The Family Curse - Season 1 - Episode 4

6 years ago

The Family Curse - Season 1 - Episode 4

Chike’s ambition to challenge the curse.

Mbadike had four market days, Eke, Oye, Afo and Nkwo. Amadi sold his palm-wine on each of these market days. However, since Chike was denied the opportunity of going to school, he became increasingly unhappy to help his father in selling the palm-wine. But since he was the only child up to the age of carrying the wine to the market with his father, he did it reluctantly. The more he saw Ike and other children going to school early in the morning, the more he became reluctant.

The family secret which his father had told him did not make him cease to want to go to school. So he kept on demanding to go to school. This was especially because of the school stories he was always hearing from his mates, more especially from Ike.

Chike , therefore, was always ashamed whenever he carried a small gourd of wine to the market, while his mates were at school. He did not know what to do. On one of the market days, however, as Chike was selling palm-wine he overheard two young men discussing an interesting topic. One looked sick, while the other looked healthy.

The healthy man was telling the sick one that he should have faith in God, and that he would be healed. He maintained that anything with a beginning would surely end one day.

Chike thought deeply as he listened to the men. This God mentioned, he thought, could it be one of the gods of Ajana? Could the gods of Ajana be so kind as to heal the sick? But he also thought that as his family’s poverty had a beginning, it might also end one day.

His heart’s burden was therefore slightly reduced as he went home with an empty wine container. He kept on meditating on the whole matter along his way home.

When he reached home, he waited patiently for his father to return from his evening wine check. When his father came back, he went to him with a smile to tell him of what he had heard in the market.
‘Fther’.

‘Yes, Chike,’ replied Amadi as he settled down in a back-chair.

‘I want to know something from you, something i heard in the market,’ said Chike.
‘Yes, speak on my son.
‘Father, is it true that if something has a beginning, it will surely end one day?’
‘That is correct’, Amadi answered, without knowing what his son was driving at.

Chike asked again, ‘Father, is it true that if someone has faith in God, his sickness could be healed?

‘Good boy! That is correct also.’

His fathers reply gave him more confidence.
So he continued.

‘Okay, Father. This poverty in our family, did it start one day?’

It was now that Amadi came to his full mind. He sat up in surprise. He had not expected such wise question from little Chike.

He opened his eyes wider and looked straight at Chike’s face. Tears rolled out of his eyes.
He wiped them out quickly and said, ‘My beloved son, the issue in our family is a different thing entirely. The gods of Ajana are very wicked. As I’ve told you b/4, even one of our grandfathers who was a powerful medicine-man could not prevail against the gods.

He had used all his powers, together with the help of his fellow medicine-men, and yet failed.
We should not try to stop what our fathers could not stop.’

Chike, however, continued in his enquiry. ‘Father, this God they say can heal a sick person if he has faith in it, is it one of the gods of Ajana?’

This question immediately made Amadi restless and afraid. He was especially troubled because he had no immediate reply to the question. He kept silent for nearly five minutes before saying in a trembling voice, ‘My son, Chike, please go away.

Let me sleep over this question, for i don’t want to talk anyhow and join my ancestors untimely’.

Chike then left his father.
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