SHACKLES OF TRADITION
Shackles Of Tradition – Episode 2
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” Ada..my love are you sure this is what you truly want…?” Emeka asked to be sure his ears weren’t deceiving him and indeed he heard his girlfriend correctly.
Adanna wants a bløød oath!
” Yes my love. Lets have a bløød oath, that’s the only way we’ll both be rest assured of our love and commitment to each other no matter the long distance or years we stay apart” Adanna answered with a serious look on her face. Obviously she isn’t joking at all.
” I know my love but I don’t think it’s reason enough to do what you’re requesting of me. We just need to put our minds into staying committed and I’m sure we’ll scale through…it’s as simple as that!” Emeka exclaimed with displeasure boldly written on his face
” Emeka, you think waiting for you to come back for me in the next four to five years is as easy as you make it seem…? I’ll be over twenty eight years of age by then and as a woman I’ll have to remain unmarried in my father’s house. I know it isn’t right but I still need to be sure I’m not wasting my time waiting for you!” Adanna blurted out ângrily and the displeased look on Emeka’s face slowly dissolved and he spoke gently this time.
” I know Ada but..but.. you remember the warnings of our ancestors against taking bløød oaths…don’t you think it will be too extreme to go that far…? Ada please think this through because honestly I don’t feel good about this at all!” Emeka said hoping that his words will help in changing Adanna’s sense of reasoning but she remained adamant.
” I’m serious Emeka. That’s the only way I can permit you to accept the scholarship offer from the missionaries which will eventually take you far away from me. If you don’t agree to having an oath with me then I’ll take it as though we are officially breaking up…” She stopped to take in a deep breath and then continued talking
“…After that I’ll go on and accept one of my many suitors here in the village and move on with my life…while you do same over there in the city!” Adanna concluded folding her hands stubbornly
Emeka stared at Adanna as he contemplates whether to listen to Adanna and oblige to her desires or he shouldn’t do it.
Honestly, he understands her fears perfectly because he also loves Adanna very much and wouldn’t want to lose her neither does he sees a future without her in it.
Emeka sighed heavily as he finally decided to give into Adanna’s request. After all, he equally needs the bløød oath as an assurance to be sure that he will also not be wasting his time holding onto their relationship when he’s away from the village.
” It’s okay Ada. You’re right…four to five years isn’t a joke. I equally need the reassurance as much as you do so yes! I’ll take the oath with you” Emeka said sincerely and Adanna beamed widely as she jumped on him in a passionate hug.
” Thank you so much my love. After we take the oath I would have loved you to have my body as the only man in my life but I know you will not do it because of your strong faith in the God of the missionaries…you won’t want to sin as they call it” Adanna said smirking shyly and Emeka bursted into a loud laughter
” You’re right Ada. I’ll never do that particular one even if you are to strip yourself in front of me. I love you and I’m willing to wait for the right time. Your body has never been the reason I love you…I hope you know that right…?”
” Of course my love. I love you too and I’ll keep my body for you as my future husband for as long as it will take… Emeka let me start looking for something sharp so we’ll take the oath before we forget” Adanna said frantically looking around for any sharp object she can use to pierce her finger.
Adanna’s eye continued searching around where they stood but she couldn’t find anything sharp aside the dry leaves littered on the ground.
She became frustrated and Emeka who could see the pensive look on her face decided to proffer a solution.
” You should calm down my love… remember tomorrow is still another day..? We can use today to go back home and carve out a sharp object from anything strong…then we can meet here again tomorrow evening and take the oath together.. isn’t that okay by you..?”
Adanna heaved heavily as she nodded vigorously to Emeka’s idea. She stopped searching and fixed her gaze on Emeka
” It’s okay Emeka. Your idea isn’t so bad..I like what you’ve said, so like you’ve suggested we’ll meet here tomorrow evening and have the blood covenant…” Adanna replied inaudibly
Emeka sighed heavily.
He is actually grateful for the little time he’ll have to reflect and really think things through thoroughly to be sure he will be making the right decision.
“..so tell me my love…what are your plans by the time you reach the big city…? You know that I still do not understand what the scholarship thing is really all about” Adanna said turning her back to relax comfortably on Emeka
” Well according to Father Moses, one of the missionaries here…he said that the scholarship is for my education though I don’t really understand what he means by education but I believe it’s something good. So I’ll just follow the instructions I’ll be given by the time I get to the city” Emeka said shrugging his shoulders
” Okay but what about your feeding and where will you be staying all the while you are going to be over there…? I am worried for your welfare Emeka” Adanna said softly with worry laced in each of the words she uttered
” You do not have to be worried my love…the missionaries assured my mother and I that they have it all covered. They mentioned something like I’ll be staying at a school hostel though it still sounds strange to me…as for my feeding the said that the scholarship covers all of that in the place I’m going..” Emeka said as he paused to inhale and exhale before he continued his words
“…I love you Adanna and I’m promising you that I’ll study harder over there so I’ll come back for you soonest and make you mine forever. I want only you to be my wife in the nearest future my love!”
Adanna nodded in understanding and did not say anything else.
She is quiet and thinking of what life without her boyfriend Emeka is actually going to be like. She’ll miss him for sure.
It’s sad because all their lives they’ve done practically everything together.
Undeniably, their closeness and genuine love for each other has attracted lots of enviable eyes.
Either from men who felt that they were more deserving of Adanna than Emeka, and from maidens who felt they were a better option for Emeka than Adanna.
Almost everyone in the village was aware of their relationship but funny enough, amongst their two families it was only Emeka’s mother who knew about them as a couple.
This is simply because for all the three years of their relationship together, they had managed to hide their relationship status from Adanna’s family whom they know would never approve of Emeka marrying their daughter because of his poor financial status and many other things.
And now after everything they’ve had to endure to get this far, she is supposed to stay without Emeka for years..?
Oh! It stings Adanna badly and has her thoughts running wild in distress.
As for Emeka, his mind was unsettled about what lies ahead of him after he leaves the village he has lived all his life to an unknown City.
He is going to miss his widowed mother and wonders how she’s going to cope without him around to protect her from his father’s self-centered relatives.
As for his girlfriend Adanna…?
Emeka is going to miss her a lot, the fun memories they’ve created together is going to haunt and have him missing her all the time.
So how is he going to cope over there without having Adanna with him…?
In Emeka’s mind, he is equally wondering if it is a good idea to venture into what Adanna is suggesting that they do tomorrow before he leaves to the city.
Is it really a safe decision to take the bløød convenant with Adanna..?
(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH’S HEART stories)
