“If I had the power to, yes, I would have. Unfortunately, I don’t, in spite of the love I have for you. My parents have complicated things for both of us. Traditionally, I can’t jump their guns. To answer your question straight therefore, darling, no I will not marry you. I’m sorry.”
The tears were flowing freely down her beautiful cheeks now. She sobbed uncontrollably, and stormed out of the room, dashed round the back of the house, heading through narrow path, to her house.
Outside, the cool morning breeze flirted with plantain and tree leaves. The hens were leading their chicks to scavenge for food. The goats bleated and children called out to each other as they scurried like rabbits, to the river for their baths. In the distance, the school bell tolled. It was ironic sort of. Dee-or fought back his tears as the truth finally hit home. Did she say “the moment of truth”? Exactly! He had asked for it. And he had got it!
The town crier’s gong banged Dee-or out of his sorrowful reverie. I gbà nάά tō e—le ue! Dee-or pried his window an inch open to catch the announcement. Local talks never end in the market place. This world is terrible… no peace anywhere at all. He banged his window shut. He walked slowly to his bed and flopped like an empty sack beside it. Is it really over, he wondered. It was an absent-minded question directed at a seemingly lonely room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, members of the in-crowd, welcome to another morning jam session…” Kay’s voice blared from the transistor radio. “For those who’ve lost their hearts, for those who are hurt and hurting right now, I extend Kay’s shoulder. Here’s to you… get up, let’s boogie to the music of…!” Kay’s voice was swallowed by the blasting music. The music playing was one of his favorites. Dee-or jumped up, took two uncoordinated steps to the beat of the music, yelled at the top of his voice and sank unto his bed again like a deflated sack. “Over and out!” It was the last day they’d meet as friends in years.
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