(Episode 10) Deep Sea of Secrets
Nnamdi: No, this cannot be true, are you saying that my father is an outcast Mama?
Mama Nnamdi: Yes he is. And we all know that outcast do not marry anyone else from the same community except there kind. I have been wanting to keep this secret away from you so that you won’t be labeled an outcast but now it is out, you now know where you belong.
Nnamdi: is that the real reason why you didn’t marry him?
Mama Nnamdi: That was the real reason Nnamdi. Even if I had allowed it, my people would have cut all ties with me and Obi’s father became my best option.
Obi: But Mother, I thought you said you married him because he had a bright future?
Mama Nnamdi: ‘that was part of it but the real reason was because I couldn’t marry Chiwedum for he is an outcast while your father’ he said to Obi ‘was not’. He was also loved by my people and he loved me in return.
Mama Ifeoma: Chei! She screamed ‘Alu! Abomination. So you mean to tell me Mama Nnamdi that my own daughter married an outcast and has Children for him? You are a wicked woman and may God almighty punish you. If you had a daughter, would you have allowed her married an outcast whereby you know the traditions of our land, would you?
First Elder: Ermm Mama Ifeoma please take it easy and let us solve this problem amicably.
Mama Ifeoma: Solve what problem, the fact that this woman here lied to every one of us? My elders, you know the tradition and the tradition states that an Osu cannot marry someone who is not an Osu if they are from the same village else they all will be called Osu. which means that my Daughter is an Osu, including her Children. Abomination!
Third Elder: ‘Wait first Mama Ifeoma, Mama Nnamdi got married to Obi’s late father who is not an Osu, which means Nnamdi is not an Osu for when the bride Price was paid on Mama Nnamdi’s head, she became his. Am I speaking your mind my elders’ he asked.
Second Elder: ‘No! You are not speaking our mind’ he said ‘Tradition is tradition. This tradition has been on, long before our ancestors before us. An Osu is an Osu whether by marriage or by blood.
Mama Ifeoma: Exactly. Whether by blood or by marriage, an Osu is an Osu. If Nnamdi is Mr. Chiwedum’s son, he is automatically an Osu.
Nnamdi: Does that mean even my children too are Osu?
Mama Ifeoma: No! Mba nu! My grand -children cannot be an Osu. For if they are, we will have nothing to do with them. We do not and cannot accept Osu into our family.
Mama Nnamdi: But they are married and traditionally they belong to Nnamdi.
Mama Ifeoma: ‘Do you think I would have allowed my daughter get married to Nnamdi if the truth had been revealed earlier’ she shouted ‘Do you think I would have come close to your family’?
Nnamdi: Chei! I am finished ‘my elders, what next, will I still be able to claim my children’.
Third Elder: as it stands now, the situation is more complicated than it should be. First it was Ifeoma, then Obi and now your mother. I think this family issue is bombarding my head that I cannot think straight.
First Elder: before anything is said again, we will need to confirm from Chiwedum if he is the father of Nnamdi.
Nnamdi: Mama is he aware that I am his son?
Mama Nnamdi: he is, he has known right from day one.
Nnamdi: I just want to know if I can still claim my children my elders.
First Elder: to be sincere with you, if what your mother says is true, I doubt if you can.
Nnamdi: What and why is that so?
Second Elder: because according to tradition, you are our slave and we cannot allow our slave to take our daughter and our children from us. Especially when the truth just revealed itself.
Nnamdi: No, you can’t do this my people, you can’t do this. I didn’t choose to be a slave. I never asked for it.
Third Elder: relax Nnamdi, we cannot say anything now until we have come to a conclusion and until that is done, Mama Ifeoma, please inform Chiwedum to be here in the next meeting.
Obi: Ermm my elders, there is a question I want to ask my mother, can I go ahead.
Third Elder: go ahead our true son.
Obi: if you were pregnant before you married my father, how come no one ever suspected anything?
Mama Nnamdi: because I was two months gone when your father married me and seven months later, I gave birth to Nnamdi. Our people taught it was a premature birth but I was due when I gave birth to him.
