EJIMA

CHAPTER 15

"Why Papa?" Jide asked, "why are men so cruel and attack with insult things they don't understand?"

Maduka stroked his ears and smelled his first finger before returning to his stool. Jide thought he was going to lick the finger, like some of the elders in the village. But instead, his father washed his hands and returned to sharpening his machete. 

The lines on his face were deepened, adding more wrinkles to his aging features. Two years ago, his face was as straight as the white stones which he uses to sharpen his swords. Two years ago, he was the best warrior in Umudike and had fought with valor to return the lost glory of the kingdom. Two years ago.

Jide shook his head with pity. His father was a man of honor, a brave soldier that put down anything that stood in his way. But now, everything had changed. His life and his position. Everything. His glory days were now reduced to lullabies as if they were some epitaph meant for the ears of the dead alone.

"It's a human thing, my son," Maduka said, just when Jide thought he wouldn't respond.

"A human thing?" Jide frowned, "That pig just called us, Osu. He called me an outcast, Papa."

Maduka glared, but continued with his knife, probably not in the right mood to dive into ethical lectures. Jide should know better. You don't insult your elders, however badly they've treated you.

"What they think about us doesn't matter. They can call our family all kinds of names. It does not affect me, or your mother." Lifting his brown eyes to meet Jide "It should not affect you too."

"But it is, Papa. I hate it when those Freeborns see us as an abomination."

"And who says they are free?" Maduka laughs, "look at the bright side, my son. That they claim to be free doesn't make them free. And because we are excommunicated from the rest of the people doesn't make us inferior. Amadi or Osu (Freeborn or outcast), what keeps us bound or loose is innate. The desire to discriminate is deep in our blood. It's a human thing."

"How?" Jide strokes his brow, "how can that be, I can't remember calling anyone an Outcast Or pushing them off the cliff because they forgot to greet me properly"

Maduka giggled and patted the stone beside him. Jide didn't wait. He took the space, bracing himself for the obvious lecture.

"Can a tortoise beget an eagle?"

"Impossible."

"Good," Maduka nodded and dropped his machete, conceivably satisfied by the shining edges. "Why can't a tortoise beget an eagle?"

"Because they are…" Jide shrugged, "different." He has not thought about it before, and even now, the right answer was not forthcoming, however simple the question sounds.

"But can eagles live together with a tortoise or other animals and insects?"

"It depends. But sure, I think they can" Jide nodded. That part was easy. Besides, he has seen other animals living together before.

"That's it, son. Just like the eagle and the tortoise, we humans were created in different ways. While living together, it is our unity in diversity that makes living worthwhile. But on second thought, we can't live together."

"I don't understand," Jide raked his long hair with his fingers. His mother has offered to braid them once, but Jide had objected, simply because it would add more femininity to his manly appearance. 

"Alright, alright." Maduka looked into the distance thoughtfully.

Somewhere in the compound the chatter of the children could be heard, merging with the sound of a pestle as they rammed the mortar. Was breakfast ready yet? Jide's stomach rumbled just when his father started speaking again.

"Take the jungle for instance," Maduka shifted his weight. The glee in his eyes told Jide that the retired warrior was having a good time. "It's a world that welcomes every animal once they have been born. It presents the animal with every necessity of life and sometimes leaves it to toil for its survival. For a lion, weak animals, like deer, antelope, squirrels, are food. But for the weaker animals, the lion is nothing but a predator. However, even in the pride of a lion, there are still tussles for powers and the strongest rules. The same goes for the weaker animals. So, just like the jungle, the world was designed to give us all the necessities required for our survival. Even though we sometimes try to keep our differences aside, we often tend to favor those we are acquainted with. Discrimination is internal. Even the so-called freeborns, discriminate among themselves. It's always kingdom for kingdom. Village for the village. Community for the community. Friends for friends, family for family, and then self. Cutting off the branches of a tree is not always the best solution for a diseased plant. Sometimes, it is best to tackle the problem from the root itself. If we want to eradicate this blight, we must work on ourselves first. And that begins by loving ourselves and neighbors however different we may be"

"Hmm, you mean I would have done the same if I were a freeborn?"

"I mean that the tendency is right in you. It is in all of us; humans, animals, and beasts alike. That drive to favor only those you love while tossing aside those we deem unfit."

"This is hard, Papa"

"I know, but you will understand better with time."

"So experience will do the teaching then"

"No," Maduka looked back at him, "Experience is a lousy teacher, it gives you the test before teaching you the lessons. But time is the best teacher, it takes the lesson step by step and presents the right test for each season."

"One more question papa. Do you always have an answer to every question?" 

Maduka's face widened, "that's why I am your father."

"So if I become a father too I will have so much wisdom?"

"It depends on how much time teaches you. Fools grow old too."

"Ah," Jide frowns, he was more confused than at the beginning, "aren't you the one who said that time was the best teacher?"

"Yeah, but those who fail to learn from it, grow to become fools."

"Ah-ha," Jide clicked his fingers. "You see why I called the town crier a fool? That man is as hard as his wooden gong. He failed to learn from time."

"You don't…" 

"...insult your elders. I know." Jide completed. "You've said that a million times." He glanced back at the kitchen. The children were no longer running about and the aroma coming from the direction caused his mouth to water.

"I also know that elders should allow their children to have their breakfast in early hours like this."

Maduka laughs, "I have not seen a creature that likes food as much as you do."

"Deal with it, papa. I am off," Jide laughed as he hurried towards the kitchen.