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IFEGI-OKU (WEEK 19) - "Bundles of Joy," Part 2 of 2 |
WEEK 19 – BUNDLES OF JOY, Part 2 of 2
He buries his head against her breasts
Peeks at his sons, their cherub faces smiling
Does he have the strength to pick them up?
Does he have the heart for what he must do?
Osé is the one who speaks for his friend
He enters the hut and takes the boys
Holds them securely as he leaves the hut
Obi follows meekly, no strength at all
Outside the hut stands Ifegi-oku
Watching her father and his best friend walking
Carrying the boys towards encroaching dark
The boys' loud voices protest the rain
Ifegi-oku runs into her mother's hut
Returns soon after with a large, tarp cloth
"Father! Father!" she calls to the men
"For the little ones, please. Against the rain."
Obi takes the cloth the little girl proffers
Looks at her sadly and utters these words
"Go back to your mother, young Amaka.
This night is not for you innocents."
With that, the two men continue on
Leaving her puzzled, thinking of his words
All is not well, she concludes at last for
Her father never speaks with such gentleness
By the hazardous shore of the Mighty River
Made treacherous more by the pouring rain
Obi and Osé wade in carefully
The boys' mighty cries clamoring in their ears
"Obi, my friend, my strength is with thee.
No man has suffered as much as thee.
This thing must be done - the Gods speak it,
For a spirit is evil if split in two."
Osé hands over the restless boys
Makes his way out of the raging stream
There are things which only a father must do
This moment now is among the worst
Obi wraps the boys in Ifegi-oku's cloth
It covers their nakedness against the dark
It muffles their voices against the rain
It covers their faces so he won't have to see
Obi submerges his bundles of joy
Holds them down for the river to eat
Holds them down till cease their struggles
Releases their spirit to the heavenly skies
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