按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃You were very much like that yourself；〃 said his eldest brother。 〃As our people say； 'When mother…cow is chewing grass its young ones watch its mouth。' Maduka has been watching your mouth。〃
As he was speaking the boy returned； followed by Akueke； his half…sister； carrying a wooden dish with three kola nuts and alligator pepper。 She gave the dish to her father's eldest brother and then shook hands； very shyly； with her suitor and his relatives。 She was about sixteen and just ripe for marriage。 Her suitor and his relatives surveyed her young body with expert eyes as if to assure themselves that she was beautiful and ripe。
She wore a coiffure which was done up into a crest in the middle of the head。 Cam wood was rubbed lightly into her skin； and all over her body were black patterns drawn with uli。 She wore a black necklace which hung down in three coils just above her full； succulent breasts。 On her arms were red and yellow bangles； and on her waist four or five rows of jigida； or waist beads。
When she had shaken hands； or rather held out her hand to be shaken； she returned to her mother's hut to help with the cooking。
〃Remove your jigida first；〃 her mother warned as she moved near the fireplace to bring the pestle resting against the wall。 〃Every day I tell you that jigida and fire are not friends。 But you will never hear。 You grew your ears for decoration； not for hearing。 One of these days your jigida will catch fire on your waist； and then you will know。〃
Akueke moved to the other end of the hut and began to remove the waist…beads。 It had to be done slowly and carefully； taking each string separately； else it would break and the thousand tiny rings would have to be strung together again。 She rubbed each string downwards with her palms until it passed the buttocks and slipped down to the floor around her feet。
The men in the obi had already begun to drink the palm…wine which Akueke's suitor had brought。 It was a very good wine and powerful； for in spite of the palm fruit hung across the mouth of the pot to restrain the lively liquor； white foam rose and spilled over。
〃That wine is the work of a good tapper；〃 said Okonkwo。
The young suitor； whose name was Ibe； smiled broadly and said to his father： 〃Do you hear that？〃 He then said to the others： 〃He will never admit that I am a good tapper。〃
〃He tapped three of my best palm trees to death；〃 said his father； Ukegbu。
〃That was about five years ago；〃 said Ibe； who had begun to pour out the wine； 〃before i learned how to tap。〃 He filled the first horn and gave to his father。 Then he poured out for the others。 Okonkwo brought out lüs big horn from the goatskin bag； blew into it to remove any dust that might be there； and gave it to Ibe to fill。
As the men drank； they talked about everything except the thing for which they had gathered。 It was only after the pot had been emptied that the suitor's father cleared his voice and announced the object of their visit。
Obierika then presented to him a small bundle of short broomsticks。 Ukegbu counted them。 〃They are thirty？〃 he asked。 Obierika nodded in agreement。
〃We are at last getting somewhere；〃 Ukegbu said； and then turning to his brother and his son he said： 〃Let us go out and whisper together。〃 The three rose and went outside。 When they returned Ukegbu handed the bundle of sticks back to Obierika。 He counted them；… instead of thirty there were now only fifteen。 He passed them over to his eldest brother； Machi； who also counted them and said：
〃We had not thought to go below thirty。 But as the dog said； 'If I fall down for you and you fall down for me； it is play'。 Marriage should be a play and not a fight so we are falling down again。〃 He then added ten sticks to the fifteen and gave the bundle to Ukegbu。
In this way Akuke's bride…price was finally settled at twenty bags of cowries。 It was already dusk when the two parties came to this agreement。
〃Go and tell Akueke's mother that we have finished；〃 Obierika said to his son； Maduka。 Almost immediately the women came in with a big bowl of foo…foo。 Obierika's second wife followed with a pot of soup； and Maduka brought in a pot of palm…wine。
As the men ate and drank palm…wine they talked about the customs of their neighbors。
〃It was only this morning；〃 said Obierika； 〃that Okonkwo and I were talking about Abame and Aninta； where titled men climb trees and pound foo…foo for their wives。〃
〃All their customs are upside…down。 They do not decide bride…price as we do； with sticks。 They haggle and bargain as if they were buying a goat or a cow in the market。〃
〃That is very bad；〃 said Obierika's eldest brother。 〃But what is good in one place is bad in another place。 In Umunso they do not bargain at all； not even with broomsticks。 The suitor just goes on bringing bags of cowries until his in…laws tell him to stop。 It is a bad custom because it always leads to a quarrel。〃
〃The world is large；〃 said Okonkwo。 〃I have even heard that in some tribes a man's children belong to his wife and her family。〃
〃That cannot be；〃 said Machi。 〃You might as well say that the woman lies on top of the man when they are making the children。〃
〃It is like the story of white men who； they say； are white like this piece of chalk；〃 said Obierika。 He held up a piece of chalk； which every man kept in his obi and with which his guests drew lines on the floor before they ate kola nuts。 〃And these white men； they say； have no toes。〃
〃And have you never seen them？〃 asked Machi。
〃Have you？〃 asked Obierika。
〃One of them passes here frequently；〃 said Machi。 〃His name is Amadi。〃
Those who knew Amadi laughed。 He was a leper； and the polite name for leprosy was 〃the white skin。〃
CHAPTER NINE
For the first time in three nights； Okonkwo slept。 He woke up once in the middle of the night and his mind went back to the past three days without making him feel uneasy。 He began to wonder why he had felt uneasy at all。 It was like a man wondering in broad daylight why a dream had appeared so terrible to him at night。 He stretched himself and scratched his thigh where a mosquito had bitten him as he slept。 Another one was wailing near his right ear。 He slapped the ear and hoped he had killed it。 Why do they always go for one's ears？ When he was a child his mother had told him a story about it。 But it was as silly as all women's stories。 Mosquito； she had said； had asked Ear to marry him； whereupon Ear fell on the floor in uncontrollable laughter。 〃How much longer do you think you will live？〃 she asked。 〃You are already a skeleton。〃 Mosquito went away humiliated； and any time he passed her way he told Ear that he was still alive。
Okonkwo turned on his side and went back to sleep。 He was roused in the morning by someone banging on his door。
〃Who is that？〃 he growled。 He knew it must be Ekwefi。
Of his three wives Ekwefi was the only one who would have the audacity to bang on his door。
〃Ezinma is dying；〃 came her voice； and all the tragedy and sorrow of her life were packed in those words。
Okonkwo sprang from his bed； pushed back the bolt on his door and ran into Ekwefi's hut。