Chapter Two

The discussion Emeka had with his mother kept ringing in his head. He thought severally on how best to handle the situation but could not arrive at a meaningful conclusion.

His mind kept on wandering from one beautiful girl he has seen to another. He was in a dilemma in finding out the one that will fit into his mother's description about a woman with virtue but none perfectly suit well. Some of the girls in his mind where extremely beautiful but are identified with one bad character or the other.

This development made him moody for some days until he came to the realization that worrying about it cannot solve the problem rather it can detoriate his health condition of which he has started experiencing after loss of appetite and countless sleepless nights.

It was on one of such sleepless nights that Emeka realized that it is a truism that powers from the spirit realm pervade the night. He has been hearing it as a superstition but its reality dawned on him on this faithful night. After managing to swallow few balls of pounded fufu with egusi soup, his favourite meal. He laid down on his rafta bed to rest only for his mind to wander to his immediate problem.

Emeka spent many long hours pondering over his problem. He kept tossing to and fro as sleep vanished from his eyes. This has become his new found way of life for which cause he was getting slimmer and slimmer every day. As he was still lost in his thoughts in the middle of the night, many contradictory ideas kept flooding his head.

He was jolted to reality by a hushing sound coming from nearby. At first, it seemed like a trance, or dream, he could not decipher which it was, as cold shivers ran through his veins. He was completely overtaken by fear upon hearing the sound again to the effect that he jumped out of his with the little strength left in him. On standing up, his legs started carving in to the weight of his frame. He crashed to the floor, his body hot and filled with dripping sweats. Dizziness was gradually overpowering him as he heard the hooting of an owl. It was as if the owl perched on his head. Gradually he started loosing his sight as the dimly lit hurricane lamp gradually faded away. He laid still on the ground where he slumped down and was overtaken by the powerful hands of sleep.

Emeka's sleep for the remaining part of the night was haunted by nightmares, where he saw a giant and horrifying looking bird pursuing him. He was running with all his strength but it seemed as if he was marking time in one place. The giant bird was drawing closer and closer towards him. As the bird swooped low as if to peck his eyes out, he started shouting and then sprang up with force.

It took him a while to recollect his environment even as he wondered while he was lying on the bare floor. Gradually, bit by bit he started putting together the incident of the night. To him, this was the worst night of his life. There and then he resolved to maintain a natural balance of labouring in the day and sleeping in the night instead of having sleepless nights as a result of worry, orchestrated by his quest to identify his soul mate. He took solace in the saying that what you need will come to you at the perfect time.

...

The rainy season was gradually setting in and Emeka who is a farmer started clearing the farm and gathering seedlings. The farm work helped him escape from his thoughts on how to embark on the adventure of getting a virtuous wife.

Being a hardworking young man, he followed the footsteps of his father, an industrious farmer who until his death was renowned throughout the village and even beyond for his king size tubers of yam. He was addressed with the flattery title, Ezeji. He transferred his occupation to his son as is the tradition of the people of Eru.

Emeka, handsome and strong, attracted the attention of many maidens in the village. He desired some but his mother's words about a virtuous woman kept resounding in his head. He restrained himself from starting a relationship with any of them and decided to search keenly for a woman with good character for a woman's beauty is her character.

Like all good farmers, Emeka began to sow after three rainfalls. He spent many days preparing his seed-yams. He watched each yam carefully to determine whether they are good for sowing. Sometimes he set a yam aside and split it into two or more parts with his sharp knife, depending on the size, after determining it was too big to be sown. His sisters helped him by fetching the yams from the barn with long woven baskets. The ones that were not selected are taken back to the house to be used as food.

The best form of eating the unselected is using it to make fufu by pounding it. Men especially the elderly ones enjoy this type of food more to the extent that a man can even beat up his wife for declining to pound yam fufu for him at his demand. Pounded yam fufu can be eaten with different types of soup most especially the soup prepared with the seedling of bush mango fruit. A man once said that he feels like a baby whenever he is eating this type of soup, most especially when he dips the fufu inside it and takes it into his mouth with the rope like string of the the soup drawing sensationally as it goes into his mouth.

Women who know their onions use this type of food to hold their husbands to their sides upon the realization that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

During the dry season, most people prefer eating the yam when roasted with red oil, sliced oil bean, scent leaf and other local condiments that gives the food an alluring aroma.

Emeka's dream of marrying a virtuous wife was realized one hot afternoon as he was returning from the farm. The intensity of the sun which heralds a heavy rainfall was too much for him to bear. He sat down on a shady tree trunk along the bush path, dehydrated. He was on the verge of loosing consciousness when a young girl who was returning from farm saw him and came to his rescue. She quickly rushed to the stream with the water bottle she took to farm which have now become empty. By the time she came back, Emeka has already lost consciousness. She used the water to resuscitate him. When he regained consciousness, he enquired of her name. She told him her name is Nkpuruma.

After the accidental meeting along the bush path, Emeka and Nkpurumma started meeting frequently and the relationship blossomed to the point of inciting marriage discussions between the two families.

Emeka was accompanied on his first visit to Nkpuruma's family by his uncle Ichie Anuka. They carried along with them a basket-full of king size yams and a gourd of freshly tapped palm wine ordered from Diochi Okonkwo, the most famous palm wine tapper in Eru, known for selling unadulterated palm wine. They also went along with a bottle of dry gin as demanded by the tradition of the land.

On their arrival to the house of Okwudili, Nkpurumma's father, they were well received by the head of the family. Afterwards, kola kola was given to them but Ichie Anuka returned the bowl of kolanut to Okwudili to break it for the kola of the king is best in the hand of the king.

