The Rich Man’s Dance By Mr Emmanuel Anuma Aja

  About the Author :

Biography of Mr. Emmanuel Anuma Aja

Mr. Emmanuel Anuma Aja is an accomplished educator, author, and community voice hailing from Afikpo North in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. With an impressive teaching career spanning approximately 26 years, he has dedicated his life to shaping the minds of younger generations, combining pedagogical expertise with a deep passion for literature and cultural storytelling.

Beyond the classroom, Mr. Aja is a prolific writer who has made significant contributions to regional literature and public discourse. His extensive body of work includes numerous thought-provoking articles published in local periodicals such as *Afikpo Today*, where he frequently engages with community themes, social values, and contemporary issues.

As a novelist, his creative talents are prominently showcased in his published work, *The Rich Man’s Dance*, a compelling narrative that reflects his keen observation of society, human behavior, and cultural dynamics. His writing often bridges traditional wisdom with modern storytelling, establishing him as a notable literary figure rooted in his heritage.

On the personal front, Mr. Aja is a devoted family man. He is happily married to his beloved wife, Mrs. Augustin Ngozi Anuma, and together they are proud parents of nine grown children. His life stands as a testament to lifelong public service through education, unwavering dedication to his family, and a rich, enduring commitment to the literary arts.

                      PROLOGUE 

The entire drama caught public attention when Ikechi’s trick was

unmasked by the benevolence of the bride. He became like the proverbial pussy

cat whose personal god killed a rat.

On the part of the woman, one would have said that she fell victim to the

man’s trick like the bush mango which fell to the ground offering itself to be

eaten by a goat. But fortunately, the union in which the palm fruit that escaped

the grip of a squirrel fed Ikechi with oil, became a reality and a blessing.

                    CHAPTER ONE

                 RICH MEN’S MUSIC

That faithful day of their traditional marriage was unique, the number of

guests kept increasing. As news of the unexpected went beyond the village

Ikechi was for the first time tickled by the tough of a woman.

‘Tikwi, Tikwi,’ he tried to suppress what would have been a boisterous

laugh. That was when Udemma hung her hand on his shoulder in public.

Hope you’re fascinated by this blissful day? She asked in a low voice

flashing a glance at his face.

‘The Lord is great.’ He responded as his eyes caught her’s and she

gradually eased his shoulder from her grip amidst hands clap from the laughing

guest.

These happened when the tricks he was playing in the village was

unmasked. It was the ‘time when a pussy cat is personal god killed it a as the

palm fruit that fell off from the squirrel’s mouth fed Ikechi with oil. That time,

his marriage to a rich widow offered him payment of a bride price, for she bore

the responsibility alone.

Prior to the marriage, in the village of Egu, and the entire Isi-Uzo

autonomous community of five villages, Ikechi was the most notorious

bachelor. At the age of sixty, he still blindfolded every one’s eyes. None

envisaged the sense behind his lifestyle. He hid his penurious condition which

cobbed his ability to have a wife under the pretence of aversion for women.

People expressed several opinions concerning him. While some imputed it to

important others held the view that he was a hermist of course, the last to

discover his rib among his mates, took a wife many years ago. He was so

acentric, always stinging away from ceremonies and rejected anything touched

by women as a ploy to display his hatred for them.

The woman he later married was of age, but she still remained the

protruding breasts of a fifteen-year old girl. In addition to being a hot-stuff, she

was endowed with beauty: average height, light completion, and a face well

fitted for her pointed nose. Except for the incident that left her stranded, panting

likes fish out of water and later, into the hands of Ikechi, the man wouldn’t have

been lucky. Unarguably, she was a type of woman that men fought one another

to make her a wife.

Even though Udemma was the first wife of Ikechi, the man was not her

first husband. If likened to one who first observed a baby first tooth, Iro knew

her first. But if her marriage with Iro was compared to going to the market, one

would rather suggest that misfortune went with her. Of course, the marriage

brought her face to face with agony and misery.

However, as the saying goes that whichever way a year is planned, must

be favourable to some people, Udemma laughed at last when nature separated

them. It was her marriage to Ikechi which offered her the name Mama Ndukwe.

During her ten years of unfruitful marriage with Iro which resulted in Iro’s

second marriage to Ola. She had no hope of child bearing. Accusations from the

relations of Iro had left her with the conviction that she was infertile.When Ude was with Iro, she was famous in Egu village and beyond for

her ingenuity in clay pot kneading. And with her wealth made from the craft,

she behaved like the castrated he-goat that said: “Since putting the female folks

in a family way eluded me’ looking healthy cannot elude me’. She made a lot of

money from her trade; took care of herself, and cared for the three children of

Ola.

Except for her fellow woman who made mockery of her, she never felt bad for

extending her kindness to the children. The children reciprocated, for they loved

her more than their biological mother.

The unfortunate incident that later saw her out of her predicaments and

made her embrace the joy of motherhood was the demise of Iro. When Iro was

alive, each time he was leaving for his fishing occupation, he abandoned her

like a farmer neglecting an infertile land. Yet, he always left with a lot of her

fired pots to Itum where he sold them. For the period of four months which he

always spent there, Udemma was the bread winner for Ola and her children.

One day, while Iro was back from his journey, Ude confronted him.

‘Nna anyi! Ude drew his attention, ‘can you remember the year you

started traveling with my pots?’

‘What do you mean?’ Iro asked angrily glaring at her’. He was dark in

completion and had a round face with eyes like a lion. His thick lips and lanky

stature appeared to adore the nature in him. So churlish and rarely looked at any

person’s face but Ude never cared.

‘I mean … you have been selling these pots without rendering any

account to me,’ she lowered her voice.

‘Render account to you?’ He frowned, ‘let me tell you, never you treat me

like your salesman again’. He further warned.

‘Is it what you will tell me?

Ude regretted; now in a higher tone.

‘Yes, you’re my property; and when the man made this statement anger

stole words out of Ude’s mouth. She held her mouth and never talked again. Iro

stood up, and left the house.

When he had left her room, Ude was alone talking to herself. ‘Oh my

Creator, God! When will I have my own child? Even the man that joined me in

chasing a ghost is now abusing me of having a head as big as that of a ghost.

Infertility! Could it be my fault? Well, my father usually says that

decision taken in anger is always regretted at last. I will relax my mind first’,

she ended the soliloquy.

She pretended that nothing had happened, and they still lived in harmony.

She had her own plan. She thought that Iro would still request to travel with her

pots.

Within the month when Iro was to travel for his fishing occupation, he

started loving the woman more than ever. That was his usual ploy but the trick

became naked in the eyes of Ude after their misunderstanding. Just two weeks

to his travelling period, he approached the woman again.

‘My Oriaku, I want to have a discussion with you this morning’. Iro said.

‘Odoziaku rather, not consumed of wealth’. Ude argued that she should

rather be called a custodian of wealth.

‘I’m sorry, Odoziaku,’ he apologized ‘what do you want to say?’

‘I just want to tell you of my intention to travel this week.

And … I want you – in short, to fire the pots for me’.

‘Ha! HA! HA! Ha! …’ Ude laughed boisterously and kept quiet.

‘I’m sorry. I’m rather laughing at your forgetfulness. My mother says that

anger clears from the mind of the abuser, but rankles in the mind of the abused.

So, in just a few weeks, you have forgotten how you abused me of worthing

only the pots.’

‘Is it what you want to tell me, eh? Then, you laughed at me?’

‘Yes! You can’t have that my ‘worth’ again.

What? Iro questioned and continued, ‘a common woman who clears urine

with her palm to laugh and shout at me! He shrieked, stood up, and pounced onher like a lion. As she lay on the ground weeping, Iro quickly climbed her

Ogbege, a locally made one-sided ceiling meant for packing property. He

pushed down the pots and broke all.

‘Wooo! Udemma cried like a dog caught by the tail. She ran helter-skelter

attracting other women to her house. Those who saw the destruction ran and

held her fearing that she might commit suicide.

‘Tufia! We have never seen this type of evil in Egu! spitted every woman who

peeped into her house.

‘So this man took after his father no wonder his father gave him the name

Iroegbu meaning enemies shall not kill. He was always in conflict with people.’

Complained an old woman called Ogeri Chukwu, who saw the destruction in

Udemma’s house.

Having witnessed the atrocity committed by Iro, all the old woman in

Egu numbering more than forty took up their walking sticks. Their dressings

made them appear like ghosts even a matured man saw them and shivered.

Children heard their voices and ran into their mother’s hut. Some children who

were brave enough to set eyes on them fell to the ground for years of having

seen a ghost, but they were old women aged between seventy and eighty. They

were almost naked dangling their flat and disappearing breasts, except that they

were old towels tied to their waists. They matched along right from the people’s

playground and headed towards Iro’s house. Singing and tottering with their

walking sticks.

“He ya heee, he ya heee!

Iro committed evil!’

As they sang, their walking sticks responded on the ground each time.

‘Iro committed evil’ was mentioned.

When they reached and saw the broken pots, they assembled in front of his

house and rained abuses.

“Except if Iro never drank water from a clay pot.

Except if he never enjoyed money got from the sale of clay pots, if

not, he will never survive this evil”.

Each time they mentioned the above words; they are lifted up their towels and

dragged their naked bottoms on the ground. After doing same for seven times,

they left.

When Iro saw that they had left, he entered his house. He prepared

immediately, collected his bag and left for the fishing occupation. In less than

two weeks, he was drowned in the river. Those who brought his corpse home

said that he dived into the river to remove his hook from roots of a tree in the

process, the hook held him inside until he drowned. It was his canoe tied closer

to the area that led people to discover his remains.

As it was the custom of the people of Egu not to burry a man drowned by

river in the village, he was buried by the side of the people’s river.

* * * * *

Right from time immemorial women of Egu were known for their act of

militancy when maltreated by men. There was a story of an event that took

place in Egu long, long time ago. It happened more than ten years before the

incident of Iro. That period, men legislated that women should stop the common

practice of licking snuff. They accused the elderly women of initiating the

child-bearing women into the practice of licking snuff. This, the men claimed

was responsible for their early menopause.’

‘Just imagine … When women were women, where do you see young

women like those stop conceiving? ‘See them,’ Okara pointed at the young

women as the discussion was in progress in the village square. They no longer

sleep with their husbands, he further accused.

The women were agreed, they rather blamed men, but they were not to

argue with them in the assembly. When they went back to their meeting house,

Ugodiya addressed them. Inyom Egu Mma –manu! She greeted.

‘Hem’ responded the woman whom she described as married woman of Egu.

These men, ‘she pointed outside, and continued, they stay under that mango treein front of my house drinking kai-kai throughout the day.

Fellow women kwenu! She greeted again and they responded, it is this

local Gin which is paralyzing their manhood making them not to respond at

night. We must fight back, she added and greeted amidst laughter. They fixed

time to assemble again.

At the agreed period, the old women picked their walking –sticks, dressed

in their usual way and started singing for men. While the young ladies

responded kai-kai-e-e, kai-kai

kai-kai killed their penis, they blamed it on snuff.’

The man folks who feared that the woman may from singing sit and drag

bottom for them called them to order. They went and pleaded to the women, and

they stopped their actions. It was such incident of women’s action and

subsequent death of Iro in the river which led Udemma to her second marriage

to Ikechi.

In the house of Ikechi, after three years, she conceived and gave birth to a

son who later died. After two years, she never conceived again. Ikechi married

another woman called Ada. Fortunately, three months after Ada had conceived,

she conceived too. They delivered same year and Ikechi became the father of

two sons. Udemma’s son was given the name Ndukwe meaning ‘’ if life

permits’’. However, the boy was more popular with the name Edu which was

the nickname of his grandfather. He also resembles his grandfather who was of

average height, dark in complexion, and strongly built. But he had the face his

mother, Udemma. Ikechi himself was like his own father too.

