“Martha, is that you?” Lovemore asked, rushing over to her and grabbing her bag and plastics. The bag was heavy, but he managed to lift it up.

He had seen a woman with his sister’s appearance. Martha was slim and tall with curvaceous buttocks. She was attractive, and Lovemore had evil thoughts about her, but he controlled them. If he could date her, but it was his blood sister. He turned around and saw her face, and his suspicions were cleared.

Before seeing his sister, Lovemore had been loitering near the road, looking for customers. He had to sell because he needed money, and even a little bit was okay for him. That was when he saw a woman who looked like his sister getting out of the bus. It was already midday, and the sun was scorching hot. He was even uncomfortable with the weather.

“Brother, nice to see you!” Martha said, gasping and taking deep breaths between words.

“You could have called me, I would have come helped with the bags,” Lovemore suggested, clenching the bag tighter in his hands.

“Give me the plastics,” Martha said, trying to grab the bags, but Lovemore refused. “Ok, you want to act stronger,” she said, feeling at ease as they strolled through a mass of people in a market.

“Isn’t that Martha?” someone asked.

“Look at her, she looks all grown,” another one responded.

“Martha, it has been a long time,” the first woman said.

“Martha, hey babes,” the second one added.

“Martha, you have become a beautiful woman. Look at you, you used to smell like urine,” a voice shouted and people laughed.

Instead of responding, Martha smiled at them and waved her hand with her fake nails. She and Lovemore walked quietly after that, and Lovemore would stop and change the bag from one hand to another after a few steps.

“I told you, let me help,” Martha said with a sigh, and then stopped. “Bra, look, I got married. Is dad home?” she asked curiously, and when Lovemore nodded, she panicked. “Don’t tell him.”

Lovemore was puzzled at his sister’s gestures and the secret that she wanted to keep. “Who is the guy? Is it those old mdara (older man)?” he asked.

“It’s braham,” Martha responded shyly, and Lovemore dropped the bag. He did not think she was too indecent like him. What sister dates his sister’s boyfriend? “But Nomatter is over him, I cheated with him. That guy is my ticket to happiness,” Martha continued.

“You aren’t in dad’s good book. So am I, but what are you going to you pay me for the secret?” Lovemore asked, and then winked at her and smiled.

“Anything you want,” Martha responded sadly.

“Any amount I want?” Lovemore asked, winking and grinning at her.

“Tell me, what did you do now?” Martha asked curiously. Two woman then walked past them and gave them weird stares, but they ignored them.

“Dad says I am a failure. I failed at school, I’m jobless, and I’m stupid,” Lovemore said, chuckling as if it did not affect him in anyway.

“Sorry,” Martha said, unconcerned, and they both continued with their walk.

**********

Back home, Melody saw Lovemore and Martha from afar, and she ululated before storming towards them. She then took the plastic bags after realising they were as heavy as if they had stones in them. Martha kept opening her mouth to speak, and Lovemore thought she was just tired. When they were at the corner near their house, she stood still.

“Brother, I am married now,” Martha whispered, and Lovemore turned back and walked towards her.

“To whom?” Lovemore asked curiously.

Before responding, Martha had cold feet and sighed. “Abraham,” she said.

Lovemore opened his mouth in shock and whistled in disbelief. “Nomatter’s Abraham?” he asked again to be sure. She nodded and he shook his head. “Do ma and baba know?” he asked, and Martha shook her head again. Lovemore was out of words.

“My sister, let’s go home,” Lovemore said, rolling his eyes, and they walked into the yard where chicken were chucking as if they were crying for help.

***

Tell us: What do you think about Martha getting married without her family knowing?