She
rushed out of the house with a heavy load on her head, drastically she
moved without minding what would become of the baby in her womb. She had
been cheated by nature many times, now, she wanted to go and face her
'Chi' and ask her why she torment her with a child that could not come
and stay. She thrust all the things she met on her way aside and ran as
fast as her legs could carry her. All that she wanted is to get to the
other phase of the world where the pains of motherhood won't hurt her
again. The pains that pierced through her body every year does not make
her a successful woman but a failure as she see herself. She must go and
see her 'Chi' and know from her if she was a worst kind of woman that
calamity would befall her all the time. Last week, she lost her husband,
Obikaku, who went hunting and couldn't return home again. He only told
them that he was going to check his traps in the bush and he never
returned home again. He didn't return home to see his family. He didn't
say goodbye to them, he didn't bring the bush meat he promised to bring
to the family. He just left; went to the otherside of the world where
human souls speak of truths and honest, then left them here to perish
where demons hunt for human souls. He left them with nothing but a
broken promises that bleed blood. He left them with debts to pay; debt
of palm wines, his age grade meetings, the goods he bought on credit. He
left with so much debt that his fifth generation won't be able to pay.
And now on the ground is her son, Obigbo, who collapsed this morning.
The
earth has mocked her enough, the sun has baptised her enough with
suffering, she wanted to end it all; end the madness that look at them
like a friend but he is an enemy; enemy of progress. The air has
tortured them enough, the water now look at them like people without
hope. The dancing of the grasses around her home does not mean the
grasses are happy for her, but the dance signified anger; anger and
pains in their side, pains; because she has failed the world as a woman
who lost all she had in the cold hands of death and, anger; because she
has no one to talk to as a child except that which laid on the ground
lifelessly.
She kept moving at a faster pace without looking
back. Her hair looked dirty and unkept, on her was a tattered cloth
which foretells the future. All the veins in her body stood, her breast
kept thrusting her backward but she continued in her race with the
demons of frustration that followed urging her to commit the suicide in
her mind, her head; heavy with an emotions so rare to find among humans.
"Ugonma! Ugonma!! Some screeched in fear.
"Come back! Come back and don't kill yourself!
Others shouted going after her.
"Life is unfair" some waved their heads in pity.
At
the midst of the madness in the air, she was caught in between death
and life. The men held her to their ransom. While she barked and cursed
the air, and beat them but they didn't mind. They bundled her home
desperately. At home, they saw Obigbo on the ground, sprawling like a
person that overfed himself. He looked pale, skinny like a person who is
being chased by a fierce death. The people that gathered took pity on
him.
" I want to die and meet my 'Chi' then ask her why she
is punishing me like this, in this condition of pain. I want to die! I
want to die! Leave me alone! Enough of this pains and poverty life. I
want to die.". Ugonma kept ranting on the ground where two men kept
guide on her.
Looking at the little boy of ten years old on
the ground, many mouths began to wag and give out their suggestions why
Ugonma has taken the step she took. Many knew she lost two children last
year, Obiulo and chiamaka, and last two years, she also lost a boy,
Onwubiko. Now the skeletal body on the ground seemed in a hurry to go,
to leave her again and join the others. Some promised to take Obigbo to
the hospital to be taken care off while others promised to assist Ugonma
in terms of her family upkeep. Maybe that would show her that the
people still cares about her.
In less than an hour, Obigbo
was carried by some men shoulder high into a car with his mother and the
vehicle drove off towards the southern part of the village. As they
went along the wet road, the leaves of the trees waved in joy, the
birds chirped in their nests, the breeze drove many papers in the air.
Right in behind the road are men and women coming back from Farm, some
have pans on their heads while some with cutlasses and some, a hoe or
spade. They were all happy people, smiling and laughing. Ugonma wondered
why her life is different from theirs, why she is not like others. She
took pity on herself and managed to give out a weak smile after looking
at Obigbo and discovered that he was now breathing normal. When they got
to the hospital, Obigbo was brought down from the vehicle by two men
who volunteered to follow them. The driver helped Ugonma out and they
went straight into the emergence ward so that Obigbo could be treated as
soon as possible.
