A story by Edith Okesinachi Dan Jumbo
1
Mma Sets Out
It
was a cool evening, in the village of Ohafia. Most of the villagers had closed up on
the activities of the day and were planning to retire to bed. The night always
seemed longer in the village because the villagers slept early and the palm
trees almost everywhere made the night appeared darker than it should be.
Mma
picked up the firewood she had tied in a bunch for the aged woman who lived
some houses away. She always saw Nne, as she was popularly known, most times
when returning from the stream. Mma was
the first of three children, but she was known to be very industrious and liked
helping people. She followed her mother to the farm, and would push the wheel
barrow from a long distance to their house. She often begged her mother to
allow her give some of their farm products to some less privileged ones around
them. Everyone loved Mma, because she was so compassionate.
When
Mma decided to be fetching water and getting firewood for Nne, some of the
villagers frowned at it, because they believed Nne had some evil omen about
her. Nne was childless and lost her husband the previous year, but instead of
the villagers to pity her, they blamed her for being childless and for the
death of her husband. They accused her of eating all her children in the spirit
world and later killing her husband.
Some even openly called her a witch. Mma knew that it was a mere
accusation, probably because Nne was not from Ohafia originally, until after
marriage.
Mma’s
mother, however, had a different opinion of Nne, in fact, it was as a result of
her testimony of Nne that made Mma decide that she would always help Nne as
much as she could. When Obiora, Mma’s mother was newly married, Nne stood for
her like the mother she lost when she was still a girl. She always advised her
and would come to bath her child whenever she gave birth. Mma got to know about
this much later as she grew and decided to help the old woman more, after her
husband died.
Mma
quickly went inside to inform her mother that she was going to Nne’s house.
“Mama”,
she called, “I am going to drop the firewood at Nne’s house.”
“Okay
Nnenne” her mother replied. Mma always loved it, whenever her mother called her
by that pet name. “Make sure you don’t take long, so that you return before it
gets really dark” her mother continued.
“I
will come back on time Mama don’t worry, “Mma assured her mother. “I hate
walking alone in the dark too”. With that, she carefully placed the tied up
firewood on her head and started walking away.
2
Mma Meets the Prince
The
crickets were already singing their night song by the time Mma got to Nne’s
house. That reminded her that she didn’t need to stay long before her mother
would start getting worried. She quickly dropped the firewood where she
normally dropped them and looked towards Nne’s sitting room. There appeared to
be someone with her, because she could hear a man’s voice.
“Good
evening Nne “she greeted, “I have brought the firewood that I promised to bring
for you”
“Mmasinachi,
is that you?” Nne asked. Please come my
daughter. Thank God for bringing you now and thank you for the firewood. May
the good lord in heaven, continue to bless you. Come my daughter, God really
wanted you meet with the prince today.
Mma
became confused. “Nne, what are you talking about? What prince?”
Nne
came out, when she noticed that Mma didn’t move. “The Eze’s son Mma, he is the
Prince and we were just talking about you”
“Nne,
I don’t understand.” Mma said spreading her hands.
“The
Prince came to see me and asked after the girl who always brings firewood for
me, and you just came” Nne tried to explain with a kind of smile that said to
Mma; “you should understand”
“But
Nne, that’s nothing, I do that for my mother and you are like my grandmother”
Mma said a bit uneasy, because she noticed the curtain from the sitting room
has been moved. “Oh no, he is coming out” she thought. “Nne, I have to go now,
Mama said I shouldn’t stay long” she said walking away, when the Prince‘s voice
stopped her.
“Don’t
tell me that you are running away from me” he said with a smile, now he was
standing between her and Nne.
“No
sir” Mma replied. “Good evening” she greeted in a shaky voiced. “Mma, what is
wrong with you?” she asked herself. She hated meeting strangers and always
shrank back from meeting people especially the opposite sex. Her mother
believed, that it was a major reason why she was yet to be married like some of
her mates. Although she just turned twenty few months ago, Mma still looked
younger and prettier than her age mates.
“I
am Eyinnaya” he introduced himself. Mma quickly looked up at him and drew a lot
from that quick glance. He was dark and a little bit above average height. He
was dressed in a simple shirt and black trousers, one would pass him for just
any foreigner in the village, because he dressed nothing like a prince. “He is
good looking too “she thought. Mma, although inexperienced, knew a good looking
man when she saw one. “ I have to go Sir, my mother will start getting worried
if I delayed further” she said looking up at Nne, who was just smiling and
saying nothing, hoping that she would help her leave on time.
“She
is not just hardworking” Prince Eyinna said to Nne, “she is also beautiful and
well behaved” Mma felt like the ground should open, she was now sweating and
squeezing her hands. “Is he trying to make me uncomfortable or what?” she
wondered.
The
Prince looked at her hard for a few minutes then asked: “Will you marry me?”
Mma
looked up at him, and suddenly, boldness came into her. “What if I say no
Prince? Will you spare me?”
The
Prince smiled “ I liked you, because every time I come to visit Nne, I see a
big bunch of firewood and when I ask how she gets them, she says “Mma brings
them for me”, but with this question you asked now, I see you as someone with a
mind of her own” he looked harder at her now. “Of course, I will spare you if
you say no, you are not my slave, but I don’t want you to say no, because I
think I am falling in love with you.
Mma
didn’t know what to say, she kept swallowing salivia. “Please, let me think
about it” she said.
“Yes,
my Prince, let her think about it, you know she was not expecting it” Nne
finally spoke up.
It
was a strange proposal and Mma didn’t know how to handle it. She had to let her
parents know too, especially her mother. Something told her that her mother
would be thrilled.
Mma
was right, her parents were happy with the news, it was like a dream for her
father, to be associated with royalty. The crowned prince of Ohafia was interested
in his first daughter. It was a miracle. Mma finally saw reasons to accept the
prince’s proposal after hearing words again from him, through Nne, who also
spoke well of the Prince and encouraged her.
Coincidentally,
Nne was also nice to the Prince’s mother and the Prince wanted to pay her back
somehow, so from time to time, whenever he was around, he would visit her and
give her a small gift. As time passed, it was time for him to get a bride, he
wanted a girl from his village, who would be his queen and be by his side at all
times.
For
Mma, it was God at work, who would think that there was someone else out there
who was indebted to Nne like she was, and to think that it was the Eze’s son.
While she did everything she did out of
a good heart, an invisible eye was watching and paid her back with a man who
shared her passion for people. Above all, Prince Eyinnaya was such a humble
man, who never put his social class before the people. The people of Ohafia
loved him, and it made it so easy for Mma, as future Queen of Ohafia.
Mma had to deal with the Queen's opinion of her social class. Keep following to find out what happened next...