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EXILE - Chapter Thirty-nine
Okoli and Akwaudo were shocked when Ibekwe sat down like a healthy man and put on a fake smile. Relieved that he was feeling better, they asked him to explain what had happened to him. Ibekwe started with his banishment, then he talked about how he had spent the night with Ifeme in his room, how Ifeme had fed him and helped in dressing his wounds before he ended with his plan to lie on the path so that he would be noticed by Okoli and Ifeme.
"That was a dangerous plan that you made up in your mind," Akwaudo said. "But I understand why you had to come up with such a plan. Your life was in danger and you needed to survive. What you and Ifeme did, deserves an adequate punishment but because of your state of health and touching story, I will pardon you for your act of foolishness."
Okoli stepped forward and looked at Ibekwe.
"I won't deny that your action is the reason why your people banished you. I won't also stand here and support th
Kaugnay na kabanata
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Forty
The ceremony for the official adoption of Ibekwe into the village of Umuise took place in the village town square. It was a ceremony that was done when a new person is introduced into the village. For the new individual to be a bona fide member of the village, a ceremony had to be held in honour of that person. Since Ibekwe was not born or related to anyone in Umuise, it was expected for him to undergo some initiation rites before he could fully be a part of Umuise.Umuise consisted of a large number of huts but the number of people in the village were very few which made it very possible for everyone to easily identify one other without much difficulty. Many indigenes of Umuise had been killed in wars that occurred a century ago during the time of Ibekwe's great-grandfather, Echi and because of that reason, almost everyone in the village were related somehow. Only a few interrogation and careful understanding of the family tree, someone could easily see how he
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Forty-one
Osinala did not smile as he approached his fellow elders who were devouring chunks of meat from their soup plates. He greeted them and sat down. After an elder called Ekwensi was done eating, Osinala spoke, ignoring the fact that another elder called Chima was yet to finish eating."Chima! Calm down," Osinala said as he watched Chima lick his hands after swallowing a ball of fufu."How can I calm down when I am in the midst of food," Chima replied.Osinala hissed in disgust. Chima's lips were drawn back, his mouth was wide open as he threw another ball of fufu in his mouth."Why are you disgracing yourself?" Osinala asked. "The plate of food is not running away.""If you have the opportunity to get a taste of this soup, you will never remain the same in your life," Chima replied.Osinala laughed and Chima joined him too. Chima did not want his deep respect for the food he was eating
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Forty-two
"Okoli! Are you out of your mind?" Nnadi asked as he approached Okoli."Did you call me back to ask if I was mad?" Okoli retorted.Nnadi shook his head."I know that you are a hard-working man. I know that you worked very hard to cover last year mistakes but the Okoli I know would never stoop so low to make a bet with a man like Obisike. You of all people should know that Osinala family is not a family to joke around with. He is the richest man in the whole of Umuise and every man knows that.""I hope this is not why you are shouting at me," Okoli said then bit his lips, "if you want to be a good friend, you should start encouraging me rather than telling me things that I already know about. I want to make that fool know that I am not a coward.""No one cares if you are a coward or not.""If no one cares, I do.""If you don't want to start another fight with Akwaudo, you know
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Forty-three
Ibekwe followed Akwaudo's advice and went home after he was done with the initiation ceremony and watching Okoli get himself involved in a bet with Obisike. The stench of his body irritated him more than the pain he had been feeling since his banishment from Umuoku. He felt a moment of peace as he let the knowledge of being a bona fide member of Umuise rest in his mind.As he walked back home, he decided not to follow the main path that led to Okoli's compound so that the villagers who were receding from the village town square would not stop and exchange pleasantries with him.Although he had been publicly adopted in the eyes of the whole village, he still wanted to have his personal space for sometime before he could start getting to know every member of Umuise.He followed the lonely path that had a longer route compared to the main path. He passed two to three huts, brushing his feet on the ground and hearing t
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Forty-four
Okwudili had not been at peace with himself ever since the last quarrel he had with his brother, Okoli over a piece of land that their father had left for them to share. He moved from one side to another, in his room, as he thought of the way his father counselled him when he was worried about something."Okwi!" His father would say, "what troubles your mind and has kept you in distress?"In those days, Okwudili would shook his head and tell his father not to bother himself. He would assure his father that he was fine. It was his own way of letting his father know that he was a grown up man.Okwudili wondered how quickly time passed. He wondered how the unity he had once shared with his brothers had totally crumbled into a piece of regrets and malice. He knew that as one grew older, things changed. But the way things were happening in his life right now, he knew that the change that was taken place was neither for his go
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Forty-five
Okwudili was amazed at all the things Ezeugo had told him. They stuck deeply in his mind as he tried to make sense of all he had just heard. Although Ezeugo was sound asleep, he could still feel the movements of his lips as he poured out his heart to him. The story that Ezeugo had told him was a tale that could easily pass as an illusion than a reality. No man in his right mind wouldn't call Ezeugo a fool after listening to all he had just said about his journey.Deep down, Okwudili could remember that he had heard a lot of stories about the magical powers that the diviners of Umuoku possessed but none of them had even come close to the diviner that Ezeugo had just told him about. Even Osisisiakalaka would feel a threat to his supremacy if he ever heard of such a man who could do a wonderful miracle that was only reserved for the high god, Chukwu.As Okwudili pondered about what he had just heard. The only reasonable concept he could come up
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Forty-six
The hoarse voice of a troubled mind came out from nowhere, startling Okwudili. A simple answer was all it demanded."Who is lying?"Okwudili shifted from one side of the bamboo bed to another as he wondered who had spoken to him. The room was empty except for him and his dark, lifeless shadow that was cast on the wall by the palm oil lamp that was almost dead. He grabbed the lamp and walked towards the window to see who had dared to come into his compound at midnight. He saw nothing. He staggered back to his bed, trying to assure himself that it was just his own thoughts deceiving him."If you don't tell me who is lying at this moment, I will make sure that you are beaten properly."Okwudili got up from his bed again. He was alert. He could ignore a man playing around with his pride anywhere in the village but he couldn't manage a man who would come to his own compound to threaten him with words. He
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Forty-seven
Ezeugo could not believe what had happened to him. He had woken up with a stubborn head ache that prevented him from thinking properly. His cheeks were hurt from the slaps that Okwudili had given to him. He sat down on an old cane chair that was owned by their father. A personal gift to Okwudili for being the last son. As he chewed the kola nuts that Isioma had brought for him, slowly, while watching his teeth get stained by its brown particles, he looked at Okwudili with a feeling of irritation."I cannot believe that you slapped me on both cheeks," Ezeugo said."That was the best way to lure you away from whatever that was possessing your body," Okwudili replied."Why didn't you pour me cold water or try to wake me up? Must it be slaps? Must you always succumb to violence at every opportunity you are presented?""I was not trying to be violent," Okwudili fired. "I was trying to save the life of my
Pinakabagong kabanata
- Shading Black About the Author
- Shading Black Epilogue
- Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter One hundred and three
- Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter One hundred and two
- Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter One hundred and one
- Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter One hundred
- Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter Ninety-nine
- Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter Ninety-eight
- Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter Ninety-seven
