MOMOS

MOMOS

Lesson one: And Uwa got missing

And Uwa got missing in the playground. It all started in the corridor between the fence of the school and the walls of the church in Obotowo village, behind all responsible eyes on the route leading to the lonely stream ( idim ikot-ekpo) punch in view at the top of the hill. A call of a name echoed the school buildings: Mma oo oo oh !, Mma oo oo oh !, Iyak ise ( keep calm), Mma told her friends as she strains her ears to collect whose voice was it, but she couldn't rather she talks back at the caller's. Though there were strange and premitive believe that on Sunny days " ghosts would buy and sell from a populated market or seen returning from farms and fetching waters with native pots in human bodies and nature. So it was usually a moral lesson at school and a general believe of the people within and around this community: that one has to see who calls before given a corresponding answers to it, as proven,that men in the past had lossed their voices to ghosts.

Behold, the caller appears some distance behind a Mango tree. i***t says Mma, why did you have to shout out my name in that manner, Edidiong? anywhere you can come over, we're here. In a thinning and fainted voice Mma said to her other friends-guys let run further, take a hide for her to figure where we are and fish us out" okay, guys agreed and everyone moves in diverse directions with heavy and light footfalls. Mma and her three friends had taken covered on both sides of the road at different plant shrubs, who is to be found first by the caller Edidiong: it was Emem first, Ime second, Mma third. Uwa had refused to appear, so the search continues, it's now scaring and boring after an hour by four to find one. Uwa! Uwa!! Uwa!!! They called, and there was no answers, nobody in his wear,no size and bowlegs in his shape,not even an image of him in shadow's appearance on the Sand, on the sunny day. The guys paused, threatened to take their leave, Uwa did not still appear. 

It was very unfortunate for him, he was caught up with a female spoot while on a hide. A leaf on his head was enough to keep him invisible to human but visible to the underworld. He had become the underworld being, understanding their spoken words, activities, movements and misteries.

The guys return home with sad faces and worries. On their heads basins full of water with fresh cassava's leaves in the water to steady the water waves. Now they appeared at a junction leading to different families and homes and had forgotten to say goodbye to each other, it is unusual. They all faced with tall task to explain Uwa's whereabout, they contemplate within themselves, individually: why would this happen to us at fourteen? Emem thoughts critically to herself, may be Uwa is tricking us: it's either he'd gone home before us or wants to come home last- Ime meditate deeply in her . Oh my gosh, I started the whole thing, I wouldn't have called for a hide, had the future said its plans.

Now they boy is nowhere to be found, God have mercy; Mma lips move in fear.

And finally, Edidiong communicates her thoughts: why is Uwa missing, last weekend I observed strange things while we were on our way to the stream, I was walking last behind everyone, at a moment it was as if someone was walking behind me , though I turned and found no one. Maybe that wasn't superstition but real invisible being walking behind.

Lesson two: small but a mighty village.

Uwa's village is usually described by strangers as " small but a mighty" . The village is enclosed with lagoons on both ending leading to other neighboring villages. Short hills and mountains are found in loose spaces, requires energy filled bodies to burn to the top , take a breather of job well done and move on. 

The hills and mountains were the mythie of the name Obotowo, meaning " the hills and Mounts owners" the people of this village love strangers whom in their little fidelities adhere to their culture and traditions. 

The village is sub- divided into macro families given every household equals chance to own properties and run business of their choice. Farming though is common here of which seventy five percent is about cultivation- the clearing of bushes,the burning,the planting, the weeding and the harvesting. Ten percent is of rearing of livestock, and the final fifteen percent for marketing both ends product in livestock and farm produce.

Uwa owns this village by birth for his fore- fathers were sent by government on elementary studies and training, they had fallen in love with the village that descriminates not, had fallen in love with young ladies of their time and had decided to be fruitful in knowledge and in child bearing, off course, Uwa was victor of their fruitfulness. 

Again, women in this village were as strong as men in the civilize world today- they'd go about five miles away from home between bushes for food hunts , some times they exposed to danger of " bush manslayers" they claimed their heads instead, brought the head dripping blood home as evidence of war won. They usually celebrate them by their husbands and the entire village for it was a culture to bring the heads of the enemies tempted to s*******r them back home .

These bush manslayers were people from other communities seeking to sort for human heads for so many wrong reasons as it were- for their kings' final burials , for ritualists making money,for native oats and covenants, for body resistance to bullets, cutlasses and other weapons, for offerings unto idols and many other blunt reasons of life. Homicide is forbidden to humanity.

Lesson three: Houses set ablaze.

Years ago Uwa was once being told by the elders on the night of the moon about how the village (Obotowo) was once set ablaze by its enemies. Prior to the of the attack, the enemies had sent couple of letters proposing the boundaries of Obotowo' village.

The elders of the village do reply to their letters, there was even once or twice where the elders walked down to show them boundaries signs of demarcation but they were not satisfied with all the efforts of the old men.

