Moonlight Series: The Jealous Co-wife

Moonlight Series: The Jealous Co-wife

By Bassey B. Eshiett

A long long time ago, there was a man who married two wives. He preferred the second one to the first one. One day he was invited by his friend to a ceremony. He was told to come with his two wives. The day before the ceremony, Edem, for that was his name, went to the market and bought his younger wife Emergency a very beautiful wrapper for the occasion. To the senior wife he gave nothing. Ime the first wife was very sad. As she didn't have any new wrapper to wear. Asabo loaned her a very beautiful wrapper but warned that it must be returned in good condition. Ime put this wrapper in her box and said nothing to Edem or Eme.
         The following day was the day of the ceremony. Ime tied her borrowed wrapper and looked more beautiful than Eme. This did not go down well with Eme. She ran to Edem and said:
        'Ufan, Ufan, so you bought a new wrapper for Ime afterall. I thought you only loved me not her. From today, I won't take you by your word anymore '.
          Edem came out from his hut to see what Ime wore that made Eme so envious. He was really surprised to see Ime standing there in all her beauty. She looked like the morning sun. Her wrapper was reflecting light. Edem immediately walked over and embraced her. When they started off for the journey, he put Ime bin front and walked directly behind her. Eme was left to find her way to the ceremony.
At the celebration grounds Ime's wrapper was the talk of the town. After some time, the celebrations were over and the family started walking back home. That night Eme couldn't sleep. She stayed awake to think of a way to ruin Ime's beautiful wrapper. She got hold of an idea.
           'I shall ruin the wrapper but I must be careful that I am not found out ', she said.
           She collected some fish bones and deposited them on the wrapper to attract rats. The rats smelt the fish bones and came to feast there. They ate up a greater portion of the wrapper. When Ime got up the next morning to return the borrowed wrappers as planned, she found that they had been turned to rags. Ime almost fainted out of shock. She cried and cried. Then she sang:
      'Alas! Poor me
       What shall I tell Asabo?
      Who has done this to me?
      Alas, alas woe is me.
      Asabo's wrapper is in rags.
      Asabo's wrapper is in rags'.
Ime's friends comforted and encouraged her to go to Asabo to report the matter. Reluctantly, Ime went and repeated the story of the ruined wrapper to her. When Asabo saw her tears she was convinced Ime was telling her the truth. She then swore to find out who put fish bones into her wrapper. She said to Ime:
           'I am going to give you a new wrapper and I  am going to give you a box to put the wrapper and let them know it is in the box. This time you will caught the culprit red-handed provided you don't touch the box after putting in the wrapper '.
             Ime did exactly as she was told. She showed the new wrapper to her husband and co-wife. She then folded it into the box. It was night and everybody retired to bed. In the rooms people were snoring 'hr r r....hrrr...r h- r r r'. Ime got up from her sleep when she knew that all was quiet but for the snores. She crept and crept to where Eme kept her box. In her hands were fish bones which she intended to put in Ime's box so that rats might smell the fish and eat off the wrapper. As she approached the box she said:
         'Ha! Ha! Foolish woman. I will teach you not to complete for our husband's favour with your borrowed wrappers '.
         With this she opened the box with her left hand. Her hand got stuck on the box. She dropped the bones and tried to free her left hand from the lid of the box with her right hand. Her right hand got stuck too. She said:
         'Foolish box, come on release my hand'.
          Then she kicked the box with her left foot.
Her foot got stuck. She used her right leg and this got stuck too. She was in this funny position when everybody woke up the next morning. Ime was really delighted to find out who was the culprit the first time the wrapper was ruined. She taunted her co-wife and said:
          'Eme my dear co-wife, I hope you are having a good time eating up my wrapper. You will remain in that amusing position till Asabo arrives'.
          She called her husband Edem and said, 'Come and see what I saw in my room '.
            Edem was very surprised. Asabo was sent for. When she arrived she used her spittle and touched the box. Eme was instantly freed. Asabo quietly departed with her wrapper. From that day Eme ceased to be the favourite wife.