The family lived happily. Ada later had two more children, while

Udemma developed back pain. She no longer stood erect, but walked with the

help of a walking –stick. Ada was a kind hearted woman. She attended weeding

of farms for other people with her husband just to fend for the entire family.

Even through the family had some farms, it was so little. Lands in Egu were

owned by maternal families and some had very little. Even those maternal

families that had farm lands, the farms were shared among many individuals,

the distance to each of the little farms made some people less interested in

farming. Only those who had money among the farmers, who were few rented

more lands. Land also was limited. Ada and Ike had to struggle to ensure that

the family fed at least twice daily. One early morning the couples prepared and

left to the farm.

As if her presence was required to alter nature, she remained behind the

door peeping outside. Sleep had completely cleared from her eyes.

An honest woman like me, what will the sky accuse me of?

Lightening………… go and break the heads of those dishonest men. Those who

kill human beings for ritual, make wealth from adulterated and fake drugs, use

potassium bromide to enhance bread don’t give them chance, while still

confessing, blustery wind was in motion as the cloudy atmosphere veiled

houses in midst. Dried leaves of mango tree flew with some corrugated metals

of poorly roofed houses. All these lasted for one hour before the atmosphere

calmed down, except that the persistent chilling breeze continued forcing her to

close the door.

With the joy that nature appeared to have heard her prayers, she woke her

up. ‘’ Nnanyi’, she called hope you can feel the cold weather?

It was almost trying to rain but a very destructive wind dispersed it.

It must have rained somewhere, said Ikechi as he woke up gnashing his

teeth in the anguish. He had realized why his wife was worried. The alcoholic

drink that pacified him to a deep sleep had cleared his eyes. The couples were

supposed to have left home in view of the far distance to Mr. Ebi’s farm. They

prepared for the farm.

Oh! Okoro my son, she exclaimed as the lifted her vessels, and complained; you

are the type that says, ‘’ I want food as big as my father’s enlarged scrotum,’’

without realizing that the big scrotum is a disease. We are talking of what to eat

at night, and you’re concerned with lunch where do you see people eat lunch in

Egu? When I was at your age we used to enter bush in the afternoon, crack andeat palm kernels, she concluded and left with her husband.

On their way, they trekked along the lonely road. The place was not

supposed to be so deserted especially on such Nkwo farm day. But people were

still in their houses in view of an unclear sky. The distance to the farm was such

that a fast running car would take about thirty minutes to reach the farm. They

walked as fast as their legs could carry them, so eager to reach and start work on

the farm.

In addition to the roughness of the footpath, they were climbing and

descending hills. They never knew when they passed most of the terrifying

areas along the way to the farm.

As they eventually reached the farm, within a short time, many people

who waited to see if it would rain started showing faces in their farms. The

couples who were hard working had covered a very wide area before noticing

the presence of other farmers. They worked as if intended to swallow the entire

job. As his wife weeded grasses. Ike was busy staking yam tendrils that had

since sprouted from the monds. He had already provided stakes. That was when

he was mulching the monds with grasses to protect the sprouting yam tendrils

from scorch.

At 12 noon, Ike requested that they should go and have their breakfast it

wasn’t possible for them to eat in the house. Such would have resulted in their

feeling hungry while working in the farm.

‘Ada Ikechi are you there?’

‘Nnanyi!’ she answered, lifted her working implements and walked

towards her husband. She was already sitting down besides her working

implements – she was a wee bit tried.

Ikechi laughed as he saw her coming. ‘Your ears are two sharp’.

‘Is it why you are laughing at me? If you’re not hungry, I have endured it

so much, she said washing her hands. Ike washed his hands too. There was

water everywhere. The place was so close to Egu River.

When they sat under the tree where they always met to have a rest at

intervals; Udemma brought out the food. It was four cups of garri, six cubes of

sugar, and some groundnuts. Though they had soup left in the house, the soup

was not enough for the entire family.

They rather decided to leave the little that was left for those in the house.

The woman soaked the garri in water in a small plate and dissolved the

cubes of sugar into it. They followed it with their spoons as if it was a plate of

rice. They ate to their satisfaction together with the groundnuts, rested a little

and left to continue the job.

Like a fueled engine, they became more vibrant working like a weeding

machine.

‘Food is really the medicine for tiredness’, Ikechi remarked. He was busy

helping his wife in the weeding.

‘So you can effectively handle the weeding hoe? She asked.

As if you don’t know who helped to ensure completion of Okere’s farm

last week’ He queried. The woman was just teasing him. Men in Egu were not

used to weeding, but Ike never cared. He was aware that the job of weeding was

left for women.

Any man found to be weeding in the farm was called a “goat led but a woman”.

Not only that, he was ridiculed in a concert usually organized during rainy

season festival.

Since Ikechi described food as a medicine for tiredness, Ada was still

thinking of appropriate reply.

‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘But you men pretend a lot. You were laughing at me

when I got tired before we went for the food.

You can even see that before we ate no one talked, we were all concerned with

the job.’

‘If that is what you mean, you’re not correct’, Ike argued’. When we

came here, we all had the zeal to complete the job. Now that we are getting to

the end of the farm, at least, we are sure of our complete payment.As Edu’s church in his village was making a commendable progress, his

step-brother was in Mefo. That was his mother’s village where he lived with her

after the death of his father, Ikechi. Though he never attended the same

Pastorate training with Edu in prison he had opened his own church in Mefo

village. He took advantage of the primitive nature of the people to exploit them

in the name of librating them from the shackle of idol worship. Those who saw

him as a repented may were attending his church. Each time he preached to

them, he made them understand that he was a changed man.

Today, the Lord has brought me here to change this community. What my

own village is today, is what Mefo will be tomorrow.

Praise the Living God!

Halleluiah! The congregation responded and he continued his sermon on that

Sunday.

‘The Okoro you’re seeing today is no longer the Okoro you knew before.

I’ve undergone the baptism of fire and water.

Today … the man you’re seeing here is called Pastor Frank. That is my present

name. The Okoro who killed and sold the corpse of his mother is now a born

again Christian he said, and shouted.

‘Halleluiah!’

Amen! The people responded, nodding their heads in acceptance.

Members of his congregation were small, they were mostly girls, few

married women, and boys. Men there were seriously involved in the people’s

customs and traditions. They hated Okoro and were always in conflict with him

and the worshippers.

‘Pastor Frank has come out of prison to ruin us’. A man told his wife who

was a member of Frank’s Church called EI Roi church. The woman was trying

to catch her fowl to be taken to the Church in the morning. Frank had built a

poultry where the fowls were kept. It was when Frank had wanted the members

to buy a car for him that people deserted his Church. Only very few young ones

attended. As money was not fourth coming, he decided to abandon the Church.

His plan was to join his friend who lived in another state called Ozara. He had

written him and he promised to travel along with him after Christmas. That very

year, he kept on visiting his friend’s mother to discuss his plan to travel with his

friend, Awam.

On December twenty-three, the sun gradually hid its face, and dusk

commenced. Its struggle to outwit the day’s brightness. Then Pastor Frank left

his house to visit his friend’s mother in the near-by compound. When he entered

her house; she was in a sorrowful mood. Even though her eyes were widely

opened, she had lost her consciousness to wariness. Like a stranded pussy-cat

aiming at the eyes of its prey, her eyes stared at the ground in a bewildered

gaze. Her folded hands gripped her chest as if visited by a chilling cold.

‘Really Okoro my son, she raised her eyes. ‘If anyone tells you that my

mind is here with you, It’s a fallacy’, she said lowering her voice in such a

pensive mood. She knew that his name was no longer Okoro, but she was used

to that name.

As if wanting to intimate Frank of her fate, her small radio on the table

repeated the news broadcast. “With Christmas day at hand, miserable incidents

continued to multiply. Yesterday, armed robbers killed three men along Ozara

road. This incident brings the death toll along that road to ten –seven died of a

road accident along the same road”.

Like people in a mourning ground in those days when merry-making had

not replaced people’s mind of compassionate feeling, silence stole their mouth.

Frank looked at her and still kept mute. The woman later broke the silence:

‘hope you’re listening, Frank? She asked tapping her right foot in unison with

the shaking of her head in anguish. Raising her eyes and two arms above, she

regretted. ‘In my pitiable condition with face shriveled in widowhood who will

care for me?’

While she stood up approaching to turn down the Dario, she looked at

Frank and lamented. ‘I’m finished, my son! I am afraid … he who was oncebitten by a snake is always embarrassed by the sight of an earthworm. I lost all

my children to road mishaps except your friend’. She said and continued. ‘Like

a grasshopper in a cob web, I’m really caught in a web with no route for escape.

Of course, the single tooth left in the hen’s mouth, if it falls out, what shall it

do? She concluded with a sigh having turned down the radio.

Full of expectations, Frank’s eyes were searching outdoors. It was as if he

was not concerned with the feelings of his friend’s mother, but he was rather

looking forward for the return of his friend, Awam.

‘Mama, I know, my friend will surely return. Remember that a cow which

has no tail, its benevolent spirit helps it drive away files. Wariness is like

inflicting more injuries to a wounded in the name of healing it. It can only result

in the breakdown of your health. If such happens, you will become the problem

that will hinder our joy in this year’s Christmas, Frank consoled.

‘You see Frank, the day is running out and Christmas is already at hand.

Just listen, I’m sure that your ears are also confused with the noise, “christes

maese, christes maese, christes maese.” It’s the stridulating noise of insects from

that bush near-by.

Mama it’s better you eschew this type of worry. It solves no problem but

could add more harm. He will soon return, Frank advised, and continued. What

I mean is that, worrying is like adding an injury to a wound in the name of

healing it. It will result a breakdown of your health, and you will become the

problem that will hinder our joy in this year’s Christmas’.

‘You see Frank, my worry culminates from the fact that the days is

running out, and Christmas is at hand. Just listen, I’m sure your hearing is also

confused with the noise, “christes maese, christes maese, christes maese.’ It is

the stridulating noise of insects from that bush near-by.

You’re really funny mama. But today is still 23rd, Frank said suppressing

a laugh.

‘What I want you to understand, Frank,’ she drew his attention.

‘It is unusual, he is always at home before now,’ she said in a low

voice.

As the speculation continued, Frank looked outside.

‘Look, Awam! He shouted; ran out, and gripped his friend in a warm

embrace. He collected his bag as they swaggered to the house.

‘Awam is back! Awam! Awam! Little children ran and held his hands.

While he entered, his mother heaved a sigh of relief, hugged him, and

welcomed him with a cup of water.

‘Mama, have you bought a refrigerator?’

‘Who offered monkey a banana in this Mefo; where do you see money

and where is electricity? In those villages that have it, you may not believe me

that children born last year are yet to see it appear once. She complained.

Awam laughed and expressed optimism. ‘Mama it is just a temporary

condition, our government is making a frantic effort to reverse the fraud. The

water was from her earthen port which was the people’s traditional cooler.

While Awam drank and handed the cup to the younger ones, his eyes

jammed his friend’s own. ‘Haw! Haw! Haw! They laughed boisterously, ending

it with a hands shake that sounded like a slap on the cheek.

‘How is Ozara town?’

‘As you have seen me.’

‘Very okay! Frank exclaimed and they shook hands again.

That December period, the Christmas was at hand: expectations were

high in Mefo village. All eyes were on the way-parents, friends, brothers and

sisters looked forward for the return of their loved ones. The imaginary aroma

of festivity kept lingering in the air around the village. With the approach of

Christmas tickling every cheek with smile, the whole place rem. The blissful

worshippers of traditional religion waited anxiously.

