Lahat ng Kabanata ng Shading Black: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

 "We should pay Okoli a visit," Ezeugo said."Yes we should," Okwudili replied.They stopped at Okoli's compound in the afternoon. Luckily, he was around, sitting quietly in his verandah and whistling slowly as he thought of his bet with Obisike.Akwaudo was the first to see them. Her huge smile filled the upper part of her cheek as she embraced them, separately. She welcomed them and told them to sit down."Thank you my wife," Ezeugo said as he sat down."Thank you my husband for visiting me," Akwaudo replied.Okoli stormed out in anger as Akwaudo informed him about his brothers visit. He tried to be patient as he thought of the best approach but all he could think about was his previous fight with Okwudili. When he saw them sitting comfortably in front of Akwaudo's hut, he stopped and pointed at Okwudili with constrained fingers."Okwudili! What are you doing in my compound?" He asked, wearing a stern face."Okoli, pleas

Ibekwe did not follow Ifeme to the stream after the incident that occurred on the day that he made Okoli to believe that he was changing. The day that he left the stream without looking back to see if was following him. Since his arrival, Okoli had decided that it was best that they ate their meals on a long table, together, as family. Okoli felt that it was a good way of showing that they loved and cared for each other and he was very pleased with the thought of eating with all of them on the same table, watching them chew the pieces of yam or clench their teeth after a failed attempt to break a bone. The whole sharing a table idea felt different to Ibekwe, maybe strange, but it was a quiet, mouth moving ritual that he wasn't going to trade for anything in his new world.He cleared the dining table the following morning after forgetting to clean it the previous night. He removed the gourd that Okoli had used first, then the stew-smeared bowls, and finally he washed the bowls

Ibekwe stood beneath the lofty shades of palm trees that gathered around a diffused area of land about a quarter of a mile away from Okoli's compound.Ibekwe what did you see in the black pot in Umuoku? Can you not remember what had made you run home that day?  The voiceless words echoed in the silence of Ibekwe's mind.There was no logical way to prove that he had seen a black pot, Ibekwe knew. Even if he saw the blurry images in shades and had told Ifeme about it on the first day that they sat alone in his room, he knew he couldn't approve he was right. If he answered yes, that he was sure, it would lead to more loop holes that he was not ready to delve into. If he answered no, that he wasn't sure, the road was rather easier. No more thinking.As he stood alone, waiting for Ifeme to reappear, Ibekwe suspected that something about him wasn't right. If there was any moment when the little man and legal adviser of his soul was to take a stand and consult his

Ibekwe was surprised to see the long line of people which pointed towards the shrine of Osisiakalaka. The sun had just risen and from the look of things, it wasn't happy with the way people flocked where the diviner communed with the gods. In order to show its disapproval, the sun had decided to shine brightly on people, sending them hot rays that made some of them hide under trees or run home to seek shelter but a few of them were stubborn to leave and one of those set of stubborn people was Ibekwe.Ibekwe took another good look at the line and hissed. How long would it take before he had the opportunity to see Osisiakalaka? He thought. He wondered how he was going to see Osisiakalaka without having to wait for a long time. After two sharp looks, he noticed that the hut close to the shrine that served as Osisiakalaka's temporary residence was almost filled with people who sat down at the verandah and spoke in hushed tones with a lad that had been assigned to serve as Osisiak

Ibekwe cupped his hands as the liquid flowed through his throat. He leaned on the wall and angled his right knee, to give his body adequate support. The night air had grown warmer, much to the comfort of his own soul and a wind had risen and the rains had slowly darted away. After he emptied the water inside the gourd into his stomach, he dropped it down and placed it near the kitchen counter. He lit a fire and grabbed some firewoods to keep the surging flames of the fire, glowing. He heard the sound of a metal gong and there was a moment of silence as the town crier stopped in front of Okoli's compound. The town crier gave his message and a cranky sound followed.Ibekwe yawned as he stretched his hands as if he was trying to catch something unknown to him. He dropped his hands down. The night was cool and not as dull as the previous nights where he had to stack pieces of firewoods to keep his body warm. This night was better. Despite the rain, the moon had still decided to p