NEVER FIGHT A MAN WHO SAID NOTHING

"What kind of a man is Ezenwankwo?" The people of Zulu had always wondered. Where perches his loyalty, to his people or to the cursed white men?

''He is a man of courage and wisdom, but when the issues concerning the white men are raised, he becomes as cold as the ice that capsized the Titanic ship" Nduka said.

Ezenwankwo's father had staked his life and paid the ultimate sacrifice during the fight with the people of Amesi over a land tussle. That was true patriotism.. Did our people not said that a fruit does not fall far from its tree? Indeed, Ezenwankwo did not take after his father.

People still found it befuddling that the same Ezenwankwo that had always tacitly dissociated himself from launching an agressive assault against the white men was still the same man that chased the white men away with cutlass when they had paid him a visit. He ran after them and hurled pejoratives on them.

It was also heard that he had sworn in the name of the mother earth which he stood upon that none of his household, not even any of his livestock will have anything to do with the white men.

It was 'Eke' market day, when the sun had gone to sleep, a meeting was called to decide on how to ambush the white men so as to stop them from further infesting the land with all manners of abomination of which the ancestors were already angry with.

Ezenwankwo after knowing the reason behind the sound of the 'ekwe', he quietly stood up and left the meeting.

"Leave him! We can do without him. Who does he even think he is?" There was chorus of shouts and anger.

Very early in the morning, the war drum had sounded and the group had set out to execute their mission.

The youths were the vanguards leading the frontal attack, while the elders remained at the rear brandishing strategic words. It was a mission to ambush the white men.

They were surprised to have seen scribblings on the earth. They saw traces of footsteps, but at that moment, it meant nothing to them.

As they approached the parsonage, it was empty. It sounded hollow, a clear indication that no one was there. Those footsteps must be theirs.

No other person! Ezenwankwo had betrayed their plans to the white, so they thought!

'I saw him walking alone along the stream path last night' a man admitted.. with bitterness and anger, they stamped their feet heavily towards his house.

'Where is you traitorous husband?'

His wife and children shivered.

'I swear by the gods, I don't know' his wife cried.

At the other end, the huts were crumbled and the dusts became visible in the air.

"Tell us the truth, where has that bush meat you call your husband hidden?''

''I swear by the land, I don't know'' her voice roared louder in cry.

That was her last statement before the poor children were rendered motherless.. Her blood watered the earth that had not seen rain for five market days..

'Only the chief priest can tell us where to get him now.. he must not leave to see the next day' a man suggested.

They left the poor children to weep for the dead.

The chief priest was in the shrine. He motioned them not to say anything.. he looked up to the sky and moved his head like that of the agama lizard.

' Ezenwankwo had been here more than any of you to enquire what shall happen to the white men.. the gods had always insisted that only a willing human self-sacrifice can save this land'

He paused, with the white chalk in his eyes, he looked at the iroko tree as if he was searching for a lion there..

He continued; 'Ezenwankwo has paid the ultimate sacrifice.. there, is his corpse, he freely offered it for our liberation.'

The cutlasses and the hard sticks dropped one after the other.. the voice of wailings, bitterness and regrets filled the air.

The chief priest finally spoke ' Never fight a man who said nothing.. for what you have done without enquiry, this land shall experience a greater suffering that no eyes has ever seen, and not many eyes will see its end.'' he pierced his wand into the earth and left.

~ Okpala Chukwuemeka.