Seed of Discord
384 Words
That night, as the village settled into the lull of crickets and distant drumming, a different kind of unrest stirred in Aniefiok’s heart. She sat in her family’s courtyard, watching the flickering flame of an oil lamp dance in the breeze.
She had seen them together under the Udara tree. Seen the way Iniobong held Ekong, the way he softened in her arms. And it made her blood boil.
This could not continue.
With measured steps, she made her way to Ekong’s family compound. The elders sat in quiet conversation, the air thick with the scent of palm wine and burning wood. She approached Ekong’s father, her voice soft, calculated.
“Papa Ekong, have you heard? Iniobong’s father has been making plans for her marriage.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed. “To whom?”
She hesitated just long enough to make him uneasy. “A suitor from Uyo. A wealthy one.”
The room fell silent.
Ekong’s father scoffed. “Then let her go. She was never meant for my son.”
Aniefiok smiled, but only slightly. “And yet, she still holds his heart. She is the reason he resists you. If she marries another, perhaps he will finally see what has been in front of him all along.”
The words settled like embers in the old man’s mind, and as Aniefiok turned to leave, she knew she had planted another seed of doubt, another wedge between them.
If she could not have Ekong, then neither would Iniobong.
Beneath the Annang moon, another storm was coming.
The next day, Ekong stormed into the courtyard of Iniobong’s home, his eyes dark with anger.
“Is it true?” he demanded.
Iniobong turned, startled, her eyes already glistening. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play games with me, Ini. Are you getting married to someone else?”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Ekong, I—”
“You didn’t even tell me?” His voice cracked. “Was I just a fool to believe we could fight for this?”
Iniobong shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “No, Ekong. It’s not what you think. Please, listen to me.”
But the doubt had already taken root in his heart. And Aniefiok’s storm had only just begun.
- Writer
