The next day, after a night that was full of dreams that he couldn't remember much about, except he saw Udobuaku telling him to remember something she told him, Ekwulu visited Chime to formally introduce himself as nwanwa- grandson of the family. It was a deep emotional moment for the two of them.
Chime, the junior brother of Udobuaku, took time to tell him about his sister, who he described as a 'gentle warrior'. Ekwulu told Chime his plan of going back to Idomma with his family when he finishes erecting a hut there. He also promised him that when he finally settled that, he was going to visit him with his family again.
Four days later, Ekwulu made a formal return to Amadi's home, in Idomma kindred. He was welcomed warmly by the two surviving half brothers of Oruno. They called out family, relatives and neighbors to come and welcome the son of Oruno, their late eldest brother. It was a historic day in Idomma as Ekwulu was shown around.
The celebration, as it appeared, ended with Ekwulu being shown landed properties that were his father's. He gave words of intention to build a house big enough for his growing family as soon as they settled down, which the Amadis were happy to hear.
The next day that followed, Ekwulu was seen ferrying home bamboo stems he fell in the bush for the making of his hut at Idomma. Ononiru asked him what he wanted to do with the bamboo stems. ''I am taking them to Idomma. They have shown me the inheritance of my father'' Ekwulu said. Ononiru had not seen a humiliation that had equaled his wife's multiple twin births, but this response from Ekwulu was just about close. He entered inside his house with a face only seen during sorrowful periods. Humiliation sometimes comes from innocence, love, lust, and other times, ignorance.
The next four days, Ononiru was coming back from farm when he saw workers ferrying bamboo stems to Idomma. They greeted him, but were all exhaustively ignored. He went inside his house and fell on his face unnoticed. It was during this face down that he saw what he could not believe. After all, it was a dream. Ononiru was taken to a higher mountain from which he was made to look down into a hut of a woman who was in labor.
She delivered her first child. It was a baby boy, and from nowhere a hyena came in and devoured the baby. She was in sorrow when she delivered the second. The same hyena made an attempt to devour the second child, a baby boy, too. Ononiru fainted in the dream. But a woman in the labor room pursued the hyena away with clubs.
The second baby survived it. Ononiru regained consciousness in the dream and saw himself lying in the pull of his own blood. He tried to clean himself up, but found himself waking up in real life, seeing himself half-bathed in the pull of his own blood. He staggered to stand, and found out that he was bleeding from his two ears with bruises he had sustained on his bleeding nose.
''What is going on? What type of terrible dream is this; a set of twins in Isumeh? What type of woman could wage a war against a hyena who the Gods had sent to purge the land of abomination? Ononiru said while cleaning up his body. He went to his kitchen, put a pot of water on fire and went out, using cold water to wash off his face. He was full of body pain. This could be noticed by how he struggled to use his own body, though in his heart lied the true pain that had come to hunt him. He had not seen twins loved, cared for, or protected for in his life. They were sent to the Evil Forests to perish as they came.
To these republics, if twins had parents, theirs were the Gods, and since they appear as humans, it sounds abominable for humans to kill them off. Rather, they were carefully sent away to the Evil Forests to be withdrawn back into the beyond by the spirits that had sent them into the world, for whatever intention. It was their belief that only goats and other animals were blessed with twins, or multiple births. Thus, since they were humans, such births were not for them. Isumeh, like others, forbade it and anything that looks like it among them.
He went back to his backyard, took his warm afternoon bath, and rubbed palm kernel oil all over his head and face. He retired into his personalized chair in the front of his house. As he was about being enraptured into sleep, it was Ekwulu doing the shouting, running and walking at the same time to meet sleepy Ononiru who got up immediately and saw the lifeless body of Udobuaku-abata, dangling on the shoulder of Ekwulu. ''What is happening?'' Ononiru asked, in a rage of voice while standing as he stood up, confused.
''She unknowingly dashed into roaming bees, and they stung her. She fell down and collapsed. I really didn't know what she was saying. I was called by Urimma to come and help a lifeless Udobuaku-abata'' Ekwulu said, fighting off a deluge of tears. ''Keep her in the obi. Let me see what we can do'' Ononiru instructed, courageously. Within ten minutes, Ononiru revived Udobuaku-abata with the juice of a leaf he sprinkled into her nostrils. It was like magic to see Udobuaku-abata, whose bride price had just been paid five days earlier, returned to life.
After ten minutes that Udobuaku-abata had regained full consciousness, it was Oduigbo and Dumebi carrying Orji, who they fondly called Orji nwanne Ekwulu- Orji, the brother of Ekwulu, on their shoulders and dropped him on the bare floor of Ononiru's Obi. Ononiru became confusedly startled.
''What again today?'' Ononiru asked, rhetorically as noise echoed. ''He fell down from an oil bean tree, and collapsed'' Dumebi said. Ekwulu overheard it as he was bringing down dry bush meat hung above the fire in his kitchen for Udobuaku-abata. He quickly gave her a piece and dashed out to his obi. Orji was barely conscious and ridden with pain. ''Orji, what happened?'' Ekwulu asked. ''He fell down from an oil bean tree'' Nnaka said. Ekwulu immediately went inside his hut and took a marchete, dashed into the garden yard and brought in with him leaves of banana, and made fire inside obi. Nnaka and Dumebi were turning the leaves on the fire while Ekwulu was turning and massaging Orji on the warm leaves of the banana. After a little time, he got some relief, and stood up while Ononiru was watching helplessly in confusion.
