THE CLOCK

Episode10: THE ROAD WE CHOOSE

She had then excused herself and left the room promising to come back in a

moment.

The silence

that reigned while Nkechi left was

unexplainable. It was like a moment of critical self-examination. It was a deafening silence, so absolute that a arop of a syringe needle could echo in it. Perhaps, Mama and Mgbafor were reluctant to engage in undue praise-singing so as not to be looked at as sycophants. Perhaps, it was sheer complex, knowing their socio-economic limitations among the four. Nkiru was happy for the silence, which enabled her to rate her speech and assess its impact on her old friends. It was like looking back at one's artistic creation to admire it. At a time, it appeared as if the silence would last for eternity until at last, Nechi broke the ice by her re-entry.

"Hi seniors," Dr. Nkechi Obinna greeted, announcing her

presence.

"Hi doc." the trio answered back almost simultaneously.

"I'm glad to announce that Senior Adabeke will be discharged in three day's time," She revealed.

"A-a-ah!" Mama Nwankwo exclaimed, throwing both hands into the air in praise of God. "May God be praised!" she exclaimed. "Amen!" the others responded.

"Ke-he...ke-he," Dr. Nkechi Obinna cleared her throat and

continued.

"Senior Adabeke," she called, beaming with unpretentious smiles, "The management of this hospital has graciously written off your hospital bills, all of them, and has asked me to tell you to accept their congratulations on your recovery," she announced

The roar from Mama and Mgbafor could pull down the four walls of a room. By a strange twist of fate, Mama's older children arrived to see how their mother was faring only to become partakers of the good news. Overwhelmed with joy, they raised their hands into the high heavens, praising God. It was jubilation galore as they with their mother and Mgbafor sang and danced, hugging the two doctors that had helped to alleviate their problems. Calling the attention of all in the room, Dr. Nkiru Chinemere addressed them.

"I came in here with the express purpose of clearing the bills, but Nechi whispered to me that the management had resolved that Adabeke would pay nothing, that every facility she enjoyed here was given free of charge," Nkiru had said.

Mama and her children, as well as Mgbafor, raised grateful song unto God. They thanked Him for His mysterious for His wonders and for His goodness and mercy, which endureth forever. They also thanked God for the previous day, for that present day, and for many hopeful days ahead.

Continuing, Nkiru revealed, "It may astound you to know that this hospital is owned by Dr. Nkechi Obinna herself," she stopped short as she was interrupted by an eruption of shouts of surprise. Then she continued.

"However, she had thoughtfully and wisely handed over its management to the Catholic missionaries that gave her life. You can see that almost all of her staff are Rev. Fathers and Rev. Sisters.

So, you can see that there are benefits in making good friends and giving them good turns while the friendship lasts. As the saying goes, one good turn deserves another," she concluded.

Mama's children knelt down while they all thanked the two doctor friends, especially Nechi, for their magnanimity. Dr.

Nechi accepted their thanks with utmost modesty, and carried all the gratitude back to God.

"To God be the glory," she had said in response to their

show of thanksgiving.

Before Nkiru bid her friends goodbye that day, she had left them with a saying that was deep and full of food for thought. " We part now only to meet again. Forget about the dusk and darkness. of yesteryears, but look forward to the dawn and brightness of the glorious days ahead," she said and waved them goodbye.

It was a moment of sober reflection for the Ugonnas as soon as the two doctors left the room. Nwankwo had suggested that it was expedient that a formal 'thank you letter' be drafted and sent to the management of St. Monica Specialist Hospital, Owelle, through its Managing Director, Dr. Nkechi Obinna. That suggestion was unanimously carried, but Mama also added that two other letters be written to Drs. Nkechi and Nkiru in semi-formal forms, respectively. Having done that, Mama heaved a sigh of relief, just as the full import of her old friend's kindness began to register in her. She thanked God for using her old friends to give her physiological relief.

"Our error sometimes is that we fail to see the finger of God in our affairs, even in the problems of life," Mgbafor said philosophically.

"My sister, how could anyone convince me that I was

coming to this hospital for an upliftment," Mama wondered.

"Every disappointment is a blessing in disguise, so goes

the saying," Mgbafor said.

"It's true, my sister. The ways of God are hard to explain,"

Mama concurred.

The next day, mama sent her daughter, Chioma, to Akamu to inform Eze Nwagu and the townspeople of her homecoming.

She had instructed her to inform the Eze and his Council of Chiefs before any other person. She had also asked her to assist Ego and Ogo to tidy up their house and the entire compound since a large number of people were expected to visit her.

As soon as Chioma had left, a messenger from Dr. Nkechi

Obinna came, handing Mama a letter. The letter read in part:

Dear Senior Adabeke,

How are you and Senior Mgbafor faring? I thank God that you've bounced back to good health, and have maintained an equable temperament.

Thank you so very much for your letters: one for me, another for Nkiru and the third for St. Monica Hospital Management (SMHM).

