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The sun had gone down and it was becoming dark as Ezekwe hurried on along the footpath. He had not intended to stay so long at the home of his in-laws where he had gone to visit his ailing father-in-law. But they had discussed extensively on several issues and before he realised it, it was already late. His father-in-law, Maduforo, loved telling stories and cracking jokes. He had unwittingly delayed Ezekwe's departure. They were very good friends and once Maduforo saw him, he forgot all about his ill-health and they had discussed extensively for several hours.

Right now, as he hurried through the footpath, his machete in his right hand, his thoughts were on his brother, Chikezie. He had intended to have a heart to heart discussion with him on reaching home. He blamed himself for staying out late. For all he knew, Chike, as he was fondly called by all, may have gone back to his station at Enugu, when he failed to show up at the appointed time. But it was of great importance that they had this discussion and he could only pray that Chike waited for him to return.

Chikezie was his younger brother sojourning in the coal city of Enugu. He had lived there for more than twenty years. He left home for Enugu soon after his standard six examinations, yet there had been nothing to show for it. When he eloped with his wife, Euna, Ezekwe had to go to Nkwoma, accompanied by his kinsmen, to pay her bride price and fulfill other traditional rites. Ezekwe did this when it became apparent that Chikezie could not afford to do so himself. He had no house of his own except for the mud house built and previously inhabited by Ezekwe before he built himself a 'zinc' house. Ezekwe's four-room 'zinc' house could not provide adequate accommodation for both his own family and that of Chikezie. Therefore, Chikezie had the two-room mud house to himself.

On several occasions, Ezekwe had advised him to come back home and settle down. He usually agreed to do this only to stay back once he got to Enugu. Chikezie and his family seldom visited home and that was why Ezekwe had wanted to seize this rare opportunity of his visit to plead once more with him to come back home and settle down. It had become necessary to do this since it was evident that Chike was having a difficult time in the city. That he and his family were living below poverty level was there for all to see. Yet, he had remained at Enugu and this was painful to Ezekwe who had a compassionate and caring nature.

Ezekwe was deep in thought as he rounded off the bend that led to the main wider path which led to his house and the houses of some of his close kinsmen. He was absent-minded and almost bumped into Dike, his uncle's son, who was coming on a bicycle. Dike missed him by a hair's breath and in trying to avoid him; he fell off his bike and landed in the nearby bushes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dike shouted
angrily, scrambling out of the bush. "Didn't you hear me ringing the bell?"

"I am sorry, my child." Ezekwe replied, recollecting himself. "But don't you think it is rather too late to be riding a bicycle without light? Get up,"Ezekwe said as he tried to help him up. Dike brushed his hand aside, refusing his help.

"But this is not the first time I have ridden through this path at this time of the evening. It is just that you weren't alert. I wonder where your mind is." Dike was well-known for his outspokenness which oftentimes bordered on rudeness.

Haven't I apologised?" Ezekwe asked.

"But my bicycle has been shaken out of shape. What do I do about it?" he snapped as he brought out the torchlight in his hip pocket. He started examining his bike critically.

"What is it?" Chikezie asked. Neither Ezekwe nor Dike heard him approach. "Is that you Dede, what is it?" he repeated. At this inquiry, Dike, recognizing who it was, became highly infuriated.

"What's your business in this? Are you the policeman around here?" he snapped.

"I heard shouts and I came to find out what was happening," he explained.

"Now that you have found out what is happening, what else can you do? If I should insist that my bicycle must be repaired, would you have any contribution to make?" he asked cynically.

"Now, enough of this" Ezekwe interjected. "If you want me to repair your bicycle, bring it tomorrow and I would pay for its repairs. Don't insult anybody because of it."

Some other people living in the vicinity who had heard the shouting rushed out. They were carrying oil lamps, lanterns and torchlight, and heading towards the scene to find out what the shouting was all about.

Soon, a small crowd gathered with almost everyone asking in unison "What is it? What is going on here?" None of the contenders however, paid them any of that attention.

"Why would you repair the bicycle in the first place?" Chikezie asked, ignoring the crowd. "Don't you know your rights? Look at someone riding at this time of the night without light and he had the guts to make claims. You should be the one making claims on him and not the other way round," Chikezie said in annoyance.

"Look here, my friend, let me tell you something," Dike said to Chikezie. "What we are talking about here is not worn-out high heeled shoes, dusty afro hair or weather-beaten bongo trousers. We are talking about a bicycle which you, with all your long sojourn in the city can never afford to own in your whole life," Dike spat out.

As he said this, there was laughter amongst the crowd, most of whom had this same opinion of Chikezie.

Young man, is something wrong with you? Why insult someone who is older than you are in this manner? I told you I was going to repair your bicycle. What else do you want?" Ezekwe asked, aggrieved by the caricature which Dike's outburst was subjecting Chikezie to. Naturally, Ezekwe was a cool-headed and peace-loving man but Dike was becoming unbearable even to him.

"What is the problem?" Ibeneme, Dike's father asked for the umpteenth time, pulling Ezekwe by the hand to gain his attention. He was among those attracted to the scene of the fracas.

"I don't like the way Dike, your son behaves at times. Does he think this is a new form of wisdom or what? He talks to people carelessly, without any regard to their ages?" Ezekwe was now highly upset at Dike's attitude.

"Please tell me what it is all about. I have been asking, but no one has told me anything," Ibeneme pleaded.

I was coming back from my father-in-law's house and as I was trying to round off this bend, Dike bumped into me with his bicycle. He claimed to be in the right and I accepted to repair his bicycle for him yet he went ahead and started opening his mouth wider than necessary," Ezekwe explained.

