Published September 1, 2022
by acilegnA
(Lagos, Nigeria)
Udoka was nicknamed, "the parrot." He would talk and talk till your ears fell out.
The entire village avoided him. A simple "good morning" could end up being a three-hour conversation on anything. From why the sun was not as hot as the day before, to how he felt the akaraseller adds garri in her beans so it swells to become more, to how the rain fall did not fall as hard as it did the previous time.
Udoka would talk about the mango that Chuka stole from Ugonna's basket even though, Ugonna himself wasn't aware that his mango was missing.
When Adaugo was pregnant, Udoka had gisted Chidi about it despite the fact that Nonso, Adaugo's husband was not aware of the pregnancy nor, of the fact that the baby was not his but Dike's.
Udoka would gist you of how papa Olomma's favorite food was ofeOnugbu and garri. The onugbu not being too bitter and accompanied with goat meat not chicken, especially not cow tail. His garri not soft but strong. However, not strong enough to stone someone. Even though, he wasn't a relative nor did he live in the house, he would talk about it.
He would talk so much, till he forgets where or what he was doing and follows you to wherever till he was done talking. Which is usually when he sees someone else to talk to.
It has been a week now, all the villagers murmured and whispered amongst themselves wondering what had happened, as all Udoka ever says while looking at the sky is, "hmmmm".
Biography
Okwori Angelica Ihotu is a law student at the university of Lagos.
She is an indigene of Benue state but resides in Lagos State, Nigeria. She goes by the pen name, acilegnA.
This poem is included in Poetry World #4, published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
Previously published in Nigeria Poetry Magazine:
Warm Hands of Death
by Emmanuel Adindu
Nigeria Poetry Magazine is part of the Wax Poetry and Art Network.
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