78 The Meadow I was making your suku and base for your secondary school graduation? God is good o!” she exclaims, raising her hands dramatically. “It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well,” I say, hoping she cuts the conversation short and asks me instead what hairstyle I want. “Yes, I have o. We thank God for everything,” she says in that dramatic tone again. At some point while weaving my hair into braids, Iya Matthew seems to get the cue that I am in no mood for conversation. She directs her questions and statements to others in the salon, two women in particular. One of them has a baby strapped to her back while the other is seated beneath the hood of a dryer. My mind is miles away from the salon. I think of what I will do when my mother decides that I can no longer stay with her. I think of where I can go other than my matrimonial home. I run names through my mind. Names of friends that I can call that won’t ask me questions. Funmi, my best friend since university is out of the country so I can’t call her. Apart from my mother, she is the only person I can confide in about my situation. I am still busy running names through my mind when a piece of the conversation taking place around me calls my attention. “Hmm. I even heard about one woman that got arrested for killing her husband.” It is the woman with the baby speaking. “Haba. How can somebody kill another person? Doesn’t she have the fear of God in her?” Iya Matthew asks as she rubs grease onto my scalp. “I hear say the woman husband just dey beat her every time. So, one day she come vex, come retaliate!” I heard the woman’s husband beats her regularly. So, one day she retaliated out of frustration. The woman beneath the dryer shakes her head. “But still!
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