Tears of the Ophan

                  Tears of the Ophan

       (A short story by Lene Ododomu)

Ebi and his friend, Posiwei started their friendship journey......inception from primary school to secondary level, and they both attended the same university and graduated at the same time. The two friends lived like twins who promised themselves not to separate. They believe that true friendship is like camaraderie, and it is deeper than a blood relation.

However, Ebi is an orphan. He lost his father two months before he was born. Ebiwolatei, his mother decided not to remarry, so she rejected all the suitors in the village that came her way. She is an hardworking woman who always want the best for her son, Ebi. As the only surviving child, she is so much interested in him, especially his education. She want Ebi to change the narrative of the family since she and her late husband were not opportune to be educated.

Ebi had a poor upbringing due to the poor background of his family, but that does not discourage him to hate his parents, instead he loved to be born by them. Despite all odds, he was an industrious boy. He always goes to the farm  to help his mother when returns from school. Sometimes he would go to the farm without eating because of the family situation at stake. But to avoid ulcer, his mother struggle to be keeping food for him before going to the farm. Anytime he returns home and met food on the table, he will smile and then cover the food for his  mother because she need it more than him. But the mother was not comfortable with it because she want the sacrifice to be taken by her, not the son who has a very long way to live with his life. 

Ebi was not still discouraged by all shortcomings but rather had zeal and determination to achieve his future despite all odds. He lacked school materials and had no useful dresses to wear except his fiance, Aina, who is a pure water hawker  that always buy for him.

Aina is half educated. She lost her both parent just after she finished her secondary school. She is the only surviving child of her parent who was expected to inherit the family properties, but her uncle claimed all of them and even drove her out of the house. Aina became helpless and hopeless, but fortunately she met a friend called Kate who introduced her to the pure water business. She started the business with just half bag which was gave to her by Kate. But the profit increased to ten bags which she used to cater for herself and Ebi. Also, she been able to rent a self contain after more increase, whereby she opened a mini shop outside the house. She doesn't want to be educated, but instead wanted the opportunity for Ebi.

One sad day when Ebi was in final year in secondary school, his mother slept and never woke up. She died of heart attack. It was indeed a tempest that was enough to end Ebi's hope of living. He cried bitterly but that would not bring back the mother. He imagined the bitter and sad life he would live after the death of his parent. Infact, that was somewhat unkind to Ebi as the diaster cut him into size. His life became helpless and hopeless like a journey without end. His uncles and aunties abandoned him because they think that he is a bad luck child, and that was what killed the  parent. 

He was owing his school N50,000 (fifty thousand naira) before the demise of his mother. So he lost hope that the school would not allow him to write his final year exams, WAEC and NECO. Due to his excellent performance in school, the school principal paid all his fees. The principal was so impressed of him that he always passed all his exams in flying colors. This made Ebi so happy and became more determined than ever.

Luckily for him, he was freely registered by the school  for his final year exams (WAEC and NECO). He was so favoured by God that he passed all the nine subjects with distinctions. Infact, he had the best result in the whole federation and consequently, the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) awarded him automatic scholarship for the rest of his education. Not only that, he equally passed his UTME with the overall score of '399' and was admitted to study English and Literature at the University of Abuja.

 It was no problem or inanition for him as a result of the scholarship he had won based on his academic performance in final examination at secondary school. Before he left for Abuja to further his education, he promised his fiance, Aina that he would come back to take her to the city after he finished his school and settled down with job.

Ebi and Posiwei had their rapprochement since when they were in primary school. Posiwei was born with silver spoon. He came from a very rich family, so things were not difficult for him, and good and comfortable life were his best friends. But Ebi was unlikely ill-fated to have this opportunity, so he suffered from grass  to grace. Both of them were admitted in the same institution but different courses, and Posiwei was not under scholarship, but under the sponsorship of his parent. He was so strict on campus, and he has never failed to protect his friend from the oppression by his fellow students who are cultists. He was given him money for his up keep, and sometimes bought him clothes.

Ebi was specialized in both Art and Sciences courses, so he helps Posiwei to do his assignments and even sometimes tutored him for his tests and exams, and this made Posiwei never to have carry-over throughout his stay on campus. Also, they both graduated the same time.

During the National Youth Corps Service (NYSC) they were posted to the same town in Ondo state called Arogbo. This gave them the opportunity of visiting each other and they also later completed their Youth Corps Services in same year.

Immediately they finished their Youth Corps Service, they both got a job at Dangote Group of Companies in Kogi state. After Ebi was employed for the job, he married his fiance, Aina as promised and she became pregnant and  gave birth to a bouncing baby boy after one year of their marriage.

