Bride Prize

Six: Preparation for a farm meet

Down broke, with poor visibility at the first cock crow. Early birds were chirping with resonating, high pitched, musical notes. Chickens clucking in their pens, eagerly rushed out as soon as they were let loose. Pigs and goats followed, more gently.

Another day had begun.

Humans too were stirring up. Tersoo turned over and woke up in his little round hut. The corrugated zinc door to Ugba's hut opened noisily as the man himself stepped outside. Ugba, fifty-five, with a coffee brown complexion and strong features was Tersoo's father, a serious looking man not easily amused by anything. He took his farming seriously and expected nothing less from his children. In fact, his drive had compelled his entire household to prosper in their farming activities.

A few yards away in the round hut that served as the kitchen, a fire was already burning. Anakura, Ugba's wife had awoke much earlier and set about heating up water for the morning breakfast of thick palp, which she usually prepared for her family before setting out for the farm.

Ugba stepped into the kitchen hut, wrapping his native tobacco as he did so. He squat beside the warm fire and pulled out burning log of firewood to light up his rolled up tobacco.

"It's today, I think, Zasha's farm meet," he said.

Four thick pillars of strong mahogany tree trunks erected over the fireplace, with smaller sticks crisscrossing each other formed the platform, on which the food items including pots and dishes were placed.

Anakura was standing beside the fire, rummaging a big calabash. She scooped up some groundnuts and threw them onto the clay frying pan over the fire.

"I thought that time you said it was Saturday that Zasha fixed for the farm meet," she said. "Today is Saturday."

She was a tall woman with comely features and very dependable. Ugba depended a lot on her unwavering support in all matters. She was more like Ugba's auxiliary mind, body and soul. They had been married for over thirty years and Tersoo was their only child. Ugba, unlike his contemporaries, had refused all entreaties from Anakura to add another wife. Ugba was content.

Tersso walked into the hut.

"Good morning, both of you," he said in his usual businesslike attitude.

Anakura looked her son over. She thought the young man had taken after his father alright.

"My father-in-law has called for a farm meet today," Tersoo said.

"Oh, I see," Ugba said, "so you already have chosen a wife to be?"

Tersoo stared back at his father silently.

Anakura sat on a wooden carved stool beside the fire, stirring the groundnuts on the clay frying pan while keeping an eye on the piece of yam tuber roasting on one side of the fire.

"Are you surprised?" Anakura asked mildly. "And why should you be surprised? Tersoo has come of age."

"I did not say that I was surprised," Ugba said, puffing smoke.

"I hope that you are getting ready to attend?" he asked.

"I will be on my way right away," Tersoo said as he moved toward the door.

"You will not go anywhere until you wait and eat this yam that I am roasting for you."

"I'm not hungry," Tersoo said. "Besides, Zasha has promised to kill a big he-goat for all attendants."

"But you need to put something in your stomach to energize you," Anakura said. "At least you can drink the palp."

"Don't worry about me, I will be late if I don't start off right away. Me, I'm gone." With that, he stepped out of the hut.