NAKED COIN

better, but at least not for worse which wasn't far off if we continued in this way. Eating twice was being rationed. You divide your food into two halves

e didn't want Nne to gain a kobo from buying food stuffs. It occasionally bounced back on him as he would buy less quality products and even cheated in most cases. I remember having followed him one day to buy

are. Three months since school had resumed and I was still home. I wanted to go make new friends, and

the immobile radio, I wondered what h

alled his

sion. The man made it worse when he ordered all Igbo's to come back to their native lands, deported and banned non Igbo's residing in the east. His declaration even triggered Igbo's who were in the military to abandon their pledge to the country and come home. He was building an army, Nna belie

said anything about my school, the

ll be no school to go to," he still didn't lo

ng of some sort, the man only declared themselves as Biaf

ke of those states? It is criminal for a group to go against a country and declare

en the North and the east; it ha

ntinue to if care is not taken," Nna retorted irately.

conds but I wasn't thinkin

tuition fee so I can resume," I finally made my point instead of dilly

re?" he retorted. "From the job I've los

u c

d let me tell you, it's not a must I send you to school, my own fa

ormal life, make new friends and maybe even see Ivie again and he was not willing to help me achieve them. Nne warned me not

---------

't, men don't cry or at least I don't. I thought about what I would miss if Nna eventually didn't pay my fe

on had ordered the military to retake the eastern region, "before their secession madness got out of hand" according to Nna's words. I sat

e beginning of a civil war," Nna

jukwu had underestimated the man in power, believing he's

"You have a point there. Especially k

enjoy the coming war,"

kafor, he literally is but he was changing and I could feel it. He had a ravishin

thinking. This would be the bes

think so?"

umbfounded. What surprised me more was Nna's reply. He seemed mor

ordering the Northern soldiers to go back to their various states to

ave a

d increase our def

hat you want, you migh

in and inte

not corrupt my son," she rushed to where Igbane was and dr

this has gotten to its limit" she must have s

arned him and ordered Igbane to go to his room, promising not to talk about the matter again, "I'll fold my hands and watch

lost a child to miscarriage and her father to village community war. Keeping quiet wasn't mother-like. Silence sometimes could be foolish. Nne most times believed in silence but no

s a result of her action, he wanted to walk out the

tary again, I'll show you I'm still your m

oked at Nne grudgingly and shouted

e looked at me sitting at the edge of the chair seemingly moved by what my brother had said. She looked at m

---------

accusing him of not being a decent father to Igbane. Nne could not stop thinking he would go do something foolish, something that would change the course of his life, like joining the army. For those days, Nna did not eat well, n

have gone to?" Nna asked me that sunny afterno

ea in his soul, but he would say nothing about it, he was too proud to. The next day made m

---------

quickly gave way to the delighted men and women of the city as they were quick to walk upon dawn in its prime. I heard Nna say there would be an open celebration

spoke lesser than normal and this worried me but not Nna, he was more worried her cooking has reduced and t

dered her to prepare her Nne concoction rice, so I followed in her place. Nne wa

aced me and in a threatening tone asked: "Are you listening to all what I'm saying? You better kill that laziness in you so you won't t

positively, then eventually one did say he had seen him some days back heading towards Evotubu and Nne was hopeful. We immediately started towards that direction, she kept on cu

e direction when suddenly something went wrong. Men and women from that direction began to run backwards. Nne held me tight j

this people running what is going on and

ve a mission to find your brother and we

This time Nne didn't think twice, she joined the running crowd but held o

ter," sh

---------

an's came searching house by house, we should beseech on their behalf so they won't be hurt. It didn't take long; Mr. OyIgbo and his family too came into our house with the same kind of plea. Nna didn't

't be," N

saw with my korokoro eye

rations in this matter unless where necessary. How can we now be brought into thi

He still doubted and wanted to

to be talking politics, just promise us if worse comes to

t of their agitations s

uba way of gesturing when something goes wrong. They were the worst set

e trouble and if not careful, dead. Ndidi sat close to her and cuddled, she too was helpless but wasn't saying much about it, actually, she never said much about anything sinc

building; the terror in the city was amassing, we didn't know what was happening, in all I silently prayed for my brother's

---------

ason for the invasion. Some claimed it was in retaliation to the federal governments attack on Nsukka, some say the Biafran's were trying to make a statement, while others believe Benin isn't their target fo

w what they've done,"

y both were at opposing ends in what they supported. Nna was for the federal milit

push the federal military government to declare a full scale war, and secondly

are unleashing terror on people, and that even our governor escaped by sheer luck and in

d "Please don't di

hing you can do. Bring me back my so

turned to look at me with a sigh to mean 'a woman

n and we will find h

id: "Better be sur

---------

had become power in the town oppressing civilians who went about their daily duties. As the day passed, we became certain that they were here to stay and not passing by to Ibadan as people had earlier suggested. This was

Ojukwu's stooge led the invasion on the city but unknown to him, Lt. Col. Ochei a mid-west Igbo officer was given a specific mission to attack the Government house and unluckily for him, Major Ogbemudia had changed guard details overnight thereby removin

ly wasn't a bad idea until it became political. Only indigenes with passes were allowed to move freely at night, and people who weren't Igbo wer

e blood of between ten to thirty thousands of Igbo's living in the North were spilled and fe

we with the hope. First, they began searching for Igbo's in the city, forcing them especially those with siblings in Enugu the Biafra capital

its importance for explosives. What heightened it all was the fact that not many were affected by these shortages; we the poor suffