==THE STORY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN TOLD== Episode 78: We got to Abia Line Park at Agbani road, Enugu, where we opted to board a Peugeot car as against the conventional bus even though the price was quite higher. We needed to get home as soon as possile since it was also that day that my grandmum’s corpse would be brought home for burial the next day. Not long the car got filled up and we left. There were just four passengers; a guy at the front, a lady plus Ifeoma and I at the back. It was an interesting journey as Ifeoma clung onto me like we were newly married couple. I could see the other people in the car stealing glances at us. The driver was watching us every now and then through the car’s rear-view mirror. I wondered what must be going through his mind. That was his business. I crossed my hand over Ifeoma’s neck while she rested her body on my chest. After about an hour and forty-five minutes we got to Umuahia. I’ve never travelled to the village through that route (Enugu-Umuahia- Village). I always travelled to the village from Aba which is a one-way journey. So I called my dad for directions. We located Ozuakoli Road (Umuahia) where we boarded a bus to my community. Fourty minutes later we arrived at our community. The driver had refused to take us directly to our village because we were the only passengers left. He returned some money back to us which we used in boarding a commercial bike together. We met the hearse at the entrance of my village. It happened they were also arriving at that time. A procession was on. People can be seen crying while others were visibly in grief. The noise from our bikeman’s exhaust pipe had attracted many eyes to us. The look on their faces conveyed what I interpreted to mean ”Yes, this is the son of Eze Onye Mara Ihe Ga-Ese Okwu but who is that young girl with him?” ”Na him sister abi he carry woman come him grandmama burial?” ”Anyways, na una problem be dat,” I thought as we rode past them to my family compound. Truth be told, I did entertained some fears as we approached my compound. My dad was yet to know I was coming with a girl. It was my mum and immediate elder sister that had the knowledge. We arrived my compound and I wasted no time in leading her into my room. People saw when we arrived but they did not pay much attention since they were all in a haste to go and join the procession. ”Welcome to my home” I said to Ifeoma as we got into my room. I noticed she was not really comfortable. She looked tensed and uneasy. Her eyes had gone deep into their sockets. I reasoned she must be asking herself how she had managed to make such trip with me. The wool over her eyes must have fallen off and so she now realised the magnitude of her decision to travel with me. First, what if I ‘m a ritualist and had deceived her into following me? What if my village is hostile to strangers? What if my family, parents or specifically, my dad, finds her unworthy and a bad influence to their only son who was sent to school to study and become a better person rather than getting entangled with a girl. Soon, very soon she’ll find the answers to all her questions. TO BE CONTINUED
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 11:39:56 +0000
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