A very weird culture init…
2nd of May 2022
Marriage customs
First school leaving certificate was all Kakina acquired. Kakina began to buy bowls of all sorts. They would be taken along with her to the bridegroom's house on the wedding day. Bowls were believed to be the keys to the bride's wealth. So the number of bowls revealed how rich the parents of the bride were. I gave her some money. I had to play the role of a father even though she was older than I. This was because our elder brother, Dinze, was not around.
We invited a local musician to perform on the occasion. Her own age-mates formed a dance group to grace the remarkable day. Nubai was such a good musician, a solo singer that manned six drums of various sizes. He led the vocal and chorus alike. I danced and sprayed some coins on my mother, my sister and her husband, Issa, and Nubai the musician.
Musician gone missing
Kakina left for her husband's house. She no more belonged to the Azezoni family. Two weeks after the ceremony. a catastrophe struck the episode of which would never be forgotten in our land. Nubai, the musician was declared missing. After fruitless efforts to locate him, his people gave up. Many medicine-men that were consulted certified him dead, but one old herbalist proclaimed that he was lost into the spirit-world, but that he would come back.
Twenty-four months lapsed yet there was no trace of Nubai. But one hot afternoon, a soprano voice was heard at the back of the kitchen where domestic birds were kept. It was Nubai. Nobody could go near him. After much hesitation, he narrated his ordeal and encounter with the supernatural beings in the forests. He was blessed with amazing tunes for songs of good life and some philosophical songs. But he lost his left eye to the bargain. His fame spread wide, and he became our village's celebrity.
He went to perform at a funeral ceremony at Lokoja. (Lokoja being the only big city around) and then left there to honour an invitation to perform for an Alhaji at Kuru. He sang that the lost Nubai had reincarnated from the spirit world. On his way back home, he mysteriously disappeared again. His people organized a search party but all to no avail till date.
Forced marriage
My mother tried to talk me into marrying a girl of her choice. She would not listen to my excuses of a virile marriage through maturity. To her, I was mature enough and she needed grandchildren from me. Just then, Adi, Kakina left for her husband's house.
Polluted culture
My immediate younger brother was said to have impregnated Bikwoi, a Gu'ri girl. The girl's parents told my mother to cough out thirty pounds to take care of the girl, but the child of the act would belong to the girl's father. They too would not want to inter-marry with our people.
I gave some money to mother to complete the demanded sum and everything was settled. Our people cursed Adi for having polluted our culture - the sacred seal he had broken by be friending a girl of another tribe.
Another culture
Keke, whom I rescued in our primary school days turned to become a prosperous farmer. He wanted to bade farewell to bachelorhood, and being a good friend of his, I was invited. My mother declined to my going just because Keke was a Ba'a man. My mates too supported my mother's idea. But I turned deaf cars to their utterances. It was not in accordance with the way we celebrated our own marriage.
Some hefty men were paid to do the arduous task. They were to carry the bride shoulder-high and take her to the groom's house. She had to escape thrice, but when she was being carried for the fourth time, she would then stay in the groom's house while her belongings would be taken to her by her friends.
Entertainment
Drinks of all sorts were served round, Guinea-corn drink (Burukutu), palm-wine, Ogogoro-balasa known also a Kinkana-a locally brewed gin. I was tempted to sip some quantity of palm-wine. It was my first contact with intoxicants. The elderly men threw aside the sweet wine which they said was for females and young men and opted for the throat-burning gin. I gave some money to both the bride and the groom. Keke thanked me and promised to do better at my own marriage which I had no plan for a week after my return from Keke.
Political drama
The local election took place amidst confusion, tribalism and animosity. By then we had no councillors, no chairman, and the caretaker committee was no more. The result of the election came out with Yarowoto, a Ba'a man wining the local government's chairmanship. Dandi won a seat at the hierarchical apex of the education department. The portfolio of councillor for works and housing went to Shaban our own man. My brother lost the seat to Sheldu as assistant Chairman.
My people were not happy. They promised to intimate Hon. Abu about the matter, since he was the majority leader In the House of Assembly. My people had forgotten the times Abu ate gari and groundnut-cakes for supper, times that our village's witches toyed with his life. He too was only out to fend for his household and no more. His elder brother who was made the Olmege the district head suffered many accusations and was haunted by the people just because he allowed strangers to mix freely with our people.
To be continued….
A very weird culture init…
Here I am simply allowing my imagination go wild... I have no idea if this is meaningful or not.. it's just a product of some random research into African culture!
I learned so much from reading this! Thank you for your writings!