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Scarred
In the sourhern part of Nigeria,there lies a certain village named Umukutu. It is a village surrounded by three villages : Eteka,Oyirima and Ndena. A village characterized by numerous trees and its cultural activities and strengths in battles in the olden days. It's a village that sat in the hinterlands of southern Nigeria.
Umukutu is a peaceful village with its people mostly farmers,traders,business men and women and only a few were privileged to become teachers on the few schools. The people of Umukutu,though had tasted civilisation ,still had a mixture of beliefs. Some were idolaters,some were christians while some were pagans.
Tabere family happened to be one of the families of this village. It is a well respected christian family. Mr Emuka Tabere worked as a teacher in one of the two schools in the community, Umukutu Central School .Boma,his wife on the other hand ,worked as a seamstress in her own shop near her compound. Emuka loved his wife so dearly. They were inseparable that one would think they were twins. Their marriage was blessed with three children : Zoma,Jade and Tameh. Zoma was the first child and the only daughter of her parents. The family lived peacefully and happily .They shared happy and sad moments together. Emuka and his wife tried their best to see to the needs of their three kids. They loved them dearly and reprimanded them when they did wrong. They specially admonished their only daughter to be a good girl and cautious of bad influence .
Tabere's family continued living happily and peacefully until a storm came . Emuka's health started failing him. He gradually became weak and blood always came out from his mouth and nostrils. He completely turned from a bubbly fleshy young man to a weak lanky aged man. No one knew what his problem was until he was finally taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with leukemia . He was hospitalized for six months before being discharged to go home where he would live with his family until life leaves him . Because of his deteriorating health,Emuka resigned from his teaching job and the inflow of income stopped. All his savings was spent on his health. His wife also contributed from the profits of her sewing. She battled tooth and nail to cater for her very sick husband and her three young children, Zoma,Jade and Tameh who were six, four and two years respectively.
One cool afternoon,Emuka could not bear to continue being a burden to his family, as he felt. He had told his wife the previous day to take care of their children and herself but she did not seem to understand the direction of the conversation. He sent her to get him a cup of hot tea but before she could return with it,he was long gone from the realm of the living.
On her return,she met his right hand on his bony chest and his pale face smiling towards heaven as he lay on his bed. Something about his smiling face would make one conclude he had already resigned to fate. All hell was let loose. Boma cried and screamed . She realized that her husband sent her away knowing how close they were . Her screams and wailings attracted neighbours who came to cry with her and to console her. Boma and her children mourned her husband . They never expected it to be too soon. They expected him to recover from his sickness. His wife knew he was going to die but she actually expected him to stay longer and take care of the kids with her. She was not ready for this and therefore took it as a blow .
The news of Emuka's demise spread like wildfire into the village and even his work place . Everyday people trooped into the Tabere's compound to pay condolence. Some brought gifts of foodstuffs while others brought money. A month and a week later, Emuka's burial was organized with the help of his brothers ,few friends and little help from his wife and he was finally buried in his own compound.It was a new life for Boma and her children .The family was no longer very happy family it used to be. The only sure thing was that it still maintained its peacefulness but now in a quieter way . The house which used to be filled with the echoes of "daddy welcome" when Emuka returned from work ,has become too quiet. Everything changed completely for the Taberes ,especially for Boma . Her husband's death has changed her from the style-loving woman to an everyday white -wearing woman . She was lucky not to have met the former custom that had widows wearing all black until the mourning period was over .
Though Boma was beautiful, she no more had time to pay attention to herself. She preferred covering her short hair with scarf and powdering her face and has no time to look sexy because the man whom she did it for was no more. She spent most of her time on her kids,sewing and any other way to get income. She was trying her best to cater for the children. Most of her life's savings was spent on her husband's health and burial, and she had nothing left to continue life with her kids .
Since the kids were still in primary school, she wanted them to go back to school . She worked very hard but it seemed the profits from her shop were not even enough to take care of the kids and her. She could not give them three square meals a day . It was too much for Boma to bear alone. She had to give out her daughter ,Zoma to Adimora ,her husband's elder brother who had offered to train Zoma to secondary level during the burial.
At first, Boma did not want to part with Zoma but when she remembered she was almost done with her primary education, she knew if she did not allow her daughter to go,that she would not be able to take care of her .
