Chapter Four

Uwaifo waited patiently on a lonely stretch of road through which Omoye normally passes to the market and hid himself among the bushes. As soon as he saw her approach, he jumped out and sauntered towards her on his walking stick. He was looking his best and had a beautiful gold necklace hanging around his rather long neck.

“Greetings Pretty One,” he saluted and bowed slightly still clutching his walking stick.

“I salute you Uwaifo. How are you?” Everyone knew Uwaifo because of his cunning nature and ability to tell good jokes. “Fine, thank you, Beautiful One,” Uwaifo replied making sure the gold necklace was visible. It shone brightly from the rays of the sun reflected on it. “Are you on your way to the —”

“Is that thing around your neck real gold or imitation?” she interrupted him.

“How can it be imitation, Beautiful One? Am I now too poor to own one of these?” he asked, feigning anger. “Ah. Not so now, Uwaifo. Have I said that just now?”

“Well, for your information, I have several of these at home.” Omoye’s eyes opened wide in shock. “Really, Uwaifo?”

“Yes of course. If you doubt me, just follow me and see for yourself.”

“Follow you home?” Omoye asked surprised. “Well, you all accuse Uwaifo of being cunning. How do I prove to you I am not being cunning now if you don’t follow me home and see the twelve pieces?”

“Twelve pieces!” Omoye screamed. “Yes, twelve pieces. You know my house is on your route to the market, so you may as well see them if you want,” he said.

Omoye was lost in thought for a while.” Okay, but I will not stay more than a minute, “she stated.

“No problems at all,” he said and sauntered on his walking stick towards his house as fast as he could move. True to Uwaifo’s words, Omoye saw eleven other pieces of the gold necklace when they got to Uwaifo’s house. Her eyes sparkled in admiration.

“Wow! So it is true after all,” she said drooling over the items.

“Touch them and confirm they are not fake,” Uwaifo urged passing them over to her. Omoye was carried away. “Who would have thought you, of all people, can amass all of these. They must have cost a fortune!”

“Of course, they have. Nothing good comes easy or cheap, you know. Would you want some of these?” he knew he had to thread softly.

“Which woman wouldn’t,” she replied and they both laughed. “What would you pay for them?” he asked.

“Well, my dear husband promised me one at the end of the harvesting season but, I must confess, that is no where as beautiful as these. Money, money, money!” “I did not say how much can you pay. I said what can you pay for several of them?”

“Did you say several of them?” It sounded incredible to Omoye. Uwaifo appeared lost in thought then said hesitantly. “There are, well, er, many ways, er, a woman can pay for such items without money, you know.”

Omoye's jaw dropped.

“What are you insinuating, Uwaifo?”

“Me, insinuate? I am not insinuating anything o,” he stated but the message had been sent. A heavy silence followed. Soon, Omoye’s heartbeat seemed to have increased and she got up to go. Uwaifo felt he had been defeated. He played his joker. “You can think about it till next week. I can give you six of these, Omoye,” he explained calling her by name for the first time and tapping her lightly on her lap. Omoye could not breathe properly again. Six of these, she wondered. “Let us wait till next week then,” she said and headed for the door. “You can come at exactly the same time. My wife would be at the market then,” he said. Omoye stepped out and banged the door loudly.

At exactly the same time the following week, Omoye was at Uwaifo’s house.

“My husband must not hear of this,” she said. “You can trust me, “Uwaifo replied making for the loose end of her wrapper. There was no time to waste. Uwaifo made love to her thrice within a short time and gave her six pieces of the gold necklaces. It was heavenly. He took time to note the dark birth mark on her right breast in case the Oba asked for proof of his success.

It was at the next council meeting that the Oba summoned Uwaifo to narrate his escapade with Omoye to the hearing of all after Efosa, in his usual manner, sharply rebuked a maid who mistakenly splashed water on one of the chiefs while serving lunch.

“My wife would never make such a mistake, you know,” he said sarcastically and laughed heartily.

Uwaifo took time to explain how delicious Omoye had been.

“Liar!” Efosa screamed laughing hysterically. When Uwaifo mentioned the birth mark on her right breast and went on to describe the shape of the breasts and nipples, Efosa stormed out in shame in a fit of rage that threatened to choke him. It was the turn of the Oba and his council to laugh and they did heartily. They were all pleased Efosa would now be humble.

“Oba ghatokpere! Ise!” The chiefs screamed in unison.

The story of how Efosa brutally murdered his wife-Omoye- is still told in Benin till date. The story does not end here, however. After confirming the Oba’s involvement, Efosa decided to avenge the hard way. He plotted his move carefully, after all, it takes two to tango, he reasoned.

His Majesty King Ayegba Om’Idoko of Igala land summoned an emergency meeting as soon as the sentries stationed around the Inachalo River brought the information from the spies in Jukun land of an imminent attack from the Tor Jukun and his warriors. The spies said they counted close to twenty thousand warriors on ground who were set to attack.

Ayegba knew he could barely raise five thousand warriors in an emergency situation so he summoned the meeting pro-actively to find a way out.

The meeting was at an advanced stage when the sentries stationed around the Benin border with Igala land demanded an urgent audience with the king.

After initially refusing them entrance, the king’s chief guard soon allowed them in after hearing the message the three men came with.

“Agabaidu!” They greeted prostrating before the king. “May your reign be long, your majesty.”

The king’s bards momentarily joined in eulogizing the king with a flutist playing beautifully in the background for a while before the king silenced them. He knew whatever news the sentries had to deliver must be very important for them to have been allowed in.

“The Oba of Benin is planning to attack Igala land and expand his territory?” He asked the sentries after hearing their message.

“Yes, your majesty,” they confirmed. For a moment, there was confusion and pandemonium threatened to be let loose among the people gathered, important dignitaries from all over Igala land.

“We are here planning how to defend ourselves against the Jukun warriors and you say the Benin people are planning theirs too?” The war general asked rhetorically. He is Ogbadu’s father.

"Elelelele! One of the old advisers cried out. It was a cry of agony of impending doom among the Igala people.

“Shut up, Acheneje!” The king yelled at him.” Are you a woman?”

At the end of deliberations, it was decided only the gods could deliver the Igala people from imminent doom and, as such, Baba Abejuka, the spokesman of the gods, should be sent for with immediate effect. Seven servants were instantly sent out to begin the search for him.

What the Igala people did not know, however, was that Efosa was the one who bribed the sentries from proceeds he got from selling Omoye’s jewels to deliver the message they just did. At about the same time they were delivering their own message, another set of sentries Efosa had equally bribed, were telling the Oba of Benin that Igala warriors were preparing to attack Benin. It was a carefully mapped out ploy to cause war between the two neighbours.

As soon as Efosa saw the coded fire message go up in various parts of Benin to warn all warriors to be on alert, he knew his plan was working and he laughed heartily.