Excerpt 2 discussed how the visit ended and how the parcel of land British Corporation wanted was sold.
It further touched how the proceeds was used by the warrant chief of Anioma and how the son of Ogom lost his life.
The warrant chief despite knowing that late Ogom’s son was killed by the British Corporation, he accepted the money for the land and lived happily after.
The back story which is the chapter one of the massive novel has a brief and conclusive narration skill.
Excerpt 2
The warrant chief audibly cleared his airway to signal his consciousness even though he tended to feign ignorance of his presence. He didn’t want the meeting but had no option to avoid disrespecting the colonial masters that made him – hence he succumbed and gave him audience.
“The hunter keeps trailing the antelope like it committed a felony, its life is the prize the hunter wants, but without a second thought that life is costly. Yet, for how long shall Okeke strive to covert the precious wife of Nweke? My influence, oh, my influential self, the earth carries the heaviest burden. This is Africa and precisely Ibo land; highly spiritual people, with customs and traditions, dos and don’ts that are spiritually binding on us.There are consequences for every wrong act and the consequences are generational until undone. There are justice and equity… there is no forgiveness… forgiveness is simply a privilege to balance or pay duly for a broken law. As long as the rightful owner is alive; I will not be part of it” the warrant chief briefed.
The remonstrations of the warrant chief came to naught; he was chosen to do the biddings of the White men that came to pummel African planes.
The White man didn’t understand what the warrant chief said; his effort to explain to him to curtail the dirty jobs they have been doing with him was futile. Although the warrant chief showed signs of remorse; yet, he would continue to serve the colonial masters at the expense of his people.
Warrant chief Okenwa knew one or two about Amadioha and should a bad deed be taken to the shrine; he would suffer immeasurably. A matter concerning land was sacrosanct; Anioma don’t sell lands because of the superstitious belief that ancestors live in the land. Every agreement is anchored on lease, subject to renewal after a century or less.
“His existence is the barrier?” The Briton wittingly asked, threw away the concerns of the warrant chief who sat still and hapless, and wondered why he couldn’t put into consideration his concerns.
“Of course, this practically made it impossible. He is a young man and has many more years ahead. Look let me tell you, I have seen a housefly in January, a period without rain and food lies abundantly for it but the carcass of a wealthy man was a rare diet. The housefly perched on the carcass and waited patiently for his bloated stomach to burst. Soon, the owners of the dead decided to bury their father and the housefly hastily calculated that the earth crust would cover the carcass beyond its reach, so it followed the dead to the grave and the dead was covered. The housefly only realized when it was too late that it has buried itself alive. And soon after, a communal war broke out; dead bodies littered the bushes with no one to bury them. The housefly was not patient and it didn’t know when to let go because it didn’t believe in the future. Those that are impatient and don’t believe in the future give everything today and forget tomorrow” The warrant chief narrated, but his parable added nothing to the firm and mean-looking Briton.
“One Hundred And Fifty Thousand Dollars is the offer; prepare for a deal with us” The Briton convincingly said to the amazement of the elder who startled and sharply raised his head, turned full focus on him.
The Briton took notice of his astonishment and nodded in affirmative, a clear show of negative determination.
“You rightly heard it and with me here is a Twenty Thousand Dollars for logistics” he stood up and adjusted his fitted suit, took a couple of paces towards the warrant chief and dropped the envelope he had on a wooden centre table and exited while the chief looked on astonishingly.
The door slammed notably and the chief had a deep breath that seemed to release a suddenly built tension.
He had gone through a difficult time; a remarkable battle between service and conscience. The situation was more confusing because he was unaware of the game of chess the Briton played.
One month later; it was reported in the village that the only son of late Ogom fell off a ship deck while on cleaning duty. His corpse could not be returned home, and when the Queen’s Atlantic Company was officially asked about his corpse; they said he fell into the sea and the ship long sailed before they realized the incident occurred.
The message came to the warrant chief with a letter of commiseration while he sat calmly at the front of his compound with a chewing stick.
He took the letter without reading and tore it; he knew late Ogom’s son was murdered by the interest party.
As the only son without an heir; the warrant chief would definitely sign the documents that would transfer the lands to the corporation.
Killing Africans had become a routine act for the White who saw Africans as inferior humans and sinners.
They had tagged indigenous worship idol worshipping and preached that those who believe in ‘Chukwuokike will go to hell’. They assiduously pushed their narrative of Jesus Christ being the true God and only through him could one be saved.
The concept of Jesus Christ had begun to be swallowed hook, line and sinker but not absolutely. Some communities rejected the concept while those who embraced it also practiced indigenous religion.
The effectiveness of the indigenous belief worked massively against the mission of the missionaries. People admitted their gospel but largely to gain or take advantage of the dividends of the gospel.
The remarkable push to conquer African planes with religion was not relenting, and the fear of alteration of people’s way of life bragged over and over.
A few weeks later, warrant Chief Okenwa received the money for the land and signed the documents that transferred the land to the corporation.
He became the wealthiest man in Anioma and purchased the first Volkswagen beetle that plied the roads of Anioma.
His family became a respectable family and ruled over the people of Anioma. As an Igbo man; he used his money to regain atom of control over the colonial masters, made bargains and rejected proposals he didn’t find palatable.
