Tradition they say, is the air on which we breath The earth on which we live. It is what makes us unique and different But is tradition dynamic. Try reading this book"Traditional rules" It serves as an eye opener to the traditional blinded one's. It is equipped with the culture and tradition of the Ndi igbo, The need to abolish some of the harmful antiquated traditions set up or created out of ignorant by the mystic predecessors. The book X-rays the parlours situation of not eradicating the obnoxious pratice of osu caste system. the need to eradicate it, the effect of the abolishment. It's also calls for a resolution to end few of the dehumanizing, denigrating and retrogressive traditions.
ONE
It was early morning, the young and old carried their earthen water pot down to the stream as they passed through the narrow roads leading to the stream getting the grasses that nosed their way out. Ekemma, a slim, dark-complexioned girl, with a height that was appealing, hurriedly went down the stream, filters it and filled her water pot.
"Can you believe that this is her fourth time of coming to the stream this morning? Indeed she is a child", the first elderly woman jeered. "Mgbeudo is lucky to have her as her daughter, I wish I have such a daughter, at least I will be at rest for works", the second woman offered. "We are becoming workaholic, even when our children are there. Don't you know, children of these days are like eggs that will break if they over worked". Ekemma walked passed them with greetings. "Nne, ndewo! Ndewoo", they chorused with smiles, gasped and converted to another topic.
Nze Obika dressed in his Chieftaincy attire, walking towards Nze's house, he passed through bushes and nearby farms he stopped by, watched and muttered to himself and continued his walk, he approached and knocked, Nze, from within, answered "Onye"? "It is I, Nze Obika.
Nze was cleaning his teeth with chewing stick, he cleaned his tongue twice and rinsed it before placing it on his left ear and bended inside. "Nze", he exclaimed, "welcome". They exchanged greetings, he sat down with him for a while, cracking gags before he stood up to ask; "Nze: I know too well that palm wine will serve much better to this cool morning". Haha, he laughed, "exactly".
Nze entered inside, coming out with a keg of palm wine, placing it on a table in front of Nze Obika, Nze Obika removed the palm fronds and poured as much as he could drink, he sipped a bit and smiled, observing the palm wine thoroughly. "Real palm wine", he commented, "not those mixtures sold in the market". "Yes", Nze cut in, "it was specially made by Agbara as a gift to me". "No wonder it tastes different, you know Agbara is the only man in Amueke that knows how to tap palm wine without tapping dead the palm wine tree". He nearly licked the cup before dropping it and cleared his throat. before I drink and forget, the reason of my coming, the elders have meeting today at the Ogbako as usual". "When did the elders hold a meeting without me being present?" he asked, pondering. "Have you forgotten so soon, that you were intoxicated that you could not even find your way home", Nze sighed. "It almost getting late, soon the meeting will begin". "So soon? Wait for me in a brief moment". "Do not hesitate; I don't want to be left out in any discussion". "There is still much time left", Nze said and dashed into his hut.
The elders and titled men sat in a semi-circle, waiting. This was an important meeting for an initial issue needed to be deliberated on. Everyone was on set, excluding Nze and Obika. At last, they appeared, they looked sorry and apologized, the meeting began. Oboh stood up, addressing the elders who were speechless.
"When the moon is shining, the cripple becomes hungry for a walk, other villages have done their Iru Mgbede Festival, will our own be different?" he asked. "The King should have a say on this matter, we can no longer wait till his son decides to choose a wife from the festival or not. In this case, we, the Elders will decide for him". "Yes!" they nodded in agreement, "we can no longer be patient, the festival must hold". Ottah retorted, "Then, what are we waiting for? Lets match to the palace, the king should have an answer to all this talks".
At the palace, the king was seated on his throne, behind him stood his two attendants. Dimgba and Ekwe, the elders, strode in implosively and sat down in their positions, he stared in anticipation and uttered; "your faces looks serious, what could be the problem?" "We are not happy", Oboh spoke with a tiny voice, corded with despair. "We have not heard from you, concerning the festival". "I am short of words", the king replied, "he has refused to participate in the festival, so I need not to proceed when he is not yet ready". "Then, he should be persuaded to participate in the festival, because this is a festival which has been holding even in our youth, I believe it won't change in this era", Nze pointed. "Give me few more days to talk him out", he ad-libbed and grinned to the serious faces. They greeted and left muttering to one another.
