Chapter three

I t was evening. The sun was just going down, forming a round golden plate in the sky. Ereama in such evenings, was often a busy place. Fishermen and women were retiring home; lumber men were wearily coming home; crude oil dealers were also rushing home, some with laughter in their mouths, some with squeezed and dark faces.

Women, and children, young girls and boys unmindful of one another's presence were playfully and joyfully taking their baths by the river-side. Careless talks, gossips and in some cases obscene language charged the atmosphere.

Truly, Ereama was known for her whoredoms, in those days, in those days in which civilization kicked the faces of men; in those days in which men and women first saw half naked European women and men. There was much licentiousness, corruption and depravity. It was not uncommon to see young boys and girls in dark places of Ereama in immoral orgies'. Even married men and women were in much whoredom so that the land was full of darkness. "I don't care; I don't care; any married woman who cannot keep herself right will not be spared. I am very alert. You know I am a strong man, everywhere in me is ready for action" "Obolo, you are not strong" said Apili. "I Apili, the man of extraordinary strength and power, the man that cannot spare the queens and princes and wives of the terrible ones, the heroes, the ones that are called men, I the Odidi, the gorigori, I will go round this night."

"Apelebu, Apelebu" Ebiere a fair beautiful half naked gap-toothed woman shouted graciously and deliberately projected her fair well traditionally contoured belly.

"Yes, I am Apelebu, Apelebu, the Gorigori, Ebiere I am coming this night; get ready; eat well, I am coming; the gorigori," boasted Apili.

"Gorigori, do you know what is happening?" whispered, Obolo. You see that principal, Ereyei wants to marry chief's daughter; is he not looking for trouble? Obolo queried with a troubled disposition. "He does not understand; he does not know. But her ravishing beauty; her extraordinary appearance, the spark and glitter in her, are enough for him to know that something is fundamentally wrong with the chief's daughter", Obolo revealed further. But what is wrong with him? He is not like us. He is a man that can read and write; he knows what is good and what is bad. Any way, he is spiritually blind; he cannot see, he cannot hear, he is lost. Chai" Obolo explained and exclaimed.

"Leave him alone" Ebiere shouted. Then she continued: "the man is seeking for a child; he is desperate. Leave him alone. He may get a child by her" Ebiere counselled.

"But the woman in his house, Ebiotu can give him a child. He does not believe in what some of our own doctors can do. He believes in the white man's religion. Ebiotu is of the Toru Asa-a deity in their family in the family of Tambou. He rules them, but they are not of him again. And so long as they are not of him, he will continue to fight with them; he will oppress them, afflict them with all manner of problems, and diseases. I know it. It is so. That is their problem. But they do not know; it is a pity. Ebiotu Tambou, is a fine, pretty young lady. Look at her now. She is no longer the Ebiotu I used to know. Her succulent oval face, her shinning skin, her smiling countenance, all are gone. You see this is the problem of people who read much books. He is suffering from lack of understanding of our ways. If you tell Ereyei, that gentle man now, he will not understand. It is funny; an Ijaw man does not understand his own ways!!"

'Ebiere, he is simply a man of two worlds' Apili intervened. "Yes that is the truth!! Obolo supported.

Ebiere continued again. "I agree with you people. He is a man of two worlds, but he does not seem to understand either of them. Does he understand the ways of the white man? Does he accept the white man's religion very well? He drinks a lot! He is corrupt; he takes bribes; he moves with people of the world. The good thing about him is that he loves Ebiotu and he does not go about chasing women here and there; he is reserved; he is careful. That is good. He is a good husband. So I pity him, for not having a child. In fact if he marries another woman it is good. After all, that is the way of our people. One man one wife; that is what he wants. But that has failed so long as his eyes and heart are desperately on Anda Luisa - the Ereama queen, the glittering star, "the touch me not" I pity him; he is making a wrong choice; a very wrong choice. He does not have the spiritual capacity to have that girl as a wife; it is a pity"

"Leave him; let him face his calamity. All these book, book people, they claim to know, yet they know nothing" Apili mocked.

"Apili, the Ewiri, (Izon word for tortoise) the gorigori, you are funny. You want that gentleman to suffer. Apili, let us tell him toleave the girl" Obolo, suggested.

"If you want to be put to shame, go and tell him. So you have become a prophet? Please let us mind only our poverty. He will know how to solve his own problems" Ebiere shouted.