One fateful day, the village was as quiet as the grave yard as everyone, big and small, young and old had moved down to the burial ceremony of the village head, usually at a site where the tradition calls it to be, as such few roads were crossed with Palm fronts, series of play on stage, invited chiefs in their chieftaincy Royal wear, food and drinks were in circulation,all tradition kinds of snack: kolanut, bitter-kola, palm win, roasted chicken and bush meets, assorted wine, cooked tortoise, snails, crocodile and snakes were not left out. Behold the enemies struck.

They came with dangerous weapons, cooking utensils,mats in families and in massive crowed, destroying everything on their way: properties,men, women, children and set houses ablaze. Thanks to God for smoke which had turned an adage of fire.... there's no smoke without fire.

A nursing mother left behind from the king's party, making sauce of scented fern for her cocoyam food on the fire, saw bundles of smoke rings in the sky, it never going to be rain because of the level of sun scorch outside, she said it to herself,what then is the thick smoke of rings in the sky? She thoughts to herself and stepped out to observe, she couldn't return inside anymore not even for the sake of her new born baby because the crowd of the strange faces she peeped at were as much as the crowd of a popular Mile 12 market in Lagos. It was the alarm she raised that speaks signs to the bodies of able men, that there was no time to ask questions than to take action because the sky alone answers all formal questions that the enemies are indeed around.

Lesson four: Who watches the village? Vigilante.

Small village, scanty houses,low crime, high cultural value, average level of literacy as such laws were enacted by the chiefs and their kinmen sending town crier to disseminate information across the entire village informing everyone of law permitted age to report at the village square,at a particular time usually in the morning 7am to about 10am or during evening 6pm to about 9pm this time strangers were the main focus, they have traded beyond their lines of labour where they came in, assigned jobs, and get paid after work done.

Properties were not saved, the chiefs demand for voluntary hefty young men to come out ,take responsibilities and protect the village. The group was called" vigilante" . They came out, twenty- two in number but four were returned, they were new strangers and their integrities were not proven. So the chiefs raised their red caps, prayers were call on the ground from heavenly father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And the gods of the land. They were given assignments and a promise of five motorcycles.

Unveiling the group, there were a lot of lookout and adjustable strategies especially from those in concern , the bad heir decided to monitor the farm movements of others, counter them, and bagged the best deal. It getting worse than it were,there were also rumors that vigilante gang were the perpetrators, the village did not wast time cooking oat for each member, they were all innocent. So the vigilante strategised themselves,came up with something spectacular (1) that everyone must report to the local market on every market day, whether you have what to sell or not (or) have money to buy or not - In their words it is local market cleanse up.

(2) some days were also assigned for harvesting cassava only, since it high reported stolen produce. Here they go, now it is tight and close.

Uwa's grandma did not believe her eyes, that a high profile with strong personality in the same village could walk to her, greeted her, then issued her warnings and communicate her intentions: that she's here to harvest her cassava and she wants no reports in the village otherwise.......ok.

She was shut of words, folded her arms, watched the thief, indeed, she had her way.

Not too long the same woman was caught by the vigilantes, this time, she played smart on them, carrying a basin of firewood beneath the firewoods in the basin's base, were fresh harvested cassava tubers: it was off cassava harvesting day,it was confirmed,she stole them and was punished.

Was strip naked,she took the cassava's basin on her head, was beaten and paraded the whole village. She was boode by young and old, righteous and unrighteous. This is how thieves were punished in Uwa's village and communities.

Lesson five: The universe is God's or gods.

Disobeying elders is forbidden by the God's and the gods of the universe. This is opposite to some brokeout legends so to call them- who may shoulder the responsibilities of the village upon themselves,in war front or where it matters the most to defend the name " Obotowo" or her people.

WILLIE was one of the obstinate son of soil, he goes to anywhere he wishes,do whatever pleases him and himself. A tall lanky man, warrior in his time, physically fit at all time, blinks no eye for no one. Whether he has no gods or one, it's definitely the stories of the latter of the rapture.

In the days of Willie, neighboring villages who claimed wealthy than others in natural resources and in head counts may as well oppressed a village to forfeit some of its landed properties or turn them slaves: similar to what happened between the philistines and the Israelites. Ulahlah were more like the philistines, very rich, flourishes home and abroad, known in the political world and in sports business: A popular No.4 who played for our dear country Nigeria may in opinion of the writer an origin of Ulahlah.

WILLIE heard about Ulahlah's letter- informing Obotowo of their plan to come clash in what seem to be tribal war: who wins take it all. Claims the landed properties and convert the people slaves. The date for the showdown in the letter was Friday 26th February, 1988.

Obotowo had announced its war bidding intentions through the heads- that no one should by any form of fear leaves the village, and who does should never return aftermath,,perhaps we won.

First time in the history of the black, Uwa's parents witnessed,men and women willing and in agreement to die for their land or turn slaves if their gods fails. What an astonishment!

