Not All That Glitters Is Gold” in The Truly Married by Abioseh Nicol

 In the story The Truly Married Woman by Abioseh Nicol the main characters, Ajayi and Ayo, both pretend to be good, honest, and respectable, but in truth, they are not. They show one thing to the public but behave differently in private. This makes them hypocritical.

First, Ajayi acts like he is a very religious and honest man, but this is false. He writes a letter to the World Gospel Crusading Alliance pretending that he wants to learn about God and missionary work. His real reason is to get free things like Bibles, pictures, and gifts from the missionaries. This shows that he is not really interested in religion but only wants to benefit himself. His life looks good on the outside but is full of selfishness.

Ajayi’s dishonesty continues when the missionaries plan to visit him. He tells a colleague that the road is too bad for them to come by taxi, which is a lie. He also quickly sends a messenger to tell Ayo to clean the house and remove things that might make the visitors think badly of them. This means that his kindness and hospitality are fake. He only wants to impress the visitors, not to be genuinely good.

Ayo is also hypocritical. She tries to look like a respectable and properly married woman when the missionaries are coming. She hides wine glasses, removes bad pictures, and replaces magazines with religious books. She even borrows a wedding ring from a neighbor to make it seem like she is properly married. This shows that she is pretending to be holy and respectable, even though she knows it is not true.

Ayo’s hypocrisy becomes more clear when she refuses to sleep with Ajayi on the night before their wedding. She says it would be wrong to do so before the wedding, even though they have lived together for twelve years and have children. This is a clear example of pretending to be morally upright only when it suits her.

After the wedding, Ayo changes completely. She stops doing what she used to, like bringing Ajayi tea and breakfast in bed. She now feels more powerful because she is a “truly married woman.” This shows that her earlier behavior of being humble and obedient was fake. She only acted that way until she got what she wanted—a formal marriage.

Another example of hypocrisy is seen when both Ajayi and Ayo suddenly pretend to care about marriage. Ajayi agrees to marry Ayo not because he values her or believes in marriage, but because he wants to please the missionaries and look good in their eyes. On the other hand, Ayo pushes for marriage because she wants the respect and legal power that comes with being officially married. This shows that both of them are pretending to care about marriage for selfish reasons.

Lastly, they both pretend that their home is decent and holy. When the missionaries are about to visit, Ajayi and Ayo rush to remove anything that shows their real lifestyle, like alcohol and romantic pictures. They change the house into something fake to please the visitors. Their respectability is borrowed and temporary, showing that their good image is just for show.

Another character who shows that not all that glitters is gold is Omo, Ayo’s neighbour. Omo pretends to be a caring and supportive friend, often lending Ayo her own wedding ring. However, when Ayo unexpectedly marries Ajayi and shows her the wedding gifts, Omo becomes hostile. She angrily throws the wedding dress over the wall and criticizes it, pretending to care but actually acting out of jealousy. She also calls Ayo’s silky wedding dress “embarrassing,” pretending it is too revealing. But the truth is that she is jealous of Ayo’s beauty and new status as a married woman. Omo hides her bitterness behind fake concern, proving that her friendliness is not genuine but a mask to cover envy.

Ajayi’s sister also shows hypocrisy. She pretends that she is against Ajayi’s marriage to Ayo for the good of the family, but in reality, she is jealous and afraid that Ayo will outshine her in the family. To secretly stop the wedding, she tells Ajayi to visit a soothsayer, hoping that the prediction will be against the marriage. However, Ayo goes to the soothsayer first and gets a good prediction. After that, the sister quietly gives up her opposition, showing that her fight was not about morals or family values, but about selfish competition and jealousy.

In conclusion, both Ajayi and Ayo show clearly that “Not all that glitters is gold.” They pretend to be religious, honest, and respectable people, but their lives are full of lies, selfishness, and hypocrisy. The story teaches us that we should not trust appearances because people can easily hide their true selves behind a mask of goodness.