Light And Dark Corners.
Bad things always happen in dark corners. Rapes, deaths, initiations and many other evils. It is why Alima refused to see Musa behind the mango tree, where no light shined and leaves gathered.
It is why Sewa stood up Sola when she found out the his house had no access to power supply. It is why Christie always leaves David's house by 6pm when dusk falls and it starts to get dark.
It was in a dark corner that Bambi did the deed that got her pregnant by Collins. Her mates now jeer, women sneer, the men ignore her bulging stomach. "Dark corners are a snare," Bambi tells herself everyday.
She had a nightmare yesterday. Woke up panting, breathing hard. "Dark corners, Dark corners are all around", she screamed. That was before she went into labour to push out a child she later named " Light ".
It was Light that indeed brought illumination into her life. He first met the man who became her husband. The story goes thus, he was six years old and was returning from school by himself when he crossed the busy road. The man had almost hit him and perhaps as a result of guilty conscience and the need to caution the mother who let a small boy of that age cross the road by himself, he decided to drop the boy off.
It was admiration that filled his heart when he arrived their house. He had been enthralled by the beautiful wall paper, the art pieces and the neat arrangement of the house. He however was surprised to find the house empty and yet open.
It was Light who first offered him a drink and food from his mother's kitchen where sufficient food was stocked.
He could not refuse a little boy's attempt at benevolence and so he ate and drank.
He waited until about 7pm for the mother to arrive. In the course of the wait, he garnered that Light's mother was a single parent, who worked three jobs. She usually arrived home late and so Light was taught the basics of independence.
Had he not been around, Light would've locked himself inside the house with an appearance that there was no one present.
He considered the dangerous situation the little boy was unconsciously being put in. First the risk of getting knocked down on the road, then the risk of being kidnapped and who knows when a thief may invade the seemingly empty house.
He developed a sense of responsibility for the child. And when the mother walked in looking like an angel, all radiant and beautiful, he decided there and then that he would marry her.
He bid his time. Ten months after that first meeting and they were hooked. No big wedding. Just a court marriage.
Bambi reflected now on how names were important a shed father usually said. She thanked God she had named her son 'Light' rather than expressed her shame for getting pregnant outside wedlock in his name.
He had brought her Ayo. And Ayo was light enough, bringing joy to both their lives everyday.
- Chizaram Opara
