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“My heart will always be with this river, this water has lived in my vein, let me test the water of my origination. If it were up to me, I will grow older and die in Jagua. My children want us to leave Jagua for good. I have to obey my children’s requests. A man is not afraid to walk naked in his own house. Only a guest has to be cautious around the house. I have a line of guests in Jagua. Let me take them back home. My children will feel like total strangers when I am gone. What is the essence of lingering in Jagua when the people showed us our place is not here? The heritage I pride in is not my children’s identity. Let me take them home so that they can wear their badge with pride.”
Jakpo looked beyond the river with a feeling of nostalgia, “You remember how we chased a rabbit into its hole,” he said.
“We sealed the hole. We went to fetch firewood in the forest with which to prepare the bush meat and we could not find our way back.” Jessa said.
“We considered ourselves bush meats when that wolf charged at us,” Jakpo said and laughed.
“We were lucky the hunter killed it before it mauled us,” Jessa said and snorted.
The two old men laughed. They recalled memories of running around the community as little children. Their smiles faded as reality set in.
“The days are grey and harsh.” Jakpo said. “I will miss you old friend. When you are gone, I will be so alone. These youngsters do not have time for old grumpy men. Who will keep me company?”
“Who will come to visit and take care of me if I stay? I will lose Jaja and my other children if I do not go to Ebito. They have made up their minds. They want to leave Jagua forever.” Jessa carefully bent down and picked a pebble. He clasped it and felt the coldness of the stone.
Jakpo nodded, “You have a great son in that young man, Jaja. I wish one of mine came back home. Decades of memories will drown after your departure. Farewell my friend, see you on the other side.”
“I will miss you. I cannot tell you how much, you cannot see how well, my eyes are too dry to cry,” Jessa hiccupped. He wished Jakpo well and left him by the river.
“I wish you will change your mind and stay my friend. I did not know the situation would become this ugly. I just wanted what was rightfully mine,” Jakpo wearily said after Jessa’s vanishing figure.
Jessa walked back home. Some children came around to play with him and he shared money among them.
* * * * * *
Before daylight, Jessa and Jaja were ready to leave for Ebito. Jessa looked at the direction of the stream with longing. He imagined himself and Jakpo walking down with their fishing tools.
“It is not easy to detach from these memories,” Jessa looked sad.
“Come father, you have said enough goodbyes. We should leave before the sun set, the road is not friendly on rush hour.”
“Yes, some roads do not recognize old wheels that have always travelled on it. It does not have preferential treatment. Let us leave. We are no longer welcome here.”
Two weeks later, the village elders had a meeting and concluded to use Jessa’s house as their new meeting venue. Jessa had bequeathed the house to them. On the day of Okpako Coronation, bulldozers arrived.
The vehicle operator’s voice boomed from a loudspeaker, “Everybody in this building should come out. In the next thirty minutes, this house would go down. At the count of twenty-nine, we would move in.” He started counting, “One, two, three, four…” On the nineteenth count, the building was empty. The bulldozer destroyed the house on Jaja’s instruction.
The people watched with sad faces as some men moved in with sledgehammers to break down blocks. No structure or block remained erect. A trailer packed the mashed cement and drove away.
“This is an unfortunate event. How can we hold the coronation ceremony in this ruin? We have to look for another venue or fix a new date for the coronation,” a young man said.
“But, where is Jakpo?” The Community Chief frantically asked.
“He has not showed up for the ceremony. Has he heard the news? This unfortunate incident will devastate him. His ceremony has come to ruin, it can no longer hold today,” an elder said.
“Jakpo must have heard the news. He knows everything. Was he not the one that discovered Jessa was not a real citizen of Jagua? He knows everything. After this meeting, we will proceed to his house. We will pay him a visit,” the Community Chief said.
They did not meet Jakpo in his house. They knew Jakpo was fond of the river and thought he might be there. On their way out of his compound, they met the little boy that takes care of him. The boy told them Jakpo had not been home since sunrise.
