The memoirs of a Chief Brides' Maid Part 2

There was no way anyone passing would not know there was something about to go down! From the gates, I could see the roasting going on, so many people working. I refocused back to the bride to be and we went inside the house.

Totally fagged out as someone assisted with my bags, we both went to the kitchen to get something to eat and say Hello to her mum. As we went outside, I could see all the women working it out in the kitchen and I asked myself ‘How long have they been here?’ Sacrifice.

We caught up and in her usual way teased me about everything and she hugged me saying ‘I am very glad that you are here’.

After our meal, I had to hit the shower and sleep off.

We had a rude awakening, apparently the bride to be had slept off too! Her mum came to remind us that we had to get ready for today’s event, and I asked what is today’s event? She smiled and said ‘Today is the day when the man, his family and his kindred come to meet the bride’s father, his kindred in their compound and the both parties deliberate on the bride price’

Oh well, now that is very simple. This bride to be is definitely not cheap. The only daughter, first class Engineering student, black beauty, virtuous woman, and seriously I thought the other party got their work cut out for them. As I thought the bride cornered me and said to me laughing ‘My Able Chief, I want you to go and find out what price they conclude on’ and we bursted out laughing. It was dawning on her that really, this is it. When the price has been agreed on, accepted, she is no longer of her own but of her husband and his family. I smiled back to her and said ‘don’t worry darling, I got your back!’

I knew work has started for me already when I was called into the kitchen to help sort out things. We were briefed on how things would run that afternoon.

The parlour was already filled the extended family members of the bride’s father, his uncles, cousins, and his kindred. They had to leave the parlour to the canopy outside because it was custom that the family of the husband to be, had to be welcomed into the house and they would be seated into the parlour.

The husband to be family came in through the parlour and I rushed away to the kitchen. I heard the opening prayer from afar and was told to go set the drinks on the table. With the tray of drinks on my hand, I was amazed to see about 25-30 people in the parlour. Everyone looked dressed up, ready for business and I was ready to play the private investigator and was determined to know what the bride price was going to be.

I had to keep restocking the table in the parlour and as a ploy to stay inside as well but this was not working. I was called into the kitchen again!

When I got back, I see them leaving the parlour towards the canopy outside that already had kindred of the bride to be family seated. I assumed this is where the various traditional discussions were going to take place and as I set myself by the side, guess who was called back inside, me.

I walked towards the house, looking back and I didn’t go to the kitchen but the room where the bride to be was. She asked how everything was going, and if am playing my detective role well, and I told her I bring sad news from the front line, I might not be bringing back the desired information. She asked how her husband was, and asked if I could ask him to come and also bring her some water, and at this point I was warming up for my PA role.

Chris (Husband to be) came and Kachi’s (Bride to be) lit up with a very wide smile. I was in awe of the unspoken communication going on and I realised it was unspoken because I was there staring, and I graciously excused myself to the kitchen.

We carried out the different soups ranging from Ofe nsala, Ofe Oha, Ofe Egusi and complex carbohydrate as fufu, pounded yam and eba. We had rice dishes and different variety of drinks, wines and beers. I didn’t envisage what was going to happen in few minutes time.

The food service started as I served the men the soup with the complex carbohydrate and then their diva nature erupted. I could not count how many times I was asked to put more meat, change the soup or change the entire food. One of the men asked for pepper soup, I got for him, he asked me to change the fish, I went back to change it, gave it to him and he said, can you please remove this one and add the previous one? I was too numb to ask, how can I differentiate fishes inside a pepper soup cooler? I did as I was asked, smiled and gave it to him and I disappeared for few minutes.

I came back maybe a minute later because with time I have realised I am addicted to work and continued serving. I let the men have a field day as they called me from different directions with their preferences. The women from both sides were seated somewhere else and had a different service but I was stuck with the men.

As the day came to an end and we had refilled and refilled their plates, I started packing up and from the look on their faces it was obvious everything had gone so well but apart from an incidence when one of the elders from the groom to be said he wasn’t hungry and he didn’t want to eat anything, I think this stood as a red flag but he made them understand that it is because he had drank a lot inside and not because he wasn’t satisfied with the quality of food and after his explanation, everyone was appeased.

As the crowd dispersed, I saw the different packs of cigarettes (not sure why this was on the list), with a silver crested box (my mum had this as well), so many tubers of yam, cloth materials and other items were laid by the side. I really wish I knew what went down in terms of bride price and how the men conclude on what items to bring to the bride’s house.

I guess that is the reason why they are called elderly men who make sure they let anyone interested in marrying you be fully aware you are not cheap nor for sale. They guard your front gate and speak to the men from the other side and until both parties are satisfied, no one is taking any apple from any tree. You might not know who these men are or even be aware you have this amount of fans kindred in your village, but trust me, they all believe they are shareholders with your immediate family and would be present to watch the increase of their investment.

The day ended everyone happy and the dancing lessons began.

I go to the parlour to seat down and everyone was there. The bride, her mum, aunties, her brother and we were reminiscing on the day and the music began. Kachi has since 100 level been practicing these dance moves and tomorrow which is the D-Day, the traditional wedding itself would be the showcase of the hard learnt dance moves.

She decided to get up, start dancing and drag everyone up as well. I am not sure why I thought I was a great dancer until her mum asked me what exactly I was doing, and I said, ehm dancing! She had to get up and teach me! She said ‘one leg out, shake your bum, same led back and do it with the other leg. It has to go with the beat of the music’. This was intense.

Reality set on me that I needed to avoid a disgrace tomorrow, because I would be dancing with the bride as she parades in front of everyone and my reputation was at stake! After some minutes of rehearsals and everyone celebrating, it was time to retire for the night because the next day was going to be epic!

Stay tuned for Part 3!