Blog

April 13, 2023

Directed By Harry Agina

“CULTURE-WAR” ON “CULTURE-WATCH-AFRICA” CONTINUES ON AFRO-SCOPE

Greetings, and welcome to episode 5 of the “Culture-War” drama series, a presentation of “Culture-Watch-Africa” Campaign, on Afro-Scope. I am Harry Agina, the Afro-Scope ideology driver. Things are now looking good for Chimezie the “Romeo” and Nneka his “Juliet,” in this AfroCultural love story.

In the last episode, Chief Ekwedike finally accepted the apology of Mazi Udoka on behalf of his nephew Chimezie. Ekwedike had forgiven Chimezie’s violation of some AfroCultural marital traditions of his Igbo people in Nigeria, West Africa. Hence, Ekwedike had accepted the “Knocking on the door” (or introductory) wine from Chimezie and his uncle. They were about to commence the consumption of the wine when we left them in the last episode. It’s time to find out what next:

Scene 1: OUTSIDE EKWEDIKE’S COMPOUND; IN THE DAY

NNEKA AND HER FRIEND, EBERE, EMERGE FROM THE HOUSE AS THEY HEAD TO THE GATE WHILE DISCUSSING.

EBERE

Hmm! Two weeks, and your dad hasn’t said anything?

NNEKA

Yes. I told Val to call and ask him, but he’s been dragging his feet. I don’t know why…

NNEKA PAUSES TO REFLECT A LITTLE, EBERE TURNS TO GAZE AT HER, PUZZLED.

NNEKA

I hope he is not beginning to…

EBERE (Hurriedly cuts in)

Beginning to what? Babe, don’t even go there. Chimezie seems to truly love you too much to think what I know you’re thinking. You should be able to find out from your father why all the delay. Babe, he’s your father, na!

NNEKA

I don’t want to give him the impression that I am in a rush to marry Val.

EBERE

Babe, Chimezie, or Val has proposed to you and is ready to marry you. Except of course, your father doesn’t like him.

NNEKA

I don’t think that’s the issue. He has got over his initial anger that Chimezie “committed a traditional sacrilege” by proposing to me without his consent.

EBERE

And so, Chimezie and his uncle have rectified the “sacrilege” by their visit, haven’t they? Nne, I think you should ask your father about his “Iju ase” or investigation of Chimezie and his family. What did he find out? He can’t leave you guys in limbo like this.

NNEKA IS STARING AT HER FRIEND.

EBERE

Yes na! Listen, I am ready for the wedding oo! You guys should not keep me waiting in suspense (SMILES) Anyway, I am leaving, please.

NNEKA LAUGHS AND THEY HEAD TOWARDS THE GATE. NNEKA OPENS THE PEDESTAL GATE AND THEY LEAVE THE COMPOUND.

Cut to…

Scene 2: INSIDE, IN EKWEDIKE’S LIVING ROOM; SAME DAY

NNEKA AND HER FATHER EKWEDIKE ARE SEATED. EKWEDIKE IS STARING INTO SPACE WHILE HIS DAUGHTER IS STARING AT HIM IN ANTICIPATION.

NNEKA

Daddy! You have not said anything.

EKWEDIKE

That’s because there isn’t much to say.

NNEKA

I don’t understand daddy. You told Chimezie’s uncle to give you few days to make enquiries. It has been over two weeks now.

EKWEDIKE

Well, it is always good to ask questions first before engaging yourself in that useless jamboree of proposal you participated in. My enquiries turned up ugly revelations.

OMINOUS SOUND BEGINS IN THE BACKGROUND AS NNEKA STARES AT HER FATHER IN CONFUSION.

NNEKA

Ugly revelations? What is that supposed to mean? What ugly revelations?

EKWEDIKE

You cannot marry that boy.

NNEKA JUMPS TO HER FEET IN SURPRISE AND DISAPPOINTMENT.

