Banished

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Gozie's grandfather once told him a story, about how his lineage relocated from the original location of their kindred to their present location.

Some years ago, when Gozie attended a masquerade traditional display some villages away. This cultural display is always held during the festive periods when villagers who had gone to seek greener pastures in the city return to celebrate Christmas and new year back home.

As the masquerade trooped out from the shrine in the village square, little children who had come to watch the interesting but scary display, all scampered for the fright of the ugly-looking masquerades. The adults who stood their ground would have to pay the masquerades some money or speak some soothing words so the masquerade would match on to other onlookers.

Each year, the age-grades who were inline to secure the masquerade would sew a choice attire as a uniform for which they would be identified.

This year, when Gozie reached the village square to watch the display, a masquerade approached him and spoke to his ear:

Tell your parents to come back home.

He stood there, still. Looking away in shock as the masquerade danced away in some traditional moves. Several thoughts raced through his mind.

Aren't my parents from Umu-ahia?

No one ever mentioned otherwise to me.

The poor young man could not place it. He wanted answers. After the display, he walked home panting like an angry bear.

Their whole house was deserted. His parents have probably gone. on a visit. So, Gozie just sat under the Udara in the compound waiting for their arrival. He sat there for over an hour.

Grandpa, the ever-strong Dibia of Okosi, the idol of the iroko tree approached with his walking stick. Gozie impatience could not allow him. I just wanted to pour out his mind.

"Bring me my Oche."

Grandpa demanded Gozie. Hastily he went into the kitchen hut to bring a chair made of raffia tree branches.

While grandpa had seated. Gozie told him all that transpired at the village square and how a masquerade had whispered to him, to ask his parents to relocate back home.

The old man went dead silent for a moment.

After a while, he spoke to Gozie and said:

Many years ago, when your grandmother, my wife was pregnant with your father, our last child. A neighbor of jealousy that she hadn't given birth to a child, and we have four, with the fifth in the womb, stole tubers of yam in another man's farm and put them in our barn.

The owner of the farm reported to the local chief who sent out a search party to comb every nook and cranny of the entire village.

Since we had no skeleton in our cupboard, we voluntarily open our barn to be searched.

Just under the stable, they found the robust tubers of yam, naming us the thief as they dragged my wife and me to the place of the local chief.

Gozie was already sweating at the level the story is going on now. Grandpa, what happened when you for to the chief's palace?

We pleaded innocent but who would believe we weren't the thief. The tubers of yam were found in our barn.

In that regard, the chief had no other option than to banish us from the village.

This is why we relocated here and ever since, our presence in this village has brought us good things.

Grandpa, after you left with your wife, what happened next?

Nana, the ancestors aren't sleeping. The actual thief went to a real again and was caught in the act. It was the same neighbor who implicated us. She confessed to the first crime. But was too late.

Your grandma and I refuse to heed the recall. It was of no benefit to us.

It now looked like we were pushed to where we would become famous and fulfilled. I have been given the highest title of this land. I wouldn't stoop so low to returning to where I would become just a commoner.

After this tale, Gozie had no reason to be angry anymore. He became proud of his grandpa for his bravery and not conceding to mediocrity.