It started as a friendly gesture towards brothers, but today, Uzonwanne nkoro valley has created a daring image of itself capable of eroding the affinity these two communities had come to share. The new gusher had run mad and down Ndi Ikpa quarters, people were getting even madder for it.
Much of the land has now been converted by the strange stream into its self-made course as its water swirled steadily, annexing the next portion close to it, making a dramatic target towards Agada stream- Iyi Agada.
These lands were now owned and had also been shared among the subgroups of Ndi Ikpa. Each of the kindreds of the village had shared their portion among their respective families. Some lost out completely since no one could own water pathways, or farm on them. The water was daringly deepening the more the valley without human input. Yet, the colour of the stream kept worsening.
Fourteen days later, Gbulie, the time crier of Ndi Ikpa, was instructed to make an announcement for an urgent meeting in the evening of the next day. All of their men and youth honoured the call. Ihentunga roared with great anger and told his people that he had been watching what was going on at Nkoro Uzonwanne with serious concern, but it seemed, no one cared to know the danger that had befallen them.
''We were all jubilant a few years ago, thinking that the Igodo people had averted a war that was probably coming to us by people bigger than us, their Ntu village. But we didn't know that they never wanted to lose a single casualty on their part. Therefore, they decided to use the most fierce instrument of war to decimate us. The instrument of isolation. We are now an island. We can no longer access anywhere outside Ndi Ikpa without having to court some trouble for our community.
''Nkwerre, on the Eastern flank, are not our friends. We know that. If they see us and a trace of beef in their soup, they would gladly eat us first before eating their main meal. It is that dangerous and they are dangerous too. The only escape-root left for us, which is Igodo, has become a river, as I am talking to you right now. Who among us here, has not gone to Nkoro Uzonwanne to see destruction wrought over there? Land has been thrown into water and from nowhere a river has been birthed around our scrotum.
''We thought their youth were sent to help their brothers, but little did we know that it was a calculated attempt to alienate and humiliate us, to inflict maximum pain on us. Don't be blinded by some of the women we married from Ntu village. I married from there too. But we must call ofor- a wooden symbol of authority, the name of the tree from which it is carved from, if it turns out to be against us. What are you telling us? It now means we must go through Igodo kitchens before we can have access to the world?'' Ihentuga said in a roaring voice before he sat down, and resorted to stomping out the rage.
Ndi Ikpa had been hoodwinked into pursuing shadows by Ihentunga, who was angry because of his own portion of land that had been submerged. During the sharing of their Uzonwanne land, he deceived the community that he had been in contact with Egwim's family in Nkwerre, and they were preparing to return home. He would always pretentiously back up his argument with one of Igbo's popular axioms, which says, ebe obuna nwata si no uwa, ya hiri- wherever a child comes into the world from, let him be alive.'' In Igbo land, any child or pregnancy that the father does not deny shouldn't be seen by outsiders as an illegal or unwanted child.
However, here, for the first time in the history of Ndi Ikpa, Akuba was disgracefully sent back home years ago with no consultation with the culture and tradition of Ndi Ikpa by the same man who is now an erudite interpreter of the principles that guide his society. He is now so good at making who cares to hear that the family of his brother, Egwim, had even perfected all their plans to return home. This was a more recent preaching he had taken up as a duty since Uzowai land was ceded to Ndi Ikpa.
Ihentuga would rise early in the morning to visit prominent peoples' homes to inform them about the plan he was making to welcome Egwim's family back home in a month's time. He went as far as telling the town crier to announce that Egwim's family would be returning home on the last Nkwo market day, the next month. Only he, himself, knew his plans because their proposed homecoming was only happening in his head, and the head was where he put it, in his plan.
Four days after the public announcement of the proposed return of the Egwims, Ihentunga spurred up public sentiment against a proposal to leave the newly ceded Uzowai land as a general farming land of Ndi Ikpa. He now wanted every family to have their own portion of the land. He became successful with his push and people bought into his idea. He had a salted mouth that always made people vulnerable to accepting his lines of argument. And as an Ojiofor- the village head, sometimes he won simply by trust in the position he held in trust for them.