Ulahlah indeed have started blowing war trumpets on dued date as signal of war visitation at the lagoon separated both villages, Willie in the other hand was challenged by his physicality, pull out of the crowd of the young men and women who were trying to test- run their skin with field matchets and loaded guns, here he goes....they call Willie e ee e, Willie e ee e, he pays no attention to any noise in his opinion. Few hefty men sent to stop him, they couldn't.

Little do they know that Ulahlah had surrounded Obotowo village leaving their handicaps with the trumpets at the boundary. First to receive a gun shot was Willie on his forehead, another on his chest just with his koro-koro eyes in his land, he shakes the bullets off his body, too many gunshots into him, he was still standing tall, some keep running bullets on him, others going by foot to him,just to allow him feel the impact of other war missiles, since he was too good on bullets. Then Willie broke into war shout " Obo- ro- wo (3*) to signal his local compatriots, off course they know what that means, a corresponding was received immediately so wellie keeps yelling...... Instantly, there were live stinging bees running out his anus, rushing his enemies, afflicting pains on them. Some were stung dead others were Left with serious injuries, not too many escape, large number of them were conquered by Willie, this made him his village warrior in his time.

Lesson six: SLAVE TRADE

Uzoma is an indigene of ulalah, a business woman who buys Oha-leaves , avocado pears, coconuts fruit, oranges and tangerine at plant. Harvest them when they're strong and ripe, conveyed them to Lagos where she'd distribute to major markets and estate retailers- she was a wife to a banker husband and a friend to Eka-Anah.

So she exploit the opportunity of friendship to seek for a decent house maid who'd help mind one of her shops at okokomaiko park-Lagos, while she does the distribution to customers at various selling points.

Eka-Anah goes round to talk to mothers for the great adventure of house maid in Lagos, a chance for getting a child was very slim due to terms and conditions that may deny the child her basic education; distance to Lagos, news of travellers who were victim of road accident, robbery, swelled and tired legs in the vehicles and commercial drivers refusing to stop for passengers to pee, relax legs and relieve themselves among others terrible factors in the city of Lagos ranging from child missing to kidnappers to ritualist making money, these were the flying news and fear talks from Lagos, Ondo,Abuja, and Ibadan travellers to the villagers.

However, she decided to talk to her third daughter to join master Uzoma in Lagos. That her high school education would be cathered for,and if she does good with Master Uzoma , she might be sent to study further her dreamed profession in law.

The date Ofonime is leaving for Lagos is unknown, master Uzoma would only come whenever she receives a feedback from Eka-Anah that a maid-child is found. Ofonime on other hand is happy, and has taken the plan of her travelling to Lagos to the moon night. She'd promised her friends wig, lipsticks, chewing gum,sun glasses, wrist watches,face cap,bournvita tea,carbin biscuits and bread. She's proud, she's gonna talk in nose like the white men when she returns from Lagos- her friends all mimicked her.

The next day was April 21st in that year, the friends kept on asking " when are you leaving for Lagos, Ofonime"? Soon was the answer, May is gone, June, July, August are now behind, all hope that Ofonime is going to Lagos is lost from friends' perspective, until December when Master Uzoma came in for Christmas festival,she bought some clothings and jewelry for Eka-Anah, they met at the local market ( urua unehe),where master Uzoma wanted to buy ogba and washed abacha(cassava snack) with broken coconut for her children to have local food taste. They hug hard in the market, do some Christmas songs and danced to themselves,it was the common way to exchange pleasantries with good friends most especially those coming from obodo-oyibo(abroad) and perhaps Lagos. She handed the gifts to her Loved friend, Eka-Anah is grateful and use the opportunity to narrat how stressful it was to get a child-" I talked to almost every mother in this village,no body was willing to let go of her child" so I decided my third daughter (Ofonime) should come help you out as a good friend.

Master Uzoma: thank you, my friend.

Eka-Anah; don't mention, what are we friends for? you definitely deserved more.

As she was talking, she pointed at Ofonime under an umbrella shield selling plantain and fresh cocoyam, garden egg for her mother.

Master Uzoma and Eka-Anah were speaking in Igbo's dialects, Ofonime does not understand Igbo but speaks Ibibio and pidgin English.

After two days from the market day, master Uzoma arrived Akwereke with her Lexus jeep at one noon, children gathered round the black car, reading the plate number " PRT 430106 BQ" together and trying to picture themselves in the car mirror. Inside the mould house was Ofonime busy arranging her clothings in a small Ghana must go bag, she was too excited,had forgotten her washed socks sunned on the roof of the mould kitchen behind the main building.

It's time for both to depart, Eka-Anah is sad, waving at the daughter in the Jeep car, the louvres is up gradually to its roof, the car is on the reverse, the children around are not seeing inside the car anymore but Ofonime still sees what the children-friends of her were doing, they were still waving until they see the black Jeep no more. Ofonime then broke into tears in the car, in missing her friends and mum. She wasn't that small, however they said- emotions is respecter of no one. She was one of the few who were lucky to be handed out as maid to wealthy families.