How could sleep pass through the eyes of such a person whose two children had near-death experiences almost at the same hour, on the same day? Could it be coincidence? Or were there underlying forces behind this? These were questions smoking for answers in the restless head of Ononiru.
His restlessness continued into the night. And when he was about to fall deeply into sleep, he saw Udobuaku starring in his face with loud words of warning. ''Do not allow that to happen'' were the main words he could remember in all she was saying that night.
Ononiru woke up early in the morning, did his routine things and broke into the day with decrees he made with kaoline chalk, kola nut and alligator pepper. In his decrees, he never forgot to tell the Gods of his ancestors to make the day easier for him before he left for priest Ojaike's house for divination. He almost met all the dead people he knew in Isumeh as he was sleep-walking to this house of divination.
''Ononiru, nwa Ajeh- Ononiru, the son of Ajeh, I expected to see you here at least an hour ago, but then you were not here as fast as your spirit was. It has been hovering here. Sit down. What you witnessed yesterday was a sign. Don't be stupid. You have become so many things in your life except one thing; going mad. You have to rise up with a purposeful madness. Nothing will save you except your madness. The one you can own.
''Women want the whole world but the wholeness of it is in their little satisfaction. Make noise for your son. Through him, you had the rest that are all yours today, Ononiru. New things are great, but their greatness starts from the sacrifices made to have them. Without your first, your last may end up one with the red earth'' Ojaike said, as his unease could be easily felt by any discerning mind.
When Ononiru returned home, he met Edoro, his wife, at the front of her hut, making a mixture of clay for her pottery. She beckoned her frustrated husband, and they went inside her working hut and got seated. ''I have been watching you for days now, and I see no joy in you. I need no one to tell me why. Or is it not about Ekwulu?'' Edoro said, passionately. Ononiru gave out only silence. She continued. ''We owe the Gods nothing about him. We raised him a man, and he is acting it now. Do not think he is stupid. You are familiar with our culture and tradition. So, he is in order. Onwe aku nwe nwa- the owner of bride price owns the offspring that comes under it.
''Do not cry like a loser, you now have children of your own. The Gods of our land have encouraged us to raise a man in the name of another man. If it was a promise we made, today we have fulfilled it. Ekwulu is now a man. We did not raise an idiot for the Idommas, rather a capable person. Why are you so worried? We have our own children. If you want more, tell me, I can still give you another or marry another woman for you. Please, stop grieving. We have to be happy that we did not disappoint the Gods of our ancestors. Yes, that's what I have been trying to tell you. I am busy with work now'' Edoro said, beseechingly. ''Edo, I have heard you. I have been thinking, but it is okay'' Ononiru said, stood up, using his palms to dust off the seat of his pants, and walked back inside his house.
In the evening of the same day, Ononiru became possessed with what he had never had experience of since his birth. He was speaking out some words so strange to himself. He called out Ekwulu and beckoned him to his inner room. ''Sit down, Ekwulu'' he said. ''Hope all is well Papa?'' Ekwulu asked while taking his seat. He could not remember the last time Ononiru beckoned him in that way.
''How can all be well if not in parts? It is good, because I am alive to witness a father being abandoned by his own son for another man. It is not good, because this is happening to me at this time of my life. You have heard many stories. I know. But I am happy that none of those stories said you are not a human being or less. Right here, you are not just human, you are God-sent. From the day you came into this house, things have changed for good. Only your mother and I understand this. Where are you going? You can't run away from where you belong'' Ononiru said.
''My mother, you mean, was it Udobuaku or Edoro? Ekwulu asked. ''All are your mothers, but here I mean Edoro. By the way, why didn't they tell you about Chioma; my late father's wife, who left here as a pregnant woman, whose grandchild you are? I mean the woman who handed you over to Udobuaku in Amudani, and disappeared to an unknown destination; what about her? Who was feeding you with this lot of baloney, huh? You belong here.
''This is your family'' Ononiru responded. Those words come off strange to Ekwulu. ''Do not confuse me, papa, please. You have not told me about this?'' Ekwulu said, angrily as he stood up. The noise had called the attention of Edoro, who ran to meet Ekwulu at the exit of Ononiru's door, held him by his hand and dragged him further in.
''If you want to live anywhere in the world, it is your choice, but I advise you to live here as the son of this family. You are my son perpetually,'' Ononiru replied profusely. ''Does it mean you have not stolen an adult like me?'' Ekwulu asked, bluntly. ''Hold it there, Ekwulu, nobody stole you for anything. You were raised in this family. It was an act of trust. We never knew it would come to this.
''However, you are a man now. You can live your life the best way you want. And you, dim- my husband, Ononiru, this shouldn't be a problem, and should not end in bitterness. Let him join his family of choice. I don't think you are losing anything. If he stays your son, he has siblings. If he leaves, you still have children. Allow him choice'' Edoro said.