Palmkernel and the gods.

One

The Sun was beginning to peep through the clouds when Anyara,Obi ,Nyem,Ntioma,Akara and Odinchezo were returning from the farm.

Farming was the hand work of the people of Obiofu.It was what had sustained them from the beginning of time.Famine was rare because the land itself was fruitful.Farming was everybody's occupation from the baby who would be placed at one point to safeguard the implements and the old man or woman whose back was still firm enough to carry a full basin of cassava.

Everybody farmed everything from pepper to yam to the palmfruits.Every food eaten was from the farm.Either the farmer sold it to other villagers or the farmer ate it himself with his family.That being said,lazy people still existed.

The ones who would wake up and 'zuzu' around by sneaking off to the stream to wait for girls or sneak off to another village to steal something and return in the evening.
If you were lazy,you could be accommodated in Obiofu.
If you were a thief, and you were caught multiple times after being warned there was no mercy.You either lost a hand,an ear or your life.

"Nnayi nno"the children chorused on seeing an old man going to the farm carrying a class and a hoe.

"Iboolachi"

"Eh"

"Jisike o"

The children continued on their journey.Anyara the eldest there had noticed something wrong with Akara but she had developed a strategy of postponing the issue till when they were almost home so that she would have more supporters on her side.
Two more mango trees and they would be in their compound.It was time to strike.

"Akara".

"Mmm"

"Did an evil spirit touch your mouth in the farm?"

"Which evil spirit?"

"The one that used to dash people dumbness"replied Anyara.

"I don't know"he replied.

"It's obvious.You better tell that evil spirit to leave you or you will explain to Nnayi ukwu why you did not greet that man on the road."

"I greeted him"

"Lie"shouted Ntioma intercepting."You did not greet anything.I was behind your ear"

"How can you be behind my ear?"said Akara turning to her with eyes that showed that Ntioma did not even realise the stupidity of her sentence.

"Mechieonu gi...who are you asking question?"said Obi.

Akara noticed he was outnumbered.Most times when he was wrong his brother,Obi was the first to point it out and aggravate it.Then Anyara was the one who tried to placate the issue.Ntioma was just a big mouth who placed her nose into his business even when it did not concern her.

Now that Anyara,Obi and Ntioma were against him,he knew that if he did not do something fast,he was going to be in trouble.

"I wanted to greet him but there was something in my throat"

"That thing in your throat will choke you this morning after I tell papa"

"Heya..Biko,sister bikonu.Dont tell papa "

"ehehehn?"

"Two basins to the stream tomorrow.Sister bikonu"

Anyara knew that for Akara to suggest doing something he hated,he was really sorry for it.

"Let it be the last time you will keep mute when you see your elder.I won't tell Papa"

Akara was saved just before they entered their compound.
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Hello readers..I know this book sounds wierd from the first letter of the title to the last.The story is true anyway.I might just chip in some conversations from my brain to make it readable.
Some terms used above are

Zuzu-To fool around or to act stupidly. Coined from the igbo word nzuzu .

Nnayi nno-a greeting used for an elderly man.could be used anytime of the day.

Iboolachi-a morning greeting which implies if the other person has slept well or woken up to see the new day.

Eh-a General response that could mean yes to anything.

Jisike-used to imply that a person should continue working hard or should continue with his/her business.

Nnayi ukwu-used to refer to an elderly man held in high esteem.Could mean grandfather or father as in this context.

Mechieonugi-means close your mouth.Used to tell someone often a junior to shut up or keep quiet.

Biko or bikonu -means please.