My life sometimes had kept me off balance from my
childhood days down to the this very day as an adult
living in Africa. Edem, 6ft with broad shoulder and a
hand someone lad have been busy the past day
preparing the youth for the festival, it was their season,
so the old and young gathered at different spot across
the village.
I met Enewang at the market when I first stepped in
orban, she had a wrapper of Nsibidi design blue in
colour though similar to that of the Aros but the patterns
were different.
"Ete, come this way"
"Tie-do-oh" I greeted the old woman who I assume to be
Enewang's mother.
"total stranger your face is no match to any one I have
seen in Orban, tell me what brings you here" the old
woman inquired.
I look at her trying to know what audacity she has
gotten to ask me of my journey, then I raised my eye
slowly and stare at Enewang, with the smile from her
face I was confused and had to answer her tell here of
my intentions to meet with the 12 sages of African to
learn from them the wisdom of the ancient. I spend the
next one 10 minutes going through an unplanned
interview with the old woman. But her curiosity was
never satisfied, it then dawned on that she had another
intention, it her means a of giving Enewang out in
marriage. I latter learned that is her strategy from day to
day. Of the interview it did continue because I needed to
get what brought me their.
"Mma, I need a mat, a water jar, a lentern and a bunch
of chewing stick"
"Ete, I have the mat, the lentern, Enewang will show you
to where you will get the rest"
I paid sixteen shrangs for the items, and I left with
Enewang.
"this area seems so busy"
"Yes it is the seeson for Obom festival, You said you
want to meet the sages, I can help you get to them but
you will have to make me a wife"
"was that the reason your mum wants to finish me with
numerous questions"
"men come and go, it has been Mma desire to have me
married a hardworking man not from our place, young
men here are in the habit of abuse and laziness "
"She finds me fit for you?"
" I will answer that to morrow, find me at the square after
the festival." Enewang said, and rushed back to meet
mma.
♤♤♤
The day was a nice, joy seems to resonate all over me,
here am I, a man with thousand ambitions, only
possessing a bag, a staff, the raffia mat and other Item I
did mention earlier and now a wife in the future.
I waited till the day was calm and dark was full, then I
approached the school and locate a spot where lay me
down my load and slept till the morrow.
The morning was cloudy and cold breezy air flows
through the school hall, but i need to warm up. I rob my
hands together though it did little. The chewing stick did
much help as it keep the mouth busy and warm.
"Amesiere"
"amesiere nde" the local version of good morning. I pack
my back and left the school premises before the the
workers will come.
The stream was not far from the community square,
though was their only source of water, I learnt that they
cleared the environs every month to keep the sanity of
the stream. There is a big part were the villagers take
their bath and swim but the source of the river, an
elevated rock with an iron sheet act as the source for
drinking.
On my way to the stream I left my belongings in
possession of Edem, as he qurie me.
"you did not leave"
"no, I slept in the school' I answered
'please be kind to show me the stream'
Edem assigned me a young man who kept me company
to and from the stream. Life in Orban looks simple and
the taught of marrying Enewang tends to make every bit
of me think of residing in the village. If I am hard working
I will fall in favor with mma and may likely inherit her
land.
♤♤♤
I was busy scavenging the crowd for enewang the
daughter of the Mma, who will behold her beautiful face
with a goodly smile, she I mean the one that melts the
hearts of the young men.
While lost in my imagination, I felt a gentle touch on my
shoulder, I turn and it was Enewang. Her smile almost
send me back into the ocean of my imaginary lif, I
control myself.
"walk with me"
I left the market with her to her house where she stay
with Mma, it was what we locally know as Ikenka, a
house made with mod but taller than the usual mud
houses around Orban, I came to know that Mma was a
rich woman who had network of business ranging from
palm to textile to foodstuffs, she was a big name.
I knew that providence had found me and I was in for a
big shot.
"Mma will like to speak to you, please sit"
Not long Mma came from inside the house and
Enewang at her back, she was old but vibrant that her
age. Ii stood up to help Enewang bring her chair: of
bamboo locally know as Akpakaha. Mma sat down and
look at me with a more dreadful look, a lot of questions
had run through my mind
" what does she want from a lone traveler"
"I have nothing to offer, I only have little with me to
survive "
A cough from her drew my attention back as she noticed
that I was lost in imagination.
"Enewang, get a sit and sit"
She then turn to me "did she tell you anything"
"no"
"where did you sleep last night, I know you are a
stranger'.
'The school'
'poor thing, you look different from the ones I have met
in the past'.
I was staring at the door when Enewang imarge from
inside the house. My face erupted with a smile letting
her see through my heart.
'do you like her'
I was silent for a while. As I made attempt to speak Mma
interrupted me
'if you deal with her or break her heart, I promise one I
will break you'
Iit was a custom to ask a man to marry one daughter
and the process was rigid one for the groom. He will
have to meet with old men of the village for 14 days to
learn wisdom not found in other sources for it was purely
oral.
'I want you to marry Enewang, I want the best for her,
she my only hope. So I want my lineage to be
preserved, my family is the second custodian of the
wealth of Orban" she puase and continue "I am of age
and want the wealth of my family transfer to Enewang."
I agree to Mma proposals
That day I knew I had met hope, my life had change. But
the tudios part is the 14 days grooming process. So I will
be confine to a room, fed and taught in the wisdom of
the sages. Immediately I was take to the chief by Mma
where she broke the clay tablet of virginity and transition
signifying to the chief that she has found a husband for
Enewang and it was time to start the ritual for me.