Among the five villages of Isi-Uzo Autonomous community, Mefo was

closer to Isi-Uzo river. Development was far from the people

A look at the virgin forest that grew from the river bank to the land around thevillage was a prove of their level of backwardness. The forest appeared to have

been there from creation. Of course, it must have been there, for no one was

expected to sell its trees. Any attempt to do so attract the wrought of the gods of

its shrine called Erusi. Other villages of Isi-Uzo regarded them as bush people:

really, they behaved so. Christianity was still regarded as a serious interference

with their affairs. Even at such stage of modern civilization, they still believed

in superstition and the powers of their traditional religion. Yet they so much

liked celebration irrespective of what was being celebrated.

In Mefo, Christmas periods appeared as if Christ came from there; but

still, they abhorred faith in Christ. A mere visit to also their play-ground was

enough to tell every visitor; “Christ is not here”. Such message was justified by

the presence of a towering Iroko tree that wore a wide strip of white clothe

round its stem. During traditional festivals, live fowls were tied face down to

the tree as sacrifices. The compounds were not spared each had a building for

the worship of their ancestral spirits. The inhabitants of each compound of

about fifteen or more houses sacrificed in their own Abo as they were called.

The chief priest was the eldest man in every compound.

With the return of Awam, the Christmas was just two days away. He was

noted for his return around that period.

Some years ago, he was with his friend at home. It was after his secondary

education that he left to the capital city of Ozara.

How Awam left Mefo village to such a far away grassland in search of

greener pasture surprised everybody. Only his parents and Frank knew.

As Awam visited home that Christmas, he was already one of the wealthy

young fellows in the village. Pastor Frank agreed to travel with him in search of

job. His mother’s sister was happy because to leave home was the best option to

avoid his conflict with the idol worshippers of Mefo. But she had her own fears

which made her drew the attention of Frank one early morning.

‘You’re leaving tomorrow with your friend,’ she said to Frank. I know

that you’re not used to life immorality with women. Beware of township girls.

Never you involved yourself with another man’s wife. Most of the beautiful

girls you’ll see they offer blood flowing with death to men,’ she said and

lowered her voice. A disease has come which defiled the white man’s sense –it’s

cure is death. It is threatening man with extinction. And make sure you don’t

disclose that you’re a Pastor, she lowered her voice again. God forbid!

Exclaimed Frank. I’m aware. The disease is called Human Immune Virus

(HIV). He emphasized with its weapon of death called Acquired Immune

Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). We studied that in the school, he remembered.

However, ‘I’m not the type, but I’ll take your advice serious’. He admitted.

At 4pm on the next day they left to railway station. They were few

minutes late. With the train still there steaming, they hurried to the couch. As if

waiting for them, it jacked, sounded its ear-deafening horn, and sped off-‘gba-

ga-chi, gba-ga-chi, gba-ga-chi, ji-ji-ji’, it continued its noisy move.

‘Are my eyes confusing me? I mean, the earth is turning round, and

round, Frank complained.

‘Remove your eyes from there’. Awam advised. He was a regular

customer; but for his friend, it was his first time in the train.

‘Awam!’ He called, ‘this is a wonderful scenery.’ He admired, still

looking outside with his hand hung beside the window of their train.

‘We are still at our own side of the country, Geria. The country is too

large with differences in language, climate and topography; Awam narrated.

When they spent the first day, slept in the train, and entered the next day,

Frank complained: ‘you mean we are still in Geria.

’

‘You’ve not seen anything’, answered Awam. ‘What of, if we were

travelling to the capital city of the country? With this same speed, it would take

not less than three days.

‘When shall we reach?’

‘Just today; but in the evening.’ Awam answered.

Occasionally, the train increased its speed like fire sprinkled withkerosene. In each station, it stopped to carry passengers. It was in such areas

that they bought and ate food. Even though foods were sold inside the train, it

was only accessible to those who paid for ‘First class’

. They ate assorted food,

drank wine and bear. Those who were closer to the canteen also enjoyed buying

from the canteen. For those who were distance away, passengers were so jam-

packed that one never passed to the canteen. Those standing were passengers

who entered from the little sub-stations.

As evening period drew nearer, the train raised its horn, ‘Huuuu!’

‘We are almost at the end of our journey,’ Awam patted his friend at the

back.

‘Ah!’ I’m grateful now, ‘John heaved a sigh of relief, and asked. ‘So we

have reached? But we have been passing lots of empty land, where do the

people live?’ He asked.

‘You were not observant. We passed some towns and villages and even

local government headquarters. Maybe you confused the buildings with heaps

of dried grasses – that is how they build.’ Awam answered.

In about an hour time, they were in Ozara station. The town, Ozara, was

one of the important towns in that part of the country. As the train stopped, the

jittery passengers struggled to outwit one another in stepping down. The

struggle was everywhere as if the train was to leave immediately. Those coming

out and the people going in were at each other at the doors. Eventually, the two

friends made it to the ground.

‘Hope you held your pockets?’ Awam asked, and explained. ‘Apart from

‘pick pockets’, this is a safer means of transport. The cases of armed robbery

common in buses are completely absent.’

‘I can see with you’. He replied as they hung their bags on their shoulders

heading towards the tarred road to board a taxi car and Awam paid the driver.

He received, and drove off. As they trekked towards Awam’s house, the

swirling air kept welcoming Frank with dust throwing particles of sand into his

eyes. His friend was used to it.

‘Don’t worry, it is a period of harmattan. Ours is almost throughout the

year. You will enjoy the place during rainy days. He encouraged.

In Awam’s house, they were welcomed by everyone, including the

natives.

‘My throat is almost dried up, and I feel like choking. Please nyem miri.’

Frank requested. The natives who visited Awam started laughing. They began to

call Frank by that statement.

‘Don’t worry, that is their character, even a leper, they call him Mr.

Leper’. Awam consoled his friend. When water was brought to Frank by

Awam’s wife, they realized that he was requesting for water. They lived happily,

and Frank was looking for job.

One day, as the sun was hot on the body, Frank was out in search of a job

with tie dangling adown his chest; he retained the stern face of his past

disappointing of periances. One could easily notice across his face, the gloomy

picture of a mind bedimmed with sorrow. Seen in the vista trekking along the

road leading to APC Construction Company, he walked like a Zombie.

The road was at its worst solitary, state. At that period of the day the sun had

sent every pedestrian scurrying for shelter. At Ozara, it was very hot in the

afternoon as the rising hot air glittered afar with what looked like a pool of

water appearing and disappearing in front of him, sweat drizzled down his face.

It was part of his daily exercises as an applicant. He went about submitting

applications to various employers of labour.

For the past six months that he had lived with his friend, he had written

more than twenty applications to government establishments and private

companies.

In most cases, he was invited for interview in the ministries. In each case, those

who were not indigenes of Ozara were asked to leave before the interview

commenced.

After one year, Frank could not secure a job. He was able to speak Ozaralanguage fluently, and could interact with the natives. However, the people he

was cooperating with in the church were mostly visitors from different parts of

Gera. The natives had their own religion. Whoever tried to worship with them

among the strangers became their intimate friend. But still, they never saw the

person as a true believer. The person may not know their minds unless when

religious riots broke out. If he was not clever enough to run for his dear life, he

never lived to tell the story. Awam never told John about this aspect of the

people way of life. However, he warned him not to disclose to people that he

was a Pastor else they would kill him whenever there was a religious riot.

As Frank entered the second year as an applicant, his friend called him

for chat one night.

‘Ogbo – nnam!’ Frank beckoned calling Awam his father’s name- sake.

He continued. ‘Frank said, ‘But before you go on with your words, I want to use

this opportunity to thank you for your kindness towards me. It is not easy for a

man to keep his friend for one year without any problem.

I’m aware of the inconveniences. Even though we are of the same age, I

called you a man because you now have a wife. I’m aware that though we have

reached the age to be called so but our people out realize who are married as

such.

‘Nwoke-ike! Awam beckoned ‘That was in those days.’ Frank replied as his

friend called him a strong man when he was a little boy. His people always

asked one person to carry him on the shoulder to any play ground of a village

they visited for a wrestling match for them. He opened the wrestling match for

them. He always wished them good luck because he never came in without

wrestling his opponent down, but he had since his primary school days stopped

wrestling when he received Christ, he saw all the activities involved in the

wrestling match as fetish. The people offered sacrifices to their shrines and their

iroko tree promising them fowls at the end of the wrestling contents.

So, Awam still remembered those days. He then went on to tell Frank

why he called him for the discussion.

‘You see, my friend; he said, ‘you’re too good. You have all these periods

stayed with me without problems. I want to help you secure a job now. It is only

a lazy man that will continue moving about telling people that he is an

applicant. A healthy man cannot remain an applicant forever if possible

employed others. Count this money’. He said handing over a parcel to Frank.

‘It is ten thousand Gero’. Frank said.

‘It is for you. You will start trading a food items. I have discussed with

Akwu Uzo who have been in the business for ten years. You will be attending

market with him. Tomorrow, I will show you a house I got for you-you will now

live in your own house. I’ve paid the landlord for one year.’

‘In fact, I don’t know how to thank you. Rather, close your eyes let me

pray for you’. Frank sang and Awam responded by closing his eyes.

‘O’ God our merciful Father. I thank you for the protection granted this

family. I thank you for the life you have given us to see this day, a day when

friends are better than brothers. My supplication is …. where my friend got this

money; replenish it for him hundred times. May I equally utilize the money well

in business’

.

‘Amen!’ responded Awam.

‘We thank you for you have heard our prayer in Jesus name! Amen!

They opened their eyes and shook hands. ‘I’m grateful’, Frank said, and they

went to bed.

On the next day, Awam took his friend to the central market. He

introduced him to Akwu uzo who was a wealthy trader there.

‘This man has become rich as a result of trading on these food items.’

‘I can see his store is very large. How is business, Sir?’ Asked Awam, and

the man responded.

‘It will be good’.

‘This is the person I told you. He is my brother and as good as myself. In

short, he was a Pastor.‘I have noticed him. Akwu answered.

‘After the introduction, Awam brought out money and bought some food

items, cooking pots, and a stove for his friend.

‘We are going direct to the house I got for you after buying these things.

He said to his friend.

‘I’m really grateful’. Greeted Frank.

When they had bought some of the things that were necessary, they left to

Isiuzo Quarters. That was the name of the street where he rented a house for

Frank. The place was carried out by the natives for all the people from Isiuzo.

Only very few lived with the natives in the town.

These were people who had got married before they secured the houses. They

presented their wives or husbands before their rents were accepted. Other tribes

who were not from Isiuzo had their own Quarters.

It wasn’t that Ozara people were hostile to visitors. They were quiet hospitable

people except when they were “charged” by religious riot.

When Frank had seen the house, they went back to enable Frank say

goodbye to Awam’s family. It was already late in the evening. The wife and

children of Awam were not happy that Frank was leaving them. That was when

Awam told them that Frank was to move to his own house.

‘Who will tell us stories of animal kingdom?’ Ugwunna asked.

‘You have to sleep today so that you tell us the last folktale.’ Said

Awam’s first son, Ugwunna.

Awam laughed and looked at Frank. ‘What do you say?’ he asked.

‘With all pleasure’, Frank answered, and they agreed that he will leave in

the morning.

That very night, after dinner, Awam went to have some kip. He was tired

after day’s job. Frank, the three children and their mother, remained outside. It

was a night when a man with blurred vision can even pick a lost niddle from the

ground-the moon was at its bloom. As all were seated, Frank began.

‘I have a story to tell you’.

‘Tell us well, well’. They all responded.

‘Have you ever heard the wise saying that knowledge is power?’

‘We have heard!’ They answered in unison except Ugomma who refused

to talk.

‘Ugomma do you belief it? Frank asked tickling her cheek.

Do you mean … e-m, I mean, with knowledge – that is, I can wrestle

down a man as big as daddy?’ She asked.