NNEKA

Daddy! Noooooo…

EKWEDIKE

Shut up! You will not marry him. I did not train you up to this level to throw you into an untimely bereavement. I will not allow that.

NNEKA

Daddy, I don’t understand what you are saying.

EKWEDIKE

You will in due course.

HE STANDS AND HEADS TO HIS BEDROOM AS NNEKA IS STARING AROUND IN TOTAL CONFUSION.

Cut to…

Scene 3: INSIDE, IN CHIMEZIE’S LIVING ROOM; SAME DAY

CHIMEZIE WALKS IN FROM THE KITCHEN WITH A BOWL OF FRUITS AND HIS CELLPHONE PLACED ON HIS EAR AS HE SPEAKS.

CHIMEZIE

Alright, sir. I will inform him immediately. Thank you, sir. Have a lovely day, sir.

HE SMILES IN ANTICIPATION AS HE ENDS THE CALL AND HIS CELLPHONE BEGINS TO RING ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. HE SMILES AS HE SEES THE CALLER AND PICKS.

CHIMEZIE

My love!

HIS SMILE INSTANTLY TURNS INTO A FROWN AS HE LISTENS TO NNEKA’S VOICE ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE…

Cut t…

Scene 4: INSIDE, IN EKWEDIKE’S LIVING ROOM; SAME DAY/SAME TIME. NNEKA IS SEATED AND SOBBING, WITH HER CELLPHONE PLACED ON HER EAR.

SPLIT-SCREE SHOWNG BOTH CHIMEZIE AND NNEKA. SHE IS SOBBING, AND HE IS SURPRISED, AND CONCERNED…

CHIMEZIE

What is it baby? Why are you crying?

NNEKA KEEPS SOBBING WITHOUT SAYING ANY WORD. CHIMEZIE IS NOW WORRIED…

CHIMEZIE

Baby, please don’t put me through this ordeal. What is the problem? Talk to me please.

NNEKA IS STILL SOBBING.

CHIMEZIE

Is it your dad?

NNEKA FINALLY RESPONDS, AMIDST SOBBING.

NNEKA

Yes…

CHIMEZIE

What did he do? He called me a few moments ago before you called.

NNEKA SUDDENLY STOPPED SOBBING AS SHE EXPRESSES SURPRISE.

NNEKA

My dad called you?

CHIMEZIE

Yes.

NNEKA

And what did he tell you?

CHIMEZIE

He asked me to come see him tomorrow with my uncle.

NNEKA IS SILENTLY WONDERING.

CHIMEZIE

Baby, are you there?

NNEKA

Yes.

CHIMEZIE

So, what is the problem at your end? Why were you crying?

NNEKA MAKES A QUICK MENTAL CALCULATION AND RESPONDS.

NNEKA

Nothing really. I am in my mood swings. Nothing. I will talk to you later.

SHE QUICKLY ENDS THE CALL. CHIMEZIE STARES AT HIS CELLPHONE IN CONFUSION. NNEKA STARES INTO SPACE AS SHE TALKS TO HERSELF…

NNEKA

What is my dad up to? Does he have pleasant surprise up his sleeves, or what? Well, tomorrow will reveal.

SHE KEEPS STARING AROUND.

Fade out.

Scene 5: INSIDE, IN EKWEDIKE’S LIVING ROOM; IN THE DAY

NNEKA, HER FATHER CHIEF EKWEDIKE, CHIMEZIE, AND HIS UNCLE MAZI UDOKA ARE SEATED. CHIEF EKWEDIKE IS TALKING…

EKWEDIKE

Traditionally, my daughter is not supposed to be here. But I want her to be present so that she’ll know that I took my decision.

NNEKA SHIFTS UNCOMFORTABLY.

