A Trip Overseas

By Chukwuemeka Konkwo

This is a very exhilarating narration of the life of a young man who tried his best to influence the life of his people, thereby contributing his own quota toward their development and aspirations. The author has brought out the prevailing conditions in a rural setting and the adventurous escapades of a young rural African in a precolonial European environment.

The book is not only entertaining but also very educative, and it focuses on the moral and patriotic attributes a young man should acquire. It is a book spiced with African flare. It is instructive, educative, and above all, full of high moral setting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984533739

Chukwuemeka Konkwo

Chukwuemeka Konkwo is a highly gifted creative writer. His works make great meanings and impact on humanity His works tries to showcase the values and perceptions of people. His works really gladdens the heart and sweetens the mind. They are a must read to knowledge seekers. They really provide a means of entertainment and relaxation. His works further help to provide the forum for comparing the past with the present and future. Some of his works like "Once Upon A Time" and "Wishes And Other Poems" published by Wesbon Press a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan can be assessed through amazon.com search Chukwuemeka Konkwo. Chuckwuemeka Konkwo read at the University of Nigeria, NSUKKA and at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, all in Nigeria. He is presently with the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Situated on the slopes of a hill with its raffia thatched roofs, Ule is a visible village from many miles away. Ule was proud of its location and it had a good reason to be. The rich slopes of the hill was good for farming, the primary occupation of its people. You could complain about any other thing in Ule but not about food.

The people were predominantly farmers. Food crops cultivated were yam, cocoyam, potato among others. Vegetable cultivated included pumpkin, water leaf, okro among others. Cash crops cultivated included palm tree, cocoa, timber and so on. The people engaged in intensive farming for their use and extensive farming for income generation.

The people were also into fishing as they had rivers around them to fish. Fishes caught in the waters include tilapia, electric fish among others. Pawns and crayfish were also caught at the rivers. Also caught around the rivers were frogs.

Hunting was also practiced at Ule with the bushes and forests around the place. And also with the rivers around the place as the wild animals come around the rivers to drink water. Hunting was done with bows and arrows. And also with dane guns. Traps were also set and such caught animals.

Animals caught in those processes included deers, grasscutters, squirrels, rabbits, monkeys, antelopes among others.

The people believed in their tradition. That brought about discipline, honesty, love and understanding as offenders of the laws were assumed to be brought to book by that phenomenon. There was relative modesty at the place as a result.

Every head of the house had as many children as possible. If he had a choice, he would prefer males to females. Everyone could till the ground but the male child would more readily accept the task than a female. And anyway, the women were more valuable in going down the slopes to fetch water for the household.

The village was largely uneducated as its people did not see reasons to be sending children to the white man’s school miles away. That was to them an act of slavery and quite irrational it was too as that would mean the loss of manpower on the farms.

Polygamy was rampant and encouraged as status in the society had to do with the number of people in a household. As a result, many people turned their homes into baby making industry without family planning and birth control. For household marriages preference was based more on ones ability on the farmlands not necessarily on love. That was to ensure sustainability in food production. The society was such that the more yams in your barn, the more people in your household, the more titles you have. Most of the people of Ule then were dark in complexion, while a little were fair and a few yellow.

Also, the people of Ule believed in destiny and nature – what will be or is destined to be will be. They were hard working, kind and considerate and devoted more of their time to economic activities like farming with little to merriments. As a result, of their modesty, many people took advantage of them and tried to offend and cheat them.

With plenty of foods in their barns each year, their ever rich flavouring flowing palmwine and sitting high on the hill, the people of Ule were contented and happy but in one area.

The reason was simple. The people of Ule had lived for a long time on the hill and its slopes leaving the plains surrounding them unattended to. Their neighboring villages had been taking advantage of that by extending their farmlands into the plains which was part of Ule.

Life is not a bed of roses. No matter how peaceful one would try to live on earth, problems are bound to emanate since problems live along with men here on earth, doing their own confusing jobs.