‘Listen first! Awam’s wife shouted on her, and Frank calmed the

situation.

‘Ugomma don’t worry. Just listen to the magic behind that saying.

In one village called Forest, lived a tortoise whose name was Ekwuu

Mbe? He started and we all listened with keen interest.

‘One day,’ he continued, ‘his friend Osa the squirrel visited him.

‘And then?’

‘Keep quiet Ugwunna! Mrs. Awam shouted, and Frank went on.

‘Ekwuu introduced Ada, the daughter of Enyi the elephant to him as his

wife. In the presence of Ada Osa laughed boisterously rolling himself several

times on the ground. Ekwuu Mbe was embarrassed.’

‘He is one of my drunkard friends; I know, he is tipsy now. When sober,

he will tell a sweet story of his actions.” ‘Mbe said to console his wife,’ Frank

explained and continued.

‘When squirrel became himself again, he greeted Ada who responded

reluctantly. Osa called Mbe to have discussed with him outside and they left.

“My friend, so you really meant to wed the daughter of Enyi? Do you

know that Agu the lion is the man’s best friend”

. Osa asked and continued.

‘You know … I thought of what will remain of your flesh if the giant and

his friend should attack you”.

“I know that you are a chicken-hearted-man, but in a matter of strength,

size is insignificant. It is a matter of wit”. Replied tortoise.‘Well, I’ve left not to come back to your house again.” squirrel said and

ran into the bush to hide in his drey’, John explained.

‘Which bush again? Ugomma asked.

‘The type behind this compound. It is different from forest.’ John

clarified, and continued.

‘So, Ekwuu went into his house and told Ada that squirrel became mad

just as they were outside. “He ran into the bush” he further told her.

‘Are you all listening?’

‘Yes!’ They all answered.

‘The story is too long’. Interrupted Ugomma.

‘Have patience, it is the last story’. Said Frank as he continued.

‘The couples lived happily for more than one year. As if Osa was a

visioner, before the end of their second year in marriage, a quarrel broke out. In

the ensuring squabble, Mbe raised a pestle and landed it on Ada’s head. The

young lady slumped and lay unconscious.

When the news of the ugly incident reached Elephant, he sent his friend

Lion to go and bring Mbe for meat.

“Bring him alive!” He advised. Lion raced to the house of Mbe.

Immediately he saw lion, Mbe withdrew into his shell and closed, Lion bent

down, picked him into his goat skin-bag, and left. Ada was still lying like a log

of wood.”

“Today, you will share the fate of the goat that wore this skin. Your shell

will be a good preserver of salt,” he boasted in a loud voice.

Oh! Great Lion, I’ve forgotten my snuff bottle. If I could warm my nose,

I’ll be alright even at death”. He pleaded.

‘When lion heard this,’ Frank explained, ‘he had sympathy with tortoise.

He turned back to the house of Mbe. On reaching his house, he brought him out.

With alacrity, tortoise staggered pushing down everything in his house. He even

extended the destruction to flowers in front of his house.’

“We can now go,” Mbe requested. Then, lion picked him back into the

bag and left,’ Frank said and continued.

‘He never knew the reason for the actions of tortoise. It was when tortoise

talked again from the bag that he realized the brain behind his actions.

“I’m happy now. Any visitor to my residence will praise me. Surely, there

is evidence that I fought gallantly. Mbe concluded and remained calm.

“Wonderful! A liliputant to struggle with me”, said Agu the lion as he

turned back to Mbe’s house. She brought Mbe out, resociated Ada with pepper

grinded and robbed into her nostril. As Ada sneezed and woke up, Agu hung his

bag on the shoulder and left.

‘I will tell my Master, Elephant that nothing happened, he said in a

soliloquy.

‘These children have all slept,’ said their mother.

‘Except myself, replied Ugomma.

‘Ugomma have you now agreed that knowledge is power? She asked and

Ugomma responded in affirmation.

‘You see – learning is only for those who are interested in knowing.

Frank told his friend’s wife. They all laughed. Woke up two of the children as

they all went to bed.

When it was daybreak, Frank carried his bag and left to his new house. It

was the third day of Frank’s entry into his new house. Quiet as the place was, it

only added to his feelings of boredom from holiness and idleness. His only

close neighbours were grasses, and flocks of birds that occasionally flew and

petched on the grasses. On each occasion, they filled his ears with a type of

sound common with moving bees. The humming was worrisome, but the birds

kept him company, for its chirping was the only music around.

While he sat on the only chair he brought from his friend’s house

pondering on when to start his business, he was also watching the environment

around him. A drove of cattle grazing of and also drew his attention when he

heard sound he looked behind with embarrassment. Someone had banged hisdoor.

‘Who must be the person’, he though in his mind but never went to find

out. He was still sitting with elbow resting on his lap as his palm held his chin

in a supportive mood. He looked back again a kind of smile of relieve made its

first appearance across his face. Since he packed into the house, anxiousness to

start his business and a feeling of loneliness had stolen his joy of a new house:

he never smiled.

‘Awam!’ He called as his friend suddenly met him at the backyard.

‘Your face looks gloomy; are you feeling cold?’

‘I’m not, my brother’ he answered and stood up. He shook hands with his

friend, and lifted the chair while they entered inside his house.

‘You should know my predicament’, Frank said as both sat on a mat’.

‘The market day is still next week and I’ve to be worried’.

‘There is nothing to worry about’, Awam replied. ‘You need not be in a

hurry to start off. If I had wanted it so, there is another bush market I would

have directed you’. But things are so costly there’. Awam explained.

‘I had wanted to act while the iron is still hot’ said Frank. When he said

this, Awam laughed.

‘You still remember that language always used by Mr. Hurry Hurry, our

primary school teacher. You cannot act without delay when delay is necessary

for your success, or have you become Mbe the tortoise who was to stay seven

days in a pit toilet to win a prize. When it remained only one day to complete

the seven days, he ran out. “I’m nearly dead from the odour of feaces”. Tortoise

complained.

So … there is no need acting in an unreasonable manner merely to have

something doing. In two days time, you will find yourself as busy as an ant. I’m

just back from work and decided to see you. Hope you won’t mind seeing me

off now –since I came to this town, I hate moving about at night. One may risk

running into the unscrupulous religious fanatics in a day they may decide to

parade their blood thirsty religious hooliganism.

‘I don’t seem to understand you’, interrupted Frank.

‘Don’t mind me –but don’t move about at night, and if you hear a bang

on your door, don’t open,’ Frank advised.

‘Okay, its better I go back now’.

‘Goodbye’ Awam greeted and increased his face back to Arid street.

In the night before the bush market, daybreak refused to come that was Frank’s

feeling – he became like children in Mefo on the eve of Christmas. To them, the

night before Christmas was always like two days as they salivated over

expected plates of rice, and the thought of their new wears. He slept and woke

up listening to hear the last cock-crow, but he could not alter nature. As

daybreak eventually came, he prepared and left to Akwu’s house.

‘Awam’s friend! So early…?’ Akwu asked surprisingly and commended.

‘You must be a hard-working fellow’.

‘Good morning Sir,’ Frank greeted and said.’ I even feared that you might

be waiting for me’.

‘It’s not so, we are suppose to leave here by seven o’clock. The natives

who bring food items to the market trek a long distance to the market place with

their load tied on the back of animals.’

‘He, he, he, he!’ Frank laughed, ‘ so they are also bush people?’

‘Yes, that is why we call it bush market. But they are good in agriculture.

The beans, onions, rice and other food items you see in Mefo and Egu are from

there.

‘So people from our place come to buy from Ozara?’

‘You will see with your eyes’. Akwu answered.’ You may even see your

own relatives or friends in the market today’, he concluded. Frank sat and

waited until he took his bath, had his breakfast, and they left.

After a long distance drive in a pick-up van, they were still far from the

market. Frank was at the back while Akwu sat with the driver in the front seat.

When they eventually reached, Akwu helped Frank in buying the itemsrequired for his store.

‘Wonderful! Nne Okocha, so you too comes to this market?’ Frank

expressed surprise. The woman he saw came from his father’s compound in

Egu. She had finished buying and was loading the food items into a big lorry

when they met. As they exchanged greetings, Frank watched her as she climbed

the lorry and sat on top of the loaded items.

‘What of your husband?’

‘He is in the house drinking ogogoro dry gin’. She answered.

‘He, he, he,’ Frank laughed, ‘you are a man in a woman’s wrapper’. He

commended.

As Frank left her to look for Akwu, he started wondering how men have

left their responsibilities for women in Egu. Women must now be climbing men

in that village. He suggested. When they finished buying, they loaded the items

into their pick-up van, and left.

In the market, things started working well for Frank. He was pleased with

his friend who made him what he was. Whenever his friend visited him in the

market, he expressed delight in Frank’s progress. After three months of

successful business transaction, Frank had rented another large shade in the

market. He never foresaw any misfortune.

One afternoon, there was flames and gun shots in the town. Frank was in

the market.

‘He appears that something is happening in the town?’ Frank asked

Akwu. The man was seriously packing his goods into the store.

‘Go and pack yours into the store and lock it’.

‘What is wrong?’ Frank asked, but the man kept mute. Please tell me

what is happening? Frank pleaded, and Akwu opened up.

‘There is a religious riot in the town’.

‘Oh God! Frank shouted. He ran to his shade, packed his goods and

locked the store. At that period, people ran helter skater for their lives. The

rioters were approaching the market place. Frank was able to escape into the

bush where he remained for one week without food.

‘What must have happened to my friend and his family?’ He thought. He

neither knew the where about of Akwu nor that of Awam. It was when soldiers

sent by the government quelled the riot that he came out. The market was still in

flames. He went to his house and saw that it was raised down. His worry was

how to allocate his friend. When he latter saw him with his family, they were

helpless. His friend’s house was also burnt down. Such type of unfortunate

incident was not new to those who decided to continue living in Ozara. Most of

them lost their lives to the rioters who burnt churches, shot, or killed their

victims with a matchet.

As Awam and Frank sat on top of a large stone in front of the burnt

houses, they discussed their problems. The rioters had dispersed except that

soldiers were seen in all parts of the town.

‘My friend Awam, what do we do?

‘Frank my brother … the damages are as confusing as the solution

needed to ameliorate our suffering. How to survive is another question, but a

man who encounters war in the desert with no place to hide, will not disguise to

an ant-hill? Since we have been able to come out alive, we must act towards our

survival.

‘Must we remain here?’ Asked Frank.

‘The answer is clear; it is only when a man has not felt the cold weather

that he remains in the farm in spite of a heavy down pour. When he feels the

impact of the rain, he will realize that the log of wood in his house is still

glowing with fire. The entire Isu-Uzo autonomous community has what it took

us to bring Ozara people to the brighter side of the light. But … in fact, we still

need more time to think over the actions needed for our well being.

As if nothing had happened, the two friends who had tasted the sweeter

part of life in Ozara lived like those poor ones in Egu village of their childhood

days. They lived from hand to mouth and weeded farms for Ozara people inorder to earn little money to keep the family alive. There were not worried so

much because that was the nature of their upbringing in Isi-Uzo.

‘My friend Awam, have you seen this type of reversed side of life?’

‘That is what life is all about a repetition of history.

‘You’re correct’, replied Frank, and those who cannot stand it are sent to

their early graves. But God forbid, men who have crossed a sea need not be

perturbed by a mere breeze while in a river. The ordeal which our parents

passed through to fend for us must have hardened out hearts to any form of

hardship’.

The two friends kept struggling for they were aware of the distance and

the cost of transport to Isu-Uzo autonomous community.

                 CHAPTER TWO

When it was approaching twilight, the farmers started going home. The way

home wasn’t such that one should trek at late hours.

The cooing of doves, in response to the gradual approach of darkness

made people desert their farms. At such sunset, even birds had returned to their

nests.

