by
Obododimma Oha
Chukwu the Supreme Being had withdrawn from our world to another world. Before, it was possible to visit the Maker and hold banter with Him, even play games with Him! It was such a pleasant thing to have the Maker around, to visit Him and break kolanut with Him. Wasn’t it how He was able to confirm that Mbe nwa Anịga the tortoise was a very great invention, a great crafty thinker that could match strategy with strategy? I am sure you have heard that story.
All right, back to our story about Nkeni. Chukwu was very much around, creator and creature living in the same community. As you would imagine, Chukwu had a lot to worry about: too many visits from human beings and beasts. It was becoming unbearable and He did not like it. Every quarrel was brought to Him to settle. Every headache was brought to Him to cure. Every argument was brought to Him to resolve. Even how to pour out palm wine to drink was a matter brought to Him to decide! He did not like it. So, Chukwu had to separate Himself from human beings and beasts, living so far away so that they would not bother to consult Him that often.
Now, Nkeni was a very rich person in the human world. He would have liked it for Chukwu to be around so that He would feel safer. He sent a message to Chukwu that He would like to come and keep his possessions with Him, that he felt insecure in the human world. He had vessels, estates, houses, and numerous investments and it was clear that some people were beginning to hate him for working hard and being affluent. But Chukwu disappointed him. He flatly said NO; He would not want human trouble again! He had had enough of it! Humans should try and sort themselves out!
Nkeni sent entreaties to Chukwu but the latter did not listen to him. Chukwu told him that it was good that he had grown wealthy. In a similar way, he should grow sufficiently wise to guard his wealth. Nkeni was surprised that Chukwu was acting this way and felt that He was probably joking, maybe testing him as He once tested the tortoise by offering him a stone for kolanut, as a visitor!
So, Nkeni started preparing for a long trip. He wanted to give Chukwu a surprise, too. He started selling some of his investments and buying large ships to transport other wealth to Chukwu’s domain. All together he had five large ships for the long journey. Finally, Nkeni was ready; he got adorned as a rich man, golden vestments and golden walking stick and boarded the lead ship carrying the choicest of his life’s material wealth.
After several days and nights, Nkeni’s voyage was then really under way. It got to that point of where you could sight neither land nor creature to intervene to assist, if there was trouble. Then a tempest started. It flogged and lashed and bashed the ships that bad. It tore at this mast and that sail, and made a sorry sight of the regal trip. Then, it started happening: the lead ship went under and Nkeni only managed to escape to another ship just as it went under. One after another, the ships foundered. Finally, all the ships went under, and Nkeni only managed to cling to one dead tree on the sea. He would dive to see if he could pick that floating golden plate or cup or spoon. It was such a miserable sight. From grace to nothing, not even grass!
Then, as Nkeni hung on the dead tree and lamented his life, Chukwu sent a creature to rescue him and transport him back to the human world. But Chukwu blamed him in strong terms for not listening to him, for being a celebrated stubborn fool. To this day, Nkeni till dives into a pool of water, a stream, a river, an ocean… just any body of water, to see it he could salvage anything.
Perhaps, Chukwu knew what would befall Nkeni but did not want to stop it so that Nkeni would learn the hard way. Perhaps it was Chukwu that raised the tempest so that Nkeni would not succeed in reaching His world. Whatever may be the case, we know that nkeni’s tragedy marked the beginning of the conviction that Chukwu was unreachable. It became clear to humans that Chukwu was dead serious in alienating Himself, that they were looking for Him at their own risk, that they were on their own.
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