Obi: ‘and nobody suspected anything’ he said out loud for everyone to hear.
Mama Ifeoma: and you had the guts and effrontery to disgrace my daughter and humiliate her while yours is even worse than hers.
First Elder: Errm Ifeoma my daughter, I am sorry for all the humiliation you had to go true. We didn’t know that Nnamdi here is an Osu else we would have treated your case differently.
Nnamdi: ‘What do you mean by that’ he barked.
Second Elder: it means that those who are Osu, are not supposed to be here and they are not supposed to marry our daughter. Do you even know the traditions of our land sef?
Nnamdi: but the truth just came out and how was I supposed to know that I am the product of an outcast?
Third Elder: we are not blaming you and we are not holding you responsible for the sins of your parents but all we are saying is that, in this case, our daughter has a right over you,Including your brother.
Nnamdi: I don’t understand, what do you mean?
Second Elder: it means that if Ifeoma wants to have her Children, we the elders can say the children should go to the family and not you. We can say that Ifeoma should have claims over the children for we do not want to have anything to do with you and your people.
Nnamdi: No! You can’t do that. I am my father’s son.
Second Elder: which of the fathers are you talking about here, your real father or your foster father?
Nnamdi: Whichever one. I want my children afterall, I paid her bride price.
Thrid Elder: that is the only way you can have full custody of the children.
Nnamdi: What way?
First Elder: If Ifeoma agrees to remain married to you.
Nmandi: why won’t she agree to remain married to me, I haven’t returned her bride price yet.
Seocond Elder: but I thought you wanted the marriage to be done and over with?
Nnamdi: I changed my mind.
Ifeoma: What for? Why did you change your mind?
Nnamdi: Because I am a man and I am still married to you.
Ifeoma: in that case, my elders I want the marriage done with as soon as possible.
Nnamdi: Sweetheart, we can talk about this Please.
Mama Ifeoma: Ehen! She clapped her hands ‘so you can finally use sweet words on her? What about the witch you use to call her’?
Question: What do you think ALFs? Should Ifeoma consider?
Mama Nnamdi: Yes he is. And we all know that outcast do not marry anyone else from the same community except there kind. I have been wanting to keep this secret away from you so that you won’t be labeled an outcast but now it is out, you now know where you belong.
Nnamdi: is that the real reason why you didn’t marry him?
Mama Nnamdi: That was the real reason Nnamdi. Even if I had allowed it, my people would have cut all ties with me and Obi’s father became my best option.
Obi: But Mother, I thought you said you married him because he had a bright future?
Mama Nnamdi: ‘that was part of it but the real reason was because I couldn’t marry Chiwedum for he is an outcast while your father’ he said to Obi ‘was not’. He was also loved by my people and he loved me in return.
Mama Ifeoma: Chei! She screamed ‘Alu! Abomination. So you mean to tell me Mama Nnamdi that my own daughter married an outcast and has Children for him? You are a wicked woman and may God almighty punish you. If you had a daughter, would you have allowed her married an outcast whereby you know the traditions of our land, would you?
First Elder: Ermm Mama Ifeoma please take it easy and let us solve this problem amicably.
Mama Ifeoma: Solve what problem, the fact that this woman here lied to every one of us? My elders, you know the tradition and the tradition states that an Osu cannot marry someone who is not an Osu if they are from the same village else they all will be called Osu. which means that my Daughter is an Osu, including her Children. Abomination!
Third Elder: ‘Wait first Mama Ifeoma, Mama Nnamdi got married to Obi’s late father who is not an Osu, which means Nnamdi is not an Osu for when the bride Price was paid on Mama Nnamdi’s head, she became his. Am I speaking your mind my elders’ he asked.
Second Elder: ‘No! You are not speaking our mind’ he said ‘Tradition is tradition. This tradition has been on, long before our ancestors before us. An Osu is an Osu whether by marriage or by blood.
Mama Ifeoma: Exactly. Whether by blood or by marriage, an Osu is an Osu. If Nnamdi is Mr. Chiwedum’s son, he is automatically an Osu.
Nnamdi: Does that mean even my children too are Osu?
Mama Ifeoma: No! Mba nu! My grand -children cannot be an Osu. For if they are, we will have nothing to do with them. We do not and cannot accept Osu into our family.
Mama Nnamdi: But they are married and traditionally they belong to Nnamdi.
Mama Ifeoma: ‘Do you think I would have allowed my daughter get married to Nnamdi if the truth had been revealed earlier’ she shouted ‘Do you think I would have come close to your family’?
Nnamdi: Chei! I am finished ‘my elders, what next, will I still be able to claim my children’.
Third Elder: as it stands now, the situation is more complicated than it should be. First it was Ifeoma, then Obi and now your mother. I think this family issue is bombarding my head that I cannot think straight.
First Elder: before anything is said again, we will need to confirm from Chiwedum if he is the father of Nnamdi.
Nnamdi: Mama is he aware that I am his son?
Mama Nnamdi: he is, he has known right from day one.
Nnamdi: I just want to know if I can still claim my children my elders.
First Elder: to be sincere with you, if what your mother says is true, I doubt if you can.
Nnamdi: What and why is that so?
Second Elder: because according to tradition, you are our slave and we cannot allow our slave to take our daughter and our children from us. Especially when the truth just revealed itself.
Nnamdi: No, you can’t do this my people, you can’t do this. I didn’t choose to be a slave. I never asked for it.
Third Elder: relax Nnamdi, we cannot say anything now until we have come to a conclusion and until that is done, Mama Ifeoma, please inform Chiwedum to be here in the next meeting.
Obi: Ermm my elders, there is a question I want to ask my mother, can I go ahead.
Third Elder: go ahead our true son.
Obi: if you were pregnant before you married my father, how come no one ever suspected anything?
Mama Nnamdi: because I was two months gone when your father married me and seven months later, I gave birth to Nnamdi. Our people taught it was a premature birth but I was due when I gave birth to him.
Obi: ‘and nobody suspected anything’ he said out loud for everyone to hear.
Mama Ifeoma: and you had the guts and effrontery to disgrace my daughter and humiliate her while yours is even worse than hers.
First Elder: Errm Ifeoma my daughter, I am sorry for all the humiliation you had to go true. We didn’t know that Nnamdi here is an Osu else we would have treated your case differently.
Nnamdi: ‘What do you mean by that’ he barked.
Second Elder: it means that those who are Osu, are not supposed to be here and they are not supposed to marry our daughter. Do you even know the traditions of our land sef?
Nnamdi: but the truth just came out and how was I supposed to know that I am the product of an outcast?
Third Elder: we are not blaming you and we are not holding you responsible for the sins of your parents but all we are saying is that, in this case, our daughter has a right over you,Including your brother.
Nnamdi: I don’t understand, what do you mean?
Second Elder: it means that if Ifeoma wants to have her Children, we the elders can say the children should go to the family and not you. We can say that Ifeoma should have claims over the children for we do not want to have anything to do with you and your people.
Nnamdi: No! You can’t do that. I am my father’s son.
Second Elder: which of the fathers are you talking about here, your real father or your foster father?
Nnamdi: Whichever one. I want my children afterall, I paid her bride price.
Thrid Elder: that is the only way you can have full custody of the children.
Nnamdi: What way?
First Elder: If Ifeoma agrees to remain married to you.
Nmandi: why won’t she agree to remain married to me, I haven’t returned her bride price yet.
Seocond Elder: but I thought you wanted the marriage to be done and over with?
Nnamdi: I changed my mind.
Ifeoma: What for? Why did you change your mind?
Nnamdi: Because I am a man and I am still married to you.
Ifeoma: in that case, my elders I want the marriage done with as soon as possible.
Nnamdi: Sweetheart, we can talk about this Please.
Mama Ifeoma: Ehen! She clapped her hands ‘so you can finally use sweet words on her? What about the witch you use to call her’?
Question: What do you think ALFs? Should Ifeoma consider?
Comments