Arrow of God (The African Trilogy 3)

‘A man should hold his compound together, not plant dissension among his children.’ Whenever Edogo felt deeply he stammered agonizingly. He did so now.

‘I am listening.’

Edogo told him that the reason why Ezeulu sent Oduche to the new religion was to leave the way clear for Nwafo to become Chief Priest.

‘Who said so?’ asked Akuebue. But before Edogo could answer he added: ‘You speak about Nwafo and Oduche, what about you and Obika?’

‘Obika’s mind is not on such things – neither is mine.’

‘But Ulu does not ask if a man’s mind is on something or not. If he wants you he will get you. Even the one who has gone to the new religion, if Ulu wants him he will take him.’

‘That is true,’ said Edogo. ‘But what worries me is that my father makes Nwafo think he will be chosen. If tomorrow as you say Ulu chooses another person there will be strife in the family. My father will not be there then and it will all rattle around my own head.’

‘What you say is very true and I do not blame you for wanting to bale that water before it rises above the ankle.’ He thought about it for a while and added: ‘But I do not think there will be strife. Nwafo and Oduche come from the same woman. It is fortunate that you and Obika have not set your minds on it.’

‘But you know what Obika is,’ said Edogo. ‘He might wake up tomorrow morning and want it.’

The old man and his friend’s son talked for a long time. When Edogo finally rose to go (he had announced his intention to go three or four times before without getting up) Akuebue promised to talk to Ezeulu. He felt pity and a little contempt for the young man. Why could he not open his mouth like a man and say that he wanted to be priest instead of hiding behind Oduche and Obika? That was why Ezeulu never counted him among people. So he had hopes that the afa oracle would call his name when the day came? The fellow does not fall where his body might be picked up, he thought. It does not require an oracle to see that he is not the man for Chief Priest. A ripe maize can be told by merely looking at it.

And yet Akuebue felt sorry for Edogo. He knew how a man’s first son must feel to be pushed back so that the younger ones might come forward to receive favour. No doubt that was why in the first days of Umuaro, Ulu chose to give only one son to his Chief Priests, for seven generations.

On the way to the stream that morning the bride who had not seen many white singlets in her life was inclined to take too much interest in Oduche and the new religion which provided such marvels. To curb her enthusiasm jealous Ojiugo whispered into her ear that devotees of this new cult killed and ate the python. The bride who, like any other person in Umuaro, had heard of Oduche’s adventure with the python asked anxiously:

‘Did he kill it? We were told he only put it in his box.’

Unfortunately Ojiugo was one of those people who could never whisper, and what she said reached Oduche’s ears. He immediately rushed at Ojiugo and, in the words of Nwafo when he recounted the incident later, gave her thunder on the face. Whereupon Ojiugo virtually threw down her pot and attacked Oduche using the metal bangle on her wrists to give edge to her blows. Oduche replied with even more fiery slaps and a final, vicious blow with his knee on Ojiugo’s belly. This brought great criticism and even abuse on Oduche from many of the people who had gathered to help separate them. But Ojiugo clung to her half-brother crying: ‘Kill me today. You must kill me. Do you hear me, Eater of python? You must kill me.’ She bit one of the people trying to hold her back and scratched another.

‘Leave her alone,’ said one of the women in exasperation. ‘If she wants to be killed then let her.’

‘Don’t talk like that. Were you not here when he nearly killed her with a kick in the belly?’

‘Hasn’t she hit him enough for it already?’ asked a third.

‘No, she hasn’t,’ said the second woman. ‘I think he is one of those who become brave when they see a woman.’

The crowd was immediately divided between supporters of Ojiugo and those who thought she had already revenged herself sufficiently. These latter now urged Oduche to hurry away to the stream and not listen any more to Ojiugo’s abuse or try to answer back.

‘The offspring of a hawk cannot fail to devour chicks,’ said Oyilidie, whom Ojiugo had bitten. ‘This one resembles her mother in stubbornness.’

‘Should she have resembled your mother then?’ This came from Ojinika a broad-looking woman who had an old quarrel with Oyilidie. People said that in spite of Ojinika’s tough appearance and the speed with which she flew into quarrels her strength was only in her mouth and a child of two could knock her down with its breath.

‘Don’t open your rotten mouth near me, do you hear?’ said Oyilidie. ‘Or I shall beat okro seeds out of your mouth. Perhaps you have forgotten…’

‘Go and eat shit,’ shouted Ojinika. The two were already measuring themselves against each other, standing on tiptoe and chests thrust out.

‘What is wrong with these two?’ asked another woman. ‘Give way and let me pass.’

Ojiugo was still sobbing when she reached home. Nwafo and Oduche had returned earlier but Ojiugo’s mother had disdained asking them about the others. When she saw Ojiugo coming in she wanted to ask her if they had had to wait for the stream to return from a journey or wake up from sleep. But the words dried in her mouth.

‘What is wrong?’ she asked instead. Ojiugo increased her snivelling. Her mother helped her put down her water pot and asked again what was wrong. Before she said anything Ojiugo first went inside their hut, sat down on the floor and wiped her eyes. Then she told her story. Matefi examined her daughter’s face and saw what looked like the weal left by Oduche’s five fingers. She immediately raised her voice in protest and lamentation so that all the neighbourhood might hear.

Ezeulu walked as unhurriedly as he could into the inner compound and asked what all the noise was about. Matefi wailed louder.

‘Shut your mouth,’ Ezeulu commanded.

‘You tell me to shut my mouth,’ screamed Matefi, ‘when Oduche takes my

daughter to the stream and beats her to death. How can I shut my mouth when they bring back a corpse to me. Go and look at her face; the fellow’s five fingers…’ Her voice had risen till it reverberated in the brain.