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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to

Things Fall Apart - Maragoli #2

Okonkwo yari ni yakasiminya itaya ni yakiyariza ku kidari chiche che misara rwa yahurira engogomero yu murandizi nizivanyia uvuchiring'anu vwu vudiku. Gome, gome, gome, gome, yahurira rigongomero ne rikuba. Ma murandizi nahana mwoyo gwigwe, na vuri yamoromaa yakubaa egongomero kandi. Nu mwoyo gwari ndi; vuri mwikura wo Umuofia genyekaa azie mu indagano ha vuchera. Okonkwo yagenya kijira ki, yari nizinganagani si vwari ku vurahi. Yari nahuririi mwoyo gwi kivi mu rihora riu murandizi, na kari nunu yari anyara kuhurira shiu gwagehaa negogehera kumudukira.

Vudiku vwari machiriri. Vwaraa vuchiring'anu kinga mweri ne govee ku. Vudiku vwatihizaa vandu yava, kari vi inguva muvo. Vana vagaywaa kukuba miruri vudiku mu riereha nindi misambwa midamanu. Zinyamanyama ziagirung'anaa ving'ang'a vidamanu mu kisundi. Enzoka si yarangwaa ne rieta ririe vudiku, kase yari ihuriri. Yarangwaa mugoye. Ku ni rwo vudiku yivu rwu mwoyo gwu murandizi gwamirwa nindi rogendo, vuziriri vwirana mukivara, vuchiring'anu vutitiri vwamedwa ne rizura rie viguguri viosi viu muvurimu.

Ridiku riu mweri vwari vove rugano. Isango ya vana vakinaa mu kiguti yari ihuririki. Na vang'erere vari vave vakinaa mu viduma mu zinze, na vakere ku vasakuru vizurizaa ruyayi rwavo. Kuri Vibo vavoraa; 'Rwu mweri guvaraa kari varema mavegombaa kogenda.'

Navuza vudiku yivu vwari kisundi kandi machiriri. Na mu zihiri ziosi tisa murandizi nindi rigongomero ririe yavazuva vikura vosi kwagana nivucha. Okonkwo ku kidari chiche yageriza kuganagania kivuni che rirangiriza- rihe ni ihiri yindi? Gari ganyara kuva ndio, na siyadegerizwaa nindi rihe mba. Yari mundu wi vikorwa, musaza wi rihe. Rugano na isi weve yari anyara kudinya narori masahi. Mu rihe riafwee riu Umuofia yari wu kutanga koreta mutwi gwu mundu yengo. Gwari gwigwe gwa katano; na si yari nasakuu. Mu masavo magari kuri mu mariga ga vandu vo ruyari yanweraa ibusa mu kihanga chari chu kutanga.

Ha vwachera, indagano yari yizuu. Mpaka gave vandu zierefu rikomi, vamoromera mioyo ja hasi, kuri vang'ung'unaa. Ma Ogbuefi Ezeugo yasingira hagati havo ma nahoora hari kane, 'Umuofia kwenu,' na vuri rivora yahenzaa embega yindi naroreka kurumba mieka ne kikusi. Na vandu zierefu komi vavugirira, 'Yaa,' vuri rwa yavoraa. Yashira mukono mu zimbuzi kandi nasisa kederu chichie. Yakasa iganza yeye, yari ivitii mu gwaya mumosi nevoherwa ku rivega rirungi.

'Umuofia kwenu,' yahora rwa katano ma muganda niguhanzuka kuvugirira. Vwangu, kuri mundu aveye ne ridimoni, yasiuva mukono gwigwe iguru ma nasona embega ya Mbaino nativura iyi minu gege maravu gahingikani harara; 'Vana ve zinyamanyama vara vakugwa kirage kwita mukana wo Umuofia,' yarasa vweni hasi na rumanyia minu na rekera ring'ung'una rinare kiduma. Rwa yatanga kandi, vutima ha vweni hehe vwari nivuzii na havogono havwo yamwenya, vuvi kandi rugano, kuvuta rwa yamanyia vutima. Ma mu mwoyo gwehozerizi yavorera Umuofia shia mukana wavo yari nazii mu chitu Mbaino ma niyitwa. Mukari oyo, Ezeugo navora, yari wa Ogbuefi Udo, nasona mwikura yari yikaririi shimbi naye natee vweni hasi. Muganda gwahanzuka nu vutima be rienya kutaza masahi.

Vandi vandu vamoroma, ma vavugirira koronda gavitizwa. Indagano yatumwa vwangu Mbaino kuvateva vachaguri rihe mu mukono murara noho ku gundi vahane muyayi mung'erere nu mukana mujima.

Umuofia yari yativwa na vatende vosi. Vari vu vunyari mu rihe kandi mu vuganga na varaguri nindi vashi vavo vari vativwa mu zihiri zindi. Induru ku zinyasi zie rihe rwari ni zinguru kuri ihiri yene. Avura yari yamanya vwari vukuru vuri. Navuza mu vurara imburirizani yari - mwene runyasi yari mukere muziriru we kerenge kirara.

Girigari, runyasi rwazana rwarangwaa agadi-nwayi, noho mukere muziriru. Rwari nu vwari hagati ha Umuofia, ha roze. Na niva mundu yari na mahagama kuvitira ho yakamwama kuduka yari arore mukere mukungu nasiragiriraa ho.

