Egiobu Wanted More(Anegbe Philip Egwatse) There was something about her that made her stand out in the crowd. Her lips were never caught wagging to the salacious beats of infamous gossip. She really was unique; she didn’t engage in idle chatter like other gossiping girls of her age. Even when she faced a lot of challenges, Ukpakpe chose to see stepping stones to greatness instead.

Her remarkable qualities soon made her the talk of the town throughout the Iviegbua Igbagba community. Kings and paupers sang her praises. And the entire community thought they had finally found their heroine – a real life model of what the perfect, unblemished Iviegbua Igbagba lady should look like. But there was one who saw more in her – one who wanted more. Egiobu was his name.

Egiobu was a short, fat, pot bellied, and bald facially good-looking man in his early thirties, who appeared to have succeeded in every facet of life’s activities he had delved into. Although he was very renowned for his sharp, accurate and effective hunting skills, his doggedness in the face of any challenge was what formed him into the shining star that he was in the community and even beyond, as some argued. As far as hunting was concerned, only few individuals in the community’s many years of history can be compared to him. Egiobu often boasted of shooting straight into the nostrils of the dangerous Uledemene with both eyes closed, while lounging on top of the tallest Iroko tree in Iviegbua Igbagba. Egiobu was highly respected and loved by many, especially among children and the youth who considered him their hero. At nights, parents would often gather children outside their huts to tell those tales of the greatness of Egiobu – a clear example, showing that people can always get what they want, given their willingness to fight, and fight again relentlessly.

But Egiobu wanted more. He wanted the prized jewel of the land – Egiobu wanted Ukpakpe. He was even willing to hunt down 20 big Uledemenes to satisfy whatever marriage conditions the Izama, the village council, would set. Egiobu was convinced he was madly in love with Ukpakpe.

Ukpakpe was also in love, but with another man. She was head over heels in love with Okonarina. Although other girls did not consider the very lanky, tall, and hungry looking Okonarina an ideal “prince charming”, they however revered him for his musical skills. Popularly referred to as “Okponka” meaning “king of the flute”, Okonarina led a life that was almost entirely music centered. Apart from music and his love life, he was known to be unfortunate with every other thing, broken so many community laws – although not deliberately. As a result, apart from his heart throb Ukpakpe, no one – not even his mother – trusted him with or gave him credit for anything but music. Ill luck seemed to hover over him and had almost eclipsed the tiny sparks of bright areas of his life. But be that as it may, poor Okonarina was still the popular flute player of the Njeme music group and had managed to win the heart of the most beautiful girl in the community. That was all that mattered to him – that was his world.

These love birds were often seen under Ebelebo trees around the community. There, Okonarina would play beautiful tunes for his love. Everyone knew of their love – they played shamelessly in the open view for all to see. Even though the gossiping girls of the town would hate to admit it openly, they secretly envied Okonarina and Ukpakpe. For a number of admirers of Ukpakpe, their envy gradually turned into resignation. “No one was capable of stealing Ukpakpe from the firm but loving grip of Okonarina” they accepted.

But Egiobu had trained himself never to accept ‘no’ for an answer, and as far as he was concerned, he wanted more from Ukpakpe. And even if Ukpakpe did not love him then, he was confident that with time, he could win her heart. He really felt that all he needed was one chance to prove his love. He wanted Ukpakpe badly and was willing to sacrifice anything, even his fame, to get her. To him, there was only one obstacle, only one to fear in this race – Okonarina. Although, no one could have ever imagined that the lowly Okonarina would one day compete with Egiobu for anything, Egiobu was smart enough to realise that his counterpart was way ahead in the battle for Ukpakpe’s love. Clearly, he would have to do more to get Ukpakpe.

Hence, when courtesy visits to Ukpakpe’s family and few minutes of chats with her appeared not to be yielding the desired result, Egiobu devised a new strategy. He would bring bush meat to Ajala, Ukpakpe’s mother, almost on a daily basis and also help Mgbekpe, the father of Ukpakpe, to clear his farm weekly.

While Egiobu continued with his new found strategy, he one day met Okonarina at a lonely bend leading to the king’s palace. “Here is my rival” Egiobu thought to himself. As soon as he came close to Okonarina, without stopping to think, he knelt down to beg him to break up with Ukpakpe. He pleaded with tears flowing down his cheek. Egiobu cried – he wanted more. Okonarina placed a hand on Egiobu’s right shoulder and said “my friend, you are requesting the impossible. I would be satisfying all the marriage conditions set by the Izama a day before the next market day. Please try to understand that there’s no life for me without Ukpakpe”. A stunned Egiobu was left weeping and on his knees as Okonarina walked away.

