Battered Wife

5

We'd been preparing for Remi's uncle's funeral ceremony for about a month since his wakekeeping. Although I really didn't want to attend, unlike Remi's sister who had bowed out gracefully, I had no choice but to be there because I was Remi's wife.

However, as I walked into the hall where they were holding a family meeting for the feasting that was to happen tomorrow, I still struggled a lot. At this funeral ceremony, I was going to have to interact with all of Remi's nasty family members and his only friendly and nice family member, his sister, wasn't even going to be present because she wasn't on good terms with them either.

As if to prove me right, I stumbled upon Auntie Joy, Remi's other uncle's wife. Just like Remi's mother, she was a nasty person but she was more covert about it, making tiny little jabs at me at any moment she got.

Unfortunately for me, she was the one who led me into the hall where they were discussing the funeral ceremony that would be completed tomorrow from the burial procession to the christian service held in the deceased's honor to the burial party where people in their hometown and nearby hometowns were invited to eat and drink.

After throwing several jabs at the me on the way to the hall, she finally landed an uppercut on me when we could see the hall where the christian service would be held the next day.

"By the way, did you know that Busayo came to the burial with Remi? They were close when they were younger and they definitely dated each other but I thought they were over when Remi married you. I guess not though because since they arrived, they've been holding hands. Remi has been pretending to truly be sad about his uncle and she's playing your role as his dutiful caring wife, squeezing his hand and patting his soldier in consolation. The whole thing would have been much more touching if she was actually his wife."

Although there was a mocking bite to her words directed at Remi and Busayo, Auntie Joy was still watching me and I saw a tiny smile tug at the corner of her lips when I clenched my hands to my side and struggled to school my features.

"Since Busayo took your seat on the main table, I'm afraid you're going to have to sit with our family friends. There's no space for you there anymore." She seemed to be trying to dig for more of my pain but I had already schooled my features as I nodded at her with a genuinely thankful smile on my face because if she hadn't informed me ahead of time, I would still be shocked.

She snorted at me and then led me to sit with the wives of their family friends. Fortunately, I got a seat beside Folake, the daughter of Remi's family's neighbor. She was not like the rest of Remi's family of stupid bitter snobs and she immediately greeted me with a smile.

I took several deep breaths and closed my eyes to prevent myself from crying and several people in the hall stared at me and then stared at Remi and Busayo.

I could feel their judging and mocking eyes digging into my skin but before I could embarass myself and involuntarily start crying, Folake took my hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

Her hand squeezing mine, helped me quiet down slowly.

"We need someone to help Joy with the Olopos, who's available?" Uncle Bayi, who was Auntie Joy's husband, Remi's mother's elder brother and the current head of Remi's maternal family.

The entire hall went silent for several reasons. The first reason was that Auntie Joy was such a difficult person to walk with on any occasion and working with her where food was concerned could cause all sorts of little problem. Another reason was the fact that while the terminology for this duty was someone to help with the Olopos, who were basically the catering or cooking service hired to cook all the different meals to be served at the party the next day, it was actually the roll of an errand girl for Auntie Joy. Whoever took the role would have to toil all through tonight, tomorrow and the day after the party.

"Just let Lola do it." Remi's mother said, dismissively.

"Mama?" I tried to protest.

"What? Why? You don't want to help your aunt? Don't mind her brother Bayi. She can be so lazy so let her just do this work. She lived in the village before so she'll be able to help Joy better."

My hands clenched at my sides as I glanced at Remi and Busayo who were sitting at the head table whispering to each other while I was on the grilling iron because I was unfortunate enough to have married Remi.

I sat down and it took all my home training not to walk out of the hall, tell her to send Busayo, her son's new girlfriend, to work under the bitter and spiteful Auntie Joy to supervise the cooking service. I couldn't help being grateful that I'd been wise enough to leave my daughter out of this bitter family gathering by leaving her with my family.

My silence became acquiesce to my mother-in-law's command but several people still glanced at me several times as the meeting in the hall continued.

The only good thing that came out of the meeting was that Folake agreed to help me and Auntie Joy with the cooking service and thus, took about half the burden off me.

After I followed Auntie Joy to the place given to the Olopos to cook behind Remi's maternal family's family house which had been built by Remi's father because his mother's family had been dirt-poor before she met him, she introduced me to them before giving me thirty minutes to freshen up and return.

I went straight to my car to get the overnight bag, I'd brought with me before calling Remi.

"Hello Remi?" I greeted when he finally picked the call on the third ring.

"What do you want?" His tone was short-tempered and snappy.

"Can you tell me where our room is? I need to drop my things there and change my clothes." I said quietly.

"I'm busy right now. Just...just find some other room in the main house to change and keep your things in your car."

"How will I—" Before I could say more, he cut off the line leaving me staring at my phone for a few seconds before Titi, one of Auntie Joy's daughter-in-law came to meet me to find out if something was wrong.

When I asked for a place to change clothes, she took me to Auntie Joy's daughter's room and that was where I changed my clothes, trying hard not to think of Remi.