Far Fetched

Chapter One

Chapter One

Ona looked around her, frustrated. This wasn't the life she had hoped for. Not one she had envisioned. This wasn't what she wanted. Life was downplaying her, feeding her with regrets, making her suffer, and she hated every bit of it. She hated Nze for putting her in that situation. She hated that she was stuck here, in a land of no where with this suckling child who never gets enough of her breast milk. She hated that Nze loves her so much and tries to make her feel comfortable. But No! She wasn't comfortable. She will never be.

Just then, Nze walked into the compound, carrying a grass cutter. His gun hanging over his shoulders, with a cutlass on his right hand. He was wearing only a piece of wrapper round his waist down to his ankle. He smiled sighting her, he immediately ran towards her, but she acted like he wasn't there, he wasn't existing.

Muna, their eight months old son was lying on her laps, crying. Ona! He called, once, twice, thrice, but she didn't hear him, she didn't move, where was she at? He tapped her, that was when she startled, starred at him from his feet to his head, like he was some kind of stranger, like she was seeing him for the first time, like they weren't married for one year now with a son. "Ona! What is wrong, our son is crying, why aren't you breast-feeding him?" He asked, dropping his gun and cutlass and lifting the child with his right hand. She didn't say a word, she didn't"t move. She just starred at him, at his potruded abdomen, at the hairs running from his chest down to below his navel, at the wide smile on his face, at his black skin, at the beards on his face, at his energetic figure, short but healthy and strong, but this was the opposite of whom she wanted. He was the best hunter in the village of Amanfo, he is also the best wrestler. Any girl would die to be in her shoes. He was loving, caring and bragged about his beautiful wife and son to the whole villagers. Nothing else made him happier than his wife and son, but none of these made her happy, he could not make her happy, neither could her son. "Look Ona, I got us bush meat for dinner. You know what, relax. I will make us dinner tonight. Let me rush to mama Nneka and buy ingredients for your favourite "ofe nsala" He said happily as he danced with Muna in bid to console him. "Can you hold him, lemme get going before it gets dark?" He asked. She didn't say a word. She just starred at him, again and again, her hatred for him increases. "My beautiful wife, what have I done wrong this time?" He asked with so much care and concern in his tone. He loves her, she knows, everyone knows, but she doesnt, not even one bit, not even the child she had with him could make her to. Nze stood calm, wondering what could be wrong, not like it was something new, but this was different. Last night they made love, it was fast, intense, so fast he could barely catch his breath. It was what she wanted, she demanded that it be that fast. He had paused, trying to caress her, to thrust her lovingly, but she had shouted at him, begging him to continue, this time never to stop until she asked him to. He did as she demanded, fast, so fast he could feel much pain in his loins, still he didn't stop; intense, no breath. He only stopped few minutes later when he noticed she was sobbing, but he had cuddled her, promising her that everything would be fine. She slept calmly afterwards. This morning she was dozing softly when he left early for his hunting. Many nights it was like this, other nights she wouldnt let him touch her, like they were some kind of strangers, still he would speak calmly to her, hoping and praying the next night would be better. Nze was just that perfect man, the good man, the man without blame, but with an underserving wife, for him she was the best thing, the only one that made him happy. It left her in awe many times, while he had never shouted at her, while he has never gotten so angry with her, why he has never beaten her like other men would. He never stayed out late to drink and look out for younger girls who would perch on him at any given opportunity. Many times, he would come back home and still make dinner even when she sits idly all day. He would do her every demands and provide for her like his life depends on it. Many rumoured that she used a charm on him. Being a stranger in Amanfo, from the village of Ekechi which takes about 20 market days on foot from Amanfo, the people of Amanfo never got to accept her wholeheartedly. Not when he made their strongest warrior and hunter her footstool. The people of Ekechi, where she comes from, are known for their strength in war, in business, wine