OJADILI Episode 18 by Erasmus Ugochukwu Okafor

OJADILI Episode 18 by Erasmus Ugochukwu Okafor

**The thwarted proposal**

For some few days after the return of Akwaobi to Amachara, there was a celebration in the palace. It was no more a secret that Onodugo is the prince of Umuabani. Even though there were some gossips about the entire story but the truth remains that the Umuabani kingdom that was without heir has been blessed with one.

King Ozoemena of Umuabani couldn’t contain his joy when an emissary was sent from king Azuamailo to announce to him that the gods have answered his prayers. There was jubilation in Umuabani as they awaited the arrival of their prince.

Eze Ozoemena had fifteen female children from five women but none could produce a male child. This left him in the limbo of gloom until the great news filtered into his ear. He was so elated in that boundless joy that he began to prepare for the grand reception of his son. His five wives were so happy that their husband would finally stop wetting his bed with midnight tears. Lots of sacrifices were made to the gods in thanksgiving even when they hadn’t set their eyes on Onodugo yet.

For the king of Umuabani, even though his son’s name is Onodugo, he also named him Ugosimba (the eagle from the Diaspora).

Onodugo’s happiness was restored even though he felt bad to say goodbye to the man he’d respected and loved his entire life. It’s not easy to bid king Azuamailo adieu but realising that his entrance to Umuabani would be greatly celebrated, his happiness knew no bounds.

Onodugo couldn’t believe that Ojadili that he kept being hostile to, hails from Umuabani. The realization of the origin of Ojadili made Onodugo so close to him. They became best of friends as they prepared for their return back to their father’s land.

That early morning when the Ikoro for the celebration of the life of Ifenkili was heard, the people were happy.

Preparations were already being made because it was a great one indeed.

Ifenkili’s burial was not just for her celebration of life well-spent but a way of uniting the seven kingdoms formally.

Eze Azuamailo sent messages ahead to the entire His Royal Highnesses in the six kingdoms. The entire seven kingdoms prepared to meet at the boundary connecting Amachara and Ugoloma.

The boundary was widely known as Amaudo (the peaceful square).

Amaudo, according to history, was the point where Ajani, the sixth son of Nwaimo, and the immediate elder to Umuabani cried for help. It was the spot where he knelt and prayed that the Iwenwanne war should stop. Being the closest to Umuabani as a brother, he had to do all he could just to put an end to the war. It was at the boundary between Amachara and Ugoloma that he stripped himself stark naked and cried to Chi-Ukwu for help. His sacrifice was heard by the gods but he was told that the one to end the war would be born. That promise made him go in peace thinking it was a prayer that would get an immediate answer in his lifetime. No one knew it would take long years before the prayer would be answered.

Due to the history of the boundary called Amaudo, it was decided that Ifenkili would be buried at that path while the entire seven villages would be in attendance.

As the preparation was ongoing in the entire seven villagers and beyond, the morning was so promising and temperate. Everyone was so happy as they all prepared in their best attire.

Even though there wasn’t physical war among the seven kingdoms in the past; they were a bunch of jealous and malicious kingdoms not talking to each other. They never intermingled but avoided each other like a plague until Ojadili’s intervention.

Ojadili had a special cloth made from the skin of a lion which was gifted to him by princess Chinonye. That gift made Ojadili so happy because he never imagined getting such an expensive souvenir from her.

Before gifting the wear to Ojadili, King Azuamailo had reserved the animal skin for whoever would be the husband to her daughter.

There was no public announcement of the king’s consent for Ojadili and Chinonye to be married. But even without that, it wasn’t news anymore that the duo would be getting married soon.

The king was happy, even though his happiness was incomplete because his two children would be heading to Umuabani soon. He needed an heir but had none, so he wasn’t sure of how his reign was going to end.

In that broken heart of the king, the queen assured him that what matters was for him to live a good life and die in peace. Ugoeze already accepted the fate that kingship would be leaving the Azuamailo family but that wasn’t the most important. She was happy that happiness was restored to her family even when there was no heir.

