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Her sisters too arrived. They came and sat in the car with her. Her
father, the boys, her uncles and aunts parked outside the compound.
They were advised not to get out of their cars. The situation would not
stop staring Nnam in the face.
She did not even see an old man come over. He had bent low and was
peering inside the car when she noticed him. He introduced himself as
Kayita’s father. He addressed Nnam,
‘I understand you are the woman who has been living with my son in
London.’
‘Manchester,’ one of Nnam’s sisters corrected rudely.
‘Manchester, London, New York, they are like flies to me: I can’t tell
male from female.’ The old man turned back to Nnam. ‘You realise
Kayita had a wife.’ Before Nnam answered he carried on, ‘Can you
allow her to have this last moment with her husband with dignity. We
do not expect you to advertise your presence. The boys however, we
accept. We’ll need to show them to the clan when you’re ready.’
The sisters were speechless. Nnam watched the man walk back to her
house.
The two friends from Manchester arrived and came to the car where
Nnam sat. At that point, Nnam decided to confront her humiliation. She
looked in to the eyes of her friends and explained the details of Kayita’s
deception the way a doctor explains the extent of infection to a patient.
There was dignity in her explaining it to them herself.
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