“That is a strange behaviour. Let us check if he is at the stream,” the Community Chief said.
They came to the river and saw him. Jakpo’s body was floating to the riverbank. They rushed into the water and dragged the body out. He was dead. They saw his pair of shoe, reading glasses and a book under his favourite tree. Jeesa and Jakpo had carved some trees and made rooted benches by the river. His pile of belongings laid on it. The little boy fell down and cried.
“I guess he committed suicide. Oh, the dark realm has cast evil eyes on Jagua. Today is a very dark day in our history. Who will wake us up from this Omen?” A woman lamented.
“Look at this, Chief,” the little boy cleaned his tears with his arm and handed a note to the Community Chief.
“Where did you find this note?” The Community Chief astonishingly asked.
“Chief, what does the letter say?” The woman asked.
The Community Chief read the letter aloud, ‘I cannot live with myself after betraying my best friend, Jessa. I am sorry my dearest friend. My great-grand father had told me about your history. I told the coronation council because of my self-indulgence to be the Okpako. It was a sin to be envious of your status. Please, forgive me. No one should weep for me. I have already wept for myself. Jakpo.’
Because he committed suicide, the community did not hold a burial ceremony for Jakpo. Jakpo’s children carried him to the evil forest. They dumped his body for the beast of the wild to bury in their stomachs.
Three
I Will Bury My Father
The village town hall filled with tensed people. Everybody seemed to be at each other’s throats with imaginary weapons. A muscular young man rushed at Ovie. Ovie poised to catch his balled fist and succeeded in twisting it until an elder separated their duel. The irate youth groaned and sat on the floor with drooping arm.
Ovie grinned, “Look at the weaklings that want to contest my decision. I will throttle anyone that dares me.”
An old man came forward. He stared hard at Ovie and shook his head. He looked downward for a moment, stamped his walking stick, and looked up to him again, “Ovie, you should know the least one of our vibrant youths has only acted in a flash to repel your foolish decision. I warn you, more will come at you. An Army will defend your father’s right.”
“Let me see you all try. I will bury my father in Apele. He will be in residence at his mansion and nobody can stop me.” In affirmation to the zealous statement, Ovie hit his chest, his chest was vibrating as if he had chest tremor.
“We shall see. We will prepare for our relative’s burial rites. Watch how the lamp will find its way out of the wilderness to his shepherd fold.” The old man said. He took a white chalk from his breast pocket and drew a circle. He looked to the roof and incanted inaudible words. His male servant brought a sick looking white cock. The old man untied the chicken’s legs and incanted psalms around the body. The cock danced within the circle and fled outside.
The villagers left the town hall and Ovie remained resolute in burying his father in town. It was a custom for sons and daughters to lay in final rest in Godere. However, this city-bred child argued that since not every child was born in the village, it was not mandatory they follow the rules of the villagers.
Ovie turned to his uncle, Mamus, “Please, tell me how our distinguished guests will put up in the village. There are no hotels. There is not a single guesthouse to give them the least comfort. Those ridiculous invisible insects almost bit me to death when I first came here to fix a date for my father’s burial. I will give my father a top society burial. The ceremony will be in grand style. Uncle, what do you think?”
“Ovie, do you seek my honest counsel?” Ovie looked away, “I thought as much, and you already know my stance on this matter. If you had been responsible, you would have built an edifice in the village that will accommodate your high society friends. Do you know why the youths are doing this?”
“You can tell me. Not that it would make any sense,” said Ovie.
Mamus shook his head, “I will tell you. Many industrious sons and daughters of Godere tend to build mansions in the city and not lay a house foundation in Godere. The youths passionately carry out this custom to compel people to build houses in their villages and build business industries that will enable the village develop into a town. Your father wished for a burial ground in his father’s house,and as he wanted, we shall fulfill his wish. It was his desire. I guess comfort is not your only reason for these dreadful shows you are putting on. You talk like a king and act like an ordinary palace guard otherwise you can postpone your father’s burial until you build a grand hotel or motel!” Ovie looked at his uncle with contempt and stormed out of the town hall.
