A Collection of Short Stories

Behind The Scene
Eketi Ette
“Essien, don’t worry about it. Go and bath, then come and eat. You can sort it out
tomorrow.”
“Iyo, Mma. It’s too hot to sleep without a fan. Let me go and reconnect the light. Just dish
out my food—I’ll be back soon.” He turned away.
“Essien, no!” his mother exclaimed. “Eat first, please. You can fix it later.”
“Mma what is it?” both children stared at her, puzzled.
“Nothing,” she mumbled. “Go. Your food will be waiting.”
Shaking his head dismissively, Essien picked up his bag of tools and a torch-light.
He headed outside.
*****
There were no secrets in Ikot Ntefon. So when Ete Ikpa’s young wife absconded with one
of the students of the College of Education, leaving her infant son at the mercy of his elderly
father, everyone knew. Everyone also expected the man would have the baby reared by a
close relative since his mother was too old to care for one.
But the man surprised them all. He took his son with him to see his mother and when he
returned a month later, he’d become very adept at caring for Uko. Each morning, he would
bath and dress him with care, then lovingly place him on one side of the wheelbarrow. The
barrow now had two partitions: the bigger part for his cow skins and the other for the baby.
In this way, he would make his way to the abattoir and then his rounds in the market.
The dimpled, button-nosed baby became the darling of all the market women. Honorary
mothers, grandmothers and aunties, they always had something for him—a few pieces of
baby clothes, fish, pap, wooden toys, small cash gifts here and there. And whenever his
father was very busy, a willing babysitter was always found.
14
Tales from the Other Side