making and so much wealth. Many belived they had high level of witches, as that could be while they had so much wealth and power. "Nwunye mu! My beautiful wife! Did you hear anything i just said?" Nze asked softly, caressing her soft back. "Isnt it obvious i dont want to speak to you Nze, isnt it obvious i'm tired of this god forsaken place? Isnt it obvious i'm tired of being your wife, part of your people, carrying your child? Nze i am tired! I am tired Nze. I need out! Yes, i want to go back to my people! That is where i truly belong, not this place, this...place of no end!" She replied, stamping her feet as she shouts. She looked like she could tear down a mountain. Just then, Muna starts crying. Nze stood still, starring at her, admiring her beautiful fair skin, which glittered even under the setting sun. Why is she that fair? No blemish is spoted anywhere. Her waist bead dangled as she stamps her feet, her breasts, firm, round, beautiful just kept dangling left and right under the piece tied to her chest. She was angry, frustrated, still she looked beautiful as ever. He rested his eyes on her lips, full, round. Those eyes too, there were so brown, striking and intriguing. Now why should he get angry at her, at a goddes sent to him by the gods? When he first learnt she was pregnant, he wanted their first issue to be a girl, a girl that looked so much like her, but Muna had come rather. He took after his black skin, but had those brown eyes, that tall figure, just like his mother, just like Ona, just like his wife. He could see her lips moving, she was saying something but he wasn't listening. "...I never wanted to be here Nze, I never wanted to be your wife, to have a child with you! You put me into all of these, and l cant do it anymore!" She warned, walking into their hut. The place he has come to share with her as their matrimonial home. Aside the Igwe's palace, his compound was said to be the most beautiful. It comprised of three huts. One was his Obi, the hut his father left him. It has been passed from father to son for five generations. Inside the hut was a fireplace at the heart of it, an earthen bench placed face to face with the fireplace at the center. Far left was an earthen pot, with drinking water filled to its brim. At the right was his shrine, his personal chi, handed to his father by his grand father. He had a bottle of gin, nzu, the white chalk, kolanuts and a stone believed to be the soul of their ancestors dating back to hundrends of years. The stone had a human head figure. On the wall by the left, hung two rafia bags. One contained gun powder and the other contained cowries and other valuables. Some of his cloths hung at the southside of the building. The rest were found in the room he shared with Ona. Traditionally, he enters the hut every morning for his morning prayers before leaving for the forest to check his traps. On other occasions, it is for the seven days when Ona is menstruating and he is forbidden to mate with her or have some form of intimacy. Also during special occasions or remberance of the dead, when he poured libation on their behalf starting from his father down to his great great grand fathers. He knew each of them by name, he saw them in his dreams, he is the reincarnation of his great grand father, as he was told. He communioned with him many times in his sleep and visions. The second hut was the one he shared with Ona. It had so many beautiful designs both in and out, Painted with red sand, whitechalk and zebra skin. Once every year, he takes his time to renew the paint, the drawings. At the right of the hut was their wooden bed. It was strong, made of the strongest wood and layered with a rafia mat, soft and warm. Their cloths were neatly stacked in a basket, the other end was an earthen pot containing drinking water. It was usually cold and had this special way of quencing even the strongest thirst in a sweet way. There was a wooden table at the far end by the left. Had baskets on it containing Ona's jeweries, coins, makeup kits which comprises of otanjele, a local mascara used on the lower and upper eyelid, a black chalk applied on the lips, ude aki, the locally made oil for the skin, camwood oil and a brown powder. Beside the bed was a smaller bed were Muna laid. The third tent was his, and his siblings when they came of age. Beside the tent shared by Ona and Nze was a local kitchen. It has a fireplace, firewood neatly stacked and local earthen pots sitting at the side. Behind the kitchen was the bathroom. It was made of palmfronds in a round form with an opening at the middle, serving as a door made of palmfornds and sticks. This was a perfect comfortable African home.

