Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
The sun was smiling across the windows and the doors, some people were still asleep, but onye-ocha was in his room, scrambling some words on his paper, Chinedu was standing, he folded his folded his arms and was patiently waiting for onye-ocha to finish. Onye-ocha finished, he folded the paper, rubbed his spit on it to seal it before applying his spit. He raised his eye brow to look at Chinedu who has patiently stood for close to 30minutes “Take this letter, straight to Williams, you know him right?”
“Yes sir, I know Williams”
“Good, take the letter to him, he may come back with you. Do not open this letter”. He handed the paper to Chinedu,
“Yes sir. How will you cope in the village?”
“Don’t worry Chinedu, I will be fine. I will remain indoor till you come back”.
“Okay sir.”
Chinedu grabbed his coat and left. He knew where to get the seaport, definitely not in the village, so he has a long way to go.
Adaugo was already in the church, she was shocked to see lot of people in the church and mama Bomboy was teaching them, but she did not see Chinedu, probably he went for an errand, she thought.
She prayed to the chi like she was taught. After the prayer, she walked to mama Bomboy, she met her talking to a woman, she doesn’t know the name of the woman but she always see her around. She saw her friend Erimma, Erima sat alone with her arms folded across her breast, she stared around as if she was lost
“Erimma my friend” She screamed
“Ada, so you came”
“My friend, I started yesterday, I told you about it”
“Oh, yes you did, I forgot”
“Erimma, why are you here? What will your husband say if he find you here?” Ada asked staring at her as if she was searching for answers on her face.
“I did not tell my husband, I sneaked out, infact, he thinks I am in your house”
“Oh, even my husband. I pray they don’t meet. I told my husband you are very sick”
“I’m sick!!” Erimma was shocked, even from the look on her face
“Sorry my friend, you know how our husbands behave”
“Yes…” She paused “Ehee my friend, did you go for the meeting yesterday? The king summoned everybody”
“I did not go, I was here. What happened?”
“Okay. The king banished Akwaego and Chukwuma”
“Eiyaaa, I knew that would happen, omenaala bu omenaala(tradition is tradition”
“My friend, that is not all”
“Tell me about it”, Ada said as she stare at Erimma
“The king said anybody can worship onye-ocha’s chi”
“Eziokwu? (Really)” She asked in excitement
“That is not all, anybody that accept onye-ocha’s chi will learn his language and go to his land”
“Nawah oo, thank God I am here already. What of your husband?” Ada asked
“My husband refused. He said he has female child, and female children are meant for kitchen……..”
“O bu eziokwu ka o kwuru, omenaala anyi ajoka” Ada interrupted
“I don’t care what my husband say, I want to learn onye-ocha language, then go to onye-ocha land”
“What of your children?” Ada asked concerned
“My husband will take care of them, I will run away” She continued “I will come back for them, I want to be like Chinedu”
‘’Jiri ya nwayoo nne(take it easy)”, Ada said “let me go and meet mama Bomboy”.
“Hope all is well?”
“Yes, all is well my dear friend”.
She went to see mama Bimbo who was preparing to leave
“Mma Bimbo, nno”
“Nno, kedu ka I mere?”(How are you?)
“I am fine, please I want to see onye-ocha”, she blurted out,
“I have not seen Chinedu, so you cannot see onye ocha without Chinedu”
“I understand, I will come back tomorrow”. She left, by then Erimma has already gone. She has to walk down to her house alone as usual.
On her way to her house, she saw Erimma, screaming and crying, running towards her, immediate Erimma approached her, she fell on the ground, rolling on the ground, screaming “Chimoo, chimoo, I am finished, I am finished oo, what will I do?’’
“What happened Erimma, tell me. Talk to me.” She helped her to stand on her feet
“Ada, we are finished, my husband want me to return the bride price, he sent me back to my father’s house”
“I don’t understand” Ada said as panicked “What do you mean by we are finished?’’
“Ada, my husband went to your house to look for me, your husband told him I wasn’t there……….”
“Ewo oo, e fuo muoo, I am finished oo”, she scratched her her in panic and ran straight to her house, immediately she got to the house, she met Njoku and Ogochukwu in front of the house, they were expecting her, Njoku was holding a stick,
“Where did you go to this woman, answer me now before I hit you with this stick”,
“Nna anyi, I am sorry..” She stutters
“Answer him woman”….Ogochukwu interrupted with her hands on her waist as if she is about to fight,
“Nna anyi, gbaharam biko”(Please forgive me)
“You even lied to me, your husband, if not for your friend’s huband, I would have been your ewu”(goat) He waved his head in disbelief
“Nna anyi, gbaharam. I went to worship onye-ocha chi, I want him to give us a child nna anyi”
“Without my permission? You have grown wings. Ada, carry your bag and leave my house. I was managing you, barren woman, but you grew wings. “
She immediately grabbed his leg, crying and begging him. He shoved her off, his mind was already made up, “Tell your mother I will come and collect the bride price I wasted on you”, he walked inside his hut, Ogochukwu sighed and followed him. Ada cried and went inside her hut, she packed her bag and left. She knew she will never marry again as tradition demands, her effort worshiping chi onye-ocha is wasted. But will she continue or stop?