All in a Woman's Struggle

The evanescent oval moon had just completed its cycle to become the long awaited full moon after a skirmish with the darkened clouds. The people of Ekori community believed that after the monthly tug of war, the clouds would release enough oil that supplied light to the stars through the next full moon. 

On nights like these, the people stood outside their huts to admire heaven’s lamp and talk about the woman trapped in the moon because of her refusal to honor the goddess of the sky, Atai. The woman is rumored to have been pounding on a day set aside for only the worship of the goddess and as a consequence, was magically glued to the moon where she now pays eternally for her sins. 

On nights like these, children would surround Etim, the village story teller at the town square for a new tale. His job was to make sure that every child had the history and beliefs of Ekori on their finger tips. 

As the full moon emerged in her glory, the children clap and sing as they head for the town square in unity, the only moment when slaves and free borns can walk and sit together. 

“Heaven’s glory emerges above us;

   Its illumination lights our path;

 The earth wraps itself in awe;

 At the creator’s lamp sent down to men”. 

A beautiful dark girl calls out in a sharp crescendo as the children responds while talking their seats on the grass. 

“Iyak eno ekom o”, The old man introduced in a husky whisper, but then fell into a quick silence as he regarded the gray haired sexagenarian with feeble falling breasts and a wrapper tied around her waist. What did Nkoyo want with the children? It wasn’t that time of the year yet, was it? 

Nkoyo was a widow whose eight children died through the same unnatural cause. They swelled up because they stole fruits from trees which had mbiam with red clothes tied on their barks. The whole village believed she was a witch who manipulated her children to find forbidden fruits attractive. 

“Mama, what is it?” The story teller questioned. 

Nkoyo sent him to the conventry; her main concern was for those scared children- the boys especially- who were hiding behind each other’s backs afraid that she had come to pick one of them for the annual initiation rite into becoming a merman. 

She lifted her crooked stick while staggering and in a hasty monosyllable, shrieked, “Run!”

Rumor had it on good grounds that she needn’t use a stick or stagger but she did it regardless to get everyone’s attention and respect. 

Amazingly, her shaky voice seemed to echo through the whole clan as the children took to their heels scampering to locate their respective homes. No sooner had the children fled than the old man realized that an army of stark naked women were approaching his direction!

Etim stood up, momentarily speechless and bathed in goose pimples with his mouth agape. 

“Get lost!” Nkoyo said with an air of authority. 

He got his senses back on track. “Run! The Jury is here!” He kept on screaming on top of his voice as he found his way home, running as fast as his rickety, wrinkled legs could carry him and at the same time, struggling with his almost loosening wrapper. 

Nkoyo was now as unclad as other women. As was the norm, each of them stretched out their legs in a pyramid form and grabbed a seat on one of the wooden benches at the local court room. 

Two women maliciously dressed to the nines were arraigned and ordered to kneel before the women while the session began. 

“You have been brought before the women of the land; do well to tell the truth knowing full well that if you don’t, you will not live to brag about your stubborn act”. 

Nkoyo, famed as one of the eldest and most experienced was seated at the far left as a judge, a position she had acquired for more than a decade. She gave an approving nod to her second in command to continue. 

“Affiong, tell us why you have summoned Bassey to this court”. 

“The Jury, I greet you o”, she got up, stooped to perform obeisance and hitched her wrapper as the customs demand. “Bassey here is my immediate co-wife. And like normal co-wives, we have our different quarrels, but she makes it a habit of cursing and giving me names”. 

The jury is already infuriated and is cursing Bassey with their disdainful looks. An on-looker would think that these women have some level of contention against Bassey and were looking for an opportunity to nail her, which is hardly the case, since the Jury is known for fairness and justice. 

“If she has been cursing you daily as you claim, why did you have to wait till today?” Nkoyo interrogated. 

