Her Father's Wife

Chapter 31

Peace returned to Ngodo after the departure of the soldiers. Starvation was also reduced since they can now go back to their farms. But another dearth was on, lack of money. Nobody had a kobo to rub between their fingers. The Biafran currencies were banned immediately after the war and no compensation was given. It attracts serious penalty if they were seen in anybody's possession. Many people buried their Biafran notes at their backyard. Others burnt theirs. That made all of them penniless. As for people like Ofiaju that put their money in the bank, they were given twenty pounds each to start life with. And this, no matter the amount they had in the bank before, during or after the war. Many of them rejected the money. Others who cannot imagine starting life with that little committed suicide while others chose to collect the twenty pounds like that, since not having at all was worst. This impoverished all the rich Igbo men. They were like in the land of crayfish were nobody is bigger than the other. Ofiaju combed through Ochanja every day looking for Ona and Uzoka. At last fortune smiled at him. He sighted Uzoka and went after him. He grabbed him like a lifeline and demanded that Uzoka take him to Onaedo. Uzoka was full of pity to see the young man, he looked completely drained. He was nothing like his former robust self. What, with the amount of money he lost and everything. Uzoka could not explain why he cannot honour his request. The truth was that Uzoka loved and respected the young man But, he feared the dead more. Who knows what Nwokeforo's spirit will do to him, should he betray Ona's trust. He decided to give Ofiaju a slip. At Ngodo, wealth had changed hands again. This time it was in the hands of those that have livestock. Akukalia had a lot of goats, sheep and chicken. At the moment, Akukalia and those like him were the richest in the village. Akukalia guards his livestock jealously. He apportioned how his wives will take care of the goats and sheep. They were rotating it on weekly basis. Any of them in charge, will cut fodder for the animals. It was still not safe to take them to the bush to feed. Hunger was real and people had started stealing.The seed the soldiers planted had germinated. Ngodo now have thieves. Something that was unheard of in Ngodo before the advent of the soldiers. That week, it happened to be Obiageli's turn to take care of the animals. Obiageli's pregnancy was not an easy one. She was having morning sickness, vomiting and serious tiredness. This, including the lack of appetite associated with it was giving her dizzy spells. She was always tired and forgetful. She had just cut fodder for the animals and let it into their pen. She forgot to close the pen. Ezinne saw this as an opportunity to be mischievous and to create problem for Obiageli. She had a basin of cassava at the backyard she was fermenting. Every child in Ngodo knows that water from fermented cassava is acidic. It kills livestock if they drink from it. Ezinne on the pretence of checking if the cassava was soft uncovered the fermented cassava and left it open thereafter. All the five goats that drank out of that basin died at once. What a wicked waste! This happened under Obiageli's watch. Akukalia's was mad with anger. Five whole goats dead! And the worst was that their meat cannot be eaten. Ngodo does not eat any meat that did not let out blood before dying. If anybody had seen them in the trio of death and put knife to them it would have been better. That way, he could have roasted the meat and use it to entertain the visitors that will soon come to his house. He screamed blue murder and descended on Ezinne, it looked like the kind of thing she would get up to. He could not put anything pass her. Not after her nocturnal dance. Akukalia was not in a hurry to forget that. Ezinne quickly absorbed herself from blame. Why would Akukalia leave the buttocks that farted and give knock to the head? It was Obiageli's turn to cater for the animals. She was the one that allowed them out by leaving the pen open. Obiageli should carry the major part of the blame. Akukalias was completely worn out by the pointless argument. That was Ezinne's speciality. His goats were already dead. He started keeping malice with Obiageli and Ezinne. This, coupled with her morning sickness made Obiageli very unhappy, Ezinne was happy enough with things as they were, better to be hated than to be treated with disdain or indifference. It will soon blow over any way.

Announcement! this tale is gonna get sadder hold unto your handkerchief as we step into the darker and gloomier side of our heroine's life. Sorry folk but its real and we have to tell it the way of happened.