One week later, all the families of Ndi Ikpa headed to Uzonwanne strip to share the land among themselves. The first family had to choose first. Ihentunga chose the southernmost part of the land, a stone-throw from the Iyi Agada stream. His house was the closest to the stream on the western flank. When the next family, represented by Ajoku, wanted to make their own choice, Ihentunga wittily laughed out loud. His laugh rather sounded uncalled-for to his kinsmen that had gathered that morning. They were confused, and resorted to waiting till he was done laughing out whatever seemed to have possessed him before they could continue.
''Does it mean I am not old enough to make my choice? The first land belongs to the Egwims, my brother's family, so I have yet to make my own choice. Or what do I tell them when they return? What do you want me to tell my brothers in the next two weeks after their return that made me not get their own portion of land? Or are you also telling me you won't keep a portion for umu Odumodu- Odumodu's children, even though we heard he is dead? Or did his entire family die with him? I met two of his sons in Eke Uga market square. Was it not last year? With their mother. They said that the people there were no longer relating well with them, so they had decided to return'' Ihentuga said, trying to hoodwink them.
''Were you not the one that said Odumodu slept with your brother's wife?'' Ajoku asked. ''Yes, I did. Odumodu is dead. Or did his children also sleep with my brother's wife as well?'' Ihentuga asked. Ndi Ikpa youths tried to revolt against him by insisting that he was trying to cause trouble.
''Hahahaha, me causing trouble in this land my ancestors gave me to look after? Me, causing problems for the good people of Ndi Ikpa? For what exactly? Today you call me Ojiofor, but I know that the rightful owner is coming home to keep his title. I hold it in trust for the family. To add to this, this title is too heavy on me. It has deprived me of so many things. It limits my movement. Let these people come back home and take their title'' he screamed in a creative outburst.
To allow peace to reign, Ndi Ikpa allowed him to get two more portions of land; one for Egwims and another one for the Odumodus. He made sure the three portions stayed close to each other, close to Agada stream. Every other family chose their portion and set landmarks all over each portion of land using osisi Ogirishi- stems from a cultural tree for making land demarcation among the Igbos.
However, Ihentuga only allowed Ndi Ikpa youth to put a landmark between only his said portion at the northernmost part and instructed them not to plant demarcating stems in-between his and those he chose for his homecoming relatives. ''When they return, we will come back here to share this place equally, we ourselves, will put demarcations, plant the Ogirishi stems, and in this manner, too, repair the unity we missed. They are my brothers'' he declared, in stutters to the hearing of his kinsmen. The youth obeyed his instructions before they all went home.
When it was a few days to expect the return of the Egwims, to avoid backlash, Ihentuga went to Egwim's fallen house and cleared the bush it had become. Some people helped him to do the clearing. ''I do not have strength to clear the Odumodus'. I am an old man. When they return, I have a house that can contain all of us until they repair their own'' he was heard telling the youth that came to help him.
Days had run into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and years into many, nobody spotted anything that looked either like the Egwims or the Odumodus. Ihentuga continued creating excuses and stories, till those portions of land became actually his, just as he planned it.
Now, the new Uzonwanne stream gusher had taken those portions of land he had chosen, and had also created new banks for Agada stream, turning it into an instant river. Both in size and dept. Ihentuga became desperate and bitter when he saw Igodo people fetching from the new stream even though it was not giving out clean water like the old Agada stream.
One day, Ihentuga visited Uzonwanne land and saw women using hoes to create cut-stone steps for easier reach down to the water. Out of anger, Ihentuga went home and incited Ndi Ikpa to attack Igodo people that were coming to fetch water from the new Uzonwanne stream. ''These people seriously had bad intentions. We were crying about the colossal damage the flood had caused to our farms, and rendering Agada stream undrinkable. Still, they had the guts to start expanding its reach with their dirty hoes'' he screamed as he went about mobilizing his people against Igodo.
Because of this report, Ndi Ikpa youth went to Uzonwanne and beat the women that came to fetch water while Ihentuga watched and encouraged them. The news went home to Igodo kindred quarters, and their youth came to fight. When they were about to engage them in fighting, one old woman who was already pushed down by Ndi Ikpa village youth started waving at them to wait, pleading while she struggled to stand on her feet. ''Cherenu, umu m- wait, my children'' Daa Achikwu pleaded.
She was helped by the angry youth of Igodo before she could stand up with bruises and blood all over her body. She was an old woman. She was called Daa Achikwu among Igodo people. She was an over eighty-two-year-old widow who came for Omugwu- assistance given to nursing mothers by their mother or a relative. She had come to assist her daughter who had newly given birth, in Igodo.
Daa Achikwu was married to an Amom kindred man in Northern Ntu village. She was the first woman blacksmith seen in the Amaide country. An art she learned from her people in Nkwerre.
She stood up dangling, told the Igodo Youth to line up behind them facing Igodo quarters, never to turn back till they were asked to turn. She called on other women to come closer. They did. She pointed at Ihentuga. ''When I was getting married to my husband from Awom kindred, one of the first things he told me was Ntu and Ndi Ikpa were brothers. He even told me that Awom can marry from anywhere in Ntu village but cannot marry from your Village Ndi Ikpa. Iloka, my husband said unu bu otu nne- you are from the same mother. We saw you wandering around here a few hours ago. We thought you were searching for something.
''We never knew that you were a hulk searching for prey to devour. And when you found them, you went home and invited these little children to commit abomination before the rising of the sun. This morning. You made a mockery of us while these ignorant children beat up their mothers. Ekele m gi- I thank you. As I was thrown down today by your warriors, and still had the privilege and grace to be raised up again by these children, the gods shall cause you to fall, and you shall have no grace to see who raises you up. Mark my words today, as long as these children laid their hand on their mothers, today, for your amusement, and had never even up to this moment showed remorse, you have purchased for them a painful future'' Daa Achikwu screamed in a thunderous tone.
What came a few seconds after sent a chill down the spine of anyone who knew what being a woman means in Igbo culture. Like a flute blown in anger, Daa Achikwu's voice burst forth with all the energy in her old lanky body, ''Agbakwa oo- evil'' she continued. Immediately, in unison, all the women turned their backs towards Ihentuga and his youth, and raised their respective underwear, shoving their bare buttocks in their faces.
''Umu m, ngwa ka anyi labanu- my children, let's go'' Daa Achikwu said, waving at iodo youths. And when Igodo youths tried to resist their mothers, they were held back by the women. ''I know you had made up your mind today to fight and kill, but we have today handed them over to the ultimate fighters, the gods of our ancestors. Let's go home'' Daa Achikwu pleaded as she caressed their backs as they went home.
The news of what transpired on the new stream at Uzonwanne spread on both sides of the divide; Ntu and Ndi Ikpa villages. It was received with shock by the elders of Ndi Ikpa when they heard that Ndi Ikpa youth beat up some Igodo women at Uzonwanne stream, and consequently, Igodo women's buttocks were raised against them.
Who wouldn't feel worried ? It was only Ihentuga that was going about telling them that the ibo ike ndi omi- act of cursing using the birthing buttocks they did was not justified, and consequently it would have no effect on them. ''They sent their youth to dig out water to barricade and wipe us out of the surface of the earth. They only paid partly today. They will pay in full when we are ready. What did their youth come to do? To intimidate us or kill us. No, somebody should tell them that we are all warriors in this land'' Ihentuga said as he walked around in a circle bragging about what he saw as boldness displayed by Ndi Ikpa youth while he addressed them in the village square, a few minutes later.