“Mama please there is something I want to discuss with you.”

“I am all ears, son”

“Which particular land did my uncle sell while I was in police custody.”

“It was the land at ofeiyi.”

“Which ofeiyi? The biggest land that we have.”

“Yes my son.”

“Mama why? How could you allow such to happen?”

“Ikenna have you forgotten the case that you were involved in? You bought a stolen vehicle. Those people were ready to throw you into jail but for the intervention of your uncle. Do you expect me to fold my hands watch my only son to be jailed when I could sell a land and solve the problem. Beside, your uncle told me that he informed you when he came to the city to bail you from police cell that we sold the land at Ofeiyi. Why are you feigning ignorance.”

“Okay mam,a no problem. How much was the land sold?”

“Your uncle supplied all the information to you. Why are you cross examining me?”

“It is because I suspect foul play. Mama please don’t be offended just answer this last question. Were you with my uncle when the buyer negotiated for the price?”

“Ikenna you know the issue of land is in this village. It is men affair. It is only in family where there is no man that the woman can venture into that. Thanks to God we are not one of such family. Beside I trust my husband’s brother. Was he not the one taking care of me since the death of my husband. Ikenna you have been acting strange since you came back this evening. I don’t know what you problem is but please my son. Be careful of the villagers. They don’t like good thing. Never allow anyone to pour sand in the beautiful relationship existing between us and your uncle. Beware of spoilers. These villagers are spoilers.”

“Mama the only thing I want from my uncle is for him to tell me how much he sold our land. I need the balance of the money. Ogwuchaala(that is all I want). I believed that the umunna( kindred) will ensure that he does that.”

“Whoever is playing this music that you are dancing to never wished you well. Do not be an ingrate. Even if actually your uncle sold the land and kept part of the proceeds, does it really matter? The most important thing is that the problem that made us to sell the land was solved. You want to invite umunna to come and settle matter between you and your father. Where were the umunna when he was feeding you and paying your school fees? Where were they when he paid your apprenticeship bill? If not for your stupidity, will the land be sold? Was it your uncle that sent you to buy a stolen car?”

“Was it because of the money he spent on me that he decided to make me useless. All I know is that he will hear from me.”

“I have advised you the way a mother will advise a beloved child. The ball is now in your cot.”

I never blamed my mother for defending my uncle. After all that was how I defended him initially. So I quickly swung into action and invited the umunna to settle the case.

We gathered in the house of the mazi Iwu, the eldest man in my kindred and they asked me to state my case.

“I fell into the hands of wrong people in the city and the police arrested me.”

“What do you mean by you fell into the hands of wrong people. Bia nwa kwanyere onwe gi ugwu( this boy respect yourself) tell us exactly what you mean,” Mazi ndu , one of the troublesome elders in my kindred cautioned me.

“Ndu, any man that demands an explanation for a proverb. The bride price paid on her mother is a waste,” Nnayi Iwu told him.

“Nnayi, are you calling me a fool. If you call me a fool again, I will walk out of this meeting.”

“I never called you a fool. But if you decide to call yourself one, it is okay by me. Our son please continue with what you were saying.” Mazi Iwu answered him.

Mazi Ndu never uttered a word again. I thought that he would walk out of the meeting as he threatened perhaps the thought of how to miss the anu oji (meat) and wine I bought, which was a requirement for summoning such meeting could not allow him to leave. All the same, I continued with my narration.

“My uncle sold our land in other to raise money and settle the case. He never informed me before doing so. I don’t blame him for that anyway. That could be as a result of the urgency of the matter. But my challenge is that he sold the biggest land that we have. Why would he sell the biggest land when there are smaller ones. I gathered reliably that my uncle sold that land 3 times more than the amount he disclosed to us. Please my elders I want you to plead with my uncle to give me the money.”

“You have heard what your nephew said . I want to hear you own version of the story,” nnayi Iwu told my uncle.

”I greet you nnayi. The whole issue started on a Thursday evening. I was coming back from church, when my phone rang I picked up the call. The caller told me that my son, Ikenna is in police net.”

“Who are you calling your son? Is it this person that is accusing you of theft,” mazi Uduma asked.

“Why will you ask such question? Have you forgotten that there are categories of son? This one is a prodigal son,” mazi Ndu chipped in.

Almost all the elders busted out in laughter.

I was stung by that word but I managed to maintain my cool. I needed no one to tell me that those wicked elders are looking for a way to turn the table against me. When the laughter subsided, my uncle continued with his speech.

“The next morning , I took the first bus to the city. When I got to the police station, I was told that Ikenna bought stolen vehicle.”

“Gini (what!) how did he meet the people selling stolen vehicle,” Mazi Udumma asked.

“He is surely in their gang. He is an armed robber. Look at his eyes. anytime you see him, even early in the morning, his eyes are always red like that of an igbo smoker,” mazi Ndu responded.

“Is it only igbo, even cocaine,” mazi Uka corroborated.

“I, a smoker?” I asked myself silently.

“To make the matter worse,” my uncle continued. “The vehicle was got lost when Ikenna parked it in his compound. The original owner of the car demanded that he would pay for the car again. Not only that, they demanded for the price of a new car.”

“This is killing an ant with a sledge hammer” Mazi Uduma noted.

“Exactly. They threatened that if they don’t get the money within a week, the matter will be charged to court. So, with the consent of my brother’s wife, we decided to sell the land.”

“So you sold the land in other to pay for the car he stole and he is here talking rubbish,” mazi Ndu said.

“He did not steal the car, he bought it from someone,” my uncle clarified.

“What is the difference? Bring rope and tie the goat, bring goat and tie it with rope, all are same,” mazi Ndu insisted.

Nnayi iwu cleared his throat signifying that he wanted to talk. Everyone kept quiet.

“Ikenna listen to me. To be called an ingrate is not a good name. Do you know that it is only someone that is free, that thinks of money and property? If truly your uncle is interested in your property, he would have allowed you to rot in jail. For him to make effort for you to regain freedom, he deserves an accolade.”

“Eziokwu ka I kwuru (That is the truth),” mazi Uduma affirmed.

“ Asi na o na abu ozu siwe isi, enyi ka nwanne alaa (when the corpse decompose, friends that are greater than relatives will disappear).Those people that loved you to the extent of revealing to you how your uncle squandered money, Where have they been. Why didn’t they show you this love when you were in police custody. If they have done the needful, your uncle would not have the opportunity to sell your land. I want you to use your tongue and count your teeth. The best advice is the one you give yourself. All the same, I will advise that you let sleeping dog lie. If you continue dragging this it will only result to an ill wind. Of course, it will blow no one good.”

He turned and faced my uncle, “Nze, you also have blame in this matter. Wisdom is profitable to direct. Ikenna’s mother is here in the village with us. While you are doing the negotiation for the land why didn’t you carry her along? If you had done so, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. They say: our own is our own, while my own is my own. You did it because you felt that it doesn’t matter, after all he is your son. But this present situation has revealed that he is not truly your son. If he is your son in the right sense, why didn’t you sell one of your lands to bail him from prison, why is it the other way round?”

“oho ooo,” I said in support of Nnayi iwu.

“Ikenna If I hear your voice again. You will pay a fine of 1 big goat,” nnayi Iwu warned me.

“I am so sorry Nnayi,” I pleaded

“You better be. Anyway, Nze you have already made the mistake, but I want you to learn from it. Don’t allow such to repeat itself. I have spoken.”