SOMUANYIRO - Chapter 5

I was a few meters away from the house yet I could perceive Chielo’s cooking. My only son, Ifeadi, and I were on our way back from my work shed. I could see that he was already getting excited over the aroma of the food. Well, me too. Chielo is the best cook I know, and I can see my son feels the same.

When we got to the compound I saw my two little girls playing with their cousins.  Chielo was in the kitchen shed preparing the evening meal and Zikaora, my first daughter, was pounding ede (coco yam) for her. I saw Omeka sitting under my favourite ube (pear) tree, helping himself to my freshly tapped ngwo (palm wine) and eating anu nshi (bush meat) soaked in pepper sauce. Ifeadi greeted him from afar and ran towards his mother’s cooking shed to inspect the food.

I called him back. “Nna please come and take my tools to my hut, I want to join my friend before he finishes my palm wine.” He quietly ran back, took my tools and continued to the kitchen shed.

“Nne ji si ike o.” I greeted Chielo, and she answered me “O Nna, daalu.”

Omeka greeted me when I got to the pear tree. “Nnoo nwokem, Welcome.” We did the customary hand shake for titled men, tap twice with the back of the hand and once with the front. I took a seat on the recliner beside him, washed my hands, dried it off on my cloth, and then I picked up a piece of the bush meat.

“I am surprised seeing you here at this time my good friend,” I started. “I remember we were supposed to meet this evening.”

“Ah!” Omeka said, and then he chuckled. “I take that as a compliment. You and I know you cannot get enough of me.”

“Well that is true, but I am certain we had a plan. All the same you are always welcomed to my home.” I replied. He had a sheepish worried look on his face as he smiled. “Omekannaya,” I said, “Tell me about the meeting you attended today.” He did this horrible head shake that I couldn’t understand. “Did something go wrong?”

“Hmm, Nna! Okwu nkaa yim na onu, the words are too heavy for me to say.” He replied as he did the head shake again. “The council meeting this morning was about Nwando.”

“Which Nwando is that?” I asked him as if I didn’t already know.

“Nwando Okwudili, our village Ochiahia’s (war general) daughter, Chielo’s friend.”

“Oh o! That Nwando.” He nodded. “What has she done, I thought her husband just died recently?”

“Exactly!” he exclaimed. He reached into his saddle bag and brought out his utaba (snuff) box, poured a small portion on the back of his left palm, and took it in through his nose. Then he passed it to me and I did the routine.

“Oh oh ya o!” I exclaimed immediately the snuff entered my nose. “Mbanu, Omeka, i dalu nkaa, you failed this one. This utaba is not fresh at all, it cannot be enjoyed. Last night I got fresh supply from Ogbenyealu, the snuff maker, specially made for me, but I can spare some don’t worry.” I called Ifeadi and asked him to get my snuff box from my hut. Omeka busied himself with a piece of bush meat, while I poured myself some palm wine.

He shook his head from side to side. “Nwado used to be one of the prettiest young maidens of our youth, do you remember?”

“Ehye nu, Omeka! Who can forget such beauty? Every young man wanted to marry her, but her father was a choosy man. I remember clearly, you were rejected twice.” We laughed at this point. “You know she and Chielo remained close all these years.”

“Mmn, I know” Omeka nodded.

Soon the snuff arrived and we had some, Omeka commented on how good it was. I quickly drew his digressing mind back to the conversation we were having.

“Alu! How can that be?” I asked stupidly after he had told me the gist of the meeting. “Nwado’s husband just recently passed away, so how can she be pregnant? It isn’t up to the mandatory one year of mourning.”

Omeka and shrugged, as if to say he too had no idea, “Amaghim o. To make matters worse, she has refused to name the father of the unborn child.” Omeka continued. “The elders decided that the best solution is to visit with Ugodilinwa the priestess of Asanla. She is can help see things Nwando has decided to keep secret.”

Knowing that Chielo would be eavesdropping, he leaned towards me and whispered in my ear. “I suspect Chielo knows something about all these, and you must find out what you can from her.” I nodded in agreement.

I secretly hope Chielo wasn’t in the know. If this case is taken seriously she may be called to Asanla shrine to swear an oath, and I didn’t want that for her.

“What is the worst that could happen?” I asked him. “What will they do to her if no one claims the pregnancy?”

Omeka shook his head. “Custom demands that she be sent to the osu (outcast) community. Our people don’t accept bastard children especially from a widow who is still in mourning. She is quite lucky in this situation you know. If she wasn’t pregnant and she was caught with a lover she would have been thrown into the evil forest. But as the gods would have it, our community does not believe in killing innocent unborn children.”

“Hmmn, will Chielo get into any trouble if it turns out she knows something and refuses to say?”

“I don’t know about that my brother; however, you must find out what she knows and decide what to do with the knowledge.” I nodded in response. “Let me quickly finish up my palm wine and bush meat, I have some things to do at home, I just thought I should come see you before going home.”

Long after Omekannaya had departed, I was still troubled by Nwando’s issue. I feared for Chielo’s safety. I know Nwando is her closest friend, and it is very likely that she knows who the father of the child is. For the elders in council to her taken the matter all the way to Asanla, Chielo may be called to swear before the god. If it was an ordinary case of adultery, the elders would have passed it on to the otu omu, the women council, who would have severely punished the adulterer, but no, it had to be Nwando, the widow in mourning. I shook my head.