Eze Azuamailo would have handed the mantle of leadership to Ojadili but it wasn’t possible; it had never happened before. Even when Ojadili was consulted to seek his consent, he declined the secret offer from the king. It was a message from the gods that Ojadili doesn’t belong to Amachara; therefore wasn’t meant to be the heir. Even without consulting the oracle, it wasn’t traditional for someone from another village to take over the kingship of Amachara.

The situation was difficult for king Azuamailo who wished that Akwaobi was a male child.

That early morning, as the princess was preparing for the burial of Ifenkili, Omasiri and Ochomma admired her. It was the exclusive duty of Ochomma to prepare the queen with an exotic makeover.

Ochomma’s real name was Adaora, but her position as the one who beautifies the royalty gave her the name, Ochomma (the beautifier). The name became so popular that no one could even remember that she was ever named Adaora.

As Ochomma did what she knows how to do best, Omasiri couldn’t stop admiring the princess steadily.

Princess Chinonye who pretended not to notice Omasiri’s look couldn’t help but smile shyly.

“Oya, enough of that gaze, osiso (quickly)” Chino said friendlily and smilingly, “Why have you been gazing like aturu (sheep) since,” she added and threw a pillow benignly on her, “Omasiri, look away or I break your head,”

Ochomma burst into laughter but that never stopped Omasiri from gazing at the princess. “Bia Nwanyi (hey woman), she said to Omasiri, “you should stop moping like a moron at her,” she jested, making Omasiri’s lips to pat into a grin.

“Must you always insult?” The princess said and hit Ochomma’s thigh, “I am the Ifenkili of our time, so allow her to stare and be blessed with fortunes as if she just picked a bead,”

“But my princess, the beads look so perfect on you,” Omasiri complimented and smiled, “I have been around you for many years but have never seen a princess as good and as gifted as you,”

The princess blushed this time as she was all flushed with bashfulness. She couldn’t comment or reply but shed silent tears that even blemished her facial powder.

“Hey, my princess,” Ochomma said and took a dry cloth to clean the tears, “You should avoid crying because, the nzu otite ga efichakwa oo (the powder will wipe off). Even though I’m in support of Omasiri’s observatory submission, try and dry the tears of emotion. Soon you will be Lolo Ojadili (Ojadili’s wife). You’re a rare gem, my love,”

The princess was so happy when she was addressed as Lolo Ojadili, making her so shy as if Ojadili was there and watching. She arched and smiled at the endearing remark. She just felt like a child at the moment.

“I know she likes it,” Omasiri said observantly and patted the princess’s cheek, “And I want to announce to you that we’re following you to Umuabani village when you’re married to your man. You can’t leave us behind. Can you?”

The princess was wowed hearing that, so she got up and pulled Omasiri into a hug. As she did that, the mirror on her body fell but she didn’t care.

“My princess, Irapuzie ike nyuru ahuru ina-eke isi okpo (you’ve left the one meant to be praised and be complimenting another)” Ochomma said and feigned being saddened, “Was I not the one that made the suggestion first even though Omasiri was the one that made it verbal?”

The princess pulled Ochomma closer too and encircled them in a warm embrace. “I know you always make good suggestions, so come here, my love,”

The girls were so happy together as they wept in each other’s arms.

As the cry of happiness lasted, Chizaram entered, making them recognise her by dragging her into the affectionate hug.

“Nekwa, fa na-ebe akwa oo (see, they’re crying)” Chizaram pointed out looking confused, “what’s going on here. Seems I’m missing something,”

Ochomma pushed Chizaram away mildly and chuckled. “You don’t need to be in this circle,” she jeered at the girl, “Are you done with your secret romance with Achikolo? Love azu ulo (backyard love)” she added and started laughing loud while the princess and Omasiri joined.

They laughed so hard that they almost cried laughing at Chizaram. If not that the princess waved at them to stop, the laughter would have lingered.

“My baby, don’t mind them,” The princess said laughingly trying to stifle her grin, “But the truth is that Achikolo is talkative,” she jeered as she tried being serious.

