\u201cGuys, I did it,\u201d Rasheed announced with a triumphant grin, as he took another gulp of beer. \u201cI convinced Zara to let me marry a second wife.\u201d he continued, his voice buoyed with excitement.<\/p>\n
Across the table, Chidi and Jimi exchanged looks that mixed amusement and disbelief.<\/p>\n
They were at Mama B\u2019s, a popular joint they had frequented for years. The restaurant buzzed with the lively mix of barbecue aromas and Afrobeat music. It was their weekly ritual, but tonight was special.<\/p>\n
Chidi tore into his cow tail pepper soup, sweating as the steam rose to his face. \u201cMy guy! More grease to your elbow! Only a strong man can marry two wives. I cannot even handle the one wife I have.\u201d He wiped his brow, gesturing for the waiter, \u201cAnother round, please! This calls for a celebration!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, how did you swing it with Zara? She\u2019s not one for such. Didn\u2019t that almost stop your marriage?\u201d Jimi, always the skeptic, leaned forward and asked.<\/p>\n
Rasheed\u2019s mind raced back to the challenging time he had faced convincing Zara\u2019s family to let him marry her, they were wary of his polygamous background\u2014especially since his father had recently taken a young fourth wife that was about Zara\u2019s age at the time. Her family hesitated on his proposal for more than a year. Eventually, Zara getting pregnant forced their hands. His grandmother\u2019s quiet advice did that trick.<\/p>\n
He had promised Zara that he would never be like his father, that she would always be his one and only wife. They started out humble, and Zara had supported him through his rise at the bank to ultimately setting up his own business that was not very successful. She herself was doing well and had a fabric shop in Lagos Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I told Zara, she was initially resistant, but as a true African man, I put my foot down, and she had no choice but to agree,\u201d Rasheed boasted, puffing his chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cYinmu\u2026\u201d Jimi said mockingly, raising his lips to his nose. \u201cAbeg, what really happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay okay\u2026 I won\u2019t lie, Zara was very upset, she complained about how I would be shaming her in front of her friends, how I was abandoning our vows, she even moved to the guest room and didn\u2019t talk to me for days.\u201d Rasheed paused to drink some more beer.<\/p>\n
He smiled, then continued, \u201cThat was when I played my ace card, I got my Imam whom she respects to plead with her. The man get sweet mouth ehn, he gently mixed scripture with modern reality in a relatable manner, by the time he finished, she calmed down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo has Zara approved? I can\u2019t believe she gave you her approval that easily,\u201d Jimi asked, not yet convinced.<\/p>\n
Rasheed adjusted his b\u00f9b\u00e1 in his chair. \u201cLet me correct you, I don\u2019t need her approval. While it is preferable, it is not a requirement.\u201d<\/p>\n
He told them how the father of his bride-to-be was adamant that Zara be accepting of their daughter, otherwise there wouldn\u2019t be any wedding. They wouldn\u2019t put their daughter into a toxic situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyways, she also demanded I buy her a new car and renovate her shop,\u201d Rasheed added quietly, almost as an afterthought.<\/p>\n
\u201cChai! That one cost o!\u201d Chidi said<\/p>\n
\u201cA small price to pay,\u201d Rasheed replied. His excitement was evident about his bride-to-be, Muinat, a recent university graduate who frequented his store.<\/p>\n
She would address him with \u201c\u1eb9h\u201d, the Yoruba way of addressing an older person with respect, yet she consistently complimented him, telling him how elegant his outfit looked, how she liked his salt-and-pepper hair, the mixture of grey and black hair.<\/p>\n
The compliments later turned to gentle flirtations. He would tell her how her butt wiggled in her dress, and she would ask him if he had been working out, touching his arms. She told him how she admired mature men compared to younger boys. Despite his advances, she insisted on marriage as she was a devout Muslim and was okay being the second wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave they met yet?\u201d Chidi asked, curious about the dynamics between the two women in Rasheed\u2019s life.<\/p>\n