Chapter 4
Aisha was screaming and crying, she was shouting “Allah taimake ni, ina so mutu(Help me Allah, I want to die), she ran out of the house still screaming and crying bitterly. Aisha doesn’t have friends in the village, her only friend is Erimma, she confide in Erimma. Aisha screamed and ran to Erimma’s house, Erimma ran out of her house, she thought the house was on fire. She met Aisha rolling on the ground, shouting “My baby is dead, my baby is dead ooo’’
Erimma asked her which baby because she never knew that Aisha was pregnant. Aisha has body, so nobody knows when she is pregnant or not.
“My baby girl oo, my baby girl is dead “, she muttered in between her tears
“Who killed your baby girl?”
“Circumcision, circumcision oo, my baby is dead”
“Aisha, calm down and explain to me, what are you talking about?”
“Eri, you know in my culture, female children are circumcised?”
“I don’t know about it. How can culture permit the circumcision of a female child?”
“I don’t know Eri, I met it like that, and it will remain like that until I leave” she choked in her tears
“Calm down Aisha, relax and talk to me”
“So, they circumcised my baby girl, she was just 3 days old, I didn’t know what they cut, my baby bled to death, she bled to death oo…..”
“Nwanyi ibe m oo, ndo,(my fellow woman, sorry) sorry oo, this is painful, take heart, chi that gave you that one, will give you another one, take heart.”
She helped her settle on the bench while she consoled her.
“But, what did the co-wives say about it?”
“What will they say about it? They were just looking at me, beside I am not the only woman to loose a child over this”
“This is terrible , may the chi accept the soul of the innocent baby”.
Adaugo was already dressed to leave but was delayed by her husband who told her to make food for her pregnant co-wife. She hurried to the kitchen, she made pounded yam and egusi soup for Ogochukwu and served her. Njoku asked her where she was going, she lied that she want to see her friend Erimma who is seriously sick. Njoku believed her because she wore her usual compound clothes. Adaugo knew that if she had dressed up like she was going to an important place, her husband would have found out and probably send her to her father’s house, and she knows the implication.
“Come back early so that you can fetch water, there is no water in my room, also don’t forget to clear the farm, I have already done a little, clear the remaining one while I take care of my pregnant wife.’’
“yes sir”
Adaugo walked straight to onye-ocha’s house without looking back nor greeting someone, she was focused. When she got to onye-ocha’s house, she was greeted by children playing hide and sick, some were assisting the woman brought to cook for onye-ocha in the kitchen. She was lucky to meet Chinedu, he was just in front of the house reading a book, but Adak never knew what he was reason because he has never seen a book in her entire life before. She grew up in the era where nobody new about education, reading.
“Chinedu nno”, she greeted.
“Nno, how are you?”
“I am fine”
“Who do I owe this visit? He asked staring at Ada who was already feeling tensed.
“I want to meet onye-ocha”
“Why? Do you have a message from the king?”
“No, I want to learn onye ocha’s chi”
“Okay. That is a good one. I will have to tell onye-ocha, but first, let me show you around”
“Okay, imeela(thank you)”.
She followed him, she saw Mazi Ndukwe’s son,
“that was where he was going when I saw him walking as if someone was pursuing him, but he kicked against ony- ocha chi, hypocrite”, she thought., she saw Mazi Anyaogu’s son and children of some people he doesn’t know their names. Chinedu took him to the kitchen, mam Bomboy was making food for the onye-ocha, I guess the women leader appointer her. She ichie brought their children her, that means I made a right decision coming here… so she thought.
Chinedu took her to see the onye-ocha. When Onye-ocha came out, she was too tensed, his body is like boiled okuko, as if there is no blood in his body, his hair is so song, how can a man have that kind of hair, and when he spoke, it sounded like boiling water ashobirishobiriri, infact, that was the only thing she could hear throughout, she wondered how Chinedu is managing to decode this language.
“So, Chinedu told me you are hear to see me”
“Yes sir” She answered
“Then how may I help you? Are you from the king?
“No sir, I came on my own”
“Why did you come?”
“Mr onye-ocha, I came to find out if you chi can give me a child”
“Please elaborate” Onye ocha said, staring at her to dteremine her seriousness from her face.
“Onye-ocha, I have been married to my husband for some years, no child. My husband married a second wife, now she is pregnant. My chi don’t want to give me a child” She bursted out in tears “My chi have abandoned me”
“Wipe your tears madam, there is nothing God cannot do. God can give you a child”
She looked up in excitement, one can see it from the way her eye ball danced
“You mean your chi can give me a child?’’
“Yes madam, he said it already” Chinedu answered her angrily
“Chinedu!!!!” Onye ocha turned at him “Stop it, you don’t answer somebody aggressively like that. If you are tired of interpreting, do tell me”
“Sorry sir, it won’t repeat again”.
Adaugo stared at them in admiration, even though she did not understand a single word
“What did she ask you last”, Onye ocha asked Chinedu
“She asked if you mean that your chi can really help her and I have answered her, sir”
“Okay. Ask her what she want”
Chinedu turned to Ada who was almost carried away by the sound of their language in her ears
“Madam, he said I should ask you what you want”
“I want to worship his chi, I want to serve him”
“Wow, you are welcome. What is your name?” Onye ocha asked
“My name is Adaugo, but Ada is okay”
“Okay Ada, you are welcome. Chinedu will take you to our church and teach you the necessary things. Feel free to come to me anytime”
“Yes sir.”