“Nwoke asiri (gossip man)” Ochomma mouthed jestingly, “leave this one biko,”

“At least, he’s cool and romantic,” Chizaram defended, “But I must admit that he talks too much,” she added and joined in the chorus of laughter.

Ochomma pulled Chizaram closer and nibbled her ear. “Now you talk like my friend,”

“Who is your friend?” Chizaram asked jokingly and pushed her away, “My princess, you better tell her that she isn’t going to Umuabani with us,”

“Nkea osi noo gini (what’s this one saying)?” Ochomma replied sharply, “my bags are packed and my luggage ready. You’re even the one that is staying back. You can’t marry Achikolo in Amachara and be serving the princess in Umuabani,”

”Maybe she wants to pluck mango fruit from orange tree,” Omasiri supported making them surprised because she hardly jests.

Chizaram just realised that Ochomma and Omasiri could be right making her smiles to dwindle. She went to the bed and sat feeling as if she was left to choose between the princess and the guard that loves her so much.

“I feel sad already,” she muttered gloomily.

“Mana mma nwanyi bu di ya (the beauty of a woman is her hubby),” The princes pointed out in a serious remark, “you can always visit Umuabani since we all can now intermarry or even visit each other. I feel so happy that peace is restored,”

Chizaram’s sadness suddenly abated, welcoming smiles as she joined Ochomma and Omasiri in beautifying the princess.

As they were preparing, they heard a knock at the door. Silence thrived as speculations heightened.

“Who could that be?” The princess asked the girls as she admired herself in the mirror.

“Let me check,” Ochomma said and got up.

As they all waited, Ochomma looked outside and suddenly tiptoed back feeling surprised. “It’s Ojadili,” she whispered to them.

Chinonye was so surprised because that was the first time of Ojadili to visit her hut.

“I hope everywhere is in order,” The princess said whisperingly to the girls, “please be fast and ensure that everywhere is arranged. This is an august visitor,”

The girls rushed the arrangement of the hut to ensure that everywhere was well-kempt before they started sneaking out from the room; one after the other.

When it was Omasiri’s turn to leave, she looked at the princess one more time to ensure that she was dressed to the nines. Blowing a kiss to Chinonye, she whispered: “Idika achoro (you’re classy)” She left immediately and rushed to meet others while Ojadili watched them leaving with hilarity and surprise.

“Come in, dear,” The princess said and observed her dressing the last time.

Ojadili slowly entered and avoided hitting his head on the beam due to his height. Seeing the princess got him speechless because he’d never beheld such beauty before. He wasn’t even sure she was the same princess that he used to know. He was so overtaken by admiration as he gazed with awe even without knowing that he was overdoing it.

“What a celestial beauty,” he thought aloud as his lips fell apart. He didn’t notice that he was audible enough for the princess to hear him.

“Ojadilim (my Ojadili)” The princess called out fondly and opened her arms to welcome him. “You’re such a handsome man. I never knew how this cloth would look on you until now. What a clean shave and a nice haircut. You are endowed,”

The compliments and feelings were mutual, so Ojadili in that ecstasy and inevitable admiration went closer to her. He pulled her up into a prolonged warm embrace.

Ojadili was dumbfounded and couldn’t utter a word other than imagining how boring the world would have been without the princess.

“Words can’t express…” he said and murmured the last part of his statement that the princess couldn’t hear him. “What could have happened if Azuanuka, the wrestling champion proposed marriage to you? And what if the king gave his consent for him to marry you?”

In that speechlessness, the princess shrugged in disbelief and snapped her finger in rejection of the possibility. She simply rested her head on Ojadili’s chest and imagined how sadness would have been her meal if such ever happened. She didn’t just know what to say or do if such happened, so she remained mute.

After a while, as she remained cuddled in Ojadili’s arms, she said: “I’d have killed myself instead of me to marry him. Maybe that was why I fainted because I couldn’t take it,”

Ojadili smiled and caressed her hair; admiring the beads that accentuated it.