Egiobu went home that day not knowing how to take his mind off his worries. A week later, he was greeted by news of Ukpakpe’s marriage – Okonarina had decided to take a wife. What made life more unbearable for Egiobu was the fact that he was even approached to help in providing meat for the occasion. He had to help in feeding the guests on that day. A once proud Egiobu went into his shell as a result of shame and self pity.
After some days of tears and isolation, Egiobu accepted the job of supplying the meat for the occasion. But nobody knew that he had a plan at the back of his mind. For him, he was not going to live to face defeat. It was a victor or vanquished situation for Egiobu.

Egiobu set out to hunt 2 days before the D-day, with his mind clearly fixed on his plan. His arrangement was to kill himself in front of Ukpakpe and Okonarina on the day of the marriage, in public view. Everyone had to know he died for love. And above all, he would not live to experience defeat – it was just not something he was used to. “It is better to die than to carry a pot of shame on my head all through life time” he thought to himself.

On getting to the forest that day, Egiobu brought out his weapons and took a strategic hunting position. Yes, he was going to get the meat. But he was sure that no one would eat the meat in celebration. He knew it was going to be a sad end – a sorrow for everyone. Yet he was too ashamed to remain alive and suffer the consequence of ignoring this option. As he stretched forth his bow and arrow to shoot at what appeared to be an animal of great worth, he observed that the strange figure behind the Ebelebo tree was not an animal but a basket covered with grasses. He moved closer, removed the grasses gently, and came face to face with a great surprise. “The gods are indeed alive!” he said aloud. Behold, inside the basket was plenty of gold and precious stones. This was clearly fortune that would make him rich, even richer than the king. Egiobu immediately abandoned his mission for the day and jumped at his “good luck”.
Egiobu couldn’t wait to get home. He was so excited. With this wealth, he could do anything. He could even buy anyone, “including Okonarina,” he thought. Egiobu the famous hunter arrived home that day as Egiobu the richest man in Iviegbua Igbagba. On entering his compound, he was welcomed by 2 relatives of Okonarina who came around to carry the meat for the wedding. But they were not going to get any meat. Instead, Egiobu paid them to be his workers. They were to commence work immediately. “Wealth is good” Egiobu reasoned. “But it will only be worthwhile if it helped to bring Ukpakpe to me” he insisted.

After waiting for a whole day without seeing his relatives, Okonarina became worried and decided to visit Egiobu himself. On getting to Egiobu’s compound, Okonarina was overwhelmed by the crowd he saw. A once isolated hut had been brought to life by the beautiful sound of music and the excellent dancing steps of the people of the community. Everyone, with a drink in hand, was singing praises of Egiobu. It was like the gathering of all of the community. Everyone was happy – everyone but Okonarina.

As soon as Egiobu saw Okonarina, He ran to embrace him. He invited him to sit down and enjoy himself. But the latter refused and insisted on seeing his relatives. Egiobu smiled at Okonarina reassuringly and said “my brother, your relatives are fine and in safe hands. But permit me to pay a special respect to you and your family – a respect long due”. With great pride, Egiobu began, “Okonarina, I want you to know that the hour of redemption has come for you and your family”. Amidst cheers and applauds from the crowd, he explained how he had completed arrangements for the ownership of several plots of land to be transferred to Okonarina. He also informed him that he had paid for the rebuilding of the Okponka family house (i.e. Okonarina’s father’s house). In reaction to the rains of blessings, drummers and musicians took the centre stage and the party excitement returned, albeit temporarily for Egiobu soon waved a hand in demand for some silence.

Like Egiobu, the famous hunter, Egiobu, the richest man in Iviegbua Igbagba, still wanted more. Nothing has changed; He wanted Ukpakpe even though the marriage was expected to take place the next day. In the presence of everyone, he knelt down before Okonarina for the second time and begged for Ukpakpe. In return, he was willing to give anything. He even promised to split his wealth into two and give one part to Okonarina if he agreed to his demand. But once again, Okonarina placed his hand on Egiobu’s shoulder and wept with him. “It is a pity that you think that I can leave Ukpakpe for material gains. If this is the value you place on her, then you can never be worthy of her. You have fame, you have the whole community behind you, and now you have wealth; but for some of us, the only thing that makes life worth living is love and that love, my friend, I will never surrender to you” said Okonarina. With these words, Okonarina walked away with tears still in his eyes. It was also an emotional moment for everyone present. The jubilant crowd had morphed into a group of sad looking bereaved mourners. Okonarina’s speech appeared to have sowed and watered seeds of guilt in their hearts – seeds that made them realise just how unfairly they have treated him all these years. None of them have ever showed him love or encouraged him in any way, safe for the few moments they have shaken their waist to his beautiful tunes. For so many years, he had endured the lowly treatments meted on him without a word of complaint. But now that his one source of love and consolation was threatened, he spoke up. Although he spoke up with a broken voice and with tears in eyes, his message was clear – clear enough for everyone, including Egiobu. He was not going to leave Ukpakpe for anyone, not while he still breathed.

