February 6, 2025
Fiction

Abandoned

anote
  • January 27, 2025
  • 3 min read
Abandoned

By Eruobodo Eruobodo

ALHAJI is more than 10 years my senior. Rich, comfortable, good looking and with a good fashion sense, and fully grown and married children. Yet, he remained a one-wife Alhaji, even as he has the means and sexual capacity for many women.

Alhaja has been away in the US for nearly a year, allegedly on Omugwo (Igbo for when a mother goes to look after her grandchildren in her married daughter’s home shortly after putting to bed), leaving Alhaji virtually all alone in a 6-bedroom mansion in one of Lagos’ premium neighbourhoods.

Alhaji asked me to come see him; I did. He disclosed to me his plot to scatter everybody’s plans by marrying a new wife. I agreed.

Days after, we arrived at a high class photo studio in Ikoyi, the rented beautiful Fulani model readied with all the appurtenances of a Muslim bride. Alhaji was also dressed up in a very nice, modern Kaftan. Three other friends of his were present.

Pictures were taken with green backgrounds. We also joined at the appropriate times, as necessary. Everything lasted less than an hour.

A week after, Alhaji sent me digital copies of relevant poses. The pictures’ background now bears sections of Alhaji’s palatial living room. Some showed the Gazebo in the garden. They all looked real!

As agreed between us, I made a Facebook post, congratulating Alhaji on his wedding and wishing him a happy married life. I tagged him and the three other friends, all insiders and Facebook friends of Alhaja.

The following day, as planned, myself and Alhaji left for Abuja to commission his new operations in Asokoro, Abuja. All our lines were barred from receiving calls from specific numbers!

By the time we arrived Lagos on Monday, three days after, and my driver picked us at the airport, he announced to us that Sule, Alhaji’s driver, had called minutes ago, to warn him that Alhaja was back from the US, and asking for Alhaji and the ‘new wife’!

I looked at Alhaji, and we both shared a conspiratorial smile.

I introspected, “so, all Alhaja’s excuse of taking care of her grandchildren, thus abandoning her husband, has suddenly evaporated, seeing Alhaji’s staged wedding pictures?’

As we rode in my car towards his house, Alhaji said in muted anger, “Aburo, but for my peace of mind, what really stops me from quietly finding this woman a supporter? After all, she’s showed me her own enjoyment and the assets she wants to inherit are more important than our marriage?”

As I nodded my head in agreement, my pity was not only for Alhaji. My pity was for the hundreds of other elderly men I know, left abandoned, while Madam is ensconced in the “ablod”, allegedly looking after the grandchildren!

* Eruobodo Eruobodo pseudonym

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