ANAMBRA
Have you seen any maiden with a fair complexion passing through this way? Her eyes are shaped like the seeds of an udala fruit, her teeth are as white as coconut flesh. Her name is Anambra. Anambra is a proud woman, she walks around with a royal pose. Some colourful beads hang around her neck while jigida beads encircle her waistline.
“Omalicha nwa biko, when should I come and see your parents? How many bags of cowries are they going to demand from me?” A suitor inquires from Anambra.
He had seen her last week, she had been dancing to the highlife beats of Osondi Owendi by Chief Osita Osadebe at an Ozo title-taking ceremony. He had keenly watched her as she shook her waist vigorously when the tempo of the music stepped up with Ogazi Amaka ebezina. He had waited for the dance to end. He had approached Anambra to talk to her. But she shook him off, she walked away from him.
The other day he came to the Ijele festival to watch the masquerades and to see if he could talk to Anambra but she was nowhere to be found. He even attended the New yam festival to eat some delicious yams and to talk to her. He wanted her to say Yes to him but alas, she didn’t want to listen to him.
The suitor was frustrated, he went and lamented to Imo, Abia, Enugu, and Ebonyi. They told him they were angry because she had also turned down their advances.
They told him Anambra comes from a family of successful people and so she places a high value on herself.
“She wouldn’t talk to you if you are not versed in the white man’s language. She wouldn’t say Hi to you if you do not have a university degree. She wouldn’t marry you if you are not a successful businessman”
The suitor scratched his head. He decided to find out what she loves most in order to win her heart. He searched up and down, he consulted the gods and the ancestors and got the answer he was looking for. He discovered that Anambra loves money and Ofe onugbu or ofe Akwu soups eaten with fresh akpu or Eba. If only he could give her these things she would agree to marry him.
The suitor went back in search of Anambra. He saw her on her way back from the rocky stream. She was balancing a giant Ukwu pot on her head. The suitor hid behind the rocks and watched Anambra as she walked with the jigida beads, making a squishy sound as they wiggled against each other.
He came out from behind the rock and called out her name.
Anambra stopped and turned to see who it was.
The suitor smiled and waved his hands. He began walking towards her. Anambra saw him and turned back, and resumed walking at a leisurely pace.
“Won’t you say anything to me?” The suitor pleaded with a wink.
The maiden smiled and began swaying from side to side, exaggerating her movement. The pot fell off from her head and scattered on the ground in a thousand pieces.
The look on Anambra's face was that of anguish.
“I am sorry” The suitor said.
“Thank you” The maiden replied.
“I will buy you a new pot!” He declared.
“Don’t bother yourself. We have many pots at home”
“You are a proud woman, ain’t you?”
“No, I am not proud, I am just confident”
“Why don’t you want to be friends with me?
“Because I don’t want to”
“I have money and Ofe onugbu soup”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes!”
“Well, I may consider being friends with you”
“Yes, thank you! Can we go and….”
“I am going back home to get another pot. Let us see tomorrow”
“Tomorrow is too far! Let me accompany you home”
“No!”
“You are a proud woman, ain’t you?”
Anambra didn’t respond as she walked away in the opposite direction.
#HumansOfNaija