Chapter 5 A TASTE OF TROUBLE

FIVE

That night of that day, in Mazi Ochia's chamber, he was seated at a short table on which there are plates, drinking gourd and a bowl containing water. Having finished his dinner, he brought out a tobacco, broke off some, put it into his pipe and lit it.

"Papa, what is it?" Anosike asked. "It is called tobacco". "I haven't seen such...". "Neither do I. It is all over our farms but we never knew its use or what it is used for until the Europeans who came here introduced it to us. They said it relieves the body and makes one to feel relaxed and that is true". "What about the Methodist Missionaries?" "Aha! Those ones are different from the Europeans that came, their motive is to change our beliefs and traditions and also to make us imbibe their ways and worship their foreign God". The little boy pondered a while and gasped, "Are their God greater than our gods?" "I don't know, you are being inquisitive, even for a child", he smokes from his pipe, Anosike kept quiet and watched him carefully as if he is counting the number of smokes coming out from the pipe.

Mazi Ochia had called Ekenma to have a talk with her. Mgbeudo was at the corner of the chamber, working at some design on her pots. Although, Ochia is speaking, she does not seem to pay any attention to him. "Pull yourself together; there is nothing to fear about. No father hates his children, besides; giving a daughter to marriage to a respectable and well-to-do man like the prince is not an act of hatred. He will take good care of you, I am sure you must have been seeing him here, well; he has declared his intention to marry you.

Mgbeudo's attention was attracted; she first behaved as if she had misbegotten the words, her eyes widen and her ears active to capture the floating words.

"He came here yesterday, accompanied by his household, asking for your hand in marriage". What then happened to the girl he was supposed to get married to", Mgbeudo asked hoarsely, abandoning her unfinished work and facing Mazi Ochia. "She left having known that the prince doesn't like her than to be a loafer in the palace". "But that is against our tradition, why would you indulge in such act which is highly placed as a taboo?" Becoming uneasy, he said, "don't you know the prince getting married to our daughter is the fastest way that I could get wealthy and I needed money to pay for yam-seeds, and hirer labourers that would cultivate the farm, others have done theirs while I am still sitting down, folding my hands and legs together like a man, who is weighed down by age not only that, we will be highly respected by the villagers, can't you see the benefit", he beamed with excitement. You talked about indulging in an unlawful act, remember I am not the only victim, the people are also involved since they supported that the marriage should proceed and besides, the king's subject should obey his words without further questions and being reluctant about it". Mgbeudo heaved a sigh and continued her unfinished work, Ochia tucked his wrapper, poured out palm wine and drank a little and frowned as if it tastes foul or sour, he mumbled while and drank the remain.

The animals have been another problem to the people of Amueke, they have been eating their way through the farms. They focused on uprooting the yams germinating in the moulds. Nwoye never ceased to follow Ekenma to farm despite the warnings Mazi Ochia had given to him, while on the way to the farm, Nwoye usually walked ahead of her getting the grasses that nosed their way out and making paths, they played like friends and often talked about how they would treat their child when it was born. In his company, she always radiated happiness and he knew this meant she was happy with him.

Nwanyimma had spent a lot of time, rubbing the white clay on her body in the ease of waiting for her son. She couldn't wait any longer. "The rite will soon begin", she thought. She took her black cock and kola nuts to the village outskirt there they will be waiting for the priest to lead the way. Nwoye was expecting to see her mother at home, he called her, there was no responds, he went to the back of the hut, and he still could not find her there . He had forgotten that today was the day the bereaved ones offer sacrifice to them they believed that the dead can send message. When the event flashed in his memory, he reproached himself.

Nwanyimma came back, joining the swirl of women chit-chatting, "Ndewo", he greeted. She nodded and went straight to their local bathroom, built with bamboo sticks and palm fronds, to clean off the white clay marks on her body and to change her white silk material, when she came out Nwoye has already made a conflagration, the night were cool, the frogs croaked heavily, he was roasting a meat he had caught earlier on with his trap, she sat near him, watching him as he concentrated in his roasting. She took this opportunity to narrate to him how the rite went.

Nwanyimma woke up rubbed her eyes, looked round and stretching herself, repeatedly on her bamboo bed, drowsily she opened her eyes, yawning it was barely the crack of dawn and people were not yet up. She made for her large earthen pot that sat lazily under the rafters and headed to the stream, she could hear the splash of the river and the gentle sound of the stream. It was chilly and clean, she quickly filled her water pot and left.

Nwoye was already weaving another mat to replace the antiquated one he used to sleep on when she sighted her mother, he hastened towards her, collecting the water pot from her, he spoke, "why did you choose to go to the stream all alone and besides, don't you know there is cold out there?" She was made to talk but she only heaved a sigh at last she regained her voice, saying contrarily, "I am still strong to do the house chores; Ekenma would not be the only one doing it all". Nwoye gasped and told her, "I do not think she would be coming here more frequently like before as I see things". "What do you mean?" "You must be feeling cold, go in and rest", he diverted, "do not forget to cover yourself", he instructed, and took his local gun and leopard skin-bag and left.