We are very happy for your thoughtfulness which you backed up with a letter. We wish you all the best that life can offer as you prepare to travel back home to reunite with the loved ones you left behind.

Senior Adabeke, Nkiru and I have deliberated further on our proposed Akamu visit. It's not something we'll do in a hurry, because it's going to be a very big project. So, we've decided to invite you and Senior Mgbafor to my house in Owelle in a fortnight to enable us to chisel out the rough edges in the plan.

Since you've not already known my house, you'll come to my office and we'll all proceed to my abode. Nkiru and I will be very glad to see you.

Thank you, and may God shower you with His blessings.

Yours sincerely, Nkechi.

Mama and Mgbafor were very happy to receive that letter.

It proved to them that their favoured friends were ready to translate their plans for them into practical terms. They rejoiced and offered prayers of thanksgiving to God. Mama's homecoming was a great celebration in the Akamu clan. It was an Eke and the village square had been cleared of rubbish and weeds, giving it a facelift. Mama had come back on Orie to give her enough time to rest before the reception. Eze Nwagu and the Council of Chiefs had volunteered to solely sponsor the occasion. Prominent traditional leaders and chiefs from the neighbouring clans had been invited by Eze Nwagu.

The Council of Chiefs had warned all and sundry to maintain a high level of cleanliness in the village and to achieve that, it had ordered a compulsory environmental sanitation exercise in and around every home, streets and public places. By Nkwo preceding the D-day the whole village was wearing a new look.

At last, the D-day came. By ten O'clock on that Eke day, the village square had been filled to capacity. It was a gathering of who-is-who in Akamu and its environs. Eze Nwagu and his chiefs were apparelled in their traditional outfit that displayed chieftaincy titles. The men and women were colourfully dressed in their various social group attires. The whole scenario was a beautiful sight to behold. Children, boys and girls could be seen looking happy, darting about in their usual pranks. The young and the elderly were comfortably seated on the seats their children had brought for them as directed by the Eze. Various dance groups were stationed variously at strategic points where the gathering could watch their performances. By noon, the invitees from outside Akamu had all arrived, waiting for the start of the occasion. Eze Nwagu, flanked by his Council of Chiefs and other traditional rulers from neighbouring villages looked very radiant.

Everyone beamed with smiles and agreed that it was going to be an occasion to remember in the annals of Akamu village.

The occasion proper began with a solemn prayer said by the oldest man in Akamu. Then came the breaking of kolanuts.

Again, the oldest man prayed over the kolanuts.

"People of Akamu, kola have come," he announced. "Who

brings kola, brings life," the crowd had chorused.

He prayed for good health, long life, prosperity and better life for Akamu and her neighbours. He prayed for a successful reception and asked God to bless everyone present and grant all safe journeys home at the end of the celebration. There was a loud "ise-e!" at each prayer point, and the end was greeted with a loud ovation.

The kolanuts were then handed over to some appointed young men, knives in hands, to cut the fresh lobes into pieces.

Some young ladies, also appointed for that purpose, served the pieces of kolanuts to all present.

After the eating of kolanuts, the various dance groups came on stage to display their agility and skill. From the distance, one could hear the booming of the drums, the clapping of hands and the echoes of feverish cheers. The ovation was loudest when Mgbeke's dance group rolled out their instruments to perform.

Mgbeke herself had led the young ladies in a dance procession before the Eze and his Council of Chiefs. She had danced flirtatiously in salutation to the elders to the admiration and applause of the thick crowd.

Generally, each dance group sang songs that were newly composed. They sang the songs they had never sung before, They sang with Mama's name pouring eulogies on her. There were also new dance steps introduced, as well as a wide range of artistic repertoire, as each group strove relentlessly to carry the day. Next was the special address presented by the chief celebrant, Mrs.

Adabeke Ugonna, popularly called Mama Nwankwo or Mama, for short. It was a didactic piece of ingenious contrivance aimed at shocking her target audience which were the women of Akamu, to wake up from the social backwardness into the full awareness of progressive realities.

As Mama rose to the podium, the crowd greeted her with loud roars and cheers. There she positioned herself, relaxed and poised to extend to her people, words of hope and encouragement. There she stood, looking straight into the thick crowd, her huge frame exemplifying the true symbol of African beauty. Looking at Mama, a stranger would expect to hear her voice deep and harsh but on the contrary. She had an inherently soft and appealing tone. Then the icon began to speak to an audience, which she held spellbound throughout. "Akamu, Kwenu!" She began with the force of conviction of an accomplished orator. "E-e-l!" The thick crowd roared.

"Eze Nwagu and his Council of Chiefs; Our Lords, spiritual and temporal; Elders and Men of Akamu; Our Dear Women of Akamu; Invited Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen. I stand on this podium before my fathers to thank you for this overwhelming reception accorded to me at this auspicious time. I also want to thank and appreciate your kind gesture towards me in the course of my brief stay at the hospital in Owelle. Though this occasion isn't for storytelling, However a leopard can not change its spots.