It was the evening of Orie market day. Everyone had returned home from various places; journeys, work, farming and market. Daa Achikwu was seen bathing little Olamma, her newly born granddaughter, when Chigbu came to give Adaure an Ugbaka- fermented oil bean to be used for the preparation of Ona porridge.
Daa Achika beckoned him to sit down. He did, looking curiously at her. ''Ogo m- my in-law, the dream I had yesterday was not a good one. If it was those days I was still breathing, I would have gone to Uga for afa- divination for it. Where do I see the legs?'' she asked, rhetorically, drawing the attention of Chigbu, father to her son-in-law, to her arthritis-traumatized legs.
''Obu akaba nka ebewe akwa- do we cry for aging?'' Chigbu asked laughingly. ''Ihunanu ka aka eji kpuo uzu na ala Ntu di zi- you have seen how the hand used to do blacksmithing work in Ntu village looks like now'' Daa Achikwu sighed regretfully. ''Ogo m, let others continue from where you stop'' Chigbu responded, encouragingly. ''Onyekwenu ugbua- at this time, who?'' Daa Achikwu asked, holding her jaw with her right hand while holding her granddaughter, Olamma with the other hand.
''Nke ike kwere anyi, anyi mee, nke o na ekweghi anyi ahapu ya- We do things we have the strength to do, and others we don't have the strength, we leave them'' Chigbu hissed, regretfully as he started stomping his feet on the ground reminiscing how younger days used to be for them.
''Well, yes, you are right'' Daa Achikwu said, shaking her head both ways. ''My in-law, that's how life is'' Chigbu quipped. ''The dream I had was horrible. I saw people, I mean warriors, our olden days kind of warriors, I mean, singing war songs, coming from the eastern part of Ndi Ikpa. They were not wearing clothes but wore fire all around their bodies. They came into Ndi Ikpa in their multitude. Each house they pointed at was gutted by fire. There was creaming. But when I looked closer to see those who were crying and screaming, I saw only animals. I said no way, shook my head, trying to resist it as though I had the power. But then again, I looked deeper down there, frozen by fear of what appeared like echoes of pandemonium.
''There were still animals I could see, except this time there was an add-on. I saw a lion grasping for breath as some of the warriors held him by the neck, trying to drown him in a big pot in his backyard. I asked them 'why do you want to kill this lion that has fought enough to be alive?' Their leader called me by the very name my father named me, Achikwumma. I was surprised. He told me that they are not leaving until the lion finishes the dirty water he stored in the pot. I pleaded with them to leave it. He said, 'Achikwumma, you pleaded with this very lion not to fill the pot with dirty water, but he refused. He must drink up the water before we leave him'. I did not know what made me shout. Immediately I did, I found these Okpukpo- bones still lying down on the bed. I am worried. I have been restless since morning'' Daa Achikwu said, as goosebumps filled up her entire body.
Chigbu was frozen, thinking deeply about what his son's mother-in-law had said. ''Um, Ogo m, this is not nro iba- a malaria-induced dream. It is a serious dream. This is a message rather. Who do we send to afa- divination?'' Chigbu asked.
''See what happened again. A little time later, I fell back asleep. I saw some people coming up to Uzowanne upland, old Uzowai. All of them went inside the new Uzonwanne stream and the fires on their bodies were put off. In an instant, instead of seeing those young men, all I could see were old men with white apparel around their waists and across their shoulders. There was no dark hair anymore on their heads. I mean, all of them. They had their bath there and some took some water and drank. But I did not see the earth-colored muddy water that we had been fetching from there recently. It became sparkling white.
''After a little time, they came out of the stream. This time I saw a young woman. I had never seen such beauty before. My grandmother was not anywhere close to her beauty. Her hair made a sound each time she touched it like a gong of brass, almost touching the back of her knees. Her skin looked dark, but it glowed that it could whiten one's night and make it day. She looked calm. Ogo m, the elegancy of this young woman was overwhelming. Even the most powerful dibias- diviners would beg not to see her eyes to avoid making the mistake of giving their patients cucumber root for medicine. Wao. As I am describing her now, goosebumps are raining all over my body. Is she a human being or mmuo- a spirit? It could only be spirit.
