"Farming is the main occupation of our land...
Who doesn’t work would steal…
Book learning without hoe and machete…
Is not yet complete, no, it’s yet complete.’’
Like a nightingale, Wole was singing on the farm. And as if the bush birds and insects were listening to his song and enjoying it, they all kept mute as he sang. So, only his melodious voice was heard on the farm and surroundings. He was using his village most popular song, almost an anthem among school goers, to console himself on the lost of not being educated. Though, he knew the value of education and had cherished it from childhood but the early death of his parents had denied him the golden opportunity.
"What is the matter Alake?’’ Wole asked. He stopped singing and working. He sensed everything was not alright with his wife because she had stopped working first, holding her waist with both hands, and her face tightened into grimace. "Do you need my attention?’’
"No, my beloved… I’m alright,’’ Alake insisted, waving at him and resuming her work. "Don’t you worry about me. I’m doing fine.’’
Wole and Alake continued harvesting their ripen bird peppers. They stood a bit wider apart from each other. Alake was harvesting from the right, while Wole was harvesting from left side of the farm.
"Oh…oh…ah…ah…my waist…my stomach, my back…!’’ Shrill screamed suddenly left Alake’s tongue. She could not hold her basket up and pluck the pepper into them anymore. This time she sank into bare the ground, wriggling in pain. All body shook as she supported her protruded belly with both hands as if it wanted to drop down. Her eyes were blank and red like hot coals. Her eyes bulged, peering into vacancy, and entire face covered with sweat.
With furious body vibration, Wole stopped working, too. Unmindfully, he dropped down the basket he was harvesting into. Many of the pepper wasted away as the basket hit the ground. He forgot to pick his machete from under a nearby tree where he had kept it earlier. As if looking for water to quench a burning hut, he rushed to meet Alake.
"Alake! Alake! I think your nine moons are completed today! Evidently, you may have child birth soon," Wole said to Alake sympathetically, breathing hard,
"Yes…Yes my husband,’’ Alake groaned in pain, her eyes looked widened and red, "I’m having the same thought too.’’
"If that be the case, let's start heading to the village at once.’’
Wole held her by the waist with his strong right arm. Alake put her left arm across Wole’s shoulders, she felt a bit comfortable and he led her towards the village, one step after the other, carefully. The sight was like a man holding a large egg, fearing to hold it too tight or too loose so it won't break and waste away..
"Sorry my love, try and bear the pain for a little while.’’ Wole said.
They have trekked almost 2 miles. The tall trees and thick bushes had started giving way for the short, tiny ones as they ambled near the village. They had walked pass the two tall and huge fresh trees. The two trees had bent to hug each other like two amiable friends or lovers. A fierce storm had tried to fall the trees down but could not because the tree had helped each other to stand, miraculously. Wole and Alake looked like the trees as they clutched to each other, walking slowly and carefully towards the village.
It’s very risky to pass under “the hugging trees” as the villagers had nicknamed them. The trees could collapse at anytime, fall upon any bypasser and kill or injure him. But the villagers had no other option. They had no other road to take to and fro their farms. Large mountains were everywhere on the road sides, preventing them from creating another path. Perhaps, there were no chainsaws anywhere near the village and the trees were too huge for axes and machetes.
"We are about to get to the village now,’’ Wole said, sensing that Alake was not responding to his talks of out too much pain.
They had started hearing the bleats of goats, roosts of goats; and seeing smoke rising above the shot bush few yards away.
"I can’t wait to get to the hut, my beloved,’’ Alake said silently, amid heavy breathing. But she now has little brightness on her face. And the redness on her eyes had reduced. She was trying hard to endure the pain the best way she could, "Perhaps, I shall rest in the front of the hut before cooking lunch for you, may be the pain will relief me a little bit more.’’
"Oh no,’’ Wole sounded surprised, tensed, shaking his disapprovingly. He did not expect Alake to think of stressing herself to cook or waste time in the hut in that delicate condition. "I don’t think we need to branch at the hut before heading to the village’s maternity. We must be heading to the maternity straightaway. Delay could be disaster.’’
"Alright my beloved, but don’t you think Iyaagbebi’s place will be better…?’’
"Alake,’’ Wale said thoughtfully, "the white men’s medicine and mode of child delivery had proven to be the best since it was brought to this village by the white-skin-men. You are aware of that too, aren’t you?’’
Alake was quite, shaking her head slowly. A sudden, wry smile forced itself out, but unable to totally brighten her labour-pain-clouded face. Wole stopped talking too. He feared the severity of her travails has made his wife silent. But it was not. She was buried in thoughts, wondering where Wole would get the costly bills they charge at the maternity-clinic from. She has the urge to ask him but she declined, thinking silence would be golden in such situation. Keeping her lips sealed, she would see how the event unfolds itself. Wole she knew too well did not have a dime in his coffers at that moment. The peppers they had gone to harvest that morning was meant to be sold in the market, to buy few baby’s things. The village’s market wouldn’t open except every five days. The next market day would be the next day. Though Wole refused to allow Alake accompany him to the farm that morning; she adamantly went to meet him on the farm after he had left her in the village.
"Where will my husband get the money to pay the heavy bills they charge in the village maternity, where?’’ With great worry, Alake kept asking herself as they glided towards the village.