The Tenth Generation

CHAPTER THREE-2

The chief priest was with one of the prominent worshippers, Mazi Nduka. Nduka was one of the worshippers who wished by all means to take Obi’s place. He was in the same age grade with Mazi Obi. Nduka was a very large man with a strong sense of importance. He had always wanted to be as powerful as the Obis. Now that Obi was dead, he saw an opportunity to take his place and not even Obi’s son could stand on his way.

“Ah, Mazi Nduka, Good morning.” Chika greeted him. Then looking at the chief priest, he said, “Great one, I will have to go now, I will be back to see you in two days’ time. Please I pray the god accept my small gift, it is just a token to thank him for listening to me.” He was pointing to the white c**k in the hands of the young messenger.

“I am also about to leave, maybe we should walk together. You know how close I was to your father; there are some issues I would like to discuss with you.”

“Alright, the two of you can walk together. I will have to go back to my shrine, may the god of our ancestors go with you.” The chief priest said and hurriedly walked back into his shrine.

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Nkechi never anticipated that her husband was going to stay so long at the shrine. He had left so early without even taking his breakfast. She could not understand why he had to leave so early; after all, during papa’s days he never visited the shrine at such early hours of the morning even though she wasn’t always aware of his every visit to the shrine. She had taken her time to do her house chores, had even prepared his breakfast. A breakfast that must have gotten cold by now.

She loved her husband and she was very glad that she would soon be having a baby for him. Nkechi wished that she would be able to provide him a son because this would go a long way in increasing her status among the Obis.

Now she was sitting in front of her house on a wooden stool as she waited for her husband.

Then she once again allowed herself to ponder over the problem at hand. It would be a big let-down if the name of the family suddenly went down; she would be the laughing stock of all the women in the village. What was her husband up to to save this situation? Would the god accept him as his father was accepted? And now that he had stayed so long, she couldn’t wait to know what would become of the family’s new status. She hoped that the news would not be negative because that would spell doom for them all.

She looked up and saw her husband’s younger brother coming from the narrow street that led to the house. He was holding a short thick stick in his right hand and a big grasscutter on his left hand. Chima was not really bothered about power and riches nor was he interested in safeguarding his father’s ill-gotten wealth, he preferred living a simple and easy-going life. Oppressing others was not his style. He was just nineteen and wasn’t prepared to make enemies like his father and brother had been successful at doing. He had tried so many times to beg his greedy brother to forget all about this whole power-tussle and lead a more honorable life now that their father was dead. He tried explaining to him that the fact that he was a worshipper was enough instead of going further to take away from people the little they had.

“You mustn’t take other people’s belongings and instigate fear in them before they accord you respect; respect is earned and not enforced.” He has said this to Chika, his elder brother.

“Are you telling me to close my eyes, fold my hands and allow our enemies to take from us all that our father had acquired? Are you not happy with all the plots of land, trees and properties that father had acquired for us? Now tell me, how do you want to earn respect by being a weakling and a coward like Mazi Madu and the others? Look boy, if you don‘t like respect and power I don’t know what else you are living for. As for me, they are the only essence of living and I must achieve them.”

The look in Chika’s eyes had made Chima realize that his brother was not ready to listen to him or change his mind, so he gave up and allowed him to do whatever he liked.

Now, as he approached the house, and seeing his brother’s wife sitting all alone, he guessed that his brother had not yet returned from the shrine.

“You are welcome.” she greeted him.

“Is my brother not yet back from the shrine?”

“No, in fact, that is what I have been wondering, don’t you think it would be better if you go searching for him?”

“What for? I don’t see any reason for that, Chika knows his way back home and he can take good care of himself. That, you are sure of.” He was just about to leave her and enter the house when something occurred to him. Perhaps he could persuade Nkechi to talk to her husband about his greed.

“Please, Nkechi, I beg you to ask your husband to forget about this whole desire for power. We won’t die if the whole villagers come and take all that is theirs from us. Look at all that papa had acquired, they are all still lying here while he is rotting away in the grave, where are we going with all these things, making enemies across the whole village.”

“But your father left all these things for you,” she sharply replied. “Just look at you, are you not supposed to join forces with your brother and be the greatest men in Duruji? What legacy do you want to leave for your children when you die?”