Around Ebe, voices of people leaving their farms dominated the air. In

quick succession, they called their Kith and kin alerting them that they were

going home. Ikechi and Ada were still in the farm struggling to accomplish the

job they were hired to do.

When they later left, it was already too late. They wade through the

narrow footway covered by water. On both sides, there were large mounds.

They were so large that on each one, a boy of twelve years would need a ladder

to climb to the top. Frogs were seen croaking and jumping from one mound to

another. Some female frogs swam in the water. They laid eggs while their male

counterparts which they carried at their backs, shaded the eggs with sperms

Ike could not control the urge to kill them. He struck with his matchet

positioned flat splashing water on his wife.

‘So you aren’t worried of our lateness’? Sculed his wife, as she turned

back and looked at him. She turned to her front again and sighed, ‘a man whose

house is on fire that hunts a rat’, she soliloquized.

‘It’s good for soup’, replied Ike, ‘a child’s eye is always by the road side

when he reaches the area he previously found a snail. In those days when we

were young’, he said, ‘we came from the village to hunt there frogs at night.

‘I know your predicaments’, he said, ‘you are afraid, women are always

terrified by the presence of full grown yam vines, especially at night. With their

stems and leaves covering their stakes as they stood like okekpa the

masquerade, they talk at night’.

‘How can a plant talk?’ She queried, ‘I am not afraid of anything’.

‘Do you call it a plant?’ Maybe you were still very little when a man

returning from farm at night once heard murmurings in such a yam vine. The

period was close to 25th day of August when the people of Egu celebrates their

new yam festival. It was fifty years ago’.

‘Esaa age grade!’ She called him, ‘you are expecting a member of Eto

age grade to remember what happened fifty years ago. That must have

happened when I was ten years old. At the age of Eto, made up of three age

grades, I’m only sixty years old or less than that’, she said.

‘Then, do you know that ours is made up of six age grades, and I belong to the

last three among the six. At the age of seventy-five or less than that, I’m not farfrom your own age.’

‘Do you mean that I’m supposed to know what you experienced?’ asked

Ada.

‘In fact’; said Ike, ‘Let me not be a powerless man who challenged a

woman to a wrestling contest. There is no need arguing with you, I just want

you to know that yam is a man. In Egu, a woman had no right to dig out a yam,

except water-yam. It was an abomination, especially within the new yam period.

You can see that even today, before the startment of cultivation of

mounds, sacrifices are offered to appease the land. Then during the new yam

festivals, the gods are given yams to eat before any person.

‘But it is no longer effective nowadays’, interrupted Ada.’

‘Yes, you church Worshippers no longer respect the gods. But what has

never changed and will never change is that no village will eat new yam earlier

than the village of Ejem. It was there great grand-father who heard the language

of yam.

‘And what did the yam tell him? Queried Ada.

‘To celebrate the new yam before any other village’, answered Ike.

As they entered a marshy ground that was as slippery as a floor sprinkled

with Okro soup, they stopped talking. Their toes gripped the ground as they

carefully passed the areas.

As soon as they were free from the slippery areas, Ada laughed loud.

‘Are you laughing at me?’ asked Ike.

‘I’m not laughing at you’, she said, ‘those large mounds reminded me of

something. It was the type of mounds my grand-mother once described in a

story of Mbe the tortoise and Enyi the elephant. I was still a little girl when she

told the story’, she said.

‘The two animals were friends at the time when meat was scarce in their

land, called Ohia’, she said, and continued.

‘One day when Enyi wore his towel round his waist while cultivating such large

mounds, he never knew that Mbe was standing behind one of the already

cultivated mounds. The anus of Enyi was always widely open each time he was

cultivating. Mbe passed behind him and sneaked into his stomach through his

anus.’

When the women said this, Ike laughed.

‘Hope you are not mocking me? He asked.

‘No, I’m not’ she said, ‘do you have a wide anus? Just listen carefully.

So’, she continued, ‘tortoise had with him, a penknife, and a small bag hung on

his shoulder. He was quite prepared for the task.’

Do you mean that a giant like Enyi can easily fall prey to a liliputant like

Mbe the tortoise? Asked Ike.

It’s all about cleverness and intelligence; size is insignificant in a matter

of outwitting someone. Have you not heard that mosquito once said: “Out of

fear, men received me with applause of hand claps, they were afraid that I might

from sucking of blood swallow them” concluded Ada.

‘So Mosquito never knew that the hand claps were made in attempt to kill

him’ Ike asked.

‘Yes, ‘ answered Ada as she went on with the story of Mbe and Enyi.

While in the stomach, tortoise was able to cut the meat of Enyi; he filled the

bag. He then relaxed there waiting for an opportunity to sneak out’.

‘Ah! It’s too long’, interrupted Ike, ‘you know that we are approaching

Ogbeke forest. I don’t know that you are such a story teller’.

‘Yes, I’m, ‘said Ada, ‘but only that domestic problems deprived Nza the

bird of healthy body. Our children could have learnt a lot from me.

‘Our people say that a forest has ear but has no eyes. When you are

discussing someone, you may not see him if he is in such a forest. He will

understand all what you have said about him’, complained Ike.

‘Is it what you mean? I thought that you had the man called Ogbeka in

mind. There was an old story on how he terrorized people there, and even

strangled some of his victims to death. The story had it that the giant was athief, and so powerful that, with bare hand, he attached those with matchet’,

narrated Ada.

‘That was many years ago’, said Ike, ‘the man had since died. Moreover,

that time, he never came out when he saw two persons’.

The reality was that the mind of Ike was not at rest as they were

approaching Ewekoru hill. They were still in the areas adored with thick forests

on both sides. The place was terrifying and quiet, except that the stridulating

noises of male grass-shoppers, crickets, and chirping of birds were so shrilling.

While in the forest, darkness enveloped them. They feared that it was already

night.

In a few minutes, they were in the hill, and the darkness had disappeared.

Only grasses grew there. The hill was very steep, and Ike was incapacitated by

old age. He could no climb at the same pace with his wife. When Ada was at the

middle of the hill, she stood and looked back. Her husband was still at a far

distance down the hill.

Nna anyi gee up, she encouraged.

On hearing her voice, he managed to set a faster pace. His legs quickly

located the natural steps.

The steps appeared to have remained with the hills from time immemorial.

Udemma who was as old as Ike was at home engrossed in kneading of clay

pots. It was the old occupation of women in Egu. Many of them had abandoned

it. The people could not modernize the system, hence young ladies felt ashamed

to engage in such occupation. Moreover, the demand for the pots had drastically

dropped as a result of the use of plastic pots and buckets. When the business

was booming, the people even sold the ones they used in their homes, and ate

with broken ones. As a result, misers in Egu were often referred to as; Egu that

knead pots and eat with broken ones’.

When they were able to make it to the top of the hill, they walked faster.

‘It’s the bush-mango that fell on the ground that gave itself to be eaten by

a millipede’, Ike muttered.

He had remembered that he would have been in the house if it was his own

farm.

‘Are you talking to me?’ Asked his wife who didn’t quite understand him.

‘No! I was talking of this Ewekoru hill; since we have passed it, we are

already at home.’

‘I’m happy that you were able to climb it said his wife.

‘Atishoo’ Sneezed Ike, he was still cleaning the phlegm that came out from his

nostrils when his wife greeted in sympathy.

‘Sorry Nna anyi’.

‘Ah!’ he exclaimed, ‘a man became tired and was beaten by a woman”.

His wife Ada never talked. She knew that it was a common saying by men in

Egu, especially when they became tired.

CHAPTER THREE

When they reached home, Edu and Okoro were preparing dinner. The

family had no female child, hence the boys were taught how to cook and

performed other domestic chores.

Almost fagged out by the day’s job under an intense sun and a journey

from a distance farm, Ike sat in front of his hut. As he relaxed in a manner

indicating that he was tired, he had one bottle of bear by his side.

‘Nna anyi, you still drink beer in spite of our abject poverty?’ asked

Udemma, his first wife.

‘Constant death of one’s children never prevented a women from going to

bed with her husband.

So…..don’t be offended? Said Ike, ‘this enables me to forget the past and face

the present. It also relieves me of stress’.

‘You don’t even mind the nature of its unpleasant smell?’ asked his wife.‘Unpleasant?’ he lifted the bottle, poured little into a glass-cup. His hand

quivered, and the bottle clanked several times with the cup as he poured the

beer. With the same quivering hand, he sipped it; in appreciation of the taste, he

looked up, smiled, and said to his wife.

‘It’s only disgusting to you. When my grand-father was alive, he once

described what happened in the colonial days. They drank white man’s beer and

sprinkled litter on their wares. The odour was a sign that one was one of the first

class citizens.’

Wile Ude was leaving to see her friend, she said, ‘It’s telling on your

hands. She ogled at him; with a sardonic smile, she said’, so……. you are now a

man who took after…….?’ She left.

‘Come here’, Ike called her and she turned back.

Hope you don’t sass me?’ retorted Ike.

‘Don’t talk of that disease again’, said Ude as she was moving backwards

in fear. It kills without looking back, and has no cure’, she added.

‘Is it AIDS? ‘asked Ike.

It’s more than AIDS; but it is still endemic rather than pandemic.

‘That is not what I mean. I know that you understood me. That little goat you

took to the market, I sold its mother. I was as young as you are before I wore

these white hairs. There is no trick that you would play which is not in the tip of

my finger nails,’ he said as he pointed at his finger nails.

‘You can go’, he said, ‘but remember to respect those, who first saw the

sky before you.’

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! She laughed so you are older than me?’ I’m sorry Nna

anyi’ she said and left.

‘Tomorrow will be Eke day when no one is expected to be in the farm’,

Ike muttered to himself. He looked inside the house and called;

Ada…..! Ada my wife!’

Nna anyi! answered his second wife, who left what she was doing and ran

to her husand.

‘What is tomorrow? He asked.

‘Tomorrow is our market day’.

‘We shall go to farm; I do sympathize with you. It’s not suppose to be so,

but you’re aware of the condition of Udemma.

In any case, it’s necessary that we complete the weeding in the farm of

my friend Ubi Ude. This will enable him pay the balance due to me so that the

family will not starve tomorrow.’

‘We shall go’, said Ada she left to help in cooking the food. When it was

dark in the night, Ike had gone into the house.

After a short period, he looked outside. What he saw exasperated him.

‘What’s this type of rain cloud that enveloped the sky rolling as if heaven

is in the vague of descending on earth?’

‘It portends a torrential rain’, said his wife Udemma who further asked,

‘but what are you insinuating?’

‘In fact, I’m thinking of going to complete the job in the farm of my best

friend Ubi Ude. The sudden change of weather, which seems to spell doom to

my proposal, gives me a great concern.

But, what I know is that, whether the rain falls or the intensity of the sun

reaches the heat of an oven, we must go to farm tomorrow’

.

‘Nna anyi’, called Udemma, in addition to the fact that Ada is going to

suffer with you, what annoys me most is that you calls Ubi Ude you friend. Do

you want to die in the rain to realize that he is not your friend?

Have you forgotten that his own father served you father when your father

traded along the revering areas. Now that education eluded you, and such

trading is no more, you want, you want to die for his son. Let me tell you, your

best friend is the one who; come rain, come sunshine, he shades you with an

umbrella’, she concluded.

The periods of weeding in Egu was always greeted with constant rainfall.

As a result, the poor once like Ike’s family who found it difficult to feed theirfamilies, except when they worked for others, found things difficult.

As fate had it, on the following day, there was no yain. They left for the

farm very early in the morning. In the farm, they worked as usual and were able

to finish the job. This time, they returned earlier than the little children in

Nursery Schools.

On such days, Ike would have a nice time to drink alcoholics. Usually, when he

had little amount of money, he left beer for the cheaper local join called kai-kai.

