EAGLE FROM THE RUBBLE: CHAPTER 34

geniusvic (54)in #story • 7 years ago

The intruders took him to their meeting point behind the auditorium. When he got there, they laid him down on the bare floor and flogged him. They gave him the beating of his life. After some time someone who appeared to be in charge asked them to stop. They stopped and Obioha finally managed to open his eyes. He saw a young man standing over him.

"Obioha, you still want to prove to be stubborn, isn't it?" he asked.

"What do you want?" Obioha asked in pain. "I don't know what you want from me." He then took a good look at the young man.

"Walter!" he exclaimed.

"Yes. Surprised? You were expecting to see me in a cassock, isn't it?" he asked, amused.

"What happened?" Obioha managed to ask. He was aching all over.

"I left the damn thing. Anyway; that is not important. I brought you out here to inform you that there are people who own this campus and this town. That is, people like us and we demand absolute compliance and homage. You have been raising a lot of dust in this campus since you were admitted here as if you belong to the ruling class. For your own good, join the ruling class for protection and empowerment. I am very soft tonight but next time, I may not be that soft.
We are the Dare Devils and we don't relent when we require any person or thing. I will give you time to volunteer your membership and loyalty. After that time, boy, you will know how daring we are." Turning to his boys, he said, "Boys, let him go."

He turned and entered a car packed nearby and the driver drove off followed by his boys. After what seemed like ages, Obioha got up and managed to trace his way to the hostel. He was later admitted into the hospital for treatment for the beating he received. His roommate also suffered the same fate as his.

After the incident, the university authorities decided on some measures in order to check the incidence of frequent cult clashes. Among such measures was that every student must get an identification letter from his or her local government area of origin. They were given up to two weeks to do that. Defaulters would not be allowed to write examinations.

Obioha left for Nneri to get his. At the local government headquarters, he was asked to produce a letter from the traditional ruler of his community. He thereby went to the traditional ruler who requested for a letter from the Nze of his kindred. When Obioha met Nze Amadi, for the letter, the latter gave him a disdainful look.

"Are you not Euna's grandchild?" he asked.

"Yes, I am, sir"

"You see," he began slowly, "you are wrong in coming to me. I only identify true sons of this kindred.

"But I am a son of this kindred" he said.

"No, my child" he replied, shaking his head. "You are an Okene and as such, I can't identify you," he said with a note of finality. Obioha was highly embarrassed and soon embarrassment turned to anger and resentment.

Similar occasions when he had been subjected to such ridicule and embarrassment by Nneri community flashed through his mind. He remembered when he wanted to be registered at the Age Grade Meeting, how he was humiliated and told off by his age mates. They were not better than he was, but he had to suffer humiliation at their hands for the same reason Nze Amadi refused to give him the letter. It was on that occasion that he learnt that he would not be allowed to celebrate the Iwa Akwa ceremony with his age mates when the time comes. They had asked him there and then to go to his home town and join his age mates there. It took him time to recover from the shame.

When Euna heard of this, she casually told him that it was not a big deal not belonging to the age grade association. This statement enraged him further because both of them knew that any male child that failed to join his age mates could be likened to an alien. It was through the age grade association that people were identified and counted as true members of the community

In his rage at her statement, he went about destroying whatever things he could lay his hands on in the house, Only the intervention of Ezekwe saved the day for him and Euna that fateful day. That day's incidence reopened the wound this rejection inflicted on him. He felt like a second-class citizen, a refugee in a land he used to think he belonged to. He went mad with rage.