Prof. Lene

May 19, 2022

The American Dollar

(A short story by Lene Ododomu)

Chief Egede and his family were the most blessed people in Ofoni village. They have many farm lands and the full owner of the crude oil in the community. But happiness has never become their friend because they have no access to these properties which rightfully belong to them, rather the High Authority in the land claimed them.

The sons of Chief Egede were radical boys in the village and they formed a group called 'The Militant Group'. So they started kidnapping the whites who were sent by the High Authority to inspect the crude oil in the village, and also beat those who are hired by the High Authority to work on the farm lands. This caused serious problem and disturbance to the High Authority, so they sent soldiers to fight the sons of Chief Egede. It became so difficult for the soldiers to defeat the radical boys and they were brutally killed by them, because the radical boys were fully fortified with the power of egbesu, the premodial and supreme god of the Ijaw people.

However, Deripatei, the beautiful daughter of Chief Egede got married to Dr. Musa who became the head of the High Authority in 2007. Dr. Musa stopped the conflict between the High Authority and his brother in-laws, the radical boys, who are also called the "Niger Delta Militants". He reconciled peace by returning the properties which were caged by the High Authority. He granted freedom for the radical boys and gave some of them free education to study abroad, and he enrolled some of them who are not educated for skill work. So this brought happiness to the family and the entire community. Unfortunately, Dr. Musa became ill and eventually died of heart and kidney disease at Ukraine.

The tradition of the land accepted liveration whereby Deripatei was given the privilege to marry her late husband's brother named Ebitebe, who is a devoted christian and God fearing man. According to the tradition, Ebitebe is permitted to continue the marriage with his late brother's wife for four years before he would return with her to her people to renew the marriage which inturn makes him, her true husband.

As Ebitebe continued the marriage with her in 2009, he followed the foot steps of his late brother, Dr. Musa by bringing the same peace and development to his in-laws and the entire village. So when the four years for the renewal of the marriage came, the people accepted him and he was given the go ahead to marry his lovely wife, Deripatei.

The mind is never satisfied with the objects immediately before it, but is always breaking away from the present moment, and losing itself in schemes of future filicity. The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from ambition to ambition. Humans cannot be satisfied whatever thing you do for them, especially when they see something that is more higher than the present one. This was the mind of Chief Egede and his family. A man called Dankiki came to the village of Deripatei and visited her parents that he wants to marry her, that she is suffering in the hands of Ebitebe. He showed them an American dollar which they were convinced that he is the rightful one who can bring them more development and advancement.

Ebitebe tried all his possible best to develop these people, his in-laws but they turned against him, that they want change. The American Dollar was their breakfast, lunch and dinner. They dreamt of it whenever they sleep, and used it as daily song. They worshiped it like God, and even the beating of the egbesu drum was singing the name of this American dollar. They believed that Dankiki is capable of marrying their daughter and will turn the entire community into that of American city.

Ebitebe's in-laws started protesting that he must be changed, and their sister must divorce him. They abused him, and even made a cofin of him in the protest ground to bury his name alive so that he would not be seen close to their sister. But he told them that he is the most abusive and insulted in-law they have ever had, but when he divorce their sister and return her home for them, they would remember his deeds and development they enjoyed through him and his late brother. This touched their bones but ingrate and ambition caused them to ignore him.

In 2015, Ebitebe returned his wife, Deripatei to her people in the village. But still they will have to do selection among the two men namely: Ebitebe and Dankiki who will marry their daughter as the tradition of the land demand.

However, the selection will be made by the family which would be used to know the man who is capable of marrying their daughter. So the whole village gathered in the village square and the family of Egede were asked to form a line, and also Ebitebe and Dankiki were asked to stand on the two sides of Deripatei, that is, one stand by the right side and the other one on the left side, while Deripatei was in the middle before the two men. Then, the selection started and they both made their choices which about 99% of them rejected Ebitebe for Dankiki, but the few that chose him knew that he was a good and God fearing man who brought development to the family.

However, Ebitebe did not feel bad, neither he did not hold anything against his in-laws. He peacefully handed the wife to Dankiki and told him that he should take good care of her, and then he returned to his people and settled down.

After Dankiki successfully married Deripatei, he stopped his in-laws from entering his house, not even to be seen around his gate. Then hunger started, and the worse was that, he bribed the High Authority to withdraw all his in-laws from school and stop the ones who were doing skill work, and he also siezed their properties.

The pain became unbearable, so Chief Egede visited his son in-law, Dankiki, to remind him of his promises. But Dankiki ordered his boys to throw him out of his house like a slave. He felt disgraced and insulted. Also, he became ashamed to return to his land to tell his people what the in-law did to him. He then pretended that nothing happened as he got home.

The pain became serious and worse, so Chief Egede's sons and a few others decided to visit Dankiki despite the fact that they are restricted from entering Dankik's house. When they got to his house, a battalion of soldiers were fully armed waiting for them at the gate of Dankiki house, but they summoned courage and approached them. The soldiers refused them to enter the compound and wanted to beat them up, but Dankiki came out and stopped the soldiers. Then he told his brother in-laws that he never planned to help them with his American dollar, but he used it to deceive them to achieve what he wanted and also punish them for their foolishness for exchanging their joy, birth right and happiness with money. He told them that they were born with the blood of Esau in the Bible who exchanged his birth right in exchange of one day food, and they can see how foolish Esau is. He also told them that he wanted them to learn from their mistakes so that they would be wise to select a good husband for their sister next time. They felt so bad and disappointed, but they said to themselves that a man who carelessly lost his golden ring in the river would not blame the river but himself. So they returned home and blamed themselves for being foolish and ingrate to their former in-law, Ebitebe who always wanted the best for them like his late brother, Dr. Musa.

Chief Egede and his children went to Ebitebe to ask for forgiveness, and if possible to beg him to re-marry Deripatei. As a devoted christian and kind hearted man, he forgave all of them but did not accept to marry her again, instead wanted another man from his family to marry her..... because he believes that if she marries from Dankiki's family again, the suffering of her family would be worse.

The tradition of the land demanded that Dankiki still has the right to continue marrying his wife, Deripatei for four years to complete, before a new day of selection would be made to save Chief Egede and his family from this punishment. In the cause of this bitter experience, Chief Egede and his family had an important meeting to plan how to save their daughter and the family. They concluded that the only solution, is to have one voice, be wise and come out massively to choose a God fearing husband for their daughter, Deripatei, so that they can be freed from this punishment. They started waiting for the day to come like farmers who are waiting for a rain to fall.

However, when the day finally came, the whole community gathered again at the village square. Then four suitors came out from Dankik's family and while four also came out from Ebitebe's family. The family of Chief Egede were asked to queu up as usual form of the tradition to make their selection. To restore the peace for the family, they rejected all the suitors from Dankik's family and selected a man called Powei who was among the four suitors from Ebitebe's family to marry Deripatei.

Just few time after the marriage, Powei uncaged the properties of Chief Egede's family that were siezed by the High Authority, and sent the children back to school including the ones learning skill work which retrieved happiness to the family and the entire community.

About the Author

Lene Ododomu is a student of English and Literature in the University of Abuja. He hails from Whygirigha-Arogbo, Ondo state, Nigeria. He attended primary school in his place of birth, and finished his secondary school at Derimobo Model College, Arogbo. He was a one time PRO of Derimobo Model College Old Student Association (DMCOSA), and now the Vice President of the Association. He is a legislative member of the National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies (NASELS) University of Abuja chapter, and also the current Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Body. He is a poet, playwright, novelist, critics etc.

Phone: 07065053810

Email: proflene676@gmail.com

Short story