Vote Fon Peter - Entry #2 Baba Isheri Has Gone Deaf

Vote Fon

She walked out, with me sitting there and wondering what that even meant, a deaf husband and a blind wife? Why did aunty Yemi always say the weirdest things, I wondered, even though I knew that was
probably why I always came to her. I sat there for a few moments, thinking about what she said.

“Oh My God, Baba Isheri has gone Deaf’” I said it out loud to myself, ‘My love had gone deaf…deaf to me’

I started crying as I realized he really wasn’t hearing me, or hearing my cries, no one was, Baba, my love, had gone deaf. But I wasn’t blind, I’d never been, I couldn’t be, I couldn’t not see all the great things we had, we could have, and more.

‘Nawa o” why is life like this, so what was I to do now?

A plate fell as I got up to clean up, the sound of it got me very angry ‘Haba” I was acting like all those weak women out there, I’ve never been like that, I’m a fighter oh, I thought to myself “that’s one of the things

Baba loved about me’ that was why he chose me, I refused to settle for nothing, to be blind to better things like Uncle Larry wanted me to.

He used to tease me about the way I squeezed my oranges, saying I was killing the orange because I wouldn’t let even one drop of juice waste, or the way I would lick the leaf of my moi-moi from alhaja down the street, even after the sweet moi-moi had finished, or how I would chew the bones from my meat as if there was no tomorrow, just so that I can get all the meat and juice.

I smiled as I remembered this, and I made a vow there and then, to do something about it. I had to learn how to be blind.

“Mtchewww” I squeezed my mouth in anger the way that always made Baba laugh as I hissed. I finished cleaning up and sat down on the small chair we had in the parlor and got to waiting for my love, he’d gone off again, I never could sleep until he got back, I hope this doesn’t take all night.

It was as if my village people poured their anger on me, I jumped up immediately and followed him into the bedroom. ‘Baba, this nonsense must stop” 

It did.

“wetin dey worry this woman”

“nawa o, Bimpe, what is it this time”

“wo, no jam my egg o, mtchew… abeg shift’

‘mtchew” I hissed, I couldn’t care about what they thought, I had to be blind, if I had to spoil all their market today, I didn’t care, I had to learn how to be blind when I’m not, so I was walking through the market place with a scarf on my eyes, amongst women who were happy and blind without scarfs on their own eyes, I had to be like them.

‘Jesussssss” I screamed in shock as I fell inside a gutter…anger flooded me, I got up, took off my scarf, and went home.

It was as if Billie Holiday was crying with me, he kept crying out the words that came from my heart as I leaned into the chair, I couldn’t stop crying, even after bathing, my life was falling apart and I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t be blind, I tried and I felt like I just made things even worse, now they will laugh at our children in school, what would they call them “Awon omo gutter?” oh God, all for my marriage…..

As I sat down crying, Baba walked in behind me, saw me, and went into the bedroom, and Billie sang
"There’s no one who could be so sad

With gloom everywhere

It was as if my village people poured their anger on me, I jumped up immediately and followed him into the bedroom. ‘Baba, this nonsense must stop” He froze on the bed, looking up from his phone, I hated that phone, he stared at me blankly

“Are you tired of me, at least say it, just say it, and I will leave”

He just sat there and stared at me…

“Talk Isheri, talk, be a man, say something, I want to hear you speak, please, just speak, I know you’re not deaf, you can hear me, speak, I’m listening”

“What is the problem?” Baba asked me, looking at me like a child who was throwing a tantrum. That fired me up even more, what nonsense!

“Don’t look at me as if you don’t know what is wrong, don’t ask me that, can you not see our home, you are tearing it apart, there is gloom everywhere and you’re asking me what it is? Can you not see it Baba, can you not see it my love”?

I stopped pacing and looked at him, I was shocked at what I saw, he looked at me with tears in his eyes, and all he said was

“Bimpe”

My heart, and everything within me broke, he really didn’t see it before now, Baba Isheri was blind, not deaf, and I had been deaf, not blind, deaf to all he was saying silently, he heard my words, but couldn’t see what I was complaining about, at least until now, and I had never listened to the message in his actions, he had lost himself, my love was in pain.

“Oh Baba, kini? What is it my love”

“Something is eating you alive, and I never heard what you’ve been telling me”

“Bimpe” he said again as I held him close, I hugged him tight, until I could feel his chest hard on my breast, like his heart, I heard him start crying, then he said “Mi o mo ibi ti iya mi wa”

“Ehn, kini?” I didn’t understand what he was saying, what do you mean you don’t know where maami is?

“Iya mi ti sonu” He pulled himself from my embrace, looked in my eyes, and he said

“Maami is missing, my love”


TO BE CONTINUED

Bio: Fon Peter is a writer and published author, presenter, actor, and inspiration
enthusiast. She has published two poetry volumes and is looking to publishing more books 

in the works.

Instagram: @fon_peter
 
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Website: www.fonpeter.wordpress.com