Ona had walked into the second hut, the one she shared with her husband. Her waist dancing meticulously behind her. Nze was supposed to get angry, to order her to come back, or force her to carry Muna and breastfeed him, perhaps hit her for not making him dinner. But No, he choose to ignore all of that. He walked into the tent to find her on their bed, facing the wall. He picked up a wrapper, ties Muna to his back and heads to the market. Immediately he left, Ona bursts to tears. She didn't cry because he was a good man, nor because she knew he didn't derserve her, but because she hated him, because she hated her son, she cried because she hated herself more. She cried because she heard her son cry continously as they left the compound but couldnt stop them. She cried because she should be out there finding means to make dinner for this man, this man who has become the husband she doesnt want but whom she is bounded still by tradition to love and respect. She could, she could love and respect him, she could be loyal and hardworking, she could be the sweetest wife, if only he was the one. She was the best wife for Lotanna, she loved him with her life. He loved her too, there were happy...

Her thoughts were cut short by the constant bleats of the goats. It was getting dark. The c***s and hens were returning home for the night, for a moment she smiled, admiring the life of domestic animals. The roosters leave their kens in search of their daily bread everyday, and come back just before dark to retire. Somehow, they are happy, no worries, sooner or later they are killed and used as food for man. The goats are taken out every morning for pasture and brought in before dark. She admired they lives. Just how lucky they are, she thought. Just then, she hears the bark of Ejike, her dog, the only property that came with her from her fathers place. It had come to love it here, to feel comfortable. It was also seeing this other female dog, ije, in the neigbourhood. From the look on its eyes, it was happy, it wanted Ona to be happy too, you could tell by the look on its eyes whenever it looked at her. She sits up, uses one edge of her wrapper to wipe her tears, gets up immediately, and walks to the back of the house to untie the goats that they may retire to their tents. She had just finished closing its tents when Nze walked in. Muna was asleep on his back. She watched him drop the items he got in the kitchen and walks into the hut to lay Muna to sleep. He didn't say a word to her, there was no trace of anger on his face either. He was sad rather, tiredness written over him. Ona felt guilty. She was making him pay for her bitterness, meanwhile all he had ever done was made her happy. She went to the fireplace and tries making fire for cooking. He comes out some moments later to stop her from making the fire. "Let me Ona, I promised to make us dinner. You should rest, you must be tired. I understand Muna must be too demanding, but give him some time okay. He will become a man soon, one you would look at someday with so much happiness," he said, calmly holding her hands and leading her away from the fireplace. She wanted to tell him that she was fine and that he was the one that needed rest, that Muna was a calm boy, just like him and wasn't overburdening one bit, but she didn't find the words. She rather stood up from the fireplace and sat on a stool. She watched him roast the meat and made dinner; meticously, like a woman. He didn't speak much to her. He only gave her some pieces of meat to eat while he made dinner. An hour later, her favourite nsala soup and pounded yam was ready. Just in time, Muna was awake to join dinner. They ate quitely. It was a cold night. Owl hunted from afar. Frogs sang love songs to their mate, and some pounding was heard from Mama Obum's compound. She is known for her late night meals. Once, she was preparing soup and had no idea that a frog had jumped into her pot of soup. Unfortunately, this frog was dished as meat for her husband mazi Ogali, who didn't notice until he had finished eating and ready to chew his large peice of meat. To his amazement, he found a frog instead of the goat meat he had excitedly anticipitated. Hell was rained that night and he swore that she must leave his house the following morning. Long story cut short, she didn't leave, and she never stopped cooking late. The local mpa n'ka, a locally made lamp was burning beside them. "I need to bath him" Ona announced as she heads to the kitchen to get the hot water placed on the fire. Muna was already asleep before his bath was complete. She wraps him up properly and takes her time to comb his long full hairs which he inherited from Nze. She tucks him up in bed and comes out to find Nze washing the dishes. She helped clear the environs and put things in place for the night. She was making the bed when Nze left to have his bath. She went to have hers afterwards and came in to find Nze waiting up for her. He helped her apply the camwood oil to her back and massaged it gently, continously he kissed her back, neck and shoulders. She takes a deep breath. "Hush Nze!, We shouldnt wake Muna" she queried. "I promise it will be as calm as the birds" he promised kissing her neck and grapping her n*****s with both palms. He rubbed them gently, then faster like each second demands a faster pace. She didn't fight it off. She just relaxed, she let him do what he had to, arousing her calmly. She turned to face him, he understood the body language. He grabbed her gently and went in quickly, afraid that she may stop him. She didn't, she just lay there, making soft moans. He loved this sweet part of her. "I love you Ona, I loveee you, lets make a baby girl soon, one just like youuu..." He whispered. She held him with her legs, stopping him. "Get off Nze.." "I'm sorry Ona, i didn't..." "No! Dont say a word. Just get off." She demanded. This time louder. He let her go as he watched her gather her wrapper to her chest and lay off facing the wall. He lay on his side, facing her from behind. He couldnt sleep. He was at the verge of ejaculating. The wrongest time to leave him hanging. He didn't know when he eventually slept off, nor when she did, but that night, he had a dream, he was carrying a baby girl, one just like Ona. He was happy, he smiled even in his sleep. Ona dreamt of Lotanna, she missed him. She missed the way he made love to her. She dreamt of the kind of home they would have made, the kind of wife and mother she would have been to Lotanna, the kind of children they would have had. That was her happiest night in nine months. The dream seemed real.