"I am sad; my son's happiness is at stake, what can I do? Nothing", said the King, dejected. "Your Highness, stop all this soft talk, your son's happiness is in no trouble, besides, tradition can breed more happiness", Dimgba pointed. "But, your Highness ,weather the prince get married from the festival or not, it means nothing because tradition demands that he must be married and it did not demand that it must be from the festival, the tradition is not neglected if he marries outside the festival", Ekwe suggested. "You speak well, Ekwe". "No, your Highness", Dimgba disagreed, "it is not a simple matter in practice. Remember, it is against our tradition for the prince to marry outside the festival, it is a sacrilege". "I think you are right", he pondered. "It is the truth Dimgba. Certainly, they do it in Achi and Ika and they see it as no sacrilege because they do not allow the tyranny of ignorance and superstition to go under the cloak of tradition". Ekwe explained. "It is our ancient practice, what would happen if you were allowed to change our ancient practices as we like? For us, tradition is not a passing thing, it is the earth on which we live and the air which we breathe, it is what makes us different from any other village. If we do not respect tradition, how can our village stand? How can we be proud of our forefathers and pass on our pride to our children? Therefore, there is no way we can break the traditional rules". "I insist, your Highness, you must let the young man be inspite of all these tradition and ancient practices, let us look into the future and forget the past, tradition is not made by spirits, it is made by man, man makes the law that even the spirit obeys. Man also breaks the law, when it is found unsuitable for the present situation", Ekwe convinced the more. "I do not think so", Dimgba interrupted, relentlessly. "I do not see how all these matters, tradition is tradition and it cannot be changed. Your Highness, do not listen to this law breaker", he abated. He looks at the King, who was trembling with confusion. "You must compose your Royal self, your Highness, do not over worry yourself with those monologue.
Amy didn't expect that her husband whom she had loved and trusted earnestly for many years would be cheating on her by having sex with his secretary. When she confronted him, he and his secretary mocked and ridiculed her, they called her barren to her face, afterall, she had not conceived for the past three years that she had been married to her husband, Callan. Terribly Heartbroken, she filed for divorce and left to the club, she picked a random gigolo, had a hot one night stand with him, paid him and dissapeared to a small city. She came back to the country six years later with three identical cute boys and three identical cute girls of the same age. She settled and got a job but soon find out that her CEO was the gigolo she had sex with six years back at the club. Will she be able to hide her six little cuties from her CEO, who happens to be the most powerful man in NorthHill and beleived to be infertile? Can Amy and the most powerful man in NorthHill get along considering the social gap between them.
I'm a Luna. After three years of marriage to Alpha Nathaniel Blackwood, I'm finally pregnant with his pup. But he's unclaimed me for his first love. I'm leaving the pack with this secret, praying he never finds out. Nathaniel Blackwood is a handsome, powerful Alpha. In a world where humans and werewolves coexist, he has it all: a billion-dollar empire, untold power, a massive pack, and, most importantly, the perfect Luna. But the return of his first love shattered our marriage. When he finds out the secret I've been hiding, will he regret rejecting me? Will I ever be able to forgive him? Dive into this gripping serialized novel to find out more-Enjoy the ride!
Eliana was framed by her best friend and her fiance into sleeping with a boy toy in the club and getting impregnated by him. Five years after she had given birth to twins, she returned home and worked under the Moran Group, where she met the CEO-- Maurice. Maurice was a brilliant businessman who did his job well. But in order to stay under the radar, he lived a double life. One as Maurice, and one as Preston. Fate brought the two together again, roping them in on an exciting love story. It all became more complicated when Eliana faced Preston, the man she had slept with before, once again. Now that she was being pursued by two men, how could she ever choose? When would Eliana uncover the secret of Maurice's identity? When was Maurice going to know that he already had two children of his own? How would Eliana face this man when the truth came to light one day? Come and find out.
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
Marriage was a bed of thorns for Stella. She lived like an overworked and unhappy slave for six years in her matrimonial home. One day, her uncaring husband, Waylon said to her, "Ayla will be back soon. You have to move out tomorrow." "I want a divorce," responded Stella. She left without shedding a tear or trying to change Waylon's stone-cold heart. Days after their divorce, they met again. Stella was in the arms of another man. Waylon's blood boiled at the sight of her looking so happy. "So, you couldn't even wait a while before jumping into another man's arms?" he queried distastefully. "And who are you to question my decision? It's my life, so I call the shots. Stay out of my business!" Stella fired at him before turning to look at her new man with shiny eyes. Waylon immediately lost it.