''She came out of the water, just behind those grey-haired elders. She was majestically following them like a cold breeze in the heat of the sun. When they walked a little off the cliff of the new stream's pathway, those elders turned and faced her, and in a few seconds, and in unison, all, I said, all of them, lowered their heads and made obeisance to this young woman. See pride. She was only nodding her head. If you see how she was nodding her head, it would look as though there was no bone connecting isi ya- her head, and ubu ya- her shoulders.
''Those grey-haired elders who came to Ndi Ikpa as young warriors walked like they had no bone in their legs. They were walking as though their legs could break if they had touched the ground. However, they still managed to walk away. Why would they even walk fast? Which reasonable man with his body and eyes intact would walk past this beauty in haste? Is he blind? The beauty was so blindfolding.
''I pretended as if I was fetching firewood as she turned back to where she was coming from. She majestically walked into the stream. I walked close to that very spot the water was gushing out from. She looked as though she was squatting on something there. And the cliff of the land barricaded me from seeing her fully. So, I made some funny moves to see her very well. She was so beautiful to leave behind. So when I lifted my head a little to see her once again, I saw nobody. I looked around and even went closer to look for her. Ogo m, nobody was there, except a big stone that I thought she was squatting on. I had not seen anything that looked like that stone before. It glitters.
''I became afraid and calmingly faced where I came from to take a leave. As I took a silent walk, my whole back was becoming paralyzed with fear. Suddenly, I heard a voice from that spot. I felt as if the earth should open to swallow me. The voice was so calm and graceful. It said 'why do you want to see the whole of me today? You have bathed me for eight days now, but you are not yet satisfied. Why? Eeish, Ogo m, akpata oyi ezue m ahu- it was goosebumps thickening all over my body. Then I mustered the courage to ask who was talking. Here again, these bones were on the bed looking like a rat hit against the floor. Ka m njukawanu, Achikwumma oka no kwanu na uwa a- let me ask, is Achikwumma still in the world? Daa Achikwu asked, dazedly, with a voice that was depicting her worries.
There was an oppressive silence that hung deeply, perceptively and overly as Chigbu tried to interpret the dream his daughter-in-law's mother had described. He had already developed a wobbling foot while still seated.
''Eziokwu- truly, I was stunned as you described your dream. It's so terrifying, but the message is clear now'' Chigbu responded, finally. ''I am afraid'' Daa Achikwu said. ''You said the woman told you that you have bathed her for eight days now, but you are not yet satisfied, or something?'' Chigbu asked, inquisitively.
''Yes, my in-law'' Daa Achikwu replied, admittedly. ''Hmm, it is ok, I will go to afa- divination in the next two days, being Nkwo. Since we don't farm on Nkwo day in Ntu village, I will use the opportunity to go to Uga and use the same time to visit Obi Ekwulu. I had planned to go there, na onwa mbu afor gara aga- in the first month of last year, but that was when Udorie, my wife, died'' Chigbu said.
''Obu ihe mere eme- that's true'' Daa Achikwu replied, shaking her head sorrowfully in memory of the late Udorie. ''So, I will make it next tomorrow. And if Egemole can join me, or my junior brother Ugbobi, I will be happy'' Chigbu said wishfully.
''Chere- wait, does it mean you have not heard from afa- divination since last year?'' Daa Achikwu asked, worriedly as she started wrapping baby Olamma with more wrappers. ''No. That was not what I meant. Sometimes I sent Egemole and other times, Ugbobi. My mourning couldn't permit me to go beyond here'' Chigbu replied. ''Obu ihe mere, igaghi ano na mkpe na amaghari ka ele- that's true, you won't be in a mourning mood, and still be jumping around like an antelope'' Daa Achikwu said.
Among the Igbos, it is forbidden for a man or a woman who is still mourning his or her spouse to travel far from home while still in mourning. The uncut hair, and wearing special dark clothing whenever he or she is seen outside his or her immediate home are parts of it.