Avwebo:    Titi, welcome, my good friend. You go pray for me for Church for next Sunday. I go wait for my home before I go Church. Sin too plenty for Lagos. God no go hear my prayer for Lagos. When I reach home I go go Church.

Titi:     Na so so home you dey talk, now. Make you go home. I' go good for you. How many years you don reach home self?

Avwebo:    It don te. It don te. Oh, this na my life.

Titi:    Sorry oh! I no mean embarass you.

Avwebo:    You non do nothing wrong, Titi. Na me come useless for Lagos. Lagos na curse for my life.

Titi:    Whatin bring you for Lagos? Your husband beat you?

Avwebo:    Ah, no. Akpotu na angel. He like me well well. He be good man. He dey take care of me well well.

Titi:    He like you, but you no like am?

Avwebo:    He, Titi, no talk so. I love that man. No be Akpotu fault. Na my fault. Na my long throat.

Titi:    Na long throat bring you for Lagos.

Avwebo:    Na him. I dey marriage. My husband people like me well well. They dey dey call me Avwebo. I like my husband. He like me. Then one Lagos woman come visit. Ishaka be he(r) name. (S)he come tell me say Lagos fine well well. (S)he say plenty cloth, plenty shoes, plenty sardines everywhere. (S)he say you go meet rich people where dey give you money. You go meet Oyibo.

Titi:    So na this Ishaka (s)tory bring you for Lagos?

Avwebo:    Na him oh. Foolish me, which sense I get. I run comot for sweet marriage. I come follow liar woman. I reach Lagos he(r) (s)tory change. Na so my suffer suffer begin. See me, now. I no fit pay rent. Cloth I no get.

Titi:    Why you no go back? Why you remain for Lagos?

Avwebo:    Shame. I too shame. My Papa begin beat my Mamma. He say na my mother cause everything. He dey return dowry. My Mamma suffer well well. She come die. Na me kill my Mamma. Na me kill that woman.

Titi:    I beg, no cry again. They still vex with you?

Avwebo:    My Papa don die. My brother say he go forgive me. He say make I come home.

Titi:    Eh, make you go. God go bless you. Make you go.

Avwebo:    Titi, you be my good friend. Tell me true. Why God go bless person like me? Lagos people come call me Amebo, talk-talk woman. Na for that God go bless me? So na talk-talk I go take from Lagos give my people? Make I go home go wait for die. Nothing remain.

Titi:    My good friend, no talk so. God dey. I go see you next Sunday.

Avwebo:    Make you go well, Titi. I go see you next Sunday.
 

Peter P. Ekeh
Buffalo, New York
USA
26 December 1999