Chapter 17: Chapter 17
“Are there people in this yard?” Isiama and his relatives announced their presence. Despite the recent meeting Nwosu has had with Isiama, he freaked on having the guests. He never expected they came anytime as soon, and in numbers.
“Has someone remembered the footpath to my court this day?” Nwosu responded in the guise he has no knowledge of whom the visitors were. When he drew closer, he let the marks on his face spell out his wonderment.
“My visitors have come in numbers I cannot count,” he exclaimed after wiping his face with the back of his Palms. “Come in if you have not come to take over my yard.”
“Tufiakwa! The gods forbid we have come to perpetrate evil.”
“There was no news of your coming?”
“We have come as fast as our legs could carry,” Isiama responded. “Whenever there is a good thing in store, the foot surprises the body.”
Nwosu called in Obiageli to salute the guests, after which he whispered into her ears. She walked to every corner and said welcome.
“Kachi and his people have come,” Obiageli announced to Ijeoma.
“What have they come for?” Ijeoma queried, defiling the rub of her mother’s excitements.
“What does a man and his relatives come to do in a man’s courtyard with a beautiful maiden?” Obiageli fumed as she said. “If you say you do not know, they have come to ask for your hand in marriage.”
“How did I have no knowledge about this until now?”
“Question upon questions!” Obiageli exclaimed, clapping in amazement.
“I do not think it is important whether you knew beforehand or not. They have come, and you must remain in the yard to attend to them.”
When Obiageli said her last, she rushed out to call on their relatives. As she broke the news, each court principal dropped whatever he has in hand and made to Nwosu’s yard. Before she could sum up going from one yard of a relative to the other, the men has assembled.
“I will speak with the faith everything works for our good.” The foreman from Kachi’s side began to speak. “You are aware the purpose of our visit. If not, by calling you our in-laws you should have an idea.”
“Men are not spirit. We do not know unless you tell us. One cannot say he knew today from yesterdays.” Nwosu’s oldest relative responded. He looked across to the men on his side as he said, and everyone nodded to him.
“Tell them why we have come,” the foreman from Kachi’s side whispered to Isiama who was sitting next to him. As if this was an order, Nwosu also sat next to his foreman. The only difference was Ijeoma who was absent as Kachi sat next to his father.
“If I agree with you, I must tell you why we have come,” Isiama started to say, only stopping to clear his throat. “My son Kachi has pointed to a very ripe orange in this court, and we have come to fetch it for him. The high god have created man with his appetite. So, everyman deserve to have what his stomach desires. We have come to whisper with you.” Upon dropping his speech, some clapped, and the others laughed. Even Kachi who sat frozen all the while smiled.
“Is it so?” Nwosu’s foreman whispered to his ears when the merriment died, and he nodded in response.
“You have spoken well. My relative have affirmed he has a ripe orange in his court, but we will not push our daughter into your hands. I will want us to hear from the mouth of the horse before any further bargain.” As he said, he looked across to his relatives for affirmation to carry on. “Let Nwosu call in his beautiful maiden to welcome her guest, so we can be sure where we stand.”
Ijeoma went in carrying a drinking gourd, and accompanied by her mother. She first went to her father and stood at his side, before many voices instructed her to show them who the person was. So, she swept across hands stretched to receive the gourd to Kachi. She knelt, and offered him the gourd. Kachi received, gulped the content, and returned the gourd stuffed with his present. Every eye glued to them for the while, so they clapped when Kachi collected the calabash and drank.
“Good deed deserve a reward indeed,” many voices said.
When Ijeoma left the scene, Isiama produced nine strands of broomsticks. He confirmed with his oldest relative who counted and whispered to him, “you have tried. This will be enough.” He passed the stake across to his other relatives, and they were all satisfied. So, he returned the broomsticks to Isiama, and instructed him to take to his in-law.
“There are nine broomsticks,” Nwosu said after confirming the numbers.
“Please bear with us, things are difficult.”
“The chassis I am offering you is worth more than nine.”
“Can we ever pay to the fullest measure the true worth of your fruit? This is only a token of appreciation.”
“Of course, we do not sell human heads. If it were to be in those days, you know I should first set the price. Think how it was with you when you brought your wife.”
“Please help us convince your relatives,” Isiama appealed, and went back to his side.
Nwosu presented the stake to his foreman, and he confirmed and passed it across to his relatives. As it went round, a note of warning soon aroused. One relative thought they have skipped a process, and he whispered to the men on his sides. And it went on like so, until the information got to the oldest relative.
“When the foreman forget the footprint, the younger ones put him right. It will be well with my brothers,” Nwosu’s oldest relative said as he received the message. “We cannot yet accept any price from you because we do not know your origin five generations ago.”
With this objection, the both families began to retrace their histories. Few moments into the deliberation, Isiama’s relatives mentioned Okparaji in their ancestries.
“Is it Okparaji whose wife was Orunwa?” Nwosu’s people queried.
“Yes, Orunwa is our mother ancestor,” Kachi’s people responded.
“We were born by the same Orunwa in another union after the demise of her first husband Okparaji. She moved in with Okalaegwu who insisted she must not come in with the fruits from her previous marriage. So, she left her children with her late husband’s people. It was during her wedlock with Okalaegwu we originated,” Nwosu’s foreman said. This revelation was like a sudden chill which flew into the nerves of everyone. “We are all aware our custom do not permit a man to marry his own blood. I will not be party to this abomination if it must go on.” After saying, he handed the broomsticks to Nwosu who returned them to Isiama.
“This is for our own good, and the good of our children. You will not say I denied you a wife,” Nwosu said as he confirmed the numbers of the stake before handing over to Isiama.
Nwosu’s people deserted the yard. And Isiama and his relatives left, carrying with them all the things they brought. They felt defeated and sad.
Ijeoma and her mother had eavesdropped on the session. Obiageli thanked her gods for the revelation, and urged Ijeoma to be thankful as well. No one would have been able to imagine their grief if the abomination has happened.
“Kachi is not the best for you. The right person will come at your own time,” Nwosu said to Ijeoma. In her heart, she has begun imagining Kachi as a brother, but is not sinking well.
“We have been waiting for the celebration call. I hope all is fair with you? Your faces do not tell right,” Ogbonna saluted Isiama and his relatives as they met in the front of his yard.
“Not at all. The custom has thrown us to the ground,” Isiama responded.
“Are you returning with your stake?”
“This is what it is.”
“Come and look in my yard. You may find what you want.”
Isiama and his relatives whispered together and agreed to accept Ogbonna’s proposal. So, they followed him, and were all greeted with the sight of Ugonne working hard with her mother. The state they met her impressed them very much, so they inquired on her. When Ugonne learned of the news, she felt gladdened as against her mother’s assumptions.
Ogbonna had no trouble calling his relatives. The both parties did not waste time retracing histories. Unlike Nwosu’s relatives, they knew from instinct they were from different roots. Isiama offered seven broomsticks to Ogbonna who added three to the numbers. Isiama dropped one and reoffered nine, and Ogbonna accepted the stake of nine.
Everything augured well, and Isiama brought a wife for his son. Kachi felt his head swelling as he imagined his latest stance among his peers.