* * * * * *
On the day of the burial, the youths of Godere hired a lorry to Apele. Ovie had brought police to safeguard the corpse in the mortuary. The irate youths charmed the police officers and collected their guns. The force men were fixated while the youths entered the mortuary and carried the casket.
They put the coffin in a car and released the police officers from the spell. They gave the police officers heavy slaps on the cheeks and kicks on the buttocks.
“This is a fair warning never to intrude on the activities of Godere youths. We will spare your lives. It is the solemn day of our brother’s funeral rite. Count one another lucky because our battle is not with you but with that misguided child of the deceased,” said the youth leader. He made a threatening move and the police officers scampered out of his way.
The youths gave the police officers menacing look before they got into the vehicle. The police officers ran into different hideouts until they zoomed off.
The Police Inspector of the squad was new to the locale. His junior officers had resisted the task to guard the corpse but he had threatened them with their jobs.
“Oga, now you see what we had told you. Nobody messes with Godere youths,” a Sergeant said. He saluted the Police Inspector. The Inspector wiped dotted sweat off his forehead.
In many disputes, that Godere community was involved peacekeepers did not interfere. Any Security Commander posted to the area always mounted pressure to get transfer. When situations went awry, it was not easy to restore peace in the community. The peacekeepers always stayed in the outskirt of the community. They feared the clash between communities could crush them overnight if they rested in their temporal quarters.
The youths drove to their relative’s mansion in Apele. They disseminated tents, toppled chairs, and tables. Some of them carted away with the foods and drinks. The burial took place in Godere.
Ovie was furious at the turn of event. He slammed his palm on the wall, “Damn! I cannot believe they easily carted away with my father’s corpse.”
His friend clasped him on the shoulder, “their potency was mightier, Ovie, let it be. Let your father’s soul find rest. You have troubled his body enough. I think we should go to the village and apologise.”
Ovie brushed his hand aside, “Dave, you bother over little things. My father has not been buried, they dare not.”
“Were you deaf when uncle Mamus said he witnessed the burial? Were you blind when he showed us pictures of the ceremony? Ovie get this straight, they have put your father in the ground and covered him with dust. It is over.”
“No, it is not over. We shall exhume his body and bury him where he belongs.”
“I think you’ve gone mad. It is so hot in here,” Dave went to the bar and fixed himself a glass of juice with ice cubes.
“I am not. However, I will be. I will be mad if we do not do right by my father.”
“Forget it Ovie, your father is resting in Godere, peacefully. We will go and apologise.”
“We will get his body. Come on, Dave, we have to do this. You promised you got my back on this.”
“Well, I have reached my final limits to that selfless oath I took. Count me out on this one,” Dave sipped his drink.
“You can take the first flight back to the city,” Ovie said. “I shall do it myself.” Dave cocked an eyebrow.
Ovie’s mother walked in, “you will do no such thing. Son, what is wrong with you. Was this how your father and I raised you? For goodness sake, what has come over you? Stop this madness please.”
Ovie pointed at his mother, “You are a traitor for going over to Godere for his burial. Stay out of this, mother. You will not meddle in my affairs.”
“This is my late husband you are raving about. I will not be silent and watch you disregard your father. Let him rest in peace. What is so special about burying him here? You will honour your father’s request. His last wish was to rest in Godere despite your insistence.”
“Everybody should stay clear of my decisions. I will not hesitate to crush anyone that comes in the way.”
His mother stood close to him, their faces inches apart, “where were you when Godere youths were at their best, coward.”
“Mother, you will not taunt me in that manner. Do not dare me.”
Mamus walked in, “Ovie, do not talk to your mother that way,” he said.
Her tone softened. “Calm down, my son. Your father was a traditionalist, and his clan has given him the burial rites that accorded his faith. You should apologise to your relatives. They shall grant you the honour of completing the final rites.”