“I gave them fake and ambiguous prophesy that day claiming it came from Ojadili, the healer,” he said and laughed, “Seriously, I can be a good but blatant liar by that fast stunt,” he added with a grin.

“Wait,” the princess said and pulled back a bit to observe his face closely, “are you telling me that the gods never got angry concerning the ceremony because Ifenkili wasn’t buried yet?” she asked demanding to be illuminated. “Please, answer me, Ojadilim,” she insisted, “was that message from the gods staged?”

Ojadili nodded affirmatively making the princess beat his chest benignly.

“It was faked just as I feigned being the voice of the deity in Obiakpo forest,” Ojadili mouthed and bit his lips. He tried to disguise his glee but he couldn’t, “sometimes it’s good to be prankish. And I call it ‘a holy lie’,”

“Ha-ha,” the princess laughed and started beating him wantonly, “You’re just so clever and humorous. I just see some flashes of the clown I met at Obiakpo forest,” The princess added and cast sheep’s eyes at Ojadili smiled, “You’re just wonderful. So as you saved Omasiri from being sacrificed, you saved me from being married to someone that’d have made my happiness head to the rocks. For this, I thank you so much,”

Ojadili was so happy that the princess found him worthy to be her man, so he searched through his pocket and brought out three pieces of cowries. The cowries were hidden so that the princess wouldn’t know what he was about to do. He knelt before her and dropped one on her left foot. She took the second and dropped on her right foot.

At this point, the princess already knew that Ojadili was proposing marriage to her, so she closed her eyes in an unexplainable joy.

Ojadili, according to the tradition of a marriage proposal, took the princess’s hand. He dropped the last cowry on her palm and took two steps backward; that was customary too.

In the tradition of the seven villages, three cowries are used for a marriage proposal; two on the feet and one in the palm. The girl is expected to meet her parents afterwords and reveal the hidden cowry she has in her palm. This gesture is for her parents to know that she’d accepted the proposal. The next thing after that would be for the man to bring a keg of palm wine and two kola nuts to meet the girl’s father. If the girl’s dad is late, his brother would be there in his stead.

Among the seven sons of Nwaimo, it is only in Ajani village that the cowry isn’t given to the girl. It’s done by the man taking the cowries straight to the girl’s parents.

The princess at this point was so wowed and exhilarated. Traditionally, she wasn’t expected to talk until she meets her parents and reveals the cowries to them.

Out of happiness, princess Chinonye left Ojadili in her hut to meet her parents. As she was leaving, Ojadili had a strange sign, so he called her back and collected the three cowries from her.

The princess was surprised and confused because it seemed as if Ojadili wasn’t interested anymore. She watched Ojadili slip the cowries back into his pocket even without uttering a word.

The princess didn’t want to ask questions. She believes that anything Ojadili does comes from the directives from the gods. But amid that trust, she couldn’t help but query him for that. She was eager for that hollowness of questions in her to be filled with answers.

“What’s that for?” She asked looking daunted. “Did you just change your mind?” she asked seeking immediate answers. “This is not a plea but an order from your princess,” she added as some beads of tears began to drop on her cheek.

Ojadili used neat cloth and cleaned her eyes. He didn’t want the beautiful makeup to be blemished.

“The proposal can wait, at least not the right time, yet” Ojadili said thoughtfully as if he was seeing some visions on the forehead of the princess. “I think that the palace is about to witness something strange but felicitous. The proposal should wait until that moment,”

The princess already knew that Ojadili was having a vision but couldn’t guess what was going on with him. So she held him by the arms and said: “For how long am I to wait for this wonderful moment to come again? In how many market days to come am I to wait?”

Ojadili held her by the shoulder and admired her beautiful face. He noticed that even in the princess’s gloom, she looked even prettier.

“As soon as the gods reveal to me that it’s the right time,” He replied unequivocally and made her sit, “There is a visitor; an august visitor entering the palace soon. I can feel it. The visit will interrupt the proposal, so let this moment wait. The marriage proposal is the right thing but done at the wrong time. But notwithstanding, I’m already yours and nothing will change it,” he promised solemnly.

