The Family Curse - Season 1 - Episode 12

Episode 6 years ago

The Family Curse - Season 1 - Episode 12

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The palace policemen then demanded to know from Ofogeli why the gong was sounded. Ofogeli himself then made a sign, and four men came out to the centre of the gathering, and narrated how large sums of money were stolen from their houses on Oye day. When they completed their narration there was silence in the gathering for some minutes.

In the gathering also were two non-natives, Balogun, the goldsmith and Garuba, the cattle dealer.

These two men broke the silence by offering their suggestions on how to find out the culprits. Balogun told the crowd to give him two delegates to accompany him to Ijebu-Ode to consult a renowned herbalist, who, he said would name the theft (thief).

Garuba, on the other hand, volunteered to lead a team to Maiduguri to find out the name of the thief. A native, Okeke, suggested seeing Anyanahumuo in the nearby town for the same purpose.

As they were deliberating on which of the suggestions to take, one of the theft victims came out from the gathering and said, ‘My dear kinsmen and strangers, we will not have to waste our money nor send any delegates out for i have reliable information.’

On hearing this, the palace policemen rang a bell for people to stop talking so that the Chief could speak. Then the Chief stood up and said, ‘Okonkwo, if you have a clue as to the thief, tell us plainly. Don’t use proverbs, and don’t fear anybody.’

Okonkwo, one of the victims, then said, ‘My people, as soon as i returned from Oye this evening, one of my little children told me that, when she was going to ease herself, she saw somebody escaping from my rear bedroom window.”

‘Did she recognise the person?’ asked the Chief.

‘Yes, Chief,’ answered Okonkwo.
‘Okay, tell the gathering all that you know.’
Okonkwo then said, ‘My children reported that it was Amadi’s son called Chidi that she saw.’

Once Amadi’s son’s name was mentioned, Ofogeli sounded the masquerade gong continuously for about five minute, or i thought so. The masquerades with cutlass in their hands were about to break loose, when the Chief stopped them by giving a hand signal to Ofogeli.

The Chief then asked the whole gathering, ‘People of Mbadike, what shall we do?’

A certain young man stood up and said, ‘I suggest that we hand over the matter to the masquerades, for it is serious case.’

An old man, Chiugo however stood up and countered the suggestion of the young man. ‘We should not let the masquerades handle this matter alone, ‘he advised, ‘for they are already in a killer mood, unless we want bloodshed and total closing of Amadi’s family.

Besides, nobody knows what would be the reaction of the gods of Ajana. Chief, ‘he pleaded, ‘please guide us in this matter.’

The palace policemen rang the bell and the Chief stood up and said, ‘My people, this is strange in our community. Let everyone proceed to Amadi’s house for an immediate search. ‘The whole gathering agreed.

Ofogeli sounded the gong again in acknowledgement of the Chief’s statement.
Amadi was terribly confused and in pain when the whole crowd, led by the Chief, moved to his house for the search.

He simply followed them at a distance.
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