Accordingly, Okwudili picked one of the konanuts and started praying

"Chukwuokike, I greet you,

Our ancestors, I greet you all,

Kola has come.

Eke, I greet you,

May you purify us, and make us holy.

Orie, I greet you,

May you bring us valour and bravery.

Afor, I greet you,

May you keep us safe and all that we have safe.

Nkwor, I greet you,

May you give us life and fertility.

He that brings kola brings life;

I ask for the life of me and my family,

I also ask for the life of my visitor and his family.

We will live and they will also live,

Let he that visits not bring disaster to us

And while going may he not develop a hunch back.

He that wants to harm or kill me, may same fate befall him.

Let the eagle perch,

Let the kite also perch.

Any that does not want another to perch, may the tree cast it away.

It shall be well with us on Eke day, Orie Day, Afor Day and Nkwo Day."

Iseeeeeeee... Chorused Ichie Anuka, "it shall be as you have prayed."

After this, Maazi Okwudili broke the kola nut and it fell into four lobes.

This is good, he exclaimed, showing it for the others to see.

It represents our market days.

He picked a lobe and threw it outside saying

"Chukwuokike, this is for you."

Thereafter, he took a lobe and threw it into his mouth and handed over the remaining two lobes to Ichie Anuka and Emeka and they ate it with alligator pepper.

Npurumma's father also presented to them a gourd of palm wine which was shared by Emeka, the youngest male in the gathering. While they were drinking, Okwudili asked for the reason behind their August visit to his house.

"A toad does not run in the day time in vain," Ichie Anuka replied.

"We saw a ripe palm fruit in your compound and my brothers son (pointing to Emeka), brought me here to know whether it is available for harvest."

"Ichie," said Okwudili. "Many interpretations can be given to your words and it is not right for me to make an assumption while you can just tell me in plain language or are you interested in buying one of my palm trees?" He asked.

"No no no", replied Ichie Anuka

"I am talking about your daughter Nkpurumma, My cousin have indicated interest in marrying her."

"OK, you are welcome, you have spoken well."

You came for a good thing. Your journey is the the journey of water and not the journey of wood.

You are welcome once again. I will reason with my daughter concerning your intention and give you a reply in two market weeks, concluded Maazi Okwudili as the visitors stood up to go.

...

Two days after the visit of Ichie Anuka and Emeka to Okwudili's homestead, Okwudili in the presence of his wife summons Nkpurumma after dinner and started addressing her.

"My daughter, you have been well trained by I and your mother. We are happy that you have grown into a beautiful and responsible young woman. In fact, we are proud of you. There are two stages in a woman's life. The stage where she is accountable to the father and the stage where she is accountable to a husband. I am only your father, I cannot be your husband. You are now mature and ripe for marriage. I want to ask you a question. Do you know anybody answering Emeka?"

"Yes Papa", she replied.

"He came here with his uncle two days ago and he said he wants to marry you. Would you like him to be your husband?" He asked.

Nkpurumma became speechless. She stood drawing invincibly on the ground with her leg with her face downwards. She could not utter a word, she was visibly shy.

"Is it not a human being am talking to?" Shouted her father.

"Or are you deaf and dumb?" He reiterated, as she stood transfixed to a spot.

"I I I I I I....," she nimbled inaudibly.

"Speak my friend and stop wasting my time before Amadioha will strike you dumb with thunder," he shouted. Still there was no reply.

"Bia, this child, stop testing my patience. You have not answered my question", Maazi Okwudili shouted again.

"I will ask again, do you want him to be your husband?" He repeated. "Mmm," she nibbled, "he treats me well, she said sluggishly. I will think about it papa. I am not sure papa but I will give mama an answer tomorrow."

"Hmmm, sighed Maazi Okwudili, "children and their connection with their mothers. So you cannot give me an answer until you have spoken with your mother?" He asked rhetorically.

"It is alright, I shall await your answer so that I will know what reply I will give to our visitors. You may go now," he said, dismissing her.

Few minutes later, Nkpurumma sneaked into her mothers hut. "Mama, it is about papas question to me. I cant wait tomorrow to give you the answer. I didnt want to give papa an answer because I wanted to discuss it with you first."

"My daughter", she replied. "You did what is expected of a well trained child. I am proud of you. I cannot interfere in your choice of a husband but all I will tell you is to follow your heart, it will not mislead you."

"Thank you mama, she answered back. Emeka is a good man and he treats me well. In fact he is every womans dream husband. I will like to be his wife". Please give papa my answer.

"Ok my daughter," she replied. "A message sent through the smoke will definitely get to heaven," she reiterated.

"Thank you mama, good night," she said as she dashed out into the darkness towards her hut with the feeling that she has offloaded a heavy load from her mind.

That night, she slept peacefully and even had a beautiful dream where she lived happily with Emeka.

...

Akunna, the first child of Emeka and Nkpurumma; and her siblings love listening to grandma's stories because of how beautiful and real they seem as well as the numerous lessons attached to it.

They barely finished their dinner before rushing into grandma's room because of the promise she made to them to tell them a real story that happened a long time ago.

"Grandma, please tell us a story about tortoise and the animal kingdom," said Akunna, the first child of Emeka.

"Grandma please, grandma please, grandma please," joined Akunna's siblings.

"OK, my children. I will tell you a story but not about the animal kingdom and its fictions. Today I will tell you a story about the human kingdom and the realities of life so that you will know that life is a mystery, and as you grow it will become clearer to you.

Now listen to my story."