27/05/2021
A LONELY ROAD (Episode 2, Season 1)
Crying was the only way Onyeka could express how she felt within. At first, she laid on her back but everywhere still ached, the gentle breeze that traveled from the east to the west seemed to avoid her. The bed where she laid became so uncomfortable.
She loved this bed and her husband took his time to cut down the fattest Achara beekee sticks, cut in smaller sizes and split them into twos.
Arranging them in lines and tied them together with odo. She always laid there each time her husband is out or whenever she wants some air. This time it became her worst!
"Ozo nwa m ooo!, Ozooooo!" she struggled to push words out of her mouth.
Ozo was peeling the yam his father had bought from Omenka, who was known around for being blessed by the gods with the wisdom to make yams.
He tried to cut the yam into smaller pieces than usual so the food could get ready so nne could eat. Yams were her favorite, especially with eyereye ogbor. That was exactly in Ozor's thought to bribe his mother to eat since she has had nothing for two days now.
After studying the weather, he decided to cook at the ekwu made behind the ibeji. The ibeji was short, maybe was made from his father's height.
The small window and the thick thatch roof made it difficult for smokes from the nku to leave with ease. Anyone cooking inside would shed tears resulting from the peppery effect these smoke leave with the eyes.
Spending time with nne has paid off, the ten-year-old knows when to cook in or outside the ibeji.
"Ozo! nwa m ooo!"
"Mma m" he answered his mother who used all the strength she could gather to call him.
"Wo aru m ute, (get me a mat)", she said with a hiss and sweating. She doesn't know what direction she should face, all her body seemed to have joined forces to frustrate her.
Ozo ran with all the strength their chi gave him to get nne the mat. The mat which was made of tinier cut bamboo sticks tied with ropes rested at the entrance to obi nna.
He rushed grabbed it and to return, he dashed his feet against a small oche. Ozo's mind was to get the mat to nne faster than nkwonta, but the oche his father sits every morning to s***f his awuru opposed.
With a sigh, Ozo cursed "Ara gbachie kwa u nti". He leaped on one foot to his mother who did not notice her son was bleeding. How could she?
Her eyes were blurrily filled with tears and the thought on her mind is for her husband's return. Ogbuefi knew how to pet his wife that she forgot she was in pain.
Meanwhile, Ogbuefi stood and watched Ezenwani who tried to consult the gods for a solution.
Ogbuefi was not religious, but he fears that karma pays back evil somehow and the good deeds will always be rewarded.
He sat on a white painted stool watching Ezewani who danced around him twisting her body and singing praises to water spirits. Many called her the snake and loved to watch her dance.
Ogbuefi felt a strong invisible presence but refused to react, he wanted to be a man. Though Ogbuefi was very short he pulled a charisma that qualified him among the respected men in Umuolokocha.
He was dark, had white eyes, teeth, and pointed nose, and hairy. His long face was his weapon of attraction to the ladies when he was single. He transferred his facial looks to his son who grew tall like his mother.
Ezenwanyi stood and asked him to stretch out his palm.
"La aka nna nna u ha ka nmiri oji o siri soru la-aga (from your grandfather that this dark water flows from)"
Ndi Nkpa communicated with proverbs but this was too deep for him to understand.
"Come back in the next four days, the journey has started you must come back"
Ogubefi who nodded his head and stamped his feet to the confusion could only reply "yes". He stretched out his hands to present his gift to Ezenwani, she smiled rejecting.
"The gods are not man who you present a one eyed goat". This was a lot easier for Ogbuefi to understand, he took the c**k to offer since he found it annoying.
Presenting a gift to the gods must be from the bottom of the heart.
His attempt to apologize was interrupted with a command.
"Drop other gifts at the entrance, release the c**k after you must have turned it around your head three times".
"Go home, something big awaits, go"
After completing what she instructed, he hurried home after the thought of his beloved came to his mind. He walked faster and ignored greetings.
"Onyeka m" he called her to alert her of his return.
"Onyii m"
He dropped his walking stick and found his way beside her. He rubbed her hair and called her, but no response.
He turned her to see her eyes filled with dried tears so he applied more force in shaking her this time, her body adjusted to the exact way it was.
"Mba nu!" he said raising her hands. "Onyii m, Onyeka! Onyeka!! Onyeka!!!...Ozo!"
"Nna anyi is back," Ozo said gently, he was about to check the yams with ngugu.
"Ozo bia ngo ngwa ngwa!".
Ozo threw the ngugu mistakenly and left to answer his father's call. He ran forgeting he was injured.
"Ga kporo m Udele nta, gwa ngwa n" Ozo glanced at his mother and refused to accept what his brains had interpreted.
"Gawa ugbu o!" Ozo ran the highest he had as a kid of ten towards Umuankwo to Yee Udelenta's house.
..to be continued!
Every Wednesdays-Fridays
Β© Nkpa Newspaper, 2021.
PS: The Igbo language used in the article is the Nkpa dialect.
Image Credit: Accelerate TV.
Disclaimer: The Names used in this piece don't represent any person in the community.
