SHACKLES OF TRADITION
Shackles Of Tradition – Episode 9
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Ngozi came running out of Adanna’s bedroom in tears.
She met her husband seated in the sitting room deep in thoughts and she went down on her knees in front of him.
” Nnayi please allow them get married. I don’t want to lose my daughter please!”
” Ngozika are you even hearing yourself…? I should allow our daughter get married to an Osucast…? Do you not know what that will mean to our family and how it’ll affect my ambition to be the next Onukwo of this land…? Eh..?”
” I know Nnayi but if you think about it these Osucast are human beings too. They deserve to be treated like normal beings worthy of good things and not castrated like wild animals!”
” That’s why there are referred to as Osucasts and we the free borns” Mazi Ebuka said shrugging his shoulders
” Is that all you have to say…? Tell me Nnayi would you be happy if you were in their shoes and you are being rejected or discriminated in your own village…?” Ngozi asked staring at her husband Mazi Ebuka who heaved heavily.
” I will not feel happy Ngozika but then I am not the one who invented such a tradition. Our forefathers did and we as the descendants just has to abide by it!”
” I disagree Nnayi. We need to do something about changing it instead of folding our hands to watch innocent generations suffer unnecessarily”
” So what would you have me do…? My hands are tied. I don’t yet have the power to change anything so there’s absolutely nothing I can do Ngozika!”
” Nnayi you hear what the native doctor said earlier right…? Our daughter will d!e in one week if we do not get her married to the man she took a bløød convenant with. Our daughter is on the verge of losing her life and we can’t just watch her d!e simply because the man she loves turns out to be an Osucast.”
” I don’t know what to say Ngozika. If I am an Onukwo now then there’s a possibility of doing something to change tradition and the mindset of the people about the Osucasts. My coronation is suppose to be in a month time but this Adanna’s issues is about to disrupt so many things. I might even lose the seat!”
” Something just has to be done Nnayi. My daughter can not remain in that state…please Nnayi do something!”
” Stay calm Ngozika. Stop being dramatic. You and I know that Adanna will not remain that way…you were there in the bedroom when the native man said that she will be awake by evening. I’m tired so quit the drama and let me rest from all the problems your daughter has already gotten us into”
” I..I..I..I..I…am scared for our daughter’s life. As a mother I don’t know what will become of me if I lose one of my children. I know she did what she did out of childish ignorance. Yes! Ada made a mistake but you don’t have to throw away the dirty water along with the baby. Please do something quickly Nnayi. pl.e.a.s.e” Ngozi pleaded with her lips quivering terribly as tears begun cascading down her eyes in torments
Mazi Ebuka sighed upon seeing his wife’s broken state. He is the kind of man who dislikes seeing his wife either sad or in pain of any sort.
He loves his wife dearly hence her tears is more like his weakest point and Ngozi surely knows how to maximize this fact.
Adanna was now awake and came in to hear her father’s last words which got her overly overjoyed.
She is somehow feeling grateful to the gods for the way things turned out, at least it assisted in softening her father’s heart towards Emeka her boyfriend.
” It’s okay Ngozika. Stop crying please. I’ll find a way to do something about the current situation at hand. It will be difficult to change the mindset of our people over the Osucast system but I’m willing to give everything a trial for your sake and that of our daughter. You know I hate seeing you cry…so don’t cry anymore” Mazi Ebuka replied calmly as he used his palm to wipe Ngozi’s tears.
“…I’ll ask Emeka to come and see me so we’ll talk like real men. I need to know if he is truly worthy of my daughter like you people paint it and then we’ll take it from there” Mazi Ebuka said calmly and Ngozi smiled genuinely from her heart.
” Thank you Nnayi. Thank you so much. I’m sure our daughter will be very happy when she hears this good news by the time she wakes up by evening” Ngozi replied smiling unaware that Adanna is already at the door listening, and indeed she is feeling very happy.
In the morning of the next day as Mazi Ebuka had promised, he sent for Emeka and they begun talking. Mazi Ebuka is awed at Emeka’s intelligence and doesn’t need a soothsayer to tell him that his daughter had indeed chosen rightly.
Nevertheless, he still has his fears concerning Emeka’s traditional class as an Osucast.
Due to this, an heavy sigh escaped his mouth before he could stop it.
” You look worried sir. Anything the problem…?” Emeka asked anxiously
” Emeka I don’t have a problem with my daughter marrying another man beside Prince Obinna. My only problem now is that you’re an Osucast. My reputation and the social welfare of my family is at stake if I accept you as a son in-law!”
” Sir, those traditional beliefs are old-fashioned. I believe the two class demarcation should be eliminated and not practiced in this recent times again. People need to be enlightened that Osucasts are human beings with the same blood as the freeborns running through their veins…hence everybody should be considered a freeborn being and treated fairly without any form of injustice or discrimination!”
” I understand your point Emeka but as it stands now..my hands are tied. And if I decide to go contrary to tradition..I will lose the favor of the royal family and that includes my seat as the next Onukwo” Mazi Ebuka said calmly and paused to exhaled before continuing
” …my son you are a man like me. Adanna and her mother may not really understand but as men we both know that it is easy to convince one person like what you’re doing now…but when it comes to a crowd of villagers who are neck deep in customs and beliefs…it’s going to be tough! I’m actually afraid because the possibility is very slim!”
” I still don’t understand where all this is going Sir. Please is there something you’re indirectly trying to tell me…?” Emeka asked hoping that what he is thinking isn’t what it is going to be
” Find someone else and get married to. Emeka there’s no doubt that you are a fine young man…very intelligent and well groomed but I still can not give my daughter to you in marriage” Mazi Ebuka dropped the bombshell
” Ah! But why not sir…? Am I not eligible enough for Adanna…?” Emeka yelped
” It is out of my love as a father that I can not dare to expose my first seed to the negative effects that comes with being a wife to a rejected class in which the people despise a lot!”
” I promise that I will always protect your daughter Sir. I am even making plans to relocate with Adanna and my mother to the city after my marriage to her. I understand your fears but I’m begging you sir…please give me a chance with your daughter please”
” If you relocate with her to the city…do you think that it ends there…? What then becomes of us her family that is over here…? Have you thought of the stigma and trouble this will cause us..?”
Emeka went mute unable to give a response. Mazi Ebuka had to continue
“…escaping a problem is not the best way to tackle it. You tackle a problem from its roots to ensure that it doesn’t resurface in future. I’m sure your mother has already explained to you what your father went through simply because he had chosen to marry her…?”
” Yes sir she did!” Emeka simply replied not having anymore strength left in him
” So is that the same fate you want for Adanna my daughter…?”
” No sir but then I love her. We had even taken a bløød oath together and separation is not an option for us now”
” Don’t worry yourself about the oath. The native man confessed to me that there’s a way out of all this. He says that I should come see him by noon and he will let me know what needs to be done. I didn’t tell Adanna and her mother because I still wanted to have a man to man talk with you! Emeka do you really love my daughter like you claim…?”
” Of course Sir. I love Adanna very much!” Emeka said with renewed hope until he heard Mazi Ebuka’s next words
” Then let her go! Emeka let Ada marry a freeborn like herself instead of exposing her and us as her family to the negative impacts of being married to you as an Osucast! let my daughter go…will you?” Mazi Ebuka asked looking at Emeka daringly, making him utterly unsettled.
(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH’S HEART stories )