Then it hit me. Omekannaya! I realised I was more afraid that the father could be Omeka. Why else would he rush to me immediately after the meeting? Could he be in trouble? He had a very troubled look on his face while we talked about Nwando, and I know he has always had an eye for beautiful women. He wasn’t a dog, but it is quite unfortunate, he has a reputation amongst the women.

He is currently married to two women, and who knows, now his father is dead and he has inherited another title, he may add another wife. Other than Chielo, Omeka is also an ikonwanna to Iloani, the old widow Akuakanwa’s wife. An ikonwanna a man who is chosen to impregnate women who were married to other men, (like Akuakanwa who refused to return to her father’s house after her husband death, but has married a wife to bear children in his name) or an okenwanyi, (a man like me).  He is also my companion, my di nwanna.

That night I decided to visit my father’s grave side, I find that I always return with a restful mind whenever I go there. Chielo waylaid me immediately I walked past the kitchen.

“You have to help Nwando.” She went straight to the point. “You have to promise to help her, she is my friend.”

“Chielo,” I pulled my ear as I spoke, “I hope you don’t know anything about Nwando’s predicament?”

“Ah! Nnanyi, I know nothing about it oh.” She lifted her hands to the skies, “I swear by the gods, akam di ocha, my hands are clean.”

I looked at her and nodded. “So tell me, why you want me to help her, I don’t even have a say in issues like that and you know it. I can only be heard through the men in my umunna, and they will not easily bend to help Nwando.”

“I know that dim, but I just want you to intercede within your power. Don’t let them throw her into the evil forest, please I beg you.”

“Nwanyi, don’t be afraid. She’s a pregnant woman, and you know it will be a taboo to do that to her. I believe she will be married off to an osu if the worse comes to worst.”

“Hian! Olisaaju, God fordid, Nnanyi.  Nwando was good to me; she was the only one that accepted me in this village when I was first brought here.”

“I remember my wife. I will tell Omekannaya to speak on her behalf should the need arise, but Chielo don’t forget, her fate is being decided by the gods, we may not be able to help her, so if u know anything about it speak now.” I warned her.

“Yes, I understand, but I swear, I don’t know anything about it. I just want you to promise to do your best should the need arise.”

“I will my dear, don’t worry, I will do my best.”

I left her and continued on my way. I returned to my hut some hours later, still high on the good feeling that I have spoken with my father. I met Echidime in my hut when I got there, am not surprised, I have been expecting her. I even have something to speak with her about.

She greeted me. “Nnanyi nnoo.” She stood up and gave me a side hug.

“Ehen Echi, I have been expecting you. Please sit down.” I sat down beside her.

“What is on your mind my brother? I hope you had a good visit with our father’s spirit?” she asked

“Of course I did, I always do. You go ahead and speak first my dear, but I am sure we have the same thing on our minds.”

“Like every other person in this village, I heard about the proceedings of today’s council meeting.” She began. “Then I suddenly had an idea that I am sure our father would have approved.”

I had a wide smile on my face. Finally Echidime is showing signs of good reasoning. Our father would certainly have approved and urged me to do exactly what I think Echi had on mind. I had just had a similar conversation with his spirit. But first I have to listen to her.

“Go on, Echi am listening.” I urged her.

“My brother, you see, since I heard about her predicament I have been in thought. Then I realised that your Chi always works in double as you claim.” We shared a light laughter at her last sentence. Echi doesn’t mince words.

She continued. “My brother, this is really a blessing in disguise. I have been pressuring you to marry Ukaamaka, the pretty young Ekufelem girl, not knowing that she is not the one the gods want you to marry in the umunna.”

“Let me finish your thoughts for you my dear sister.” I cut in. “I had this same discussion with the spirit of our father a few minutes ago. My Chi has killed two birds with one stone for me. Last week, I was greatly troubled about this whole marriage issue, but when I visited the osu dibia, he told me not to fight the situation, that it will work out just fine according to my akalaka (destiny).” She nodded in agreement.

“It turns out that Nwando is of the Ekufelem umunna, so we are not breaking the betrothal you and our umunna made on my behalf by changing the woman in question. Besides, when I marry her and claim the pregnancy, I will only be saving them from shame.”

“Ehye, ezi okwu my brother, true talk. This change comes with an assurance, a child is already here, such a bonus. So mustn’t waste any time in making your claim before another man becomes the wiser.” She concluded.

“Yes, I know so. My first duty tomorrow is to go to Ukaama’s house and inform him, and then we would gather the available members of our Umunna and head to the Ekufelem compound.” She nodded. “Go now and send in Chielo, I must tell her what I decided, I owe her that much.”

“Okay nnanyi, I will do just that. Sleep well. I will also get the support of our umuada (women born into a lineage) and inyeme di (women married into a lineage).”

With this she left my hut. I was already consumed in thoughts. Deep down in me I knew Omeka was responsible for Nwando’s predicament. Otherwise I would never have agreed to marry a pregnant woman for the second time around. First, Chielo the war sacrifice. Now, Nwando, the mourning widow. I don’t mind, as long as I can help Omeka.