THE JUDGEMENT

That same day at about noon, a young man who introduced himself as Ebuka son of late Mazi Obi had come to the palace to accuse his brother of refusing to give him, his share of their inheritance from their late father. Eze Ebube after listening to the young man told him to go and return at sunset during his meeting with the cabinet. He equally sent the palace guard to summon Uche to appear before his cabinet at sunset, and the young man left at once.

Uche on getting the news of the king's summon and knowing so well its because of the case with his brother went immediately to the chiefs, he visited them one after the other and presented pieces of silver to them with a promise of a piece of land for each of them if they are able to influence the king to rule in his favor.

Ebuka on the other hand, went to their father Mazi Obi's grave side.

He lay onto of the grave and cried calling on the spirit of this father to come and be with him even as he will be appearing before the king and cabinet concerning the land case.

It's evening , Eze Ebube and his cabinet were already seated, Ebuka was already seated with them when Uche walked in, fall on his kneels and greeted the king and his cabinet. Immediately the king asked him "your brother brought a case against you for refusing to give him share of your late father's possessions. What do you have to say about this allegation?"

"may you reign for ever, it is true my father is late and its also true I am in possession of all he had and that is because he handed over everything to me as his only son. I don't have a brother" Uche replied

Both Eze Ebube and Ebuka became even more confused because everybody knows Mazi Obi has two sons, it wasn't sounding new to the cabinet members because they have all conspired with Uche to do evil against his brother.

The king asked, but Ebuka here happens to be a son of Late Mazi Obi, how come your claiming you're the only son of your father ?

Uche speaking, "Yes, I am the only son of my father" he further explained that his father told him on his dying bed that he is not the biological father of Ebuka, that Ebuka's mother committed adultery and conceived in the process and Ebuka is the product of that abominable act.

The king was confused and asked the palace guards to get him Ebuka's mother at once. The widow was brought before the king and the king asked her, who is the biological father of her son Ebuka (telling her of the allegation against her by Uche) the woman swore with the gods that her late husband Is the father of her son. Then the king dismissed her at once.

Eze Ebube equally asked Uche and Ebuka to excuse then, he now asked the cabinet members what their opinion is and they all took sides with Uche saying it is just ideal for them to follow the last wish of Mazi Obi.

The king called the two brothers back and said to Uche, this case is no longer between you and your brother Ebuka ,that is why I will not ask Ebuka any question, this is a case between you and your late father because you claimed he willed all his possessions to you, yet you don't have any evidence to prove that and the dead cannot appear before us to talk his mind.

The king knowing that mazi obi is the father of Ebuka and that Uche out of greed killed their father said " the only way dead can speak their mind is through an oath" he then asked Uche, are you ready to swear to the shrine of Odo (the god of death) that all you have told us here that your father said to you on his dying bed are true and nothing but the true?

Uche became so afraid because he knows Odo does not spare any man. He said "it is true that my father told me all this but because of the love and peace me and Ebuka has shared all this years I have accepted him as my brother and is willing to share everything with him"

Eze Ebube was angered and proclaimed " This is my judgment, it is either you Uche swear to the shrine of Odo and take everything your father had or refuse to swear and allow your brother to be in charge of your father's possessions for twenty years, just as you have controlled it for twenty years and after that it will be shared equally between the two of you"

Uche chose not to swear, He fail down in tears and asked this brother for forgiveness, that he was driven by greed and selfishness. Ebuka forgave his brother and applied to the king to let them share the property now instead of allowing him to control it for twenty years first.

Eze Ebube accepted and the two brothers went home in peace.