First semester, final year was very hectic for Juanita. After her wedding in her second semester third year, she wanted to go and stay with her husband so she was often in Lagos throughout that semester.
Chapter 3 – Pride Goes Before A Fall
Every week saw Juanita in Lagos. That made her miss some tests, assignments, and even fellowship. Her fellowship group did not give up on her. They kept on sending people to encourage her not to forsake “the gathering of brethren”. Unknown to them, Juanita had began to see them as enemies of progress and so had avoided them.
Slowly but steadily, her character began to change. Even her outlook as she began to apply make up, wear trousers and do other things which she used to preach against.
If she was not spending hours speaking on phone with her husband who has gone back to the States, she would be in Lagos filling and submitting one form or the other in order to process her travelling documents.
Even her attitude towards people began to change. Things were really getting bad so Mildred decided to talk to her.
One Saturday morning, as they were doing their laundry which they normally do together- one person washes and the other rinses and spreads the clothes on the line, Mildred said; “Juanita, honestly, I could no longer hide this from you. You’ve changed. You no longer fear God. You hardly pray in the morning these days, talk more of praying in the night. You talk to people rudely, and look down on people often these days.”
“The other day as I was coming back from lectures, mama Bolanle our neighbour stopped me to complain about your change in attitude. You know we have been friends for five years now and I will not lie to you. I would like to know, what is wrong with you? What ever happened to you Juanita?”
Juanita looked at her for some minutes and said; “If you have not been my roommate I would have slapped you. What moral right do you have to judge me? By the way, who are you? Who is mama Bolanle? Who is everybody, anybody? In fact I’m no longer washing. Wash your clothes. I will send mine to the dry cleaners.
Nonsense!” Juanita snapped and entered their room.
Mildred didn’t know whether to be angry or surprised for she was both. She tried and did the laundry alone.
When she was through, she went to their room only to discover that Juanita has gone out. So she did the cooking herself, mopped their room and arranged things as they used to do every Saturday. When she couldn’t wait any longer for Juanita to come home so that they would eat together, she ate alone. They usually eat together at weekends.
Later that evening, Juanita came back, went to her corner and laid down gently on the bed without saying a word to Mildred. Mildred lifted her head from where she was reading a magazine in her bed,
“Welcome Juanita.”
Silence.
“Juanita I’m greeting you. I said welcome
“I heard you the first time. Am I meant to eat the greeting?” Juanita asked.
Mildred sighed, got up from where she was lying and sat on the bed. She gave Juanita a long stare and shook her head in disbelief.
“Juanita!”
Silence.
“Juanita”
Silence.
“Juanita answer me, please.”
“I can neither remember telling you that I’m deaf not hard of hearing,” Juanita said while admiring her pictures in an album. Her wedding photo album had replaced her Bible which used to be under her pillow.
“I must confess that I’m put back by your attitude lately. And I ask again, what is wrong with you? Why this sudden change of attitude?”
“There is nothing wrong with me. I’ve just made an interesting discovery of something called ‘class’. I’ve realised that neither you nor anybody in this compound belong to the same class with me,” Juanita
said.
“Juanita, don’t tell me that this has something to do with your being married?” Mildred asked in surprise.
“You know, you are right. It has everything to do with it if you may care to know. Now, let me use this golden opportunity to officially announce to you that I will be packing out of here anytime from now. I can no longer stay in this ‘cell’ called room all in the name of accommodation.”
“It is either I rent a bigger room or I join my husband’s parents in their duplex in town. From there, I can drive myself to school or board a taxi to school. All I know is that I will no longer walk to school. You know, as a new mother-to-be, I need care and attention.” Juanita said and went back to her album flipping through the pages, admiring the pictures, and smiling to herself.
“Well,” began Mildred who was shocked to the marrow but chose to hold herself, I must tell you the truth; and nothing but the whole truth. We’ve been friends and roommates since our first yea: and this is our fifth year. We would have graduated if not for the ASUU strike that lasted one academic session by which everybody lost a year.”
“You have been a good girl. I have secretly, during my sober reflections, wished that I could be like you in serving God. I’ve always admired you, your courage in staying away from boys, keeping yourself pure, serving God, making good grades but now…. Any way I have this to say, if you think that because you married a rich man that you can insult everybody, even mama Bolanle that gives us food whenever we run short of food or are too busy to travel and restock, then be warned that, ‘pride goes before a fall’.
“As for packing out, there is no problem. But why pack out? We have paid for the whole year. I will not encourage you to stay with your husband’s parents especially as your husband is not around. For you will have your husband’s two elder sisters to contend with. There is a saying that faeces does not smell in the stomach and it is the person that is close to another that perceives the odour from the mouth.”
You think that they are happy that you are married while they themselves are not, even when they are older than you? Mark my words, you can never please them even if you lick their feet. They will turn you to their servant. Remember your husband is not around to defend you. I can only advise you as a friend. The choice is yours to take or leave my pieces of advice. waited for you so that we can eat but I didn’t see you so late.” Mildred added.
There’s food in the pot in case you are hungry but I doubt if you are. I’m off to see a course mate of mine.” Having said that, Mildred left the room.
The truth was that she wasn’t going anywhere. She needed to breathe in fresh air. She was happy to have found out the root of Juanita’s arrogance. Juanita had changed because she got married a rich man who stayed overseas.
“Oh people can never cease to amaze me. It is even good that the wind has blown and the rump of the hen has been seen. People hardly show their true colours when things are rough for them…”
“It is only when success comes their way that people show their true character,” she muttered to herself as she strolled down the beautiful and tarred Macdonald Avenue that was decorated with Pride of Barbados trees by each of the two sides.
Moral Lessons
- As children of God, we should try not to compromise our faith and belief in God.
- We should listen and consider good pieces of advice.
- We should not be self-centered.
- A friend in need is a friend indeed. Mildred is a friend in deed.
- Pride comes before a fall means that when you have a high opinion of yourself or your abilities, something will happen to make you look stupid.
Glossary
- Stroll: to walk in a slow relaxed manner, especially for pleasure.
- Reverence: great respect and admiration for someone or something.
- Gaze: to look at someone or something for a long time.
- Rump: the part of an animal’s back that is just above its legs.
- Snap: to suddenly be unable to control a strong feeling, especially anger.
- Sigh: to breathe out slowly and noisily, to express sadness, tiredness, pleasure, boredom, etc.
- Flip: if you flip something, you turn it over quickly one or more times.
- Arrogance: when someone behaves in a rude way because they think they are very important.
- Perceive: to understand or think of something or someone in a particular way.
Ahmad Nwabuzor is a Nigerian author and storyteller with a strong passion for writing and sharing meaningful stories. He is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where he studied English and Literary Studies.
He writes across different forms of storytelling, including cultural narratives, emotional fiction, and moral stories that teach life lessons. His storytelling style is rooted in African life and shaped by a deep interest in how traditions influence people’s choices and emotions.