“That will be over my dead body. I shall bury my father the way I want.”
“Ovie, you talk like an insane man,” she thundered.
“Oh, just shut up, mother.”
“Ovie, watch your utterances.” His uncle gave him a slap, “she is my sister, your mother and your father’s widow.”
The force of the slap moved Ovie’s face sideway. It took a while before Ovie turned his neck and faced his uncle. He flexed his shoulder. “Uncle, you slapped me?” he asked unbelievably.
“Yes, and believe me, I will slap you countless times if you say another disrespectful word to your mother. I have endured your nonsense for this long because you are my nephew, but no more. I thought your behaviour was born out of the frustration of losing your father. I looked upon you as a child with some tantrums, oh, Ovie; I forgot you are no more a child. I must look like a fool for supporting you all these while. I tried to convince you it is the way of your father’s people to bury him according to custom.” Ovie shook his head. He bowed to his mother and left the house.
Dave could not look at Ovie’s mother. He went into the room and returned with his bag, “I am sorry, please forgive me ma. I will leave for the city at once.” He left the house to take a commercial bus.
In the midnight, Ovie took some men to evacuate his father’s coffin and buried it in Apele. Day and night, there was sorrowful cry of an adult man. This made the neighbours lost sleep. They requested Ovie and his family to come to their house and find out the mystery.
“I have played the oracle; it says your father’s spirit is restless at where he was buried,” said Mamus.
“I said it. I said my father should not be buried in the village.” Ovie fervently said.
“Shut up. Your father’s spirit is not restless in Godere. Someone removed his body from his grave. Ovie, your father’s spirit desire to be back in his root, someone removed your father’s body and put that of a dead stranger. His soul cries in Godere. He said whoever exhumed his body should bring it back to its rightful place.”
Ovie‘s mother turned on him with suspicion, “Ovie, where have you kept his body?”
“I do not know, you should ask his relatives. Ask them if they took the body from the morgue and buried it in Godere or if they did something else with your husband’s body.”
His mother slapped him. “Ovie, tell us what you have done with your father’s body?”
“I said I do not know. Do you people want to force a lie out of my mouth?” Ovie shouted.
A thunderous slap landed on Ovie’s cheek. It was his mother that slapped him, “Tell me where my husband is you foolish child! If you don’t tell me in a second, I will get naked and curse you here and now!”
Ovie quickly ran towards the hallway. His family followed him. Ovie had buried his father in one of the guest bedrooms.
“This is an abomination. Ovie, what have you done to your father?” Mamus calmly asked.
His mother covered her mouth in shock, “I was right. You are mad,” she said.
“I just wanted to bury my father the way I want. This is his house, is it not? It is a tradition to also bury people in their houses?” Ovie slid to the floor and cried, “I have a right to bury my father the way I want.”
Ovie’s mother invited some youths to take the corpse back to Godere. Ovie paid some money as a levy for his act. The villagers pardoned Ovie and allowed him perform the final rites of the burial.
Four
The Danger of Self Medication
Iya tried to feed her son some herbal mixture. The child’s flaying legs toppled the cup and the brown liquid content spilled on some coloured panties stacked on a low bench. Iya hissed at the mess. She imprisoned his tiny legs with her arm, and used the other to pin down his hands. She smiled at the workable tactics.
She poured another warm brew from the flask into the cup. Iya held her son’s nose. Due to blockade of his nose, the baby breathed through his mouth. She poured the herbal brew into his tiny mouth and the medicine gurgle down his throat. His mother let go of him. He let out a cry and began kicking his leg in protest of the bitter taste.
Sissy came by the store, “it is wrong to give such a little baby agbo-herbal mixture to drink,” she took the baby from his mother. She gently rubbed his back and fanned his face with her mouth. The baby stopped crying and hiccupped.
“It works well for sugar belly,” Iya said. She stood up and separated the good pants from the stained pants, “how will I recover this loss?” She looked worn-out.