EKWEDIKE

We are supposed to be talking about the next stage of “Iku aka n’uzo,” or introduction. The authentic marriage proposal. Not that sacrilegious one that was done publicly. “Ime ego,” or payment of bride price. “Igba nkwu” the wine carrying. Traditional wedding, and other relevant things synonymous with our culture and tradition. Unfortunately, we cannot go forward.

CHIMEZIE AND HIS UNCLE EXPRESSES SHOCK.

MAZI UDOKA

Why? What happened, Chief Ekwedike?

EKWEDIKE

In the course of my investigation, I discovered that your family has a deadly hereditary problem. You can call it family curse, if you like.

THEY ALL EXCHANGE GLANCES.

CHIMEZIE (Staring at Mazi Udoka)

Uncle, what is he talking about?

MAZI UDOKA

Chief, what are you talking about?

EKWEDIKE

Well, you are his maternal uncle. You might not know about it on his paternal side. There is early death in his family lineage.

EKWEDIKE

His father, Ejiofor died at the age of 52, and so did all his three other brothers…all died too young.

THERE’S TOTAL SILENCE FOR A WHILE BEFORE MAZI UDOKA FINDS HIS VOICE.

MAZI UDOKA

But Chief, it doesn’t mean that….

EKWEDIKE

There are 99% chances of your nephew following that trend.

CHIMEZIE

God forbid. It is not my portion.

EKWEDIKE

You don’t wish it away by shouting it is not your portion. My daughter will not marry into such a family. Never. Not when I am still alive.

MAZI UDOKA

Chief Ekwedike, this is a different era in our history, and those things don’t…

EKWEDIKE (Cuts in)

Those things don’t what, Mazi Udoka? Please tell your nephew to stay away from my daughter. He will not like what will happen to him if I see him anywhere around my daughter henceforth.

HE STERNLY LOOKS AT NNEKA…

EKWEDIKE

Give him back his ring. Immediately. Next time, follow due diligence before accepting an engagement ring. This is final!

NNEKA IS SOBBING AS SHE REMOVES THE RING AND DROPS IT ON THE CENTER TABLE. CHIMEZIE AND EKWEDIKE ARE STARING AT THE RING. MAZI UDOKA IS SHAKING HIS HEAD IN DISAPPOINTMENT.

Fade out.

END

Written by Morgan Uzoma Ukaegbu and Harry Agina

Investigation into the background of spouses and their families, on both sides, is a tradition that is as old as marriage itself in parts of Africa. It truly does serve a great purpose, generally. It gives the would-be husband and wife the opportunity to discover family or individual traits, which may not be acceptable between themselves when they get into the union. In some cases, it reveals evil secrets in one family or the other, for which the marriage should not hold.

However, trivial issues that should not prevent a marriage, especially in contemporary Africa, are thrown up sometimes, too. Looking at Chief Ekwedike’s life longevity issue, for instance, one could ask, how serious is it? Is Chimezie’s father dying at age 52 a good reason for rejecting him as a son-in-law? Essentially, Ekwedike was saying that he does not want his daughter to become a widow too early in her life. What is it about the “family curse” issue that he threw up? How seriously should that be taken these days? In a contemporary world where a woman should be able to make the decision about the possibility of losing her husband early, is Chief Ekwedike right to make that decision for his daughter?

In the contemporary world, a woman in love could easily marry a man with cancer, who has been diagnosed to be dying in a few years or even a few months. She may decide that living with him and loving him for just a few years before becoming a widow is better than losing him. Isn’t that supposed to be her choice? These are some of the questions that we throw up as we discuss the right of parents to choose spouses for their children in Africa.

“This is final,” Chief Ekwedike said when he gave his verdict. But is it? Will Nneka survive her father’s finality? What next in this “Romeo” and “Juliet” story that is tangled in AfroCultural traditions? Stay in touch to find out as it unfolds. To do so, we encourage you to subscribe to Afro-Scope.com, for this and other AfroCultural stories and events. I am Harry Agina, saying bye for now!

HERE’S THE LINK TO EPISODE 6: