The Heritage: A Story of Interracial Love, Civil War and Culture

By Sinachi Ikpabi

Through his privileged travels and interactions with a wide spectrum of peoples in different parts of the world, Sinachi Ukpabi observed a growing interest in his rich African heritage. The Heritage is thus an attempt to satisfy this growing interest, towards promoting racial harmony.

In The Heritage, Ukpabi follows in the footsteps of his Umuahian literary forbears like Chinua Achebe, Pius Okigbo, Chukwuemeka Ike, Elechi Amadi, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Obi Nwakanma. He captures the struggle of the African in the post-colonial 20th century global society, through the experience of Nnaka Alozie, a promising son of Igboland.

It tells of his travails in the first 30 years of independent Nigeria with Claire, a British girl, within the complex matrix of interracial marriage, civil war, race relations and cultural heritage, sequel to his audacious quest for the white mans education. The book volume has been intentionally reduced and an attempt made to write in fast-paced but flowing language to equally appeal to the Facebook generation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781450295420

Sinachi Ikpabi

Born Adrian Sinachi Ukpabi to a catholic and education-loving family in the famous Mbaise, Eastern Nigeria, he spent his early years in the cosmopolitan City of Lagos before proceeding to the renowned Government College Umuahia where he was a school athlete and debater, edited the Eagle Magazine and graduated in 1986. He later attended Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu; Enugu State University, the University of Lagos and the University of Greenwich, London and holds undergraduate degrees in Building and Civil Engineering as well as Masters degrees in Construction Management and Facilities Management. He developed a passion for writing very early and was at various times, Editor, Deputy Editor and Editorial Page Editor of college Magazines during which he wrote and published several articles and papers notably his article in the acclaimed Guardian (Nigeria) newspaper at the age of nineteen. Sinachi is a Facilities Management professional; his interests include creative and professional writing, networking, Spanish, culture, volunteer work and sports. He lives with his family in Durham, North Carolina and The Heritage is his first novel.

Book preview

The

Heritage

A Story of Interracial Love,

Civil War and Culture

SINACHI UKPABI

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

TheHeritage

A Story of Interracial Love, Civil War and Culture

Copyright © 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4502-9541-3 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-9542-0 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 07/21/2011

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

For my Dad,

Engr. Emmanuel O. Ukpabi

In honor of the times we spent and the moments we ignited to make a sweet memory.

Acknowledgements

I started writing this story while at the University of Greenwich, London but put it aside, with too much on my plate. It ‘gathered dust’ for years as stuff kept getting in the way. Then one day, frustrated, I took time off and spent months rattling away at my keyboard. My kids could not understand the pause of ‘playtime with daddy’ but remained patient. The result is The Heritage.

The list of ‘thank yous’ is by no means exhaustive for apparent reasons and any omission is highly regretted. I am particularly grateful to my family- Chioma, Ugochi, Sinachi II and Natachi for their patience; my mom Ezinne Roseanne U. Ukpabi, my siblings notably Fr Ethel Ukpabi; Caroline Ukpabi, Mr. K.J. Onuoha; Frs. Dan McLellan, Adrian Osuagwu, Godson Okoro, Mike Etegene and Anthony Maggs; all my teachers notably Profs R. Iyagba, D. Isaac, K. Jones, M.M. Omirin, Mr. Peter Dalton, Mrs. J. Malaka and Mr. Nnadi for the tutelage.

I thank Chinua Achebe, Felix K. Ekechi and Abubakar Atofarati for the insight gained from their writings; Ann Barcelona and Jesse Loudenbarger of iUniverse for publishing services; Gita Patel and all my employers for the ‘bread’.

I must not forget O.C. Alozie, Mr/Mrs E.C.Anyanwu, Paul Anyanwu, Dr Emma Anyanwu, Bob Anyanwu, Mr I.A. Onuoha, Dr C. Aboloje, Mr/Mrs Pat Bassey, Chief Joy Udensi, Dr PC Ekpendu, Dr Stan Okereke, Theo Nwangwu, Barbara Cava, Cele Abhulimhen, Mr/Mrs O. Adigwe, Leone Int’l, Ogo Emordi, Adonye Chamberlain, CY Nwannunu, Felix Onyema, Maurice Ejere, Mr/Mrs T. Adesina, Kola Ijasan, K. Tairu, Fani Bortolli, ‘Tolis Tegopoulos, Kings Ibe, Osy Amah, Pas Nworgu, Paul Brock, Heather Denny, Ms Karen, Rafael, KC Uche, Mao’ Ibeji, Sylvester Essien, Lamar Parker and my God, for help in all ages.

Principal Characters in the Novel

Glossary of Words and Phrases in Vernacular.

(Traditional Igbo words and expressions are in italics; Ọ is pronounced ‘or’ and Ụ is pronounced ‘uh’ in the text)

Abstract

The Heritage captures the struggle of the African in the post-colonial 20th Century global society, through the experience of Nnaka Alozie, a promising Igbo son of Uboma, a town to the east of the lower Niger River in today’s Nigeria. It tells of his travails in the first 30 years of independent Nigeria with Claire, a British girl, within the complex matrix of interracial marriage, civil war, race relations and cultural heritage, sequel to his audacious quest for the white man’s education.

CHAPTER ONE

It was a new day in Uboma, an Igbo community to the east of the lower Niger River in the British colony of Nigeria, West Africa. Maazi Alozie slowed down his ‘high frame’ Raleigh bicycle as he approached the compound and stopped right in front of his house. He lifted the bicycle onto the front veranda; careful not to spill the keg of palm wine strapped to the carriage and wheeled it into the room, which adjoined his. This was Nnaka’s room and for Maazi Alozie, an opportunity to keep an eye on his first son and nurture him to full manhood according to Igbo custom. You could smell the fresh palm wine as it foamed through the narrow spout and dripped to the body of the keg. His wife, Adanma was getting ready to take it to nearby Nkwo Uboma for sale.

Maazi Alozie was a pious man, a legionary of the Roman Catholic faith who regularly attended mass as early as 6.00 in the morning before going to ‘tap’ his palm trees for wine. Ironically, he did not drink and this, he would say, had nothing to do with his deep faith in God, which alongside his piety earned him great respect among the Uboma people. He was tall, athletic and very fair-complexioned but years of struggle had given his frame a slight bend.

He was appointed Chairman of the village Aladinma court, set up ‘for the good of the land’ and relied upon to settle local disputes throughout the community, which he did without fear or favor. This was remarkable as he was without much western education.

One incident that particularly stood him out among men was his famed sincerity in land matters. A certain man in the village had died and his wife moved to her hometown with the children where she raised them into successful young men and women. On return to the village many years later, Maazi Alozie took them