One beautiful day, a later was sent to Ebi from their head office in China with the heading......."LETTER OF PROMOTION AS THE DISTRIBUTION MANAGER OF DANGOTE GROUP OF COMPANIES", he could not round off to read the letter because he did not expect to get such big opportunity as a junior employee in the company. He was later made to understand that the promotion was warranted by his commitments and efforts of contributing for the  development of the company ever since he was employed.

 He told the news to his friend, Posiwei who was employed the same time with him that has not gotten the opportunity. 

' Congratulations to you, my dear brother and good friend! I am very much happy for you. May God elevate you more and grant you all your heart desires,' Posiwei prayed and congratulated.

'Thank you very much my dear brother! I really appreciate you for always being supportive to me. Indeed, I owed a lot and promise to pay back. May this opportunity also be yours in Jesus name. Amen', Ebi acknowledged.

Ebi was so grateful to God as he remembered his story when people were abusing him because of his poor background. They will say.....'How long will you be looked good, you bush boy and ragamuffin', insulted by the people. This made him shy and sometimes refused to walk in public. But a thought came to his mind which encouraged him that no condition is permanent and his narrative will be changed one day. So he had this hope and then see nothing as they continue to abuse him. He told Posiwei......'My dear brother, as far as there is life, there is also hope. Patient, courage, wisdom and expert counseling are hasty needed whenever we loose our normal conditions or when our money entire finished. It is dangerous to loose hope in life my friend, simply because your condition is critical. When you loose hope, no more strength, everything will become impossible, you cannot struggle for anything and you will become very weak in spirit. As a man, you should put iron in your heart, be courageous, otherwise you will loose hope in life and thereby fall forever. I am me today because I did not loose hope.'

Posiwei was  happy with him for the appointment, but it was just a camouflag. His inner mind was so annoyed and bittered because he wanted the position that was gave to Ebi. He became jealous that Ebi will be more successful than him, because he had many properties than him. So he concluded with a plan to eliminate him and claimed his properties. But Ebi did not put his hands on one basket. He registered all his properties with the name of his three year old son, so it will be impossible for Posiwei to claim them  if he kill him, though he wasn't aware  of this secret.

Like a green snake under the green grass, Posiwei refused to show his true color, instead he always act like a saint.  He invited Ebi for a birthday party which was hosted by him for his fiance. It was a schedule of his plan of masterminding the killing of Ebi. He poised him at the party, and Ebi eventually died after he was brought to Viva Hospital at Bwari, Abuja.

Killing Ebi was not enough for him. He also alleged his wife that she is the one responsible for the mysterious death of his friend, so she was arrested by police but later released after she was found no guilty. Still that was not enough for him, so he drove her out of the house with a threat that if she comes back to the house, he will kill or put in prison. Life became miserable for her and the son because there was nobody to help them.

She and her three year old son were living in an uncompleted building. They only survived by begging in the street. Sometimes, Ebi will appeared  and  be looking at them, and then started crying because he could not help them due to the fact that he was a spirit. Luckily for her  and the son, Ebi been able to use a human to direct his lawyer to the wife and hand over his documents for her.

After Posiwei discovered that he could not have access to the properties, he had a plan to eliminate the woman and her son. He hired boys to assassinate them, but they could not succeed. They were attacked by Ebi while trying to drag them into their car. He possessed the driver and they all died in ghastly accident.

After killing the messengers of Posiwei, Ebi's spirit started tormenting him. Every night, he will be crying in the house and whenever Posiwei see him, he always appeared with tears to signify that died a painful and wasted death. However, his cry will only be heard by Posiwei and this was unbearable for him every night.

After he heard that his boys couldn't succeed, he also came by himself to kill Ebi's wife and her son. But Ebi's spirit appeared to him, and  hit him with a stick, then he started having chickenpox and his body was rotten until he was brought to the village to confess. He died after the confession and was burned in the evil forest according to the tradition of the Ijaw people.

Aina and her son returned back  to their house, and the son was given  a scholarship to study abroad by the Dangote Group of Companies. However, this appeased  the angry spirit of Ebi and his tears also found a rest.

    

                      About the Author

Lene Ododomu, is a student of English and Literature in the University of Abuja. He hails from Whygirigha-Arogbo, Ondo state, Nigeria. He was a one time PRO of Derimobo Model College Old Students Association (DMCOSA) and currently the Vice President of the Association which is under the guidance of the grand patron, High Chief Karina Tunyan, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He is a Legislative Member of the National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies (NASELS) University of Abuja chapter, and currently: the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Body. Also, he is a member of the NASELS Editorial Committee.  He is a lover of literature, and a literati. Inception from his time in secondary school-he has being a student teacher of literature, and he was nicknamed  a Professor by the students body. Also, he is a student lecturer in the university. He is a researcher, novelist, poet and playwright.