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The
Wedding of An American Medical Doctor in Nigeria, Pt- 2
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Oliver Mbamara
After the
wedding ceremony, the next thing in line for our pal (let us call him Mr. X for anonymity) was to return to the United States with his brand new wife (whom we will refer to as Mrs. X for anonymity). Despite all the clamor and extravagance, the marriage ceremony had become old news in a matter of days. The bride and the bridegroom have become Mr. and Mrs. X, and Mr. X. had hoped to arrive in the United States in a big way, hand in hand with his Engineer-wife, while Mrs. X was eager to take her ‘lucky’ life to a new and higher level. With her position, connection, and lots of money to spend, it was easy for Mrs. X to obtain her visa and the couple packed their luggage for the United States.
After they made their way through the immigration desk, Mr. And Mrs. X headed for the taxi stand. At first, Mrs. X. wondered why no one came to the airport to pick them up, but Mr. X was quick to explain. “O this is America, people hardly have time for others,” he said. Mrs. X was a little taken aback considering that Mr. X had earlier given her the impression of how big he lived in America and how others respect him, but she decided not to worry.
When the taxicab arrived in front of the residence of Mr. X, Mrs. X did not realize that they had arrived. She had expected a better place. Something like one of the beautiful homes they had passed on their way from the airport. At first she thought Mr. X wanted to get something from the place, but no, they were home. The place was a high-rise building mostly occupied by welfare recipients. She could not hide her shock when Mr. X announced their arrival, proceeded to take out the luggage from the taxicab and paid the taxi driver.
Like in a dream, Mrs. X watched as residents with hooded garments, jeans hanging down their behind, and rough matching boots to go, exited and entered the building’s only gate in droves. It reminded her of the hoodlums in the movie “Coming To America,” who welcomed Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his Aide (Arsenio Hall) to Queens New York by quickly carting away their luggage in one swift moment and offered to sell it back to them the next moment.
Mrs. X tried to play the good and humble wife but she just could not hold it. Not after remembering the comfort of her bungalow apartment in Nigeria with the ‘Megad’ (gateman) at the gate for extra security. “Is this where you live?” she found herself asking. “O yeah,” Mr. X. replied as he bent over to pick up their luggage, trying to hide his anxiety. It was reckoning time, and somehow he must own up to the truth of the matter. Still perplexed, Mrs. X continued to ask for answers “But you said you live in a house of your own…you showed me the pictures…or is it…I” Mr. X knew he had to avoid a scene. He had rehearsed his lines, because he quickly went into it. “O, yes, I know, but there was a little problem, we will just be here for a while and we will move over there.” It did not take long for Mr. X to convince his wife to follow him into the building.
A thousand thoughts ran through Mrs. X’s head. She wondered if Mr. X had been lying about his identity and background “I hope I have not been played, I hope I have not been stupid, Please God let it not be,” she prayed to herself. But then she cautioned herself. Perhaps she was just being too afraid. Mr. X could be telling the truth, so she would have to give him the benefit of the doubt, she concluded. Calmly, she followed Mr. X as he led the way to his apartment door, going into a long rehearsed explanation to justify his living condition in America as has already been seen, and as would still be seen by Mrs. X. Mrs. X. was beginning to buy into the gist but that would not last for too long. When Mr. X. opened the door, Mrs. X. could not believe her eyes. The apartment and the furniture were in a dilapidated state. The furniture and apartment of Mrs. X’s boy’s quarters in Nigeria was three times better.
Mrs. X became anxious. Something was definitely wrong with the picture. She quickly demanded more answers and was not going to let go the topic but Mr. X insisted that they should drop the topic until a later time after they have relaxed from their long trip. While she waited, every new hour was like hell for Mrs. X, as she knew more and more of the truth and lies of Mr. X. However the last straw that broke the camel’s back was when she realized that Mr. X managed to survive through a menial job, and that he was not a medical doctor but simply called by the appellation of “Doctor” by friends and relatives in the United States.
Mrs. X had been fooled. For the first time since she met Mr. X, she realized that she had barely checked any of the information that Mr. X had given her about his background and profession. She had been blinded by the fact that Mr. X lived in the United States and had plenty of dollars to spare. She had allowed herself to be led astray. In fact it occurred to her for the first time that she did not actually love Mr. X. She had loved the American impression he gave her. She then remembered all the advice she ignored and regretted not heeding them. She also felt like killing all those who urged her on to marry the foreign based Mr. X when there were better and more realistic suitors in Nigeria. She thought of what to do, but it was too late. She was already married and had given up her job and her properties back in Nigeria with the hope of greener pastures in America – “God’s own Country.”
A few weeks after I had returned to my station in the United States, I had cause to be flipping through the Television channels to relax after some writing work, and there was it. ‘Divorce Court.’ The parties were our own Mr. and Mrs. X. After watching the show, I quickly called them on the telephone; after all, I was one of the witnesses who saw them vow few weeks ago to be betrothed to each other – “for better and for worse, in sickness and in health…” I was late and could not make any difference; instead, I ended up getting the specific details that you have read, because both Mr. X and Ex-Mrs. X each had their side of the story to share.
It is interesting how the reality of the situation teaches us better and our experiences become our
authority if only we learn to learn.
©Oliver O. Mbamara,
2003
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Oliver Mbamara is an Administrative Law Judge with the State of New York.
He is also a filmmaker and a Published Poet and playwright. For more on Oliver, please visit
www.olivermbamara.com
For background/research reference on this
piece, click on this link
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