Chapter Two

Ona woke up to find Nze preparing for the farm. He was sharpening his cutlass on a stone, whistling his favourite "Dinta" song. It was that time of the morning when darkness was making way for light. The moon was slowly disappearing into the clouds, rolling away the dark clouds and rolling in the clear blue and white clouds. It was the rainy season, the earth was wet and dews fell. On noticing her presence, Nze greeted "utuoma omalicha nwunye Nze" He said in igbo, calling her the beautiful wife of Nze. "Greetings Nze, she replied. How was your sleep?" She asked. "Could have been better, Nze whispered. She didn't say a word. She looked away, searching for the broom. Calmly, she swept the compound, and removed the old ashes from the fire place. "I'm off for the farm" He announced "Alright. Won't you have breakfast?" Ona asked. "No no, the sun will be up soon, i need to leave before it does. Besides, i wont take much time, i just need to roll the yam sprout around the stakes, put one or two together and check my traps. I will be back before the sun reaches the center of the sky." He said. "Alright, if you say so. Let me come with you, i need to fetch water from the stream." She announced, lifting her locally made pot. "Ejike, she called at her dog, take care of Muna, i will be back soon" Ejike wiggles his tail and sits at the entrance of the house. He sat there until Ona came back from the stream.

Seeing them together on their way to the stream, young madians talked. To some, Ona felt she was no match to anyone cause of her beauty. Making her parade herself round the village head high, refusing to make friends with anyone. Others believed she must have used a charm on Nze, making him not to look at the girls of his village, instead he picked a foreigner. Nze was the man of the people, Ona, they all believed was undeserving of him; however, the way Nze adores her and puts her first, is a mystery yet to be uncovered. Noticing the silent talks and looks, Nze decides to walk her to the stream, helps her place the pot on her head and walks her few miles home before heading to the farm. Ona saw the looks, the look that would rip any man apart and subject him to the luring eyes of the those girls. They all wanted Nze. His calm attractive looks were one thing, but his kind words and second to none behaviour was enough to make any woman happy. She knew all these. But why wasn't she contented.

Ejike waggled his tail and danced, on seeing her from afar. She drops the pot and rubs his head gently. Just then, Muna wakes up and crawls out of the hut. She lifts him up and first washed his hands and face, then heads to the kitchen, made fire and places the remnant of the soup from previous night to warm. While the food was on fire, she takes the goat out to feed. She comes back and takes the pot down. Muna struggled with her breasts. She soon places them in his mouth and watched him relinquish it like his life depended on it. She too had breakfast and fed Muna. Then visited her garden at the back of the house to do some clearing and harvesting. The sun was at its apex when she finished up, had her bath as well as Muna and lay him to sleep. Some part of her was restless, it was about the time Nze promised to come back, yet no trace of him. She thought of what to do, since sleep had eroded her. Then she recalled she had a cloth she was secretly nutting for Nze and Muna. She finds them, sits on a stool at the entrance of the house and starts nutting. It was a craft known by few. Her grandmother had taught her mother, who in turn taught her. People of Amanfo had looked at her strangely when they found her wearing one, other than the usual wrapper they were known for. She nitted for about two hours, eyes on the road, hoping Nze would walk in soon.

Chapter Three.

It was past meal time. It was that time of the night when you could barely recognize a brother four feet away. The night was dark, cold and quite. This night, no noise of pounding and cooking was heard from mama Obum's compound. The frogs too were calm. The moon hid her glory behind the dark skies, and there were no stars, except for this weak one which stood above her head, as if mocking her. That wasn't a good sign. Muna lay calmly on her bosom. He wasn't sleeping, buh he was quite. Ejike, her dog sat at her foot, facing the entrance of the compound. They patiently waited. The lamp burned slowly. Ona gazed at the light, her mind clouded by thoughts.

"It's true I don't love Nze," she thought. "Buh if anything bad happens to him,..." She paused. She wanted to stay positive. Muna clutched her bosom tightly. She held his feet and realized her was cold. She untied one of the wrappers on her waist and wrapped him. It wasn't long before he fell asleep. She takes him inside and lays him on his bamboo bed, and walks back to the front of the hut where she previously sat. This time around, she was pacing. It was fast approaching midnight, and he hasn't returned. It was so unlike him. He never stayed out past dusk. She had to do something. She needed to inquire from his friend, Mazi Nnamdi. Turning to Ejike, she said. "I will be going over to Mazi Nnamdi. Maybe he could know about the whereabouts of my husba..." She paused. "her husband? That was a first of its kind. Could fear of his death suddenly exposing her to how lonely she could feel if he was no more?" Ejike taps her feet, in bid to awaken her to complete her statement. "Please take care of Muna, I shall not be long"., She announced, grabbing one of the lamps. Ejike waggled his tail and settles at the entrance of the hut where Muna lay. He always did that. Whenever she needed to leave muna behind, Ejike would position himself at the entrance of the hut and keep watch. He would remain there until she returns. If Muna wakes up before she arrives, Ejike would go play with him awaiting her arrival. Ejike wasn't just a dog, he was family, and she never hesitated to show him just how much family he was to her.

Half way through her journey, she finds four men advancing towards her. It was then she realized they were the first set of humans she was meeting since the inception of her journey. Fear gripped her. What if they were r****t or thief's, she thought. It was too late to turn back, her lamp had given her out already. She walked calmly towards them. Praying they wouldn't hurt her. They were suspiciously calm. It didn't take long for her to realize the man limping was Nze. He was being held on both arms over the shoulders of two of his friends. "What happened to him"? She asked running towards them. "We were attacked by a wild beast" Mazi Nnamdi replied "How? Didn't you all go for hunting...why let him get hurt?" She queried. The men stared at each other, with no reply to give. They knew Ona as cold hearted. This display of affection was new. "Oyom, please calm down. It wasn't their fault" Nze answered reaching for her hands. "Let's go home" he said.

*******

"I was worried and scared something may have happened to you. I had to come looking for you. How did this happen, didn't you go hunting with your friends?" Ona asked, massaging his injuries with hot water.

"Yes Oyom, four of us did go hunting,...he said. "I found a wolf, and aimed at it. Udeme the jester suddenly flipped from a tree and scared the animal. I didn't want to let it go, so I immediately shot at it. Rather than the neck which was my target, it handed on it's stomach. Angrily, it advanced towards us. They was no time to reload my gun. I expected Mazi Nnamdi to use his, but out of fear, they ran. It was too late for me to run so I stayed back fighting the wolf. It was an intense fight. It took the mercy of the gods for me to escape death. I kept throwing blows on the injury until it became weak. Already I'd sustained various injuries and was bleeding profusely from my ankle. I couldn't walk. So I lay there. Mazi Nnamdi and the rest had ran some distance before they realized I wasn't with them and traced back looking for me. This took hours, and I felt faint and weak...." Nze paused and winced in pain as the hot water touched the open wound. "When they got to me, they used some of the herbs to stop the bleeding and got me some coconut nectar to help regain conciousness....iyiiii" he winced in pain. "Nkem easy now. The pain is so much I can't feel my legs." He cried. "Ndo, sorry, you will be fine" she consoled. "what became of the wolf?" She inquired. "It goes to death. It was in an attempt to bring me as well as the animal home that we took so much. The animal is currently at Mazi Nnamdi's house. We will share it when I feel better. Sorry for getting you worried nkem." He said

She was calm. She was done with the cleaning, hence she applied gbogborise, a locally made medications that is known for its fast healing properties. However, it is usually painful whenever it first comes in contact with injury. Nze cried out as the medications were applied all over the affected places.

It wasn't long before he slept off. Ona covered him with one of the cloths and watched him snore calmly for sometime before she blew off one of the lamps and joined Muna on the smaller bed. She neither wants to wake Nze up or cause him any discomfort. She offered prayers of Thanksgiving to the gods for bringing him home alive. She could only imagine what her fate and that of her son could be if he had died. From her window, she could see the heavens. There was no moon still, buh she found the star. It was brighter than it was hours ago. It was as if heavens were sending her a message, giving her a second chance. She was ready to take it. That night she slept calmly, with a sign of relief written over her. she didn't want to cause him any discomfort, so she lay with Muna. She watched him snore calmly, with so much peace on his face.

She had a dream that night, it wasn't the usual dream. It wasn't about her lover Lotanna. This time, she dreamt of Nze, they were crossing an ocean. He was holding her hands, halfway, in the middle of the water, he stops abruptly, leaves her hands and continues with out looking back. She called to him, but he did not answer nor looked back. It was as if he didn't know who she was. She called out to him until she woke up.