Ordinarily, human nature is such that there must be wars, no matter how peaceful a person or group of persons would like to live with others. There are bound to be wars or disorders as some people could like to dominate, cheat, exploit or take undue advantage over others. Also, there must always arise economic, political, social or cultural values and interests which some people would like to protect but which could conflict with the values and aspirations of others. These often result into troubles as a result of clash of interests.

To this end the people of Ule were not an exception. They have had a portion of nature’s values just like every other group or people. That is normal and natural.

Having done their homework well, the people of Ule came to find out how their imminent teething problem could be made better and possibly solved to a reasonable extent. It is believed that the person who goes in and sleeps perfectly well has most things going on well with him. Outside that, when one goes to sleep an attempt to bend the head brings forth botherings. That ordinarily causes distress, anxiety and unwanted heat.

The people of Ule had disputes with other villages which most of the times was caused by land ownership. But many cases dragged to court were decided against Ule. However, the people of Ule could not have lost some of the cases and suffered much in the hands of their opponents, if they had gotten all that it takes to defeat. In most of the court cases, the people of Ule had seen broad day deprivation of justice. Cases which from all testimonies and perceiverances could have been in their favour has often been turned against them. In most of those judgements, it had been a matter of shattered hopes and broken dreams.

The people of Ule were constrained and in fact handicapped in a very crucial and peculiar way – not having an indigenous lawyer to defend them objectively and at all lengths and cost, which some of their opponents had. The problem then could be solved but it was not such that cold be solved immediately. It needed a gradual solution and process.

The people of Ule had thought over their problem objectively, used their tongue to count their teeth and finally came up with a possible solution. They realized that the solution to their problem lied with them even though they knew that they had not caused their problem. The problem was such that they were born into, thus for them to experience, suffer and possibly find a solution to. However, the people of Ule were determined to overcome their predicaments and solve their problems at the long run no matter how long it would take them.

It is unfortunate to note that some lawyers engaged by the people of Ule to handle their cases with other people had many of the times not performed up to their expectations. In some cases, some lawyers engaged had been a curse rather than a blessing to them.

In fact, some of those lawyers had ended up creating more problems than solutions to the people of Ule. Disappointments ranged from their inability to turn up at the law courts at the appointed days of hearing on cases to not representing Ule people well at the courts. Others included charging Ule people exorbitant service fees which Ule people were not able to afford. Also some of those lawyers took gratifications from Ule opponents and sided those people later. Others showed-up poor conducts at the courts which was detriment in courts and turned to be against Ule people; among other unwanted, undesirable, inimical and unacceptable acts.

Ule people had always prayed to have an indigenous lawyer who knows them well and understands their problems and should be able to solve their problems better. It is believed that one who knows another well could be able to understand that person’s problems better. It is also believed that there is always a difference between when one is doing something for oneself and when one is working for another. Relatively, one takes a personal job more conscientious and more diligent than when working for another. The prayer of many Ule people was to have an indigenous lawyer who would come and tackle their problems better and at less costs, and faster too.

Some Ule people had wished that such a plan had been accomplished already thereby making them to take to the philosophy that if wishes were horses beggars would ride.

Many people in Ule discussed their plights among themselves even with their opponents and neighbours who had oppressed them and had believed that the solution to their problems can only be achieved by having an indigenous lawyer.

When Ule people had one of their annual yam festivals, there was a heated deliberation on how best they could overcome their legal battles. In fact, a lot of people spoke their minds vehemenently on the issue. Many people were highly worried over many developments then that the arena which was supposed to be for merry making turned out to be a place of anger and recount of distresses, to the extent that most foods brought out there for consumption lied waste. Many people were bitter and did not have the urge and appetite to eat. Many Ule people recollected their plights and predicaments and therefore looked at the issue of eating and merry making secondary; considering their future which was at stake. The philosophy of eat first, others follow did not come to bear in them during that day of festivity.

A week after the festivity, the people of Ule had a dispute with the people of Ojala. The people of Ule went to Calabar to engage the services of a lawyer for the case. Delegates accordingly briefed the lawyer on the case and the lawyer promised to do justice to the