EAGLE FROM THE RUBBLE: CHAPTER 26

geniusvic (54)in #story • 8 years ago

Ezekwe had just finished supper and was relaxing in his obu. He felt satisfied and sat picking his teeth. His wife, Ure came to pick the plates. She gathered the plates and sat down.

"Papa Chidi", she called.

"Yes?"

"I overheard Oyibo saying that she would like to see you after supper," she said.

"Hmmm. What's wrong with that?" he said.

"I hope she is not coming to plead that you leave an okene here to wipe out my children."

Ezekwe continued picking his teeth without replying,

"I also hope you are not going to agree to that. Look at your sons; they are just stagnant without moving either forward or backward. Euna mocked me about my daughters. Now God proved her wrong and provided them with husbands. Here she comes with another ploy to wipe out my sons. Don't let them charm you into agreeing to that. You know it is against the custom and..."

"Woman, pick your plates and leave. Allow the food I have eaten to digest," he snapped.

This made Ure mad.

"Let me tell you, if you agree to that, I will go back my parent's house," she threatened.

"Then start packing," he retorted.

She started to say some more when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She took her plates and left the obu in a very bad mood.
Ezekwe was still sitting in the same position when Euna and Oyibo entered.

"Papa, so you are already through with your supper. You forgot how we used to share together," Oyibo teased.

Ezekwe smiled

"My daughter, you are now a big lady. Can we really afford the kind of food you eat?" he said.

"Papa," she said in pretended annoyance. "How could you say that?

"But that's the truth," he said and after some other pleasantries, he asked. "You said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes papa. I wanted to see you and ask for a favour. I would have come with my husband but he is currently out of the country. I know that things went wrong sometime in the past. But I also know that you are a kind man, with an open heart towards everyone. I equally know that what I am about to ask is not obtainable but because I trust in your understanding and love, I yet dared to come to ask."
She paused, looking at Ezekwe.

"Go on, I am listening"

She handed him a bottle of hot drink

"Accept this from us. I want to ask you to forgive my mother for all her mistakes. Forgive us too for remaining silent all along. Please, show your forgiveness to us by accepting my brother, Obioha. Let him stay here with my mother and keep her company cheer her up and console her. Don't send him away please."

"I am also joining her in asking for forgiveness and my pardon. I know I have wronged you. Please, accept this boy as yours. Please," Euna pleaded

Ezekwe examined the drink in his hands while thinking over their words. After a while he said..

"Oyibo my daughter, I am happy that you have such a good head. You know I love you and your sisters like my own children. I also love your mother as my own wife. I will not hesitate to do anything in my power to make you all happy. I have forgiven everything" he paused.

"Thank you papa" Oyibo said.

"And coming to the request about Obioha, you are from Nneri and you know the tradition. It is an abomination for me to go contrary to custom. Even if I should grant you your request, what about my uncles, Igbokwe, Ibeneme and Chioke? What do I tell them? Already they are on my neck that I have allowed your mother to keep an okene here. This matter goes deeper than you can imagine" he said thoughtfully. "But I can do something for you to show you that I have no personal ill feeling towards the boy. I will prevail on my kinsmen to exercise some patience on my behalf. I will let him stay here till his mother gets married, then she must have to take her to her husband's house. I can't habour an okene. It is against the custom of our land."

The matter was therefore rested pending the time when Nwamaka would get married. Euna, in the interim, enjoyed some time of peace.