Chapter two

Anda Luisa was a young school leaver, A whose parents were core traditionalists. Her father Anda was a priest the chief priest of Bemou Oru the god of prosperity. Anda was a righteous priest: he never violated the norms of Bemou Oru cult, nor the norms and folkways of the Ereama Community. He was well known in the Ebediotu clan. People often came to him for divination, for prosperity, including fertility of the womb. His divinations, his fetish works were usually of good results. Thus he was given great respect, honour and recognition in the priest-hood institution of Ebediotu. He became a first class chief, and earned an amount from the government of Agge Republic not less than $4,000.00 a month.

Anda as first class chief, had built a very decent house for himself. His two wives - Odele and Ekio lived with him. Odele had no child; but Ekio was the mother of Anda Luisa; she was the only child of Anda. For Anda, it was a great irony; it was an inexplicable fate. Perhaps it was the will of his god, Bemou Oru. He who made many wombs fertile and brought happiness to thousands of homes in Ereama, and the entire Agge Republic could not give birth to even a male child. What a woe, what a shame. So Anda was comfortable economically, but he was not happy. His inside was always dark. Sometimes he would talk alone questioning the goodness of his god-Bemou Oru. But Bemou Oru has done him much good; the god has brought reputation to him. At last Chief Anda, made up his mind to stop speaking evil of his god. It was dangerous. He would not want to be humbled by the wrath of his god; he would not want more pains and misery. "well I have a beautiful daughter; even she is the daughter of Bemou Oru; she is the queen; the star of Ereama, the one that specially designed by the gods to expand the estate of chief Anda" but who wili take her as a wife; who is thatfortunate man that would take this ravishing beauty, this pride of Ereama as a wife. Where is that man; that man that will be willed by the gods to see her nakedness? Where is that big chested man that would touch her crowns, her beads, and her glory?

But Ereyei, the principal of Ereama Grammar school, had settled issues with Anda Luisa. She was a final year student and she captured his attention when she was in senior Secondary year two. Actually many teachers and town men, wanted Luisa Anda for a wife. But she was too conservative; too reserved for all of them. She swore to keep her virginity pure. And she meant it. Her affairs with Ereyei were in dark secret. Easy going Ereyei was able to keep his mouth shut. Nothing filtered out of both mouths. It was a perfect fine arrangement devoid of rancour, and wrinkles.

However, Ereyei's inside had no peace; he was troubled. His love for his dear wife-Ebiotu was great. It was a perfect relationship in which the bond was transcendental. Ereyei was a Christian, and he always spoke of oneness in his relationship with Ebiotu; he always spoke of an invisible hand pulling both of them to eternity. Ereyei would be sick if Ebiotu travelled for some days. The same happened to Ebiotu. And that was why Ebiotu almost died when she did not see her beloved in that thick dark night of horror. That was why for days she could not eat well when Ereyei refused to tell her what caused him to be found in that dark night at the lonely dark rest house. She knew something fundamental was wrong; she knew all was not well, but Ereyei the only one she knew in a world of upheavals was not ready to tell her the secrets.

"Why is Ereyei's heart growing dark, like that dark night? Why? Something is wrong. Well he has right to have a change of heart if he wishes. But he has not loved me less. There is still fire in this love. It is the unfortunate thing; my childlessness, yes, my childlessness; my barrenness; it is the central issue; the major hard nut that cannot be cracked." These were words Ebiotu poured out in her lonely mouth. These were words of pain which flowed out of her inside when Ereyei travelled just after the rest house episode.