"I am sorry, my brother, please don't be offended. Forgive him. This boy and his troubles. Ask him,Ibeneme said, pointing at Dike, "I have warned him several times before, and even this evening I warned him when he was taking out his bicycle that it was too late to be riding a bicycle without light. But he refused to take my advice and went out with the bicycle. Please, my brother, forgive him. Dike has given me more trouble than all of my children put together. What do I do about this boy?" he lamented.

It's alright, my brother. Children of these days,
wonder." Ezekwe replied shaking his head in agony.

"You are the one giving yourself trouble, not Dike. Not to talk of this one that has stayed in the city for God knows how long. Yet he has nothing to show for it and now he came down here to poke his nose into my affairs," Dike said, as he ran out of reach of his father who made for him. Ibeneme took the bicycle into his compound swearing to sell it off the next Eke market day. Ezekwe and Chikezie quietly made for their own home.

Ure, Ezekwe's wife, met them at the entrance to their compound, worried and scared. "What kept you so long? What about my father? Is he still alive?" she asked, peering into her husband's face.

"Ure, you ask too many questions at the same time. Which one do I answer first?" Ezekwe asked as he walked past her.

"But you stayed so long and I have been worried. I was thinking that something terrible might have happened," she explained.

"Nothing terrible happened as you can see for yourself. Your father is not dead and here I am still breathing," he replied, as he went into his room, closing the door behind him.

Ure turned towards Chikezie who walked past her making straight for his hut without a word to her. Ure hissed and went back into her kitchen more confused than ever. 'It must not be unconnected with this never-do-well,' she muttered to herself.

Ezekwe lay down on his bed and reflected on what Dike had said concerning his brother, Chikezie, Yes,they were all bitter truths. They were hard facts that had given him sleepless nights. How could his brother, Chikezie be contented with the type of life he was leading? He was living a life without direction or ambition, a life of penury and abject poverty when they had in the family enough farmlands and economic trees to keep him and his family comfortable at home.
What was there in the city so alluring to him that he had persisted in hanging out there even when he could hardly afford to maintain himself and family? Ezekwe wondered. No, this can't go on any longer, he said to himself, getting up on to his feet. Chikezie must be made to come home for good. He went out of his room with his lantern, heading for his late father's obu which now served as his reception and resting room.
"Ure," he called out to her. "Bring supper for me. Bring it into the reception, food for two."

He had emphasised this because since his younger brother's return, Ure would usually pretend not to remember to serve him food whenever Ezekwe failed to remind her of it. This evening however, she could no longer suppress her feelings. She started grumbling openly when he said food for two.

"From year to year, he can never come back here with even the smallest loaf of bread for my children. Yet I waste my food on him, feasting him and acting maid whenever he comes home visiting. This has got to stop. I just can't take it any more."

"Will you shut up and do as I say," Ezekwe barked at her. "Nkeiru," he called to his youngest daughter.
Nkeiru scrambled out of her bed rubbing her eyes.
"Papa, did you call me?" she asked.
"Yes. Go and tell your uncle, Chike to come to the reception."
"Yes papa" she said as she went to Chikezie's door which lay adjacent to Ezekwe's obu. Ezekwe's zinc house stood near the obu, with a wide empty ground facing the two buildings. Ezekwe sat down in his seat in the obu and waited.

It was about 8pm but Chikezie was still dressed up in his usual attire of high-heeled shoes, bongo trousers and faded long-sleeve shirt that had seen better days.
All these were outdated and were no longer fashionable, but Chikezie still loved this outfit and always felt important in them. He saw himself as a man of fashion and sophistication. In his bid to look fashionable, he failed to notice that this attire rather provoked for him laughter and disrespect among his kinsmen whenever he visited. As he made for the reception that night, he clutched firmly his ever present radio which he usually held close to his ears.

Ure saw him coming in and as she walked past him, she hissed.
"Prodigal son," she murmured under her breath. Chikezie took no notice of her as he was used to her rude behaviours. He got to the reception and took a seat opposite his brother. Ezekwe was already seated and was waiting for him.
"Dede, you called me?"
"Yes, draw closer, let's have supper first. Though it is now a late supper" Ezekwe said.
They both started eating. Ezekwe knew that as a matter of fact, if he allowed his wife have her way, his brother would not have a morsel to eat. That was why he personally made sure they ate together whenever he was around.
"My father-in-law, Maduforo delayed me, if not I would have been home long before now," Ezekwe told him.
"I kept wondering why you failed to show up as we agreed earlier for the discussion. How is he getting on? Is he better now?" Chikezie asked.
"Yes. He is much better. I think he will be about his farms soon."

They were eating pounded yam and egusi soup. Ure was a very good cook and Chikezie, being very hungry because he missed lunch, made no pretence about relishing the meal. He fell on the food and Ezekwe noticing this, ate a little and left it to him. He claimed he had had something to eat at his father-in-law's place. He then sat back and watched Chikezie as he gulped down the food and shook his head sadly. He looked his brother over from head to toe and wondered why he chose to live the way he did. He was once quite a handsome, robust young man full of life and energy. Looking at him now Ezekwe was moved to tears for he looked so skinny and anyone seeing him would know he was having a hard time in the city. Ezekwe wondered how he managed with a wife and four children with his meagre salary as a cook to a white man. He had to provide for his wife's needs and those of his children. Who would blame him if he could not afford to change his clothes through the years?
But what baffled Ezekwe was that with all the
hardship facing him, Chikezie still chose to remain in the city, licking another man's plates. That was what his job was all about, Ezekwe thought. He wondered why Chikezie preferred a woman's job to that of a man because to Ezekwe and everyone else in the community, his job was not befitting for a real man.

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