The princess’s happiness began to be restored. She smiled and cuddled Ojadili, cosied up jejunely in his arms. She was glad but still felt uneasy.

“Please, Ojadilim,” she said pulling a face, “better tell the gods that no matter their twists, nothing should ever make them reveal that you and I are related in blood. I can’t take it; even though I’ve taken lots of secrets and twists already. I guess this kingdom is the den of secrets. I’m tired of more secrets. You’re my mystery boy, Ojadili,”

Ojadili smiled at the new name the princess gave him. He felt how serious she was as she tried to let the gods know her stands.

Caressing her cheek, he said: “The ways of the gods and that of men aren’t the same. But there is a strong feeling that I’m having now concerning a visitor that’ll soon enter the palace. I think we need to meet the king, forthwith,” he added and tried to take the princess out of the hut but Chino wasn’t too relaxed about it. She was afraid of the unknown.

“I think the king and the queen would be busy preparing for the burial of Ifenkili,” The princess said in a bid to discourage Ojadili from ending the ongoing romantic moment. “Let’s wait here until the so-called visitor arrives,” she added uninterestedly.

“I know,” Ojadili said and smiled, “but believe me; something coming soon is so great that the king may consider it more important that the burial of Ifenkili,” he added assuredly.

At this point, the princess began to understand how serious Ojadili was. She knew that whatever the mystery boy said resolutely wasn’t just jokes. She knew it was a revelation from the gods.

“What could this be?” Chinonye said speculatively but couldn’t guess, “Whatever made the gods to put the marriage proposal on hold must be serious. Hmmm, even to delay the burial of Ifenkili too? What could this be?”

As they were feeling confused, the great Ikoro began to sound in the palace. People were surprised because it was odd and anomalous, so everyone raised eyebrows to that.

The Ikoro wasn’t meant to be heard again until the time Ifenkili would be lowered into the earth. When the pillar of beauty is being buried, that’s the time the seven Ikoros from the seven villages were expected to sound unanimously and simultaneously. The chief priests from the seven villages were to handle the Ikoros; therefore, wouldn’t attend the burial. The burial was for the kings and queens while the sounding of the Ikoro was for the representatives of the gods.

Aside from Abgisi Igwe who was to be the officiator at the burial, no other chief priest from the seven villages was to attend. The attendance was strict; nevertheless, the chief priests from other villages outside the seven brothers could attend.

“What could this sound of Ikoro mean?” The princess asked looking confusingly at Ojadili. She was eager to be in the know but Ojadili was detailed about it.

“I think it’s happening already?” Ojadili replied and got up, “Let’s go now,” he added and held her but the princess slipped her hand from him because she was more interested in the marriage proposal.

The princess tried to justify Ojadili’s action but it was hard for her. She couldn’t believe that the happy moment she just experienced was jettisoned by a mere sound of the Ikoro. Even though she tried to accept the situation as inevitable, she grimaced.

“If you don’t tell me what’s going on, Ojadilim, I’m not going with you,” she murmured pouting and seeking his attention and conviction.

Ojadili pulled her closer, held her chin, and looked into her eyes. He knew that the princess wasn’t feeling good about the marriage engagement that just got cancelled. He tried to give her hope but she was still expectant of the news to know the reason for the strange sound from the Ikoro.

“The truth is this,” Ojadili said while the princess looked attentively into his eyes, “I don’t know but I just have a feeling that it’s something good. Maybe the people of Umuabani are coming for their son, Onodugo,”

“If that guess is right, it’s celebratory to Umuabani people and not for Amachara. How can Amachara celebrate for losing an heir?” The princess asked and hissed, “Let’s go and know what’s going on there,”

“Remember that you’ll soon be an Umuabani wife,” Ojadili reminded her, “so you should be happy for my kinsmen and your in-laws,” he added smilingly.

The princess smiled shyly hearing that because it was soothing to her.

After the normal hesitation expected of a woman, the princess smiled and accepted to go with Ojadili to heed the summon of the great Ikoro.

OpraDre

To be continued…

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