CHAPTER FOUR

Udemma knew that any person who took to consumption of alcoholic drinks as

his forts was endangering his life. This made her always got annoyed each time

she saw Ike in the habit he liked best. She never knew that her husband had

reached the zenith of what she once described as ‘his drinking career’. The

saying that the death lurking around to snuff life out of a little dog, deprives it

the ability to perceive the smell of feaces, manifested in the life of Ike. He

turned deaf ear to advises by his wife to stop drinking alcohol.

Death proved him wrong in his drunkard’s language that alcoholic drink was the

antidote to stress.

One day, while, while he was still in a stupor following the influence of

alcoholic drinks, he staggered into his house slumped and died. He had just

returned from farm on that ill-fated day and was seen in his usual mood doing

what he knew best.

His two children were left in perpetual penury with their mothers. Even

though famine was a household language in Egu, in Ike’s family, it was an

interplay of fate and famine. Their ill-luck was like a protruding pregnant that

could not be hidden from public view. As a result, the family was looked upon

as the scums of the Earth.

With the demise of Ike, things became worse for the family. When they saw

palm kernels to crack, stones became scare. In the presence of stones, palm

kernels were not seen. Any day they had money to buy shrimps for their usual

dark coloured soup, garri was difficult to come by. Tapioca was their daily food

especially when they needed to eat rice on Sundays, which was out of their

reach. After four years, Ada, the mother of Okoro was no longer interested in

attending the daily job for people. She later left the village. She went and settled

in her own village called Mefo. She left with her son Okoro who lived with her

there.

Edu’s mother had fallen sick since the death of ike. shee lived with her son,

Edu. They lived from hand to mouth and only fed well any day Edu worked for

the few rich men in the village.

One early morning, Edu Ike was still asleep; he went to bed very late as a

result of his mother’s ill-health.

At five o’clock in the morning he heard someone banged his door. It was

Oru Ubi, the son of the man whom Ike and Ada once worked for in his

farm.Edu had agreed to dig the areas he was to lay the foundation of his new

house.

My friend Edu, are you still asleep?’ he asked as he knocked twice on his door.

Edu opened the door .

‘Ah! Oru have you?’ hope there is no problem?.

‘None at all, except that I want you to start the work today’.

‘Well, I can not disappoint you, but it will not be possible today’.

To assure you that I will do it, could you give me have of the amount we agreed;

after two days I will do the job; he said.

‘Why two days? Asked Oru.

‘Come inside and see my problem,’

Edu said, pointing at his sick mother.

Oru who was outside, sashayed up the hilly door-step, and managed to grip

his two hands on the door frames. He looked inside; Edu’s mother was criticallyill. Edu had no money to take her to the hospital.

‘It’s a pity’, said Oru who turned back and went away.

As he walked back to his house, he was talking to himself.

‘This Edu who cannot fend for himself want to use my money to take his sick

mother to the hospital. It can’t happen’, he continued until he entered his house.

His house, the splendid and fortified two story building was not far from

Edu’s house. Edu stood looking at him until he disappeared into the building.

‘Alas’, said Edu who then commented: ‘Poverty thank you. if not for the

attach of ants, no one would have known the dance of a ram’. I have now

confirmed the behaviours of the important personalities we respect in this Egu.

Oru has forgotten that he was just in my shoes before he made his ill-gotten

wealth.

CHAPTER FIVE

On entering his house, his mother raised her head and said; ‘Edu my son,

you must have witnessed the realities of life from childhood to this stage.

Human beings are unpredictable especially in time of need. I can only assure

you that if life continues in the grave, I will intercede on your behalf and you

will never remain poor forever’. Immediately she said this, she gave up the

ghost. Edu was dumb-founded. He gazed at her for two minutes and shook his

head, in disbelief. He then moved forward and pushed her; she had died.

Edu had no money to perform the burial ceremony in line with the demand of

their new tradition, and the burial rites according to their custom. He wept

silently and tears streamed down his chicks.

‘There’s no problem’, he said as he became himself again.

The cruelty of Oru Ubi and the sorrow of my mother’s death have left me

confused. But, thank God that the wound which a child sustained in his right leg

has thought him a style of walking.

‘I’ll employ any means to acquire money for the burial either by hook or

crook than face a disgrace from my mates.

On saying these, quietness ruled his life for a moment. With one of his

fingers in his mouth ad his eyes looking upward as he remained in a rapt,

something came into his mind. He broke the silence with a sigh of regret and

continued.

‘This attitude is not common in Egu; but a man confronted by war in the

wilderness cannot disguise into a anti-hill. Since this new culture of elaborate

burial expenses emerged, a new way of life must follow to take the place of our

people’s dance to the tune of the rich men’s music’.

As his conscience challenged the actions he intended to take, he sat with

the corpse pondering.

‘In this Egu, rich men have no mercy on the poor ones. Rather than help

the down-trodden, they hire them for cheap labour. They don’t want the young

ones to rise. I’m now planning to apply a dishonest means which I had since

detested. I can now realize the cause of the incessant crimes in Egu’, he said and

continued.

‘Worst of it all, the poor masses worship wealth. They even adore any

mediocre who acquires wealth without minding the source of such wealth. I

have no option than to save my face from ridicule no matter who fall victim.

Instead, let the inhabitants of Egu remain awake as frustrated ones like myself

are deprived their night sleeps’, he concluded and locked himself inside the

house with the corpse. He had remembered how he can make money with it.

He rinsed the corpse with a towel soaked in water; applied cosmetics on

her face and dressed her in her best attires. Through a narrow footpath that led

from his house to the tarry road, he took her body there, and hid it inside the

bush. After collecting all the materials he required for the trick, he displayed

them for public view. He had made the corpse to wear a dark eye-glass, sat and

rested her back on the back-chair as if alive.In pretence that she was trading on groundnut, he placed in front of her, a

tray filled with groundnut, and a measuring cup. He waited in ambush in a

nearby bush carrying with him, a very long matchet. His plan was kept secret

from the villagers who never knew about the death of his mother.

As the corpse appeared to be looking at each of the vehicles that drove

along the road, her dark eye-glasses made it difficult for people to realize that

she was not alive. Drivers and passengers of these vehicles never stopped

looking at her until they drove passed the area.

CHAPTER SIX

In about thirty minutes from the period when Edu hid himself, one white

man who had just arrived from United State of America stopped his car. He was

attracted by the traditional manner in which she dressed. He decided to buy

groundnuts from her.

As he came of his car and moved towards the woman, he asked ‘Woman!

how do you sell your groundnuts?’

When she couldn’t talk, he spoke to her in a language he thought she

would understand.

‘I say, how you de sell his thin? Abi you no de talk?

The woman couldn’t talk to him, and he asked again; this time, in a

derogatory manner, but still in pigin English.

‘Nigger!’ he shouted, ‘white man no de buy your gra-nut?

Because he was conscious that he spoke through his nostrils, he doubted

if the woman actually understood him.

He stretched out his hand and pushed her on the forehead. She fell heavily to the

ground. Immediately, Edu ran out from the bush with his long matchet held

above the white man’s head. It was as if he intended to cut off his head, but it

was just a pretence. As he acted so, he shouted several times.

‘The people of Egu ….. e!

‘Egu..e..e!

You have killed my mother!.

You have killed my mother!’.

While he want on shouting repeatedly, the white man knelt on his two knees

begging.

Please don’t kill me!

Please don’t shout!

Please Sir, please Sir.

What can I do for you?

When Edu heard “what can I do for you”, he quickly responded.

‘You have to bury her and pay for her burial rites.

‘I have accepted’, said the white man who went to his car, opened its boot, and

brought out a hand bag. He handed the bag filled with money to Edu.

‘It’s dolar!’ shouted Edu as he opened the bag.

‘You can go!, he told the white man who entered his car and drove away.

Edu carried the corpse into the bush together with other materials.

‘I’m really excited’, he said as he knelt down, rose up his two arms above

in praise of his God.

‘Oh my God! I thank you. ‘With this dolar’, he said pointing at the bag’,

I’ve become a millionaire. Its exchange with our currency, I’m sure, is

equivalent to the mermaid’s ring always told folktales – it will produce millions.

Lord, you have given me the sense to show this white man that a herbalist is

greater than his colleague in one leaf. I’m grateful’.

He rose up, carried the corpse on his shoulder and headed to his house

through the same by-path.

While in his house, he removed the new dresses and wiped out the

cosmetics from her face. He dressed her in her usual way, and informed the

villagers of her death.As members of the village were visiting him one after the other, he took

permission from them, and left with the bag hung on his shoulder. He had gone

to inform Okoro Ike and her mother what happened.

After informing them, he left to the bank. Those who came in his absence

were surprised that he was not in the house.

‘He must have ran away so that we shall perform the burial rites for him’,

said Echeme to Edeke. They turned back and went away.

‘What you said is ture’, said Edeke as they were on their way back to

their houses. You know that burial rite is costly in this Egu especially with the

modern method. He cannot afford it. I will not contribute anything this time’ he

said’.

They met Oru Ubi who also went back with them soliloquizing.

‘I really suspected that Edu will run away. It’s even good that he is not

around, I’m now going for my business. The death of his mother is not my own

problem.

He then defiled the tradition of the people that whenever a person died,

no one should leave the village. He went away to the bank. He never cared for

such tradition because he had the money to pay the fine. He forgot what

happened to Awan who was of the same behaviour. When his father died, all

members of Egu left to farm. He later hired prisoners who helped him dug the

grave of his father.

When Oru reached the bank, he met Edu who had gone to exchange the

dollar to the currency of Mba-Miri.

‘What have I seen? Exclaimed Oru as he saw Edu in the bank counting

millions of currency notes. He stood as if he was mesmerized; after some time,

he murmured to himself.

‘Have I seen a ghost?’

People in the bank thought that he had gone mad until he later asked.

‘Edu my friend am happy to see you here’.

‘Thank you so much’, Edu replied.

‘I was in your house to sympathize with you for the demise of your

mother, but you were not in the house’.

‘No’, answered Edu angrily, ‘to eat her remains, rather.

Immediately, Oru Ubi disappeared into the bank manager’s office. He

never wanted people to understand what went wrong.

When Edu completed his transaction with the bank, he want way. He had

gone to hire an ambulance from Opeco Motors.

‘Opeco - Opeco’, he called the owner of the company, as he entered his garage.

‘Edu my boy!’ He called’. ‘Have you come to wash my cars for me?’.

‘It’s not so – I have come to patronize you:’

‘Wonderful! He shouted. ‘You appear to have started speaking with

authority. Are you sure that you’ve not pocked that piece of paper that makes a

child to challenge his master?’

‘Well’, he said, ‘even if, I will never challenge you, Sir. May we sit down

and discuss business; asked Edu.

‘It’s all right my brother’, Opeco said as he sat in his office rolling his

chair from one side to another.

‘My master’, called Edu. ‘I want to demonstrate my own affluence like

my mates. Since ten years ago when mortuary was built in Egu, people rarely

bury their dead ones without reaching there. Even the poorest man gives his

daughter for marriage; sell his property, while some commit crimes to do so.

So I want to hire your ambulance to take my dead mother to the mortuary.

I will also need the executive type to bring her corpse home after two months.

‘You are right. It’s good to do like others so as to show that you also

belong. You can see my cashier for payment.’

Edu went and paid to the cashier, collected the receipt, and the driver

drove him to his house. They carried the already decomposing corpse and

deposited in the mortuary.

He returned and relaxed in his house. In a few minutes, he heard a knockon his door. He looked towards the door, it was one man called Ebi. He was

about seventy years old.

‘Edu Ike,’ he called. I’m always excited whenever your name is

mentioned. You know that Edu is a powerful animal and Ike means, powerful.

