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Ya Gazie
Ugorji O. Ugorji
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Two brothers laid exclusive claims to their father’s land. Opara was the quiet one, as is often the case with the firstborns. The second son? Well, he was the boisterous one. ' For every rascal with Napoleon complex, there is at least one cheerleader. So cheerleaders lined up behind each brother. The brothers were prodded to fight to the finish. The other must bow, each was advised. The other must go to jail, each side chanted. But alas these were brothers after all.
The Chief Priest of the local shrine was an old unassuming man. He watched from a distance, refusing to interfere until a protest is filed. For no deity gets involved in the affairs of men until a petition is delivered to it.
Then the petition was received. It came from Opara. The old man summoned all. First the identity of the sons must be established. You can’t lay claim to a man’s land unless you are a sire of the man. A son does not, after all, sire a son before his father had sired one. Opara anaghi ebu nna ya uzo amuta opara.
“My son, who do you say you are?” the Chief Priest, Eze Mmuo, asked.
“Yaga, nna anyi.”
“Did you say Yaga?”
“Yaga, sir.”
“How about Yagazie?” ' “What about Yagazie, sir?”
“Ever gone by the name Yagazie?”
“Well, yeah! ”
“So, who are you: Yaga or Yagazie?”
“Yaga! Sometimes, Yagazie.”
“You took out the 'zie' part of your name?”
“My name is Yaga, nna anyi. What’s the difference?”
“Now son, you are yanking my mojo. You don’t want to yank amu Eze Mmuo.”
“I don’t understand, sir.”
“I see two different alonwa (umbilical cords) buried under two different palm trees. One for Yaga, and the other for Yagazie. Which one is yours?”
“Nna anyi, I still don’t understand.”
“My son, go speak with your wife. Talk to the old men around you too. Listen to them. You can’t lay claim to your father’s land until you establish your identity.”
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