3 In his mind...

Now in Igbo land, the Obiri is the usual place where visitors are entertained, every man relaxes and drinks palm wine at his obiri. In fact, all important decisions are made there. Every compound in Igbo land has its own obiri – an open hut set apart in front of the compound. It is open because they believe the walls have ears and anyone could be eavesdropping, therefore, it is better kept open to see anybody within hearing distance. This is the usual place where Mazi Ojika, Ego's father, usually stayed to drink his wine and receive fresh air, but unlike other nights, he chose to stay outside, under the stars.

Nnanna kept throwing stones and when it got to the fifth throw and Ego did not come out, he knew something was wrong because usually, it takes just two throws for her to come and meet him. He made up his mind to go inside and check on her as Ego had told him how her father, a well known drunk, after imbibing more than seven kegs of palm wine, comes back home to rain down abuses on her and her mother, and sometimes even beat and lock them up.

In his mind, he had mapped out his rescue mission and the happiness that would be on Ego's face when he rescues her. Someone has to step up and stand up to that alcoholic and teach him a lesson he would not forget in a hurry; that person was him. So, he sneaked into the compound through the same way Ego told him she comes out.

On getting to the front of Ego's hut, he met Mazi Ojika seated with a cup of palm wine, watching the moon and enjoying himself. Nnanna wanted to hide but he wasn't fast enough as Mazi Ojika sighted him and immediately reached for the gun that was beside him and pointed it at him ready to shoot at any slight misbehaviour. Ojika might be a drunk but he was also one of the best hunters in the entire village.

"Who are you?" he shouted with a voice raging like thunder.

"Nna anyi it is me! Nnanna, Mazi Okoro's son" he responded in broken words frightened at the sight of Mazi Ojika with a gun.

"What are you looking for in my compound at this time of the night?" he inquired with his hands now on the trigger.

Nnanna met what he hadn't bargained for, and for him to leave this place alive; he had to come up with a quick lie "I came to look for our ewu ojii that hasn't returned home for the past three nights," Nnanna said still trembling because he knew the man was already drunk as three kegs of palm wine lay wasted on the ground beside him.

"So you are the idiot throwing stones on my roof?" He asked coming closer to him with the gun still pointed.

Seeing the man coming closer to him, Nnanna quickly went down on his knees and shouted in fear "No... Nna anyi, it is not me oh!"

"It must be you! He yelled, "You are using it to chase out your goat right?" He asked.

"No Nna anyi, how can I throw stones into your compound especially on your roof? He asked rhetorically.

Ejika heard her husband shouting and rushed out to find him with a gun pointing at Nnanna. She quickly went down her knees and pleaded with him

"Dim! Dim oma! Please put down the gun, so you don't mistakenly shoot this young man".

Ojika paid no attention to his wife; instead called out

"Ego! Come out here immediately"

Ego has been snooping from behind her door, praying that her father doesn't shoot her lover. Hearing her name, she quickly rushed out to answer his call pretending like she doesn't know what was going on.

"Nna anyi!" she answered lightly bowing down.

"Nne, did you see any black goat in this compound today?"

Ego knowing that this was an opportunity to set her lover free answered in the positive.

"Yes Nna anyi, I saw a pregnant black goat pass here this evening". She responded pointing at the back of her hut.

"Is the goat pregnant?" He asked Nnanna.

Nnanna nodded indicating a yes response.

"Young man, do you think am joking with you? Do you think I can see your head right now?" He yelled at him.

"I said yes that it is a pregnant goat" Nnanna yelled back out of fear.

After a few seconds, he gradually brought down the gun and said

"So you don't know you should look for a black goat when there is still light? You are lucky my daughter just affirmed your story. I would have shot you on the leg for trespassing and then send you home. If your father or any member of your family comes here asking for trouble, they too would meet the same fate. Nne, show this young man the path you saw the goat take".

"Ok Nna anyi" Ego replied.

"Nna anyi thank you," Nnanna said getting up from the ground.

Mazi Ojika gave him a surprised look and yelled "Young man, did I ask you to stand up?" he said raising his rusted gun back up at him.

Nnanna quickly went back on his knees to avoid trouble and said

"No Nna anyi, you did not".

On seeing how speedily he went back on his knees Mazi Ojika burst into laughter. He laughs for a short while before asking

"I thought you are the dimgba of Umudibia?"

"Yes, I am oh," Nnanna said still on his knees confused at the behaviour of the man.

"And you are this scared of a drunk man with an unloaded gun?" he asked still laughing.

Hearing that the gun wasn't loaded, everyone including Nnanna burst into serious laughter. He stood up and said

"I was scared because I thought the gun was loaded. I can remember vividly the day we went hunting with you. That day, I watched you gun down a big wild cat from a far distance with just one shot. On our way home we were discussing the whole incident and especially how good you are with the gun. That day my father warned me to never step on your toes".

Feeling proud Mazi Ojika said

"Your father was right, and you are wise to have obeyed him because even when drunk I still don't miss"

He said then came forward to shake hands with Nnanna then continued

"I would have offered you palm wine but all the kegs are empty and I can't give you the last one currently in my cup as it is the sweetest".

"Nna anyi thank you, I drank some before coming out". Nnanna said as he declined his offer.