Ku vatende vamanya yaga vatizaa Umuofia na sivari vazie mu rihe nindi Umuofia vujira kwenya murembe kutanga. Na kuvurahi vwa Umuofia gamanyikanaa si vazizaa mu rihe vujira kivuni noho kuvugirirwa nindi Wo Ruyari - Wo Ruyari wi viguru nindi zihangaywa. Na kwari ni zing'nga Wo Ruyari yasuraa Umuofia kuhihiza rihe. Ihiri ni ya hangarizaa Wo Ruyari kuduka vari vagutwi kijira agadi-nwayi si yari akubane mu rihe ria Vibo varangaa 'rihe riu vudurani.'

Navuza rihe riahihizwaa riari ni kivuni. Kari ihiri isigu yamanya. Ku rwo Okonkwo yagerera Mbaino kuri mwidudi nu mutumwa we rihe yagenihizwa no vuyari kandi vamutigika vurahi, na madiku gaviri rwa gavita yirana yengo nindi mung'erere we mihiga rikomi ni jitano nu mukana mujima. Rieta rio muyayi riari Ikemefuna, wu rimoroma riokovereriza ria vandu vakeyogeraa Umuofia kuduka karunu.

Vasakuru, noho ndichie vavugana kuhurira ga Okonkwo yaza nago. Vakaraga, kuri vandu vamanya, mukana yari azie ku Ogbuefi Udo kwiranyia mukari yitwa. Na muyayi yari wi Ihiri yosi, na si kwari nuvushiushukani vwu kumukaragira. Okonkwo, gari, yatevwa nindi Ihiri kumugenihiza. Ku indio ku mihiga jivaga Okonkwo yamenya nindi Ikemefuna weve.

Okonkwo yamiha hango hehe nu mukono mudinyu. Vakaye veve, muno muke, yamenya yatia vutima vutima vwivwe, kari vana veve vake. Sa ndara mu mwoyo gwa Okonkwo si yari muvi mba. Navuza rimenya ririe riamifwa nu vuti, vuti vwu kudaka nu kuva mudedekere. Vwari muye muno kuvita vwi kivi, misambwa midamanu nindi voroji, ritia riu muritu, mang'ana gi kivara, gakanya ku minu nu ku masanda. Vuti vwa Okonkwo vwavita yaga. Vwari vwo kumanyia mba kijira vwari vwu mugati. Vwari vuti vwivwe iye mwene kinga gaduki ave kuri isi weve. Kari nakiri mwana yisuha vodedekeranu nu vwere vwa isi weve, kari nunu yari nachizuriza vururu vwa yahurira rwu mwana undi yamuvorera isi weve yari agbala. Irwo rwa Okonkwo yaza kumanya agbala riari rieta rindi riu mundu mukari, kandi riavoraa umusaza yatavugura uruyari rwosi. Ku Okonkwo yamifwa ne rienya rirara - koyera chosi cha isi weve yayanza. Ndara vwari vokeyenzu na vundi vozengereru.

Inyinga yo kutaga Okonkwo yayinziraa vuri ridiku mu mirimi jijie kutura mu riragura kuduka rwi zingoko ziazizaa kotera. Yari mudinyu na si yaruhaa vwangu. Navuza avana nindi avakari veve sivari vaguru kuri ye, ku vanyang'anaa. Na si vari vasuri havuravu. Mwana wo Okonkwo wo kutanga, Nwoye, yari mihiga komi ni jiviri vuza na yari kare yagenyia isi weve kijira uvugata vwivwe. Rwosi ni ndio yaroraa Nwoye na yamwiganihizaa rwosi kandi namuchaba. Ku nwoye yavirukaa kuva nu vusiniaru hamoni.

Miandu ja Okonkwo jarokaa hango. Yari nu mugizi munene gwevwa nindi ridoshi riakanyu. Inzu yeye, noho Obi, yasingira kutanga wakavita mu kirivwa. Vuri mukari yari ni inzu yeye na ziosi ziaromba vovoyong'anu nang'ana umweri inusu inyuma wa Obi. Chage chari chumbakwa kwidiji harovega na mabwoni manene garorekaa yo. Mu vugika kego chi zimburi na vuri mukari yari ne kiduri che zingoko. Himbi ni chage kwari ni inzu yindi, inyumba yu vukumi, vwari ha Okonkwo yavikaa Misambwa javazwa ja Nyasaye na vaguga veve. Yavasigamiraa ne vihanwa via madunda, viukuria kandi ibusa, na sara nukusarira vakari veve vavaga nindi vana munane.

Ku rwo mukana wa Umuofia yitirwa Mbaino, Ikemefuna yaza hango ha Okonkwo. Rwa Okonkwo yamureta yengo yaranga mukari munene namuha muyayi zana.

'Nu wi ihiri,' yavora. 'Umurindi.'
'Aramenya nu kunyi?' yateva
'Kora chovol'lwii, mukari,' Okokwo yatiguka, ne kevoyo. 'Kutura ri nuva murara ku ndichie va Umuofia?'

Irwo nyia Nwoye yavugura Ikemefuna mumba mwimwe na si yateva mateva kandi mba.

Muyayi zana yari ni ridegera rinyingi. Si yari amanye chekorekaa kuye noho chari chekorechi. Yari amanye ndi isi weve yasanga mu rita umukana wa Umuofia? Gosi ga yamanya ni vandu vazia wavo vamoromaa mioyo ja hasi nindi isi weve ma mu mwisu yavugurwa nahevwa vageni. Mama weve yarira rigari na yari nerigenya muno kutanga kandi kurira. Na mugeni yamuvugura oyo nu mukana, ko rogendo rutambi rwo rohono kutura yengo kuvitira zing'afa zie miritu. Si yamanya mukana yari vu na si yamurora kandi mba.

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