CHAPTER 3
Back at Mazi Egbelu's house, the night was long. The silence of the graveyard enveloped the household. It was close to midnight, and Nwamaka had not yet returned.
Could she have run to her maternal home? Mazi pondered. Was she hiding outside somewhere around the house? But at such an unholy hour, that would be dangerous, he dismissed. What of Onitsha, to his brother? Mbanu! She had never been to faraway Onitsha before, and in any case, she would not be able to afford the transport fare. Hope she was still alive? His brain was running riot. "Please, God, keep my daughter safe," he prayed. "It is better to be alive and married off to an old man or wimp than to be in the grave".
"Ahaah!" That brought his wandering mind back to the knotty question.
They were still in the dark as to the paternity of the pregnancy.
"Who could the fool be?" He swore in a bathed breath he would cut off his head for this. "He must be an irresponsible he-goat; otherwise, he would have come to see me already and commenced marriage rites." He thought in silence. "Which responsible man puts a girl in a family way and keeps away or, worst, denies it? Only idiots and underage boys do that." He developed goose pimples at the thought of 'underage'.
"God, please do not allow this to happen to me again," he muttered. "How can I survive it?"
"Or was there a possibility Nwamaka had not told him yet?" He continued in his thoughts. "That would be a lifeline," he hoped. He would not mind going the same route as his first daughter, Ijeoma. It would be better than an unclaimed pregnancy. Of course, it is not a nice thing for a daughter to have a child in her father's house. Whose name would such a child bear?
It was a grave sin for Christians, especially for a church elder like Mazi Egbelu. Parents in whose households such an unpleasant act was committed fall from grace in the body of Christ. They were penalized heavily by the Church. In fact, they might be deemed unfit to hold leadership positions and may be barred from receiving the Holy Communion and partaking in some other sacraments. Such would be a big disgrace to a member of St. Pius Catholic Parish, Umunze.
Even in their extended traditional society, the custom of the land also has a reserved punishment for parents whose unmarried daughters make babies without the performance of marriage rites. Such parents were barred from participating in and benefitting from items received from other marriage rites in the clan.
To forestall this ignoble scenario, parents resorted to seeking for a husband for their daughters when such a situation arose or resigned to accepting any type of suitor in such circumstances. On the other hand, such suitors were sometimes on standby, waiting for the opportunity to arise. Expectedly, more often than not, these suitors were not the most desirable for young maidens. They usually comprised widowers, lecherous old men ogling over young female bodies, older men whose wives could not bear male children or could not conceive, and social misfits and "never-do-wells", who ordinarily could not attract young maidens nor afford standard marriage rites. To avoid the shame, the parents of an unfortunate girl accepted little or nothing just to get her married off.
Mazi Egbelu's mind raced through this scenario in great sorrow. It was such a cruel fate to befall any young girl. How could his innocent, pretty, barely 18-year-old Nwamaka be forced to marry one lecherous 70-year-old man? It was indeed a cruel punishment for just a sin of fornication. He vividly remembered one such case just a couple of years ago. Mazi Udenta's teenage daughter, residing with her aunt at Aba, had become pregnant for a city boy from another tribe, and he denied responsibility. The young girl was bundled back to the village, and immediately, the hawks circled. Finally, she was married off to Chief Nwankwo, a wealthy but mean merchant from Umuaro clan. Chief Nwankwo already had three wives but had only one son to show for it, incidentally from his first wife. In his quest to bear more sons, he married two more wives. He was a known traditionalist, openly challenging the teachings of the church, and was avoided by many who were acutely aware of how he could use his wealth to hurt anybody who stood in his way. Unfortunately for Mazi Udenta's daughter, she delivered a female child too and could not conceive soon after, to Chief Nwankwo's chagrin. He subsequently withdrew his care and affection for the girl, and the maltreatment began.
Severally, the young girl ran back to her father's house, but on each occasion, she was duly returned to Chief Nwankwo in respect of custom – she fully belonged to her husband after he paid her bride price. When her fragile young emotion could no longer contain the abuse, she ran away. This time, far away, never to be seen again. The last information about her was a rumor from some Umuopara traders who claimed she was spotted doing prostitution in far away Benin City.
Mazi Egbelu resolved never to allow his innocent Nwamaka to go through such harrowing experiences, not while he lives. He must do all in his power to protect her, even if it means a repeat of his first daughter's journey. He would never live to see one perverted old fool devour his daughter like a ravenous wolf. But first, he needed to see her and find out who was responsible for her pregnancy.
"Can morning just come immediately?" he prayed aloud.
He was greatly handicapped by the lateness; it would be risky to venture out for a search by that late hour. Didn't his people say a person should not be lost while looking for a lost property? He advised himself. Moreover, going about, looking for her at that ungodly hour or enquiring in other households would surely let the cat out of the bag. Hurriedness is a sure recipe for disaster; he counseled again. After all, didn't the chameleon say that it would not because the bush is on fire, forget to maintain the prestigious strut and gait of his forefathers? He would wait till morning before setting out. He strongly believed Nwamaka would be kept safe by God Almighty wherever she was. Didn't the Bible promise that God would never forget those who are His? He had lived an upright life as much as he could; God won't abandon him now, he concluded'.
"Hmmm Hmmm," he cleared his throat. "Nne Obinna, let us go to bed. Chukwuemeka, ngwa, go and sleep. It is almost morning; we will take it up when daylight greets us."
A desperate wail escaped from the wife. He held her, consoling, as he led her into their bedroom.