So… your name is great; he said as he rested his walking stick beside the door,

shakes hand with Edu, and sat down.

‘Welcome Sir,- I’m grateful’, responded Edu.

I have been here in the morning but you weren’t in the house.

Actually, I was told that you took the corpse of your mother to the maternity.

‘Haw- haw; laughed Edu bustoriouslyour mother to the maternity.

‘Haw- haw; laughed Edu bustoriously, ‘no, it wasn’t maternity, but

mortuary.

‘Okey’! Exclaimed Ebi, ‘is it where you went to? Are some of them

resurrected there?

‘It’s not so’, said Edu. We’re just fulfilling the present demand of our

culture in addition to the old ways.’

‘And you will spend a lot of money?’

‘Why not? For only one month, one is expected to pay not less than thirty

thousand naira.

‘How many bags of money? Asked Ebi.

‘Thirty bags’, replied Edu. So you cannot understand the amount except

in our old way of counting two hundred naira as one bags? Edu asked.

‘It’s very ridiculous! Ebi shouted. So…. as it is now, five of my sons are

at Abuja – for the past fifteen years, I have not heard from any of them. If I dies

now; they will all come home – take my corpse to maternity –em, I mean,

mortuary. They will spend many bags of money; while in this my life – time,

hunger is my next –door neighbour. Thunder will from there break their heads’,

Ebi boasted. That should only be for the rich men and those who can afford the

money; he further said.

‘No’, said Edu. ‘Don’t say so –if they don’t do so, their age mates will

start looking down on them’.

‘They are already looking down on them now that their mother wears

rags. There two brothers at home are school drop –out, unable to register for

WAEC Examinations as a result of poverty.

I can remember the sung which our people normally sang for such people

at the death of their parents, thus;

Whatever good deed you have for me;

Do it when I’m still alive…

Deed in death is not deed.

Whoever has a child should not cry;

Deed for death is not deed’.

‘Whenever the song was heard, the whole place remained mournful;

children ran into their rooms in fear. It’s no longer so now –children now run to

see the remains of a dead man or woman’, the man narrated after singing’

‘You are talking of the past. We are now civilized, and the eyes of

children have been widely opened; I mean that they are no longer blind to our

cultural practices’.

‘Edu the powerful … I have just come to let you know that your mother

and my grandfather sucked from the same breast. I’m you father now. Anything

you don’t understand, come and ask me, I will always be close to advice you.

‘I am grateful’, said Edu,

Ebi rose up, picked his walking stick and tottered down the hilly

doorstep. ‘Edu stood watching him as he went away.

‘These our people, - when I was suffering with my mother, I never knew

that we had any relation. I’m sure that Oru Ubi must have told this man how he

saw me in the bank’, Edu murmured.

As Edu waited for the burial day, he demolished the hut he lived. With

already mounded blocks which he bought, he started a six bedroom flat. This,

he vowed to complete before the burial day.The villagers were amazed. One of the his kins men quickly allowed him to

pack into one of the rooms in his house.

‘Yes, who is knocking?’ answered Edu as he heard someone knocked on

the door of his new residence.

‘Ha! is my eyes deceiving me –Oru Ubi. How is the day?’, asked Edu as

Oru entered his house carrying one bottle of Eva wine.

‘There’s no problem’, answered Oru, I’ve just come to see if you’ll award

me the contract to build your house.

‘Is that so –gawd, I’m so surprised’, said Edu, I don’t really need a bottle

of wine to award a contract to my chum, like you. What surprised me is that,

our encounter in the bank is enough to keep two friends apart.

‘Well’, said Oru, ‘I can easily forget the past’.

‘That’s nice of you’, Edu said as he accepted the bottle of wine and

greeted him. ‘Thank you so much ……..but I’m sorry that I’ve started

supervising the job myself’.

‘There’s no problem’, responded Oru as he stood up and left.

Within the period of three weeks, Edu completed the building. He bought

assorted furniture and furnished the house. When one was inside the house, he

forgot that he was still in Egu. The people of Egu called it ‘London House’.

In view of Edu’s unexpected progress, there was mixed feelings about his

source of wealth. It was rumoured that he killed his mother for ritual. Some said

that he had joined the cocaine traffickers.

As the burial day approached, posters bearing the photograph of Edu’s

late mother adored all nooks and crannies of Egu. Walls of all houses, market

stalls and stems of big trees had the posters pasted on them.

When the two months elapsed, the day was set for the burial. Everywhere

wore a festival mood. As some people wore uniforms bought for them by Edu,

others dressed in black trousers and a white shirt bearing the woman’s picture.

They were still many people who appeared in their best attires.

They sang such songs meant for burials, and danced along the road to

Edu’s compound – all from the mortuary.

‘Iyo Eyom!

Iyaa Eyom!

Edu Ike is one child, but more than two;

Eyom, Eyom!

In front of them was an ambulance moving in a very slow pace and

booming to the tune of the dirge.

‘Humm –Poo! Humm – Poo! Humm – Poo’.

It was the siren of the executive ambulance used only in the burial of

highly placed individuals in the society. More than forty motor cycles driven by

people popularly known as (Okada Riders), hired by Edu, raced with different

styles. Each of them carried three passengers who had in their hands, the posters

bearing the woman’s picture. With their two hands above as they were swaying

from one side to the other, they chanted:

Mother ‘O!

The woman who gave birth to a

Rich man;

Mother has gone ‘O!

Egu went agog as various cars and Edu’s own bought two days to the

burial day arrived with the ambulance. Oru Ubi was also there with his own car.

Edu was carrying Okoro Ike and her Mother; they equally dressed in the same

burial uniform.

As from that day, Edu was no longer called by his name without a prefix.

He was either addressed as Chief Edu or called Honourable. Some people called

him Ogbu Efi. This was because he equally bought two bulls; one was killed

and eaten by his paternal relations, and the other one by his maternal relations.

It was part of the traditional burial rites in Egu.

Since such was not done during the burial of his father, if he had bought only

one in the burial of his mother, the relations of his father; his paternal relations,will seize it.

Gbawooo! Gbawooo! Gbawooo!

An ear deafening sound took every person by surprise. It was the sound

of a locally made gun constructed with an iron; pined to the ground after being

filled with a gun – power. It exploded when a fire was brought in contact with

the gun – power.

While the corpse arrived, several of the guns were exploded. There was a

night vigil as the corpse was not buried on the same day of arrival from the

mortuary.

Musical instruments took control of the whole place as various musicians were

at work doing what they knew best. People trouped into the well decorated

room in Edu’s house to have a glimpse of the corpse.

In the morning of Saturday being Eke day, interment commenced several

preachers preached the gospel.

As her remains was committed to the earth, explosions of the local guns

want off in quick sucssion.

Dancing and entertainment ensured, while donations continued. Oru Ubi

was the highest donor. Costly souvenirs which included calendars bearing the

picture of Udemma was freely distributed.

When the burial ceremony were completed, all dispersed to their homes.

Okoro Ike didn’t leave that day, he slept with Edu.

CHAPTER NINE

Today’s burial is the best ever held in Egu’, Edu said as he was in his

room with Okoro.

‘Not only in Egu’, answered Okoro.

‘It’s the work of God’, he said, ‘I sold the corpse of my late mother and

later retrieved it for burial

‘This is a wonderful story – but who gave you such idea?’

‘I don’t expect this type of question from you. Are you not aware of our

present day societal ill full of people’s quest for recognition?

‘You’re right ………. but – oh, do you mean that one can attain such as

enviable height through a mere desire to ………?.

‘Yes’, said Edu. ‘It’s with annoyance that one lifts a heavy load. When

you are dehumanized, insulted and disgraced by rich men because of money,

you will be forced to attain richness by all means. You may not know that the

challenges we encounter to sustain our life forms the stimulants to actions

necessary for our upliftments in life’.

As the discussions went on, Okoro was busy thinking of when his own

mother will die. He became interested in making his own wealth. With this

taught in his mind, he slept. Edu also slept.

In the morning, Okoro left Egu to the village where he lived with his

mother. Okoro’s mother, having witnessed the display of wealth by his son’s

half – brother, became impatient with his son.

‘Have you returned? She asked ‘Okoro …. ‘she called. So the rice and

meat could not allow you to return yesterday?

‘Don’t ask me such a question. Do you mean that I should not sleep with

my half –brother to enable me discuss with him? Okoro asked loudly.

‘Never you shout on me again I’m not your mate’ she said angrily.

She then retorted again: ‘You are one of those whose mates are called titled men

while they only consume food meant for such titles’. Take a look outside, she

said, pointing outside. ‘Those buildings belong to your mates’.

‘Let me tell you’, said Okoro’ everyone has his time …. It’s like fruits –

when it matures, it will surely fall. My own progress will come at its appointed

time’.

‘So you are still talking’, she replied. Don’t you know that a girl should

rather pluck a thorn and pinch her clitoris than remain while her matescommenced menstruation’.

When her mother said this, he remained quiet for some minutes, and later broke

the silence with sigh. As the abusive words still rankled in hind mind, he

thought of when to terminate her mother’s life to satisfy her demand for a quick

wealth.

‘Her corpse will be a potential wealth’, he said as he left the woman.

On early morning when she was asleep in her room, Okoro picked a

pistol and smashed her head: she died. He quickly carried her remains on his

shoulder and headed towards the market square. Intermittently, he shouted:

Corpse for sale!

Corpse for sale!

Who will buy corpse!

Along the road to the market, he was caught by three police men.

The three men who wore black uniform alighted from their dark –green

coloured pick-up van. They bundled him and the corpse into the van, and drove

away.

At the police station, Okoro was kept behind the canter.

Officer! The D.P.O. called one constable Edem.

‘Take his statements’, he further ordered the constable.

Tell me your name and your compound; then explain why you should

engage in murdering and selling of human beings, asked Edem.

‘Oga it’s only that once o! complained Okoro.

‘Shut up your mouth ….! You de craze’? the constable ordered.

‘Oga, tell us! ‘He commanded Okoro.

‘Master, it was my brother Edu who thought me this idea, ‘Okoro said

and went on in his statements.

‘You know that my brother Edu became suddenly rich. When I asked him

the source of his unexpected wealth, he told me that he sold the corpse of his

dead mother and made a lot of dollar.

I waited when my mother will die so as to make my own money but changed

my mind to terminate her life when she repeatedly abused me of being poor’.

‘How did Edu make his own money with corpse?’ asked constable Edem.

‘I later learnt that he used the corpse to obtain a lot of dollar from a white

man by tricking him to accept that he was the cause of her death’.

‘So Edu duped the white man. He is one of the 419 men and we shall deal

with him. Said one sergeant who was also present’.

Immediately Okoro finished his statements, Edu arrived. He had been

told of the arrest of his half-brother.

‘This is the second suspect! ‘Shouted the sergeant, and Edu was also

arrested. When he was told of his offence as narrated by Okoro, he made a

confessional statement accepting all the allegations.

After two days, both of them were charged to court and later convicted of

stealing by tricks, conspiracy and murder. They were both committed to life

imprisonment without option of fine.

CHAPTER TEN

In the morning after the day of their conviction, the rumour had gone round the

village of Egu and beyond. All his wealths were looted by his workers. The

source through which he got his money became the subject of gossip.

When one Ntu who was noted in the village for gossip left the public

toilet, he headed to the house of his friend, Ebube.

‘Are you there?’ Asked Ntu as he knocked on the door of his friend who

was still asleep.

‘Hope there’s no problem?’ Ebube asked as he opened his door.

‘In fact, I’m just coming from the public toilet and decided to tell you the

latest news’, said Ntu.‘Ntu maa the BBC! Ebube called his friend and asked.

‘What’s the news all about’?

‘It’s about Edu and Okoro’, said Ntu in a low voice.

