The Story Of Our Fathers

"Haven't you heard about the blessed one in the story of the sun?” Chikadibia asked.

Everywhere was quiet. Chikadibia looked into the eyes of his friends, who gazed at each other with confusion. The cool wind moved gently as he began the story.

“In the land of Umunta, located on the shores of West Africa, there lived a man called Udemba. Udemba was a warrior well known across the cities of West Africa. Nations trembled at his feet and empires crumbled at his sight. His community, Umunta, was so proud of having a great son like him.

Udemba was also a successful farmer. His barn was the largest barn in Umunta. It was so tall that anyone who fell from the top would break his legs. People traveled from different cities to see the great edifice called the barn.

Despite his successes, Udemba had the reputation of being a chronic womanizer. He loved women more than his own life. Udemba slept with any woman he came across. He hardly went to bed at night without a woman at his side, caressing his chest.”

“Tufiakwa! God forbid,” Ogechi spat out.

“Most nights,” Chikadibia continued, “Udemba went to bed with two women at a time. They always struggled to outsmart each other in bed. Udemba loved women who were virgins. To him, it was an insult to eat a fruit already eaten halfway.”

“What an immoral act,” Amandi and Emeka exclaimed with disdain.

Chikadibia took a deep breath and continued.

“Apart from his weakness, Udemba was a hardworking man. He was so diligent and dedicated in his work as a farmer. He hated lazy people with passion. His servants were a set of hardworking and energetic people. He painstakingly selected them from the hundreds of men and women who came from far and wide in search of work. He paid them according to the work done. His philosophy was, ‘A soiled hand is an oiled hand.’

Udemba was also known to be a man with the heart of diamonds and gold. His generosity went beyond the borders of Umunta. His kindness led him to increase the wages of his servants. His kindness could not be quantified by words.

People will always criticize you even when you are wearing your best coat. Udemba was mocked for his generosity by his family. But surely, nobody was bold enough to say it in his presence. They only expressed their spite under the comfort of their beds, filled with agony and sorrow.

One day, Udemba was heading to his farm. On his way, he met an old woman working on her farmland. As she was working, her hoe hit her right leg, almost chopping off her big toe. Immediately, Udemba rushed to her and helped her stop the blood rushing out like a river. He carried the old woman on his back and took her home. He ordered his servants to dress her wounds and lay her on a mat. While this was being done, he took a handful of his male servants to clear the weeds on the woman’s farmland.

Following Udemba's orders, his servants dressed the old woman’s wounds and laid her on a mat in the compound, where the wind calmed the day’s pressures on her mind. The sun brought its flavour by keeping the compound warm.

In the evening, Udemba went to see this mysterious old woman, who was flanked by his female servants. The old woman was sitting up, with her radiant eyeballs moving round their sockets and piercing into his eyes. Udemba's confident eyes were watered down by the woman’s sparkling eyes.

The smile on her face was affectionate and infectious. The dimples on her cheeks added to the beauty of her face. Despite her age, she still carried the beauty of youth like a vampire immune to time. Her present condition couldn't hide it.

Udemba was struck by this ageless beauty lying on a mat in his compound. Her beauty was incomparable, he thought. He could do nothing but return the smile. He was becoming too interested in this woman. He dismissed every thought of a future sexual relationship from his mind.

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This is an excerpt from my novel, Shattered Dreams. 

Shattered Dreams is a young adult fiction that merged history and fantasy to create a story full of suspense and drama. It tells the story of a timid but highly intelligent boy, Chikadibia Mbanefo, who is destined to liberate the people of Umuaga from an age old tyranny.

Shattered Dreams explores the themes of love, colonialism, neocolonialism and imminent political issues in Africa.

For publishing inquiries, send an email to deraonuoha46@gmail.com.



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