page 21 *** Deafening sounds of pied musical instruments filled the air. There were the Atilogwu people displaying different acrobatics. The Igba-Ndi-Umuchu played at the left corner of the compound facing the Uga-Ndu Brass Band team whose fundamental instruments were trumpet-like gadgets called para rachaa. Kinkom, the community most popular DJ whose music blasted from the two giant speakers mounted at the veranda since the previous night was not lost in action. The sound was chaotic and thunderous that one would think that all the music teams were in a challenge to outclass one another. People sat under canopies and at different corners of the compound eating and drinking. From where I sat, I saw that woman, Dijiure snatch a bottle of beer from the hand of one of the women sharing beer at the canopy allotted to the Christian Mothers. The kinsmen summoned an after burial meeting that was held at Obiekwe’s Reception hall. Obiekwe was the eldest in Umuokoro extended family meeting. He was eighty-five then. By right, it was his priviledge to summon the four extended families of Umuokoro together for meeting when necessary. Such meetings were held before and after a burial; to settle land dispute; to plan marriage attendance; to admonish someone who had started deviating to bad influence from the age long family values or to share anything that had been allotted to Umuokoro people from the larger kindred. Before the meeting started Uncle Vincent had gone to Obiekwe’s house and they sealed some issues to be discussed. Mother came in her mourning cloth to hear what the family had to say. Some of the inconsistencies, trials and resolutions that threatened or strengthened my future, humiliated my upbringing or hardened me to the core were products of that meeting. ***
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 07:14:54 +0000