“A good name is what I want to leave behind for them and that is better than land, trees and cattle that will end up leaving my children at the mercy of the enemies I make while acquiring them just like papa had done. All that I am trying to say is that my brother already has the protection of the great god and with that he should be okay. Going extra miles to be like papa will require extra sacrifices, have you really given a thought to what the extra mile might be?”

“I don’t think that there is anything my husband is not capable of handling. If your father did it my husband will, he is the true son of Obi, sometimes I wonder if you are truly his son. Well, it is my duty as a wife to help my husband be what he has been destined to become and I won’t let him put the family name to shame.” She firmly replied.

“Alright, I think I have said enough, the two of you should do whatever you think is right. As for me, I am not interested in such greedy venture.” He quickly left her to prepare his meat before she could say another word.

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Nduka and Chika were moving at a snail’s pace. This was what Nduka wanted; he wanted to use this opportunity to sow seeds of fear and doubt in the younger man’s mind with words of intimidation. The narrow and quiet road provided a suitable atmosphere for him to relay his information effectively.

“Eh...I am really sorry that I had not been able to see you since your father was buried. I’d wanted the chance to have a one-on-one chat with you. There were some problems at home that had really kept me very busy. In fact, that is the reason why I suggested that we should walk back home together.” Nduka started.

Chika did not respond to the older man’s apology, he didn’t think that the apology was necessary.

Nduka continued, “I want you to be strong. As you know, your father was a very strong man; he was a very brave man and was well-respected in Duruji. I know that what he expects from you from wherever he is that you should continue from where he stopped. May his humble soul rest in peace.”

Chika was beginning to get angry. Although he couldn’t detect any trace of sarcasm in Nduka’s voice, Chika knew the man was mocking his dead father, but he tried to curb his anger and still remained calm as he listened to the older man.

“It won’t be fair to your late father if I fail to guide you, especially in anything that has to do with Alaogbaga. You know that the great god can be very unpredictable, you must be very careful not to step on the wrong toes, follow our footsteps and learn from us, I promise to lead you past anything that might be confusing to you, we your elders will lead you.”

Chika was now really provoked. What was all this? He thought. What was this old fool telling him?

“I am sorry, Mazi Nduka. I don‘t think I will be in need of your advice or guidance. In this struggle for power, everyone is on his own, I am sure you have children that you can guide and advice. My father did his homework before he died. I will do whatever I want, I can get whatever advice I need from the chief priest, I am sure he will put me through,”

This boy won’t be easy to handle, Nduka thought, he was just like his father, but he won’t stand the young man talking to him like that.

“Young man, you mustn’t think that I am here to struggle for power with you, it’s a pity that your father left you thinking that Duruji is a war zone. However, you must realize that he is no more around to protect you and you are all alone, you are no more what you used to be.”

“Are you trying to intimidate me or what? You want to make me scared and vulnerable so that you can pounce on me?” he smiled, “Well, for your information, that won’t work out for you; I am the true son of my father.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Nduka defended himself, but continued his threat, “You must be loyal to us, I want you to realize that before you were born, we have been the worshippers of Alaogbaga. We have seen it destroy properties and kill people, we know what it is capable of doing, and we know it much better than you do. Don’t go thinking that you are just going to inherit your father’s position, because that will be a big mistake for you. You will have to earn its favor and that is the reason why you must follow our lead.” Nduka was getting frustrated, the young man was pushing him further than he wanted, trying to make him come out openly with his threat.

Chika didn’t even display a sign that he was feeling intimidated, “Well, thank you for your concern, you just don’t worry about how I fare even without my father, I can take care of myself. But one thing you should know is that I can never let my father down, my father’s position will never slip me by, I know what I am doing. I am not weak; you will see my strength, just watch out for it.” He concluded confidently.

Nduka was surprised at how Chika was talking. This boy was surely not weak, he thought. He had underestimated him. Then he must open up to him if that was what he wanted. “Well, that is by the way. There is something important that I will like to discuss with you. Emmm...the big plot of land, I mean the one close to Maduka’s big iroko tree your father claimed to be his is not really his. Actually, my grandfather gave it to your grandfather to use for some time and it is time I take it back.”

“What piece of land? I don’t understand; my father did not mention anything like that to me.” Chika wasn’t expecting this sudden change of topic.

“Well I am letting you know now. I intend to farm on that piece of land on the next farming season, I just thought you should know.”