CHAPTER 34

Kpa ngolo

Kpa ngolo, kpa ngolo

Dudume, oghene

Dudume, oghene

Onyamara

Dudu yayaya, duduya…

The moonlight songs faded Ugomma's ears as the words of her father resonated, spreading through her chest and making her shift her weight to the other foot. It was hard to keep Jide off her mind. Nothing was right. The village square was not fun and will never be fun if Jide was not around. Most of the children were happy of course or perhaps pretended to be. The space of Jide was still empty and that void could never be filled by anyone. And as if to add more salt on the injury, nobody was saying anything. Its true rumors were like harmattan fire, but so far, none of it was burning through the dry straws of curiosity. It’s as if what the King’s messenger had told her father yesterday were false. She had tried to observe some of the elders within their vicinity. There was nothing odd about them; the only extraordinary thing was that aura of joy and celebration hanging on their shoulders which Ug