“The name she decided to call me yesterday was so unbearable, in front of the other wives and their children” Affiong said, shedding tears, obviously hoping to win the good graces of the women. 

“What did she call you?” an impatient woman cut in, while others exchanged curious glances. 

Half afraid at being laughed to scorn, Affiong struggled in a weak reply, “she said I fart out sickly boys and that I have a rotten…” her words hung in front of her lips unable to escape the entrapment of her now dry mouth. 

“Rotten what?” Nkoyo let out a scream of horror, “you are before the jury and not men. Plus, we don’t have all the time in the world!”

Nkoyo’s scream seemed to jolt Affiong out of her hesitation and infused on her a kind of courage that replaced the timidity with anger. “She said I have a rotten vagina”. Then she broke into a torrent of tears while the women were reduced to ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’. 

Bassey was preening herself like a teenage girl in front of the mirror. She mindlessly arranged her head tie calculating the words she would say in order to win back everyone’s sympathy yet having in mind that she mustn’t lie to the jury. 

“Bassey, what do you have to say?” the second in command asked with withered enthusiasm. 

“Jury, I greet you, and may you continue to rule the women of Ekori as the goddesses permit”. She paused for effect intending to make their excitement rise to a peak. Then continued, “What she said is true and I don’t apologize for it”. 

Again, indistinct chatter and mild uproar surrounded the air. What a bold insolence!

“Quiet!” Nkoyo exclaimed, still as calm as a man whose wishes were coming true! “Why did you call her such an abominable name?”

“Speak, woman!” the second in command, a more temperamental fellow ordered. 

Bassey rearranged her head tie all over again, fluttering her eyelids at her co-wife, “This woman, whom we are all gathering here with, when we shouldn’t, has not gone through the mbodi, therefore has not been circumcised”. 

“Abomination!” the women exclaimed intermittently and motioned her away with the back of their hands. No wonder she lacks flesh! Very slim and unhealthy! It’s true she has a rotten vagina! How could she even bring this kind of case here? 

“Is this true, Affiong?” Nkoyo asked, after she had been able to calm the women down. Her face was decorated with concern. 

Affiong nods her head in shame narrating that her husband had gotten her as a prize for fighting against Menep, the neighboring community and since she was a slave, she’d being taken to him without a ceremony. 

This is more complicated than it seemed at first, the women reasoned amongst themselves. All of them looked expectantly at Nkoyo wondering what she would do in the nick of time to prove the prowess of her leadership. However, some were comforted on the premise that she had never failed in time past to offer better judgments. 

Nkoyo brushed her forefinger past her temples and cleared her throat after gulping down one shot of gin. “Listen to my judgment”, she raised her voice to indicate her desire for grave silence which was granted her. 

“Bassey, you are guilty of bad mouthing a fellow wife. Although she might be a slave, she is also your husband’s wife, and for that reason, you need to respect her. Hence, you will offer ten tubers of yam, three sticks of fish, five calabashes of gin and palm wine, and two pregnant goats”. 

Bassey was infuriated but everyone knew better not to judge the judge. 

Nkoyo continued, “Affiong, you are not a real woman until you have been circumcised, but of course, with your husband’s consent. If he refuses, then Bassey is lifted from the punishment and we will treat you like the slave that you are!”

Nkoyo signaled on her second in command to continue. “As we table your husband’s refusal to king Mbukpa, two of your husband’s choice lands will be kept for planting without harvest. The products of these farms belong to the King and the jury”. 

Nkoyo offered an approving smile and regarded the people’s face to seek their stamp. 

They nodded and replied, “Fair!” 

“I have spoken. Non compliance will result to the invitation of nsibidi”. 

The second in command rose up in full height, accompanied by all the other women, “this case is therefore closed and would only be reopened if there is refusal to comply”. 

The two women dispersed in their guilt at opposite directions, each of them keeping in mind to meet all the requirements for fear of the shiny and sharp swords of the nsibidi. 

“Next case!”