--To be continued next time--
(Chapter 1 of my book)
© Chinnyfab
Umukutu is a peaceful village with its people mostly farmers,traders,business men and women and only a few were privileged to become teachers on the few schools. The people of Umukutu,though had tasted civilisation ,still had a mixture of beliefs. Some were idolaters,some were christians while some were pagans.
Tabere family happened to be one of the families of this village. It is a well respected christian family. Mr Emuka Tabere worked as a teacher in one of the two schools in the community, Umukutu Central School .Boma,his wife on the other hand ,worked as a seamstress in her own shop near her compound. Emuka loved his wife so dearly. They were inseparable that one would think they were twins. Their marriage was blessed with three children : Zoma,Jade and Tameh. Zoma was the first child and the only daughter of her parents. The family lived peacefully and happily .They shared happy and sad moments together. Emuka and his wife tried their best to see to the needs of their three kids. They loved them dearly and reprimanded them when they did wrong. They specially admonished their only daughter to be a good girl and cautious of bad influence .
Tabere's family continued living happily and peacefully until a storm came . Emuka's health started failing him. He gradually became weak and blood always came out from his mouth and nostrils. He completely turned from a bubbly fleshy young man to a weak lanky aged man. No one knew what his problem was until he was finally taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with leukemia . He was hospitalized for six months before being discharged to go home where he would live with his family until life leaves him . Because of his deteriorating health,Emuka resigned from his teaching job and the inflow of income stopped. All his savings was spent on his health. His wife also contributed from the profits of her sewing. She battled tooth and nail to cater for her very sick husband and her three young children, Zoma,Jade and Tameh who were six, four and two years respectively.
One cool afternoon,Emuka could not bear to continue being a burden to his family, as he felt. He had told his wife the previous day to take care of their children and herself but she did not seem to understand the direction of the conversation. He sent her to get him a cup of hot tea but before she could return with it,he was long gone from the realm of the living.
On her return,she met his right hand on his bony chest and his pale face smiling towards heaven as he lay on his bed. Something about his smiling face would make one conclude he had already resigned to fate. All hell was let loose. Boma cried and screamed . She realized that her husband sent her away knowing how close they were . Her screams and wailings attracted neighbours who came to cry with her and to console her. Boma and her children mourned her husband . They never expected it to be too soon. They expected him to recover from his sickness. His wife knew he was going to die but she actually expected him to stay longer and take care of the kids with her. She was not ready for this and therefore took it as a blow .
The news of Emuka's demise spread like wildfire into the village and even his work place . Everyday people trooped into the Tabere's compound to pay condolence. Some brought gifts of foodstuffs while others brought money. A month and a week later, Emuka's burial was organized with the help of his brothers ,few friends and little help from his wife and he was finally buried in his own compound.It was a new life for Boma and her children .The family was no longer very happy family it used to be. The only sure thing was that it still maintained its peacefulness but now in a quieter way . The house which used to be filled with the echoes of "daddy welcome" when Emuka returned from work ,has become too quiet. Everything changed completely for the Taberes ,especially for Boma . Her husband's death has changed her from the style-loving woman to an everyday white -wearing woman . She was lucky not to have met the former custom that had widows wearing all black until the mourning period was over .
Though Boma was beautiful, she no more had time to pay attention to herself. She preferred covering her short hair with scarf and powdering her face and has no time to look sexy because the man whom she did it for was no more. She spent most of her time on her kids,sewing and any other way to get income. She was trying her best to cater for the children. Most of her life's savings was spent on her husband's health and burial, and she had nothing left to continue life with her kids .
Since the kids were still in primary school, she wanted them to go back to school . She worked very hard but it seemed the profits from her shop were not even enough to take care of the kids and her. She could not give them three square meals a day . It was too much for Boma to bear alone. She had to give out her daughter ,Zoma to Adimora ,her husband's elder brother who had offered to train Zoma to secondary level during the burial.
At first, Boma did not want to part with Zoma but when she remembered she was almost done with her primary education, she knew if she did not allow her daughter to go,that she would not be able to take care of her .
--To be continued next time--
(Chapter 1 of my book)
© Chinnyfab
