The Shoulder Tap

Mr and Mrs Adamu lives in my neighborhood, Isheke precisely. The couple had married for about 8 years now. Yet after all these years of marriage, their love continues to shine like the sun. In fact, they were the reference point whenever a fight ensued between couples in my neighborhood.

While mama Ike and Papa Ike would fight over every small thing, the Adamu’s were never heard quarreling, until one night. A very disturbing sound erupted, waking the whole neighborhood... the noise after serious attempts was traced to the Adamu’s resident. At this point, the whole community was confused, the elders, indecisive on whether to interfere or not.

As young as I was, I knew something was wrong. I held on to Mama’s wrapper following her around, even though I had to rob my eyes to keep awake. From where we stood with other concerned neighbors, we could hear the couples exchanging heated words.  The Elders including Papa struggled to get into the couple’s house. At about 3: OOam, the situation calmed. By then, I had left my Mama and had wandered far…. I stood rooted beside the Adamu’s window side ignoring my mama’s call. Minutes later, women returned home to wait for their husband’s return with the gist of course!

From where I stood watching, the Elders probed the couple several time to reveal the cause of the hullabaloo and destruction of gadgets as seen all around. But, Mr and Mrs Adamu were mute, looking so miserable. Yet, the Elder were bent on finding the cause of the disturbance, hence, they question them using different elderly tactics.  Lo and behold! The husband let out a frustrated sigh uttering incoherently “ sh-she hasn’t been re-responding to a-any  shoulder t- tap for more than six month now”. And at this junction even the elders were more confused.

Shoulder tap you say? One of the elders probed. The wife’s face had flushed red, so embarrassed at something I couldn’t fathom. Oblivious of this, the husband continued “she rejects me every night…. she rejects her conjugal duties! The peacemakers exchange knowing glances. The air feels so awkward, I could feel it where I stood by the window.

Interestingly, the elders were able to settle the fight amicably before 6:00am whispering to the couple as though even the wall of the house must no hear what they were discussing… Everything return the way it was before, but the shoulder tap incident remained the talk of town.

Poor little me driven by curiosity and oblivious of the term, asked my mother its meaning, but was met with an angry snare. Indeed, that shut me up like forever….and I slept the whole day.