IGHO GOES TO FARM

Up the tree was an uncountable number of fruits that fell periodically to the ground. They would pick two sacks full of the fruit each morning when they arrived. Onome looked forward to going to that farm; Igho was not so enthusiastic, but he enjoyed picking the fruits and stuffing them in Grandma"s sacks. A fruit fell and missed Onome"s head by whiskers. She screamed in fright.

In spite of this, they enjoyed the trip, as they also sank their teeth into the fleshy part and enjoyed the tangy taste. Onome was fascinated by how her Grandma split the fruits into two and scooped out the melon-shaped part that made soup elastic or "draw" to give it that name—draw soup!

Onome and Igho were fascinated each time they saw Grandma preparing black cream out of oil palm kernels. Usually, she would first crack palm kernels from which banga oil had been extracted which are put up on rafters to dry over the fire. When she had cracked enough, she would put them in a frying pan over a fire. The fire would heat them up and they would give off a pungent aroma and the kernels would begin to simmer and give up the oil in them. It is what turns out to be black cream called ude ibi.

It became a pastime for them, but soon the long holiday drew to an end and they were ready to return to the city when Uncle Utomudo arrived to take them. They said their goodbyes to Grandma, Grandpa, Ufuoma, Esomowho, and his parents for the lovely time they had spent in the village. Igho was sorry to leave; Igwre Ibedeni had been such an enchanting place after all, a far more delightful place than he had antic.i.p.ated. He had been miserable when he was banished to the village. Onome shed a tear or two for leaving. She hugged Grandma and didn"t want to let go. Her father dragged her into the waiting car. They waved and waved until the tall ikpoko or elephant gra.s.ses cut off their view.

But Onome"s father did not return the way they came, through Ivrogbo. They turned the other way towards Osafo and drove through Egbeme, Ase and then onto AsabAse, where Ase Creek empties into the great River Niger! They stopped at the bank of the river at a high point and they could see faraway into the distance, the point where Ase Creek meets River Niger, as it flows southwards to the sea.

For Igho, not even Lagos Lagoon holds such a breath-taking view. It was simply something out of this world. They marvelled and marvelled at it, the water from Ase Creek somewhat black and brackish as it mingles with the muddy brown water of the River Niger.

Just then a female voice called out Utomudo"s name. They all turned in the direction of the voice. Utomudo recognised her at once as a childhood friend.

"Oh Justina!" he cried. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here, too?" she also cried.

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They hugged each other warmly.

"I came to show these young people the River Niger," Utomudo said. "Here is my daughter and my sister Emetena"s son."

"Oh, this is so nice!" Justina said. "Lovely children you and your sister have got!"

"Thank you!"

She hugged Igho and Onome in turn.

"I live here, over there," she pointed.

"Oh," Utomudo said, "I met your twin brother Johnson at Irri some time back and he told me you live here."

"So, how is life with you and your wife?"

"Well, we can"t complain much," he said. "My wife is good. She is expecting us back now."

"But you can"t just go like that," she said. "You must know my place and be entertained. It has been ages."

"All right, I was just showing these young people the great view you enjoy here!"

"Oh, that is a fancy for city folks like you," Justina said. "What do we know? We wake up, go to the river, do our thing and the river flows on like that every day. We only notice when something bad happens, like somebody drowning or a boat mishap!"

Igho and Onome exchanged glances. Their own boat mishap with Ufuoma was still fresh in mind.

"Well then, we will stay for a few minutes," Utomudo said and she led them to her modest home.

Making food was out of the question. So she brought out smoked fish in a raffia basket she kept in a special pot in the rafters above her fireplace. Utomudo was grateful for her generosity. She also fetched some cocoyam and put them in a bag. They thanked her and left after viewing the great river once more. They also took pictures with Uncle Utomudo"s handset as they stood with their back to the river.

* * *

AS Igho boarded the plane that took him back to Lagos, he felt so happy. Yes, he did not go to Disneyland in Orlando, for the holiday, but he felt that what he experienced at Igwre Ibedeni was far better than what any amus.e.m.e.nt park could offer. Ibedeni was a down-to-earth park and nothing compared with it. He would not exchange it with anything else. Although he read a few of the many books he took with him to the village with Onome, the excitement was in the open playground the village offered and the many things they did with their grandparents, with Ufuoma and Esomowho leading the way.

He felt he had a better sense of bearing now whenever their parents spoke Isoko at home in Lagos, a language their parents didn"t make them learn. He knew some words now that usually baffled him. And the only way he could get a better grasp of them from now onwards was to return again to Igwre Ibedeni. He was sure he would be able to convince Oke, Okiemute and Uzezi to spend the next long holiday with him at Ibedeni!

He smiled to himself and promised himself he would read harder in the next cla.s.s and regain his top position. It was the only way to make his mummy proud of him again. He lay back on his seat as the airhostess helped him fasten his seatbelt preparatory to the aeroplane"s take off.

Welcome to Lagos, he mused, as the plane taxied off the tarmac and lifted up and became airborne!