Kindly note that the main location and settings are fictional. Though some locations (not frequently used) in this piece
could be sited at areas around the present day Abia state, acts are yet fictional.
Censorship and Age Rating: Expletives are not used in this piece hence it is suitable for all age group.
Warning: No part of this work should be published, scripted on or off the forum without permission from the author, else be sued for plagiarism.
STORY
Ahia-oru was as a remarkable festival in Umudioga, which usually takes place from the first to third afor day of onwa ifejioku, everyone have been involved in it from the begining to the after. Men where seen in their festive mood, women did all their best to please their spouse, children were moving around doing their normal duties.
In the spirit of the festival, love and happiness abounded.
Uju was not left out in that wonderful occasion, she tidied up the house and her late father's obokoro , a little hall in which the late Ichie Ararume hosted his guest but now it has become a playground for little children. Her mother has been the greatest ally to her sick bed since the last five ekes. Uju's beauty seemed to be dwindling since she does the work of a mother and also a sister. She hardly had the chance to hang out with her peer group which made her friends jokingly call her 'mama' but she didn't found this any bit funny but tried as hard to give a wry smile.
Uju was beautiful and also wise, which has earned her some respect amongst her peers. Her age mates came to her to find out and get a piece of her wisdom. Uju was suddenly waved back to reality, she wondered what has made tears run down her pretty cheeks.
'kpuhun kpuhun', her sick mother coughed hoarsely.
"Mama", Uju chorused in her usual low soft tune.
"My daughter, i hope you slept well?"
"Yes, I did." she replied her with a wry smile. "And i hope too that you're getting better?"
"We thank chi"
"Mama, you're getting better, I can see it."
"I hope so my daughter," she coughs coarsely again and then continued;
"Where is Agunna, Ulumma and Oby?" she asked.
These were the names of Uju siblings from the eldest to the youngest.
Agunna was the only surviving son of Late Mazi Ararume after the Ogbunuguru pestilence that befell the community in the tender age of Agunna, that was why he was believed to be created by chi for a purpose.
Agunna was a good hunter even at his tender age, he brought home meats like grasscutter, porcupine, bush guinea fowl when it was his day. He would not eat his food any day he was unable to catch. His trap was as good and perfect, that Okoro, the village wag, in one of his joke said that 'it catches animal from afar. Ulumma and Oby were in their adolescent stages and knew not that much about life.
"They aren't up yet", Uju said depressed.
Her mother's state of health was less assuring. Though still alive but was as good as dead. Uju never tried to imagine her mother lying lifeless.
"Mama, have you taken your medicinal leaves?"
"I do by chi's grace", she replied in a more fainting tone.
Uju was even more worried and perplexed by her mother's ever fainting tone. She wondered what in the world could revive her mother to the hardworking and caring mother that took care of her and her siblings.
"Mama, can I take you to your bamboo chair", she said in a voice as if she was going to shed tears.
She couldn't help herself from her stream of thought. She was brought back to reality when her mother coughed and waved for urgent attention.
"Water", she cried out.
Uju was in great fear and anxiety. She was surprised to see Agunna playing and chasing after agama lizards. Uju was infuriated and called him in harsh tone, Agunna reluctantly responded to the call.
"Go and call Mazi Echezona", Uju said with all her body wobbling cold in fear.
Mazi Echezona was the only surviving brother to the sick Ochibiaram. She was now coughing even more severely now.
"Be fast", Uju cried out in a shaky voice, "forsake that trap of yours, make sure you get there immediately."
Uju knew her brother very well that he was too fond of his trap and would not go without checking on it.
"Make sure you go straight there, I beg you in the name of chi".
Her fear was uncalled for, Agunna was not a toddler that he wouldn't know everything isn't okay. He ran as fast as he could and hoped he could run seven times faster.
On his way to Mazi Echezona's place, he met his peers on the way who on other hand tried to restrain his movement. Why would these boys not learn to take someone seriously, do they think he was running for any other thing.
"Please leave me alone" was all he could say from his shaky mouth.
"Agu, praise your chi, you're lucky today."
Agunna kept running ignoring them.
"You didn't heard us, I said your trap caught an antelope."
Agunna now ran even faster.
Ihedi, his best friend ran after him knowing all would not be well. This was Agunna who was so conscious of his trap, who would not eat in the morning without visiting his trap, sometimes he spent a whole day in the bush but here is he now running after something that isn't his trap. Has he gotten another trap somewhere else or possibly a bigger catch somewhere. Maybe he could run to the same destination with him and be a part of the goodies. This was unlike Agu, he thought. He withdrew from the chase when his legs could not carry his bulge physique any longer. He retreated to his home, where his mother was sitting anxiously yearning to see him. He was the only surviving child of his parents and they tried hard to avoid the same woe that befell them during the pestilence.
The cold hand of death snatched away two of their sons and daughters, people saw this pestilence as inflicted upon the people by Ojukwu, the god of chicken pox. It was said in the village that Ojukwu striked in the village as a result of his secret altar been burnt down as a result of some bush burning activities. The farmers who burnt the bush were said to have died instanta with swollen stomach and Ojukwu visited the entire village in its wrath. Some said the fault was from Omemgbe, the village chief priest who delayed in relaying the message from the gods.
Omemgbe was a powerful spiritualist who came from Item but nevertheless rendered a selfless service with passion like Umudioga was his homeland. The greatest thing he had done for the villagers was driving away the witches that had outwitted the land, to a river in the forest, hence earning the trust of the king and the whole villagers. But people thought he made more flaws, of which the pestilence was one of them.
Others still believed that Igwe Kalu, the traditional ruler, should still have a larger chunk of the blame. He, as asserted by them, was too proud and was not able to produce the requirements for the sacrifices to appease Ojukwu before the pestilence.
But no matter whose fault it was, the tragic periods were irrevocable, so they had to live with it.
"Nwam, you won't kill me o, Eringo", Ihedi's mother blasted. "You left the house early in the morning without telling us, you kept I and your Dede waiting".
She was been careful not to speak harshly to her son. When she saw traces of sad expression written on his face. She moved closer to him and watched him closely, Ihedi had already started dripping tears. It was this puerile attitude that disgusts his father the most. Mazi Ewenike would one day come talking to his son and when ever he offend Ihedi with his speech, Ihedi would slur which his father saw as irritating. Ewenike on his own side, was hot tempered, and tried his best to bridle it and walk away while Eringo came to do the consoling role until Ihedi finally stops crying. Ewenike been a hot-tempered man in one of his moment of quarreling with his wife, have described Eringo as 'giving him a female child' and has threatened to take another wife if Eringo does not give him a male child. Even if he didn't actually meant what he said which Eringo is quite sure of, yet she never took that as a joke. Although Ewenike could be skittish atimes, Eringo wasn't emotionally triggered, she would let every thing die off after the scene.
"Nwam, stop crying", Eringo said wiping off the tears in his eyes.
Eringo tolerated all Ihedi's childish manners. She knew she may not be able to reproduce again and almost made Ihedi's life hers too. Sometimes she carries him on her back, this act made Ewenike even more angry.
'What is wrong with this woman, he thought. Why a boy who has seen fifteen new moons be backed like a suckling baby? In some occasions, he will go and force the lad down his mother's back, which prompted Eringo to term him as 'not having the mindset of fatherhood'.
Ewenike in turn accused her of over pampering him. It was in this time that he begin to use Agunna, Ihedi best friend, as example. Eringo saw it as a preposterous comparison where she used the famous Igbo proverb, which says, 'otu nne na-amu mana otu chi adighi eke' (meaning 'men could be born of the same womb but not created by the same god'), to support her acts.
"What would nwam like to eat so that I will prepare it to his taste?" she asked patting his back.
"Nothing", Ihedi replied undecidedly.
"Come on, you won't reject your favourite meal, will you?"
"Sad people don't eat".
"Are you telling me you're still sad", she smiled tickling his side.
"Stop stop stop," Ihedi said laughing uncontrollably.
"I won't until you tell me what you'll eat. You won't keep me idle today".
After moments of laughter, sadness had departed. He then finally said while laughing, "ofe áñàrà".
Uju's eyes were almost swollen from tears, she has been weeping all days and all night.
"Could death have been so cruel?" she uttered bitterly
"Why strip the helpless of their helping hand?" She thought in pains.
She flashed back her memories to those good old days, days of mother's care and love. She wept bitterly at each thought of her. Ulumma and Oby followed suite, as if they were in a zone where consolation was forbidden, instead sympathizers will join the chorus.
"Stop crying, it will never solve matters," Adaeke, Uju's closest friend said with tears in her cheek. She find it almost impossible to console Uju, it was as if she was doing her bad by trying to restrain her from mourning, even she couldn't hold herself.
This height of trauma was inexplicable, Adaeke felt Uju's pain right deep in her heart.
People from far and wide were present to sympathize with the bereaved. Agunna wasn't present at the scene for reasons unknown to all, hence leading to his peer group been a bit disappointed.
"Where's Agunna", was the question in the air, yet no reply.
Whilst the question was still on air, all eyes were directed to a figure from afar where a grotesque figure of a young lad swinging in a sway-like momentum.
"Is he drunk", Uju thought as she saw him advancing towards the mourning crowd. Uju was surprised that Agunna seemed not to be bothered by the sorrowful ambience of the compound.
"Agu, mama is dead", she said to alert him of the situation on ground, notwithstanding,
Agunna was as calm as if he had heard the news before all of them. Uju didn't ask because the her mood, but this still the not clear the thoughts from the heart of the sympathizers.
"Are you sure he knows what death is", some of them thought, "or he thinks that death is just a vacation?"
Ochibiaram has lived a good life, her death has been an irreparable loss not only to her family but to other villagers. She had great influence on the community, been kind hearted and honest. She gave her children the best of training and catering even in the absence of her husband. At her prime, she was beautiful and clever. Her elegance attracted suitors to her even after her husband's death. Her voluptuousness was also an added advantage to her elegance. She was also liberal in her attitudes, and also had tolerance for anything. But now there was no life to keep such a genius moving.
"Oh death, what has man done to you that you can strike pitilessly?" Uju moaned.
Okoro was also present, but it seems he wasn't drunk today, he behaved quite sane today. He sited Agunna inside the room examining something that looks like a bone from how it appeared in his sight.
"Agu, why are you less concerned about mama's death?"
Agunna was startled by this world as he was alone in the room. He raised his eyes up and saw Ulumma, his younger sister in tears, Agunna kept mute which angered her and she asked the same question the second time, now in a louder voice which moved Agunna from his position.
"Now let this be made known to you, I'm a man and men don't cry", Agunna cautioned.
Ulumma found this rather funny but was too pent-up to laugh.
What is so manly about a boy who's barely seen fifteen new moon, she thought.
"I don't think you're alright o", she finally found her voice, and exit the room.
Coming out of the house, she could see the crowd of sympathizers diminishing.
" Adannem, I would like to have a word with you", Uju twisted her neck sluggishly and saw Ulumma standing by her side with hands akimbo.
"What is it", answered Uju as she isolated herself from the sympathizers to hear what her sister have to say.
"I'm afraid our brother could be mentally ill."
"Oh stop, just stop," Uju said bursting into fresh tears.
"I'm sorry, adannem, Ulumma pleaded almost in tears. "please forgive me for the pain I caused you with my words."
"Its okay, my sister", she said as she hugs her sister as both of them cried out loud.
Agunna could hear their voice from his room. He was truly disturbed. To him, he didn't think it right to mourn for the dead, as it won't make the corpse blink its eye. He had wished he could at least drop tears to please whoever that may be pleased.
After everyone must have left, Mazi Echezona came running into the compound, and everywhere was void of sympathizers as it ought to be in house of deceased. He had heard the news of his sister death and he had came to confirm all the way from Agbu-Ukwu. Mazi Echezona came along with his wife, they moved sound the entire compound and finally knocked on the door.
"Who is knocking?", asked the tender voice from inside.
"Its me", Echezona answered from outside.
They as well recognised his voice, so Ulumma ran to open the door for him.
"Thank chi you came to our aid", Ulumma said.
Uju was unhappy, as if Echezona's presence irritated her, Echezona noticed this,
"What's it, Uju", asked Echezona, "my presence seem to bore you".
"With all due respect uncle", Uju was more serious now, "is that how you're to respond to emergency calls?" She was in tears while speaking, she continued,
"You don't know what it implies to be losing a loved one, even when we implored you for your attention and this is the time, yes, I mean the best time for you to respond to our call. Its okay", she said this with tears flowing like spring from her eyes.
Echezona was surprised. This accusation was too bizarre to understand. He faced his wife and said almost angrily,
"Why didn't you inform me about this?"
" Dim oma, I don't understand what's going on actually", she said solemnly, "I didn't get any message from either of them."
Everyone was surprised and all eyes was now on Agunna to explain.
"I was on my way, and I forsaw that mama was still going to die, so I had no option but to retreat", that was the explanation Agunna could force out after a deep breath.
GLOSSARY
Ahia-oru - a festival celebrated to mark the half of the year.
The first to third afor day of onwa Ifejioku - this falls in between the 2nd week to the mid 4th week of August
obokoro - a small hall built for entertainment of visitors
ofe anara - a soup prepared with garden egg leaves.
fifteen new moons - fifteen years
adannem - my eldest sister (NB: ada is first daughter)
dim oma: my dear husband.
TBC AT 3PM