‘Ah! that’s an old news. I had since heard of their arrest’.

‘You’re not following the events of the day if you are still talking of

arrest’, said Ntu. ‘This time, it’s life imprisonment for both of them’.

‘What are you telling me’? asked Ebube who further lamented:

‘That is …. you mean; we shall not have a person like Edu in this Egu’?

Ha-ha! Ntu laughed boisterously and asked; ‘what do you have to do with

a man who duped the white man? Don’t you know that such an act is not

different from stealing which our people seriously abhor? You should

understand that we the people of Egu are proud of what we have. We don’t

involve ourselves in crime.

And our land detests such a 419 kingpin like Edu’, Ntu reminded’.

‘That is not the area I’m looking at it. What I mean is that Edu is the only

man we have had in this Egu who helped to reduce unemployment. He

established companies where our people worked.

So ….. don’t blame him so much’, said Ebube. He only joined the society to

dance to that tune of the rich man’s music. In a society of flagrance display of

affluence, those who cannot meet up, take to crime.

Moreover, I don’t really seem to agree that a white man can travel to Africa

with such a huge sum of money’, he argued.

‘E-bu-be my friend …., are you sure that you’re not in support of evil?

You should know that you are now old and should call a spade, a spade. Do you

mean that you have not heard of our foreign exchange problem in this our

country called Ama – Mmiri?’ Ntu said and continued.

‘That is why I said that you don’t know what is happening in this world. If you

are able to get one American dollar and exchange it to our won currency, you

will become one of the rich men of Egu’, he concluded.

‘Is that so ….? It then means that the white man will enslave us again. No

wonder our intellectuals have deserted us. They have all left to work with the

white man in his own country’, complained Ebube.

‘Don’t mind those people, ‘said Ntu. I will never fall victim to the present

day scientific enslavement of the white man. Those our well educated

professionals are unpatriotic elements. This time, the likes of William

Wilberforce will no longer emancipate their children from the hands of the

white man. They will all naturalize there as another set of black men in

Diaspora. We have to stay here to salvage our economy and make this country

the envy of other nations’, concluded Ntu as he stood up wanting to go back to

his house. Emm … So – I’m going, he said, I just want to let you know that

nemesis has caught up Edu, what happened to him is always the case with a

stolen money’, he said and left.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

In about ten years of Edu’s imprisonment, the people of Egu had

forgotten about him. Even when the people held a launching to raise money to

complete their Village Hall, no one remembered him. He used to be the highest

donor in such occasions. Nothing was left of his property. All were sold by

people who claimed to be his close relations.

While in jail, Edu never lost hope of becoming a free citizen in future.

His half-brother Okoro was not left out in the same optimistic thought. Both of

them had joined in prison, a Christian Association called Scripture Union or

S.U. They listened to sermons preached by their members who visited tem on

several occasions. Edu was also attending a bible school built for inmates in the

prison yard.

One day his fellow prisoner called Nwakibie questioned his reason for

wanting to become a pastor.‘But since you are serving a life sentence, how do you want to practice

your own job of a Pastor?’ Asked Nwakaibie.

‘What do you mean? I don’t understand you’, queried Edu.

‘What I mean is – you will end up your life in this prison,’ replied

Nwakaibie.

‘Let me tell you, answered Edu, ‘what I pray for is long life. When there

is life, there is hope in diversity. My father knew this and gave me the name

Ndukwe which has the same meaning as – when there is life …..And I’m sure

that one day I will see the light of the day, in my village’.

As if Edu knew what future held for him, his expectation became a

reality. Mba-Mmiri had just witnessed a change of government a year after he

expressed such optimism. As the men in uniform relinquished government

power to an elected democratic government, everything changed for better.

Among the good things was that almost all the youths of Egu were in secondary

schools. The government had declared free and compulsory basic education.

Among the important decisions of the elected president was the release of some

convicts from prison. Some of them had their life sentences commuted to some

years in jail. Edu and Okoro were one of the beneficiaries. In what the President

described as prerogative of mercy, both of them were granted pardon and

released from prison.

On hearing this, Edu, reacted in a manner in which his fellow prisoners

thought that he was out of his senses.

‘Oh God of mercy!’ he shouted as he knelt down in front of the prison

yard; Raised up his two hands and promised.

I will serve you all the days of my life’. He the stood up after praying and

thanked God who made it possible for him to regain his freedom.

When Edu reached home, he had no place to live. His house had been

sold to strangers in Egu. His people were surprised to see him again. They never

allowed Edu and Okoro to enter their houses.

‘Oko-e-e!

‘Ogeri –e-e!

The people called their sons and daughters as the returns wondered from

place to place looking for a house to enter. They all closed their houses.

‘My friend! Enter and close that house!’ shouted one Okere to his son.

‘These convicts must have ran out of the prison, or do you want the

police to arrest me’, he told his son as they had closed the door.

When members of the Scripture Union heard about their release and their

predicaments in Egu, they came and took them to the house of one of their

members in a nearby village. The man was called John Okere. They lived

happily, and were visited by other members.

After six months of their stay in Mgbala Village, Edu discussed his

intention for the people of Egu with John.

‘My decision now is to bring salvation to my people of Egu’, said Edu to

John.

‘How do you want to carry out such liberation?’ John asked, ‘you know

that your people so much believe in ‘ogo cult’. ‘Any way; he said, ‘because of

the free education introduced in Mba – Mmiri, many of them have embraced

Western education. I’m sure that most of them have repented from their evil

ways.

‘So …, said Edu, ‘I will start by staging a crusade for them with the

theme – Egu for Christ.’

‘This is a very good idea’, John answered’, ‘I will support you both

financially and morally’.

Through a town crier, Edu made the people to be aware of the crusade.

He also informed them that it will be held at their village play –ground. It was

then that the people realized that Edu and Okoro had regained their freedom.

They were happy to hear them talk of the words of God. The people were

becoming enlightened and had started accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior.

This even made the elders to accept the play-ground normally used bymasquerades and ritualists for their traditional worship for a Crusade. The entire

people of Egu accepted the day scheduled for the Crusade as a day of fasting

and praying. They were also tied of their under-development, and lack of

government presence in terms of infrastructural amenities. They all believed

that with such religious activities, God will listen to them and solve their

problems.

CHAPTER TWELVE

On the day of the Crusade, Edu invited some other men of God. he was

the first speaker. As he climbed the pulpit, with a microphone, he started the

sermon.

‘Praise, Praise, Pria-se the Lord!’

‘Halleluiah!’ roared the congregation.

he then held the microphone in his left hand; waving his right arms

above, he shouted again.

‘Halleluiah!

‘E-Emen!’ responded the worshippers.

‘Let us pray!’ Edu requested and all stood up with their eyes closed.

‘In Jesus name!’

‘E-emen!’ the congregation answered, and Edu went on.

‘Almighty father, the creator of heaven and earth …. Papa, we thank you;

we thank you that you have made this day possible. It is not by our goodness or

power but your mercifulness towards you people.

Papa, we beg you to salvage Egu from the sins of wickedness, idolatery,

selfishness, bribery and corruption; and most important, the sin of examination

malpractice. This kankaworm has polluted the education of our children and

made them educated illiterates.

‘E – e – emen! roared the congregation’.

‘It has made them not to read their books nor listen to what they are being

thought in schools.

‘E-emen!’ the people responded again

‘All these we ask in Jesus name.

‘E – emen!’ answered the worshippers.

After the prayer, he thrilled the congregation with singing and dancing.

‘Jehova wee – iwe! he shouted and the people responded.

‘Agha – Ogu obiala, Agha!

He shouted again.

Jah – Jehov wee – iwe!

Agha – Ogu abiala, Agha’, responded the congregation in quick

succession as he sang and danced. As he sang that when Jehova becomes

annoyed, it is war, and fighting has begun, he lipped up and down on top of the

pulpit.

He descended down the pulpit; ran from one end to another dancing and

singing. The people who followed him also danced to his footstep. After some

times he stopped and shouted; prai-se, prai-se, praise the living God!’

‘Allaluyah!’ the people responded, and he went on with the sermon.

‘Egu is for Christ today’, he said, ‘my topic is –suffering as nature’s

corrective measure’, he continued.

‘My mission here is to salvage this land; to free the people of Egu from

sufferings.

There is no doubt that we in this Egu have suffered a lot – if you have not, I

myself have suffered’, he said and shouted.

‘Praise the Living God!’

‘Halleluiah! responded the congregation and he continued.

‘What is suffering?’ he queried, paused a little, and rose up his right hand,

stretched his fingers and trembling his arms as sign of being possessed. At thesame time, he spoke in tongue.

San – tia – raba – ba – ba – ba- ba.

He pronounced this for two minutes and ended it with a shout.

‘Emen’!

E – emen’, responded the worshippers and everywhere remained calm.

The worshippers were also praying individually as he spoke in tongue.’

He then broke the silence by explaining the meaning of suffering.

‘Suffering is the uncomfortable condition we find ourselves as a result of

our sinful ways of living. It is the resultant affect of our negative attitude to life.

However, in this aspect, we are not talking of those caused by natural disaster

since we cannot question God.

When we exhibit our imperfect nature applying our wicked ways to

satisfy our unlimited desires, we invite sufferings to our life.

It is a period of trial in which we either come out triumphant or defeated

and condemned to repeat it or even die from it. Some people mistaken this to

God’s punishment on them.

Praise the Lord!’

Halleluiah! The people responded and he went on.

Let me tell you my brothers and sisters; God is not responsible for our

sufferings.

Rather, He rejoices when we are able to defeat the urge to use evil to correct

evil. That is, when we have come out of the trials through our application of

honest means.

Remember what the bible says in James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who

endures trial for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life’, he

said, and all responded as he commanded.

Then, he continued:

‘Do not blame God for your problems, rather, blame yourselves and look

for a way out.

That is whey James 1:13 says’ let no one say when he is tempted, I am

tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no

one, but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire’.

He rose up his two hands; while shaking his fists, he shouted with a loud

voice.

Halleluiah – a – a – ah!’

‘E – e – e – e men!’ roared the worshippers, and Edu continued.

‘Listen for instances of how sins are inter-related with sufferings. I know

…, that many of us here are students.

Because of the sins of idleness, laziness and disrespect for the school authority,

some of us have nothing in our brains. Consequently, we engage in examination

malpractices, if we are foolishly clever to credit our papers and enter into the

higher institution with such a fictitious result; what will happen to us …?’ he

said, paused a little, & continued:

‘We may join a cult group, cheat in examination, and may be expelled or made

to the wraught of the criminal breach of public peace.

‘Praise the Living God!’

‘Halleluiah’, they responded and he went on.

‘Tell me what will happen to your life! Somebody tell me what will

happen to your life! He repeated in a loud voice as he was pointing his finger to

the worshippers.

‘You will be condemned to continue in suffering’, he concluded and

stepped aside for another preacher. There was applause of hand claps and

thunderous ovation from the congregation.

As the second preacher handled the microphone, he excited the

congregation with his own song.

‘Idi ebube Chineke

‘idi ebube Onye nwem

‘Idi ebube Chineke

‘Idi ebube Onye nwem,‘Onye nwem.

He sang the above song and the worshippers repeated after him. This followed a

musical instrument, while all danced to its tune with hand claps.

Suddenly, the preacher interrupted the song with a shout.

‘Halleluiah – a – a – a – a!’

E – e – e – e – e – emen …,

He went on the caste evils into the hell fire with a command, and response of

(fire – a – a!) from the worshippers.

Satan the deceiver, Holy ghost ….!

Fire – a – a – a – a!’

‘Idol worship, Holy ghost …!’

‘Fire – a – a – a – a!’

Emen!

E – e – e – men: the people responded and he went on with the preaching.

At the end of his preaching, he closed the crusade with a prayer.

2