A house is a structure and a home, a sanctuary. I was at a house but he brought me home and at that spot I made up my mind to be his god.
Unfortunately, Ocheze came back to the death news of his sister who was a victim of thunder strike. One could notice the resentment from the villagers towards the Nwafors; they have lost so much. Death is the gateway to rebirth; for the elders it's a passage but a tragedy to the young which breed forth different kinds of mourning.
With everything going on, news of them being cursed started to circulate like heatwave. The people of Owelu with news are like angel of death that will cocoon your soul until your heavenly metamorphosis is complete. Now I understand self fulfilling prophecy, don't worry you won't understand, let's continue.
Ocheze and his remaining two brothers said their goodbyes and sent their sister to her eternal rest; then he introduced their new collection. And there I was like the statue of Monalisa; static, eerie, scornful and mysterious.
'We shall call him "Ajala" - the god thy serve'. He shall save us from these inherent curses and save our children and the ones after that'. Ocheze declared.
"But Dede, where did you get this statue from?" Nnaemeka asked curiously.
He seemed to be the curious one amongst them, but calling me a statue was uncalled for. Ocheze spat like a toothless old man
"aru!" Screaming on top of his voice; "this is Ajala and not a statue, mind your tongue to avoid his wrath on you", he warned. A god is not the storm, but a rock; and humanity would do well to recall that as they mature. So I get why he called me a statue, perhaps he is but a child.
In two days, an abode befitting a god was built for me and there I was mounted overseeing every affairs of the Nwafor household. Gradually I became Ocheze's confidante, he doesn't seem to do anything without my consent or rather telling me first. Feeling appreciated is the kind of fuel that keeps my engine ticking over in a steady way. He became a good apprentice to me, just like I was with Ancient of Days: After all, a good cosmic parent teaches self control and self discipline. But in my case I don't want to be under the control of the big guy. I want to be a god of the gods myself, if possible override his judgement; he has been in seat for too long; sure he will understand - that's why they call us rulers in high places, this is my principality and I am here to stay. (chuckled) Ocheze has made sure of it.
While I reigned, supplied with all the goodness of this creation and accorded the blessings required of a true God, I began to pay my own dues: Life is give and take anyway, it's transactional.
When your soul is evergreen, reaching for the sun and thriving in all weathers, you are ready to become the shelter and brightness of the world. In no due time, with my guidance, Ocheze began to make progress and was established. His wealth began to prosper and many began to say things like "he's used his sister for rituals" while others said "Oh God has finally remembered them".
They sang praises to He, in the heavens above while I stood there and watched. I'm not jealous, I just keep scores.
Year by year my relationship with Ocheze grew endlessly, in return I blessed his brothers and ensured that the money never stopped flowing.
To show off his wealth, Ocheze married three wives: Ugochi, Adamma and Ezinne. They were three exceptionally beautiful women in Owelu, and there was no problem acquiring them both as his wives because who wouldn't want to settle with the richest man in the land?
His first was Ugochi; he had three children with her, all females and no son. Male children in Owelu community are very important as it is a sign to prove that you are man enough and qualified for a titleholder status in the community.
To make everything more interesting, with me by his side and all the goodness I've showered him, Ocheze got a chieftaincy title, and that was when the other two wives came in and in no time, the women started to procreate.
Habitual keeping of more than one sexual partner, be it spouse or lovers, to my heart and soul, is polygamy and a form of emotional cowardice. Just that at that time, it was a way to show off your wealth and standard as a man to the community, how well to do you are, etcetera.
But to me, it is like living in a room full of candy just because you are terrified of starvation, yet in doing so you lose all appreciation for food or the effort it takes to go and prepare a good meal. As such, it is a form of greed, a vice. Anyway, not only did he marry more than one wife, but gradually his attention for me started to fritter. It was as if the world had shrunken away, and left a cold void around my soul.
Then the silence creeped in and I started asking questions, - Where is my noble servant?
