Emenike was a heathen and a titled man and his accepting the money showed he was about to romance with a bribe, a warning each titled man was given before he took an oath. He looked around himself in a manner that showed uneasiness, reached for his snuff and started inserting it slowly into his nose.
Dawn crept in slowly as usual that Afọr market day. Darkness was undressing gradually by the coming of the day and the crow of the cock, announcing the nearness of the day and the daylight soon to come. Voices were heard encouraging by titled men to appear at Amaegwu for Asika and Uwanukwa. Emenike thought of what he passed through the night before Afọr and grounded his teeth. What was all these about? Nothing was new to him. In anything two, one must give way for the other.
Shortly after hearing the gong, the men gathered. Emenike came with his seat in the company of his grandchild who had come from his father’s clan to spend a little time with him.
At the village square, Asika expected to get the fatherly look from Emenike. But Emenike’s countenance was not clear and at that moment, he needed to be given time to gather himself. Asika moved closer to him and touched his shoulder from behind. Emenike did not turn around, but signalled him to sit down. He was in no mood to exchange greetings. Asika walked out, disappointed.
Obere, an elderly short man stood up but Emenike asked him to sit down since it was not his time to speak. They argued over it and never traded on anything and the night was drawing near. The argument was that he was too old to be told to sit down by Emenike and Emenike was angry that Obere who had no mouth in important matters could speak before him. He was a man with only one title he inherited because he was the first son. He was a nobody but was there in the gathering because he was related to Asika and that was all. He could not have done much. At last, Emenike could carry the day.
“The matter that has been previously discussed needs only a nod of the head to agree to it. We can only give the verdict to these two men not based on what they brought but the truth. If the land was not the rightful belonging of each of them, it will be given to the one who cannot trace it down to our day. So I am saying that since Asika, but though I remembered his father Okoye was my good friend and an uncle, who also was like a father to me but since his son cannot and his father did not give evidence of the land only that it was given him by Nnajioffor but Nnajioffor was the elder brother to Uwanuakwa’s father should have a rethink. My verdict then is that the land should be given to the rightful owner, Uwanuakwa. But if Asika should ask why Uwanuakwa’s father did not take care of Nnajiofor, it is good to ask him if he cared for Nnajiofor before he died or even if he did, whether he was the only Umudi man that helped or cared for him should not be an issue. Everyone here knows how it all began with the late Nnajioffor and how he grew old. So… so… so.”
Everyone who knew the truth listened with disappointment. They watched Emenike as he flexed his muscles to perpetuate injustice against his fellow man and a cousin. They noticed Emenike was not in his right senses. Emenike was a man to be trusted any day. There was no smoke without fire. Uwanuakwa may have bribed him to influence the judgment. On that day, the case was ruled in favour of Uwanuakwa. Though Asika and Uwanuakwa spent much on wine and food, Asika left everything in anger for home. The elders who sat in a big circle lost the strength to drink and to eat. They were left in deep thought.
Everyone wondered. Emenike! He had the mind for a lie. These lies that he knew could make a head fall. His head. Everyone knew the truth. The land did not just spring up. It had been in that position even before Umudi. The old stone post narrowed boundary and umune trees had not been uprooted from their place. The little ridges marking the old boundaries still stood in their places. These little details which had not come into their mind for seasons, seasons since the quarrel started, now broke out from their hiding places. They were with it, ever with it, living in mind, in breath, in feeling, deep feelings.
The evening was already far spent when the guests rose to go. Emenike stood up too. Nobody bothered to question him and on their way these elderly ones paid short courtesy visits to prominent men who had grown old and could not be present and relayed how the ruling went.
Everything was dull that evening, from face to movement and circumstances of his act.