As he left Egiobu’s compound that night, Okonarina headed straight to the forest. He was determined to get some meat for his wedding himself. He had always dreamt of putting together a marriage ceremony that Ukpakpe would remember all her life. As he progressed down the lonely path leading to the forest, he thought of the jubilation and light that would fill his life and eyes after a successful marriage with Ukpakpe. He could imagine their future children playing around their little hut after having had a sumptuous meal in one single big calabash. He rubbed off the tears from his eyes and his many years of dejection gave way to some hope – some brightness.

But that brightness was only to be thought of and not experienced, for as he approached a near bend, a gang of “dark” men jumped out of the bush path and silenced his “tunes” forever.

Very early the next day, some hunters noticed Okonarina’s corpse while on their way to the forest and took it straight to the king who, in his unhappiness, immediately summoned all the community dwellers. At the instruction of the king, Nkwoki, the tune of abomination and sacrilege, filled the air. The news of Okonarina’s death was broken to all, but only one was more devastated – only Ukpakpe. It was difficult to stop her from crying. In the heat of anger, the community demanded justice. In return for a life, they were only willing to take a life. There was to be no negotiation, no forgiveness – at least, not in the world of the living.

Meanwhile, all fingers pointed to Egiobu. “He had every reason to want the death of Okonarina,” the villagers agreed in conclusion. The people mounted pressure on the king who was then left with no other choice but to order the immediate arrest of Egiobu. As he was brought close to the palace, the once celebrated Egiobu was greeted with jeers and boos. Everything had changed – all his fame, respect, and goodwill with the people had all evaporated. Young people took turns to throw stones at his head. The stoning became so fierce that it was difficult to get the youth to stop. But nobody really bothered to stop the stoning. They all wanted justice for an Okonarina they never treated fairly while he was alive. Everyone appeared to have developed sudden hunger for Egiobu’s blood. The stoning gradually gave way to a free for all beating, as blows landed on Egiobu’s head from all quarters. The great hunter managed to open his eyes that were then almost blinded by his own blood and stared at his once loving friends, including those who have had a party in his compound a night before and those who have ate the sweet bush meats he had laboured so hard to get, and tears dropped down his blood stained cheeks. He watched and cried but could not speak, for his leaps were completely torn apart. He regretted not taking his life before his arrest, he regretted having worked so hard to get the approval and love of the community, but he never regretted everything he did for love. He would not have done anything differently had the gods allowed him to go back in time. The beating was severe, but he fought to stay alive to stare at his love one last time. After a while, that moment came. He came face to face with the lady at the centre of it all, and in a way, he felt fulfilled suffering for Ukpakpe and so he managed a smile even in great pains. But his smile was outmatched with the hate and anger on the face of Ukpakpe. In a sudden burst of annoyance, Ukpakpe lifted a cutlass and hammered it hard into Egiobu’s head. As Egiobu slumped, calmness was suddenly restored. Everyone, beginning from the children, went home sorrowfully but with a little consolation that justice had been served.

On the supposed marriage day, there was no marriage. Instead there was death and mourning in the land. Days gradually turned into weeks, and weeks into months, as activities gradually assumed their usual state.
However, fear and shock revisited Iviegbua Igbagba when a young lady who claimed to have witnessed the death of Okonarina tabled a news that brought back the ugly faces of sorrows and regrets. She explained that she had been too afraid to say anything since she was only a 12 year old. But that she had been having a series of nightmares and threats from the spirit world to open up to all the villagers or face the cold claws of death. She had run out of the house that night for fear of her foster father, Uleme, who she explained had attempted to take her life for refusing to go to bed with him. Knowing the hot temperedness of Uleme, she knew that her only safe harbour that night would be one of the free grass huts of the hunters near the forest. From one of those lonely huts, she had seen the whole murder. Everyone listened with mouth half opened as a result of both shock and surprise as she explained how Mgbekpe and his sons had laid siege on Okonarina on his way to the forest that fateful night.

Mgbekpe considered his daughter too precious to be married off to a mere flute player. He never complained about their little romance all the while because he hadn’t expected it to lead to marriage. Listening to the confessions enraged the king. He called in his guard and whispered some instructions in the guard’s ears, but his facial expression gave away his intentions. Everyone present knew what was coming. Nkwoki was once more played to herald another period of abomination and sacrilege.

As a severely wounded Mgbekpe and his sons stood in front of the king with their hands bounded with strong ropes behind their backs, the king ordered his servants to hand Ukpakpe the same cutlass she had used to end the life of Egiobu. Ukpakpe stood in front of her father and brothers. The king’s verdict was clear. Ukpakpe was to take the life of her father and two brothers the same way she had snuffed out the life of Egiobu. But the cutlass had never felt this heavy in her hand before – so heavy that she could not even move it. Everyone waited in anger – the blood thirstiness had suddenly returned. And at long last, the cutlass was raised and everyone witnessed its impact on a head, but not on the head of Mgbekpe or any of his sons. The priced jewel of Iviebua Igbagba has just ended her own reign.

---