Mary blushed.
Her pale face carried the color of her hair.
"No, I do not. I have focused on my work all my life", Mary replied, subtly averting her gaze from Effiong.
"You look like a serious person. Somebody that doesn't joke about what she has to do. Well done, Mary," Chief Effiong said.
"Thank you", Mary replied with a smile.
"Another thing. I am happy with what you told the Obong and the chiefs. I want you to know that you have my full support. If you ever need anything... " Effiong trailed off.
Mary nodded. She was happy that there was a Chief supporting her now. Mary knew that she needed all the help she could get, especially with the plans she had in mind for the ruling sect of the Ufil people. Mary wondered if when Chief Effiong finds out about what she planned to do if she would still have his support then.
[Let that time come. We will find out], she thought.
"You think a lot", Effiong said. He had been watching her for the few seconds that her mind drifted away. There was nothing about Mary that escaped Effiong's keen eyes.
"Do not mind me", Mary said.
They had gotten to the entrance of Mary's compound.
"Where do you live, Chief Effiong?", Mary asked as he walked her all the way to her house. She remembered that she hadn't even asked him if he was still on the route to his house.
"Oh. It is a long walk from here", Effiong replied.
"Oh, My!", Mary exclaimed. "I am sorry. I took you away from-"
"No need for that, Mary. I am happy to have talked with you," Effiong said with a smile on his dark, handsome face.
"Bye!", Mary said as he walked into the compound her little house was in.
* * *
Edidiong had been watching Mary with the handsome Chief Effiong talk in front of the compound.
"Heiiiiii", Edidiong exclaimed when Mary entered her hut.
"What is it? Why are you shouting?", Mary asked her, trying to suffocate a smile.
"I saw you. You want to act as if nothing is happening, right?", Edidiong said as she walked towards Mary and pinched her under the arm.
"Ow. Edidiong... behave yourself. What has come over you?"
"If you know how the single ladies pray for this chief, you wouldn't waste any time. He is very rich, Mary," Edidiong said.
"Oh? Good for him, then. Have you been waiting for a long time for me?", Mary asked her as she took off the shawl that was around her shoulders. She sat down with a sigh. It had been a nice morning for Mary Hutchison.
"Forget about that one. I am talking about Chief Effiong"
Mary rolled her eyes. She regretted it a little that Edidiong had seen her and the chief together.
"Close your mouth, this naughty woman. We were just talking. He walked me back after that meeting," Mary said. Her brows creased as she remembered the pugnacious high chief.
Edidiong was saying... "He isn't even married. His father's death must have-"
"Edidiong!", Mary called, bringing her out of the prattling. "Do you know Chief Dion?", Mary asked.
Edidiong's back stiffened. Her eyes twitched at the corners.
"Yes", she replied. [What joins my dear Mary with that man?], Edidiong thought.
"Why are you asking?", Edidiong said.
Mary observed her. She had never seen Edidiong in the state she was in right now. [Why does she have that look on her face?], Mary thought. She knew that the man had an aura to him... he didn't seem to like or support the missionaries, but the look Mary saw on Edidiong's face was deeper. It was worrisome to Mary.
"He was about to give me some troubles during the meeting this morning. That chief you saw, defended me from Chief Dion", Mary explained.
"Hmm"
"What is the problem, Edidiong?", Mary asked as she leaned forward, expecting an explanation for Edidiong's reaction.
Edidiong looked around to check whether anyone was listening in on them.
"What are you checking for?", Mary asked, confused about the whole action.
"You have not heard that the walls have ears? Ah. You can say something in secret, but the person you are talking about will know what has been said. Ah!", Edidiong said with her eyes wide open as if she was really afraid of something.
"Where is your cook?", Edidiong asked Mary.
"I am sure she is in the kitchen"
"Call her. Send her to buy something"
Mary stared at Edidiong. After some seconds, she did as her friend had told her. Mary called for her personal cook and gave her some cowries to go buy foodstuff from the market.
"But we have it, Miss Mary", the cook said. A girl that Mary figured would be in her early twenties, but with smart eyes and a sharp mouth. Mary always remembered when she hadn't told her everything there was to the 'evil forest'. Mary had wanted to stop her from working in the house, but Edidiong had pleaded on the cook's behalf... saying that the girl needed the money for food and that her mother was sick and bedridden. That changed Mary's mind but made Mary wary of the girl.
"I know. Go and get more", Mary said.
Edidiong watched with her mouth closed as the girl took a bag and left the hut. Her gaze followed the cook until she was out of the compound, then, she faced Mary again.
"You are dramatic", Mary said.
"What is that?" Edidiong asked. She didn't wait for Mary to explain what she meant by that word as she began talking again. "That Chief Dion is a bad person", Edidiong said.
"Bad?"
"Yes. A wicked man. He beats all his wives... all six of them!", Edidiong said.
"Oh my goodness!", Mary exclaimed. [Who does one man have six wives], Mary thought. She shook her head... cradling her forehead in her right palm. [This land!]
"He beats them? You mean... Slapping and hitting?", Mary asked. She couldn't believe her ears.
Edidiong could see as Mary's face changed. It was as if she was about to cry. So she changed the topic quickly. But Edidiong didn't know if it was a better topic or a worse one. "People say that he is responsible for the general killing of the former strangers. The ones that came before you, Mary"
"WHAT?", Mary yelled. "General killing? What does that mean?"
"Do not shout!" Edidiong whimpered.
"General killing? We heard that they had caught flu"
"What is that? Ha. Me, I heard from the women... it was in every body's mouth. Chief Dion said that it was over his dead body will they allow any stranger to come into Ufas. But the chiefs still agreed for them to come. He swore that they would not succeed and sometime later, people found all the strangers swollen and dead in their compound"
Mary gaped at Edidiong. What she was hearing found it hard to be processed by her brain.
Edidiong continued, "When somebody's body swells up before dying, the Ufik people know that it is the god of pain's handiwork."