Traditional rules

ONE

It was early morning, the young and old carried their earthen water pot down to the stream as they passed through the narrow roads leading to the stream getting the grasses that nosed their way out. Ekemma, a slim, dark-complexioned girl, with a height that was appealing, hurriedly went down the stream, filters it and filled her water pot.

“Can you believe that this is her fourth time of coming to the stream this morning? Indeed she is a child”, the first elderly woman jeered. “Mgbeudo is lucky to have her as her daughter, I wish I have such a daughter, at least I will be at rest for works”, the second woman offered. “We are becoming workaholic, even when our children are there. Don’t you know, children of these days are like eggs that will break if they over worked”. Ekemma walked passed them with greetings. “Nne, ndewo! Ndewoo”, they chorused with smiles, gasped and converted to another topic.

Nze Obika dressed in his Chieftaincy attire, walking towards Nze’s house, he passed through bushes and nearby farms he stopped by, watched and muttered to himself and continued his walk, he approached and knocked, Nze, from within, answered “Onye”? “It is I, Nze Obika.

Nze was cleaning his teeth with chewing stick, he cleaned his tongue twice and rinsed it before placing it on his left ear and bended inside. “Nze”, he exclaimed, “welcome”. They exchanged greetings, he sat down with him for a while, cracking gags before he stood up to ask; “Nze: I know too well that palm wine will serve much better to this cool morning”. Haha, he laughed, “exactly”.

Nze entered inside, coming out with a keg of palm wine, placing it on a table in front of Nze Obika, Nze Obika removed the palm fronds and poured as much as he could drink, he sipped a bit and smiled, observing the palm wine thoroughly. “Real palm wine”, he commented, “not those mixtures sold in the market”. “Yes”, Nze cut in, “it was specially made by Agbara as a gift to me”. “No wonder it tastes different, you know Agbara is the only man in Amueke that knows how to tap palm wine without tapping dead the palm wine tree”. He nearly licked the cup before dropping it and cleared his throat. before I drink and forget, the reason of my coming, the elders have meeting today at the Ogbako as usual”. “When did the elders hold a meeting without me being present?” he asked, pondering. “Have you forgotten so soon, that you were intoxicated that you could not even find your way home”, Nze sighed. “It almost getting late, soon the meeting will begin”. “So soon? Wait for me in a brief moment”. “Do not hesitate; I don’t want to be left out in any discussion”. “There is still much time left”, Nze said and dashed into his hut.

The elders and titled men sat in a semi-circle, waiting. This was an important meeting for an initial issue needed to be deliberated on. Everyone was on set, excluding Nze and Obika. At last, they appeared, they looked sorry and apologized, the meeting began. Oboh stood up, addressing the elders who were speechless.

“When the moon is shining, the cripple becomes hungry for a walk, other villages have done their Iru Mgbede Festival, will our own be different?” he asked. “The King should have a say on this matter, we can no longer wait till his son decides to choose a wife from the festival or not. In this case, we, the Elders will decide for him”. “Yes!” they nodded in agreement, “we can no longer be patient, the festival must hold”. Ottah retorted, “Then, what are we waiting for? Lets match to the palace, the king should have an answer to all this talks”.

At the palace, the king was seated on his throne, behind him stood his two attendants. Dimgba and Ekwe, the elders, strode in implosively and sat down in their positions, he stared in anticipation and uttered; “your faces looks serious, what could be the problem?” “We are not happy”, Oboh spoke with a tiny voice, corded with despair. “We have not heard from you, concerning the festival”. “I am short of words”, the king replied, “he has refused to participate in the festival, so I need not to proceed when he is not yet ready”. “Then, he should be persuaded to participate in the festival, because this is a festival which has been holding even in our youth, I believe it won’t change in this era”, Nze pointed. “Give me few more days to talk him out”, he ad-libbed and grinned to the serious faces. They greeted and left muttering to one another.

“I am sad; my son’s happiness is at stake, what can I do? Nothing”, said the King, dejected. “Your Highness, stop all this soft talk, your son’s happiness is in no trouble, besides, tradition can breed more happiness”, Dimgba pointed. “But, your Highness ,weather the prince get married from the festival or not, it means nothing because tradition demands that he must be married and it did not demand that it must be from the festival, the tradition is not neglected if he marries outside the festival”, Ekwe suggested. “You speak well, Ekwe”. “No, your Highness”, Dimgba disagreed, “it is not a simple matter in practice. Remember, it is against our tradition for the prince to marry outside the festival, it is a sacrilege”. “I think you are right”, he pondered. “It is the truth Dimgba. Certainly, they do it in Achi and Ika and they see it as no sacrilege because they do not allow the tyranny of ignorance and superstition to go under the cloak of tradition”. Ekwe explained. “It is our ancient practice, what would happen if you were allowed to change our ancient practices as we like? For us, tradition is not a passing thing, it is the earth on which we live and the air which we breathe, it is what makes us different from any other village. If we do not respect tradition, how can our village stand? How can we be proud of our forefathers and pass on our pride to our children? Therefore, there is no way we can break the traditional rules”. “I insist, your Highness, you must let the young man be inspite of all these tradition and ancient practices, let us look into the future and forget the past, tradition is not made by spirits, it is made by man, man makes the law that even the spirit obeys. Man also breaks the law, when it is found unsuitable for the present situation”, Ekwe convinced the more. “I do not think so”, Dimgba interrupted, relentlessly. “I do not see how all these matters, tradition is tradition and it cannot be changed. Your Highness, do not listen to this law breaker”, he abated. He looks at the King, who was trembling with confusion. “You must compose your Royal self, your Highness, do not over worry yourself with those monologue.