MAMA KUBURATU: Mama Salamatu, where are you coming from? You are walking in this scorching sun, without an umbrella or headgear, this is very strange.Your appearance self, very dull and uninviting, what is the problem? Mama Salamatu: Please, don’t mind me, people are ready to run you crazy, as long as you allow them. But you know me, I won’t succumb to their shenanigans , not with my experience and age, not at all, something will surely give. Mama Kuburatu: Please, take it easy o, don’t allow them to run you crazy.You know, our economy now is something else, to treat ordinary malaria now, is very expensive, you will need to consult your cooperative or call family meetings for fundraising, not to talk of having to treat brain problems.Brain problems don’t respect age or experience. When it comes, it comes, you are out of this world, having communication with your colleagues in another realm. Mama Salamatu: Please, leave this matter as it is, you are getting me wrong already, did I talk about brain problems? I said some people are running me crazy, you are talking about brain problems, are they the same? Mama Kuburatu: Why would I say you are mad? Who born me? You , our chairlady, that means I am working toward losing my place in the market be that o. God forbid sha.
Mama Salamatu: See you, you have taken me on an unnecessary voyage, what I wanted to tell you, you didn’t allow me, you caused me to forget, by coming up with your theory of brain problem.Anyway, I was coming from Baale’s house when you saw me. I went there to report on Adamu and his boys, before things get out of hand in this village.
Mama Kuburatu: Which one is Idaamu and his boys? And why are you saying things may likely get out of hand? Mama Salamatu: Now I know you have a problem with your hearing, something must have gone wrong with your eardrum. Who said Idaamu? You had better go and book an appointment with your doctor, before it turns to some other thing.The name I mentioned was Adamu.
Mama Kuburatu: Ah, ah, Adamu was the name you called. like Idaamu abi? Had it been you added Mallam, maybe I would have understood.Anyway, what was their offence that necessitated you reporting them to Baale?Have they stolen from the market? Or did they burgle your house? Mama Salamatu: Not at all, what they did was more than that.You know, they are the only competitors we have in this market, severally, we have told them to align with our prices, we begged them, we threatened them, we reported them to higher authorities, yet no dice. They refused to back down.
Mama Kuburatu: Back down from where or what? Do they sell more than tomatoes, peppers, okro, onions, melon and other condiments?
Mama Salamatu: I think you are now getting my point, that is where the problem lies, whether the ones that stays in the market or the ones that push wheelbarrows all over the place and around the community, they are ruining these businesses for us, price wise. They undercut us. With this, they attract more customers and make more money than us. In no time,they have finished selling their wares, while we keep ours for weeks. Mama Kuburatu: Yes o, you have a valid point, from what I heard from you now, you have spoken my mind.These Mallams, anywhere you find them with their wares, their concern is to finish their stock in order to restock. It’s like they depend on turn over rather than keeping the stock till God knows when before selling. Mama Salamatu: Apart from all these, have you ever seen their wives, not to talk of their maidens, they don’t engage in this type of business? Their men are masters of this business.For us, we engage in so many things that do not profit us, hence we look for ways to make unnecessary profits.But all the same, they are killing our business, and I don’t think this should continue. Mama Kuburatu: What did Baale say to all these? Or you did not tell him everything? Mama Salamatu: l beg, don’t mind Baale, I think he is afraid of these people, or what do I say, with all my submissions, the only thing he could say was, they are Nigerians and they can ply their trade anywhere!He said, if not for them, some households would have forgotten anything called tomatoes or pepper, not to talk of onions, since God knows when.
Mama Kuburatu; I am beginning to be worried, I don’t think Baale is seeing this Wahala, the way we saw it, but all the same, we should call a meeting of market women , something has to give. Mama Salamatu: Are we inviting them too? Mama Kuburatu: Inviting them to where? No. We will say it is only women we want to meet with.
Mama Salamatu: Please, alert our secretary, to put up notice for an emergency meeting. This ,their matter, will be the only item on our agenda.Nothing more, enough of this headache.By the time we finish with them Baale will have to reconsider his position on the matter.