Two months later,
Obigbo came back well and hearty. Ugonma was joyful, joyful because the
once lost child is back to normal and bubbling with life. Ugonma
looked forward to the day she would have the money to send him the
school of his choice. That day she would be taking him to school among
other children. But not quite long, Chief Okeosisi visited, he was a
business associate to her late Husband, Obikaku, he came for his money;
the money that Obikaku was owning him before he died, he signed a deal
with him that if he could not pay up his debts that his son should serve
him as a slave until he could save up the money owned.
His
stomach was as big as the surface of a mortar used for pounding yam. His
head, small and shaped like a coconut but fashionably shaped in a
fashionable manner. He wore Agbada with an embroided design on it. He
looked good and fashionable. When Ugonma saw him in the room, her heart
jumped out from her stomach racing through the sinful cold ground. She
looked confused looking from one angle of the tattered striped house to
the other. The baking of another problem has just begun.
"I
don't need to introduce myself anymore, I'm no longer a stranger here.
You know my deal with your late husband, Obikaku. It is either my money
or your son is leaving here today with me. You chose one." Chief
Okeosisi explained, face up.
" Chief...em..em..em.chief." Ugonma stammered
"Keep
quiet! Quiet woman!! I will not hesitate to drag him along with me if
you refuse. My farmlands need labourers, if you are not blind, you will
see many of those boys and girls outside, they are from my debtors. Some
I will marry and some, I will make my slaves and; some will work in my
plantations and your son is not better than them".
"Endure for a while, Chief, I will pay you before this month ends" ugonma pleaded.
"Lele,
chelukwa! Where do you have in mind to get the money? In fact woman, I
don't need my money again, I need that boy to serve me, Inugo! Obigbo!
Obigbo!! Where are you? Come over here we are going home now."
"Chief,
chief, chief, you can't do this to me. Please temper justice with
mercy. I will pay you in due time". Ugonma pleaded on her kneels.
"Your
husband said the same thing before he died, now I won't look back on
your tears, no! Fair exchange is no robbery." Chief okeosisi ranted here
and there in annoyance.
"Please Chief, just give me more
time, None but the brave deserve the fair, a drowning man will always
clutch at a straw. As a twig is bent so the tree's inclined. I have been
brave many times, answer the calls I make now; for we never miss the
water till the well runs dry.". Ugonma wailed on the ground pleading.
"
We always set a thief to catch a thief, he was a thief before he died
but so unfortunate I didn't catch him. None so deaf as those who will
not hear the beating of the drums in the market place. Fine words butter
no parsnips. I have to do that which is in my mind"
Fiercely,
he dragged Obigbo outside without even allowing him to take one or two
cloth from the house. He cried and screamed for help but none came to
his rescue. By now many people had gathered in front of the house
watching what was going on between Ugonma and Chief Okeosisi. Many
people knew him to be a hard man, who hard-hit people because they were
poor. He never pity his prey whenever they fall in his trap. Some of
those that he took their children as his slaves came around also,
pleading and begging to no avail. The village torn into two as people
wailed here and there just because of Chief Okeosisi rudeness. They were
under the same cloud of frustration but no hope seen, even the king
can't help.
Some pleaded with Chief Okeosisi but he didn't
listen rather he dragged Obigbo along with him and others. Immediately
Obigbo was dragged out of the room, ugonma fainted on the ground in
tears. She began to bleed profoundly. Many women rushed to her but they
were too late to save her life, too late to save the baby in her womb,
too late to help to couple togther the madness in the air, too late to
break a silent that chip off the old block that had built a home in the
heart of Ugonma; she was gone, gone with her baby, gone leaving her
only surviving palm fruit in this wicked forest called life.
When
Obigbo heard the scream of one of the ladies among the women that
rushed to help his mother, he knew that something has happened. He was
dead-beat. He wanted to free himself from chief Okeosisi' hand but he
couldn't. Desperately, he snatched a digger that a girl among them was
holding and stabbed himself on the stomach. The world became silence to
him, a film like a dark cloud covered his face and he was gone to join
his mother. Every was frozen, not even the living was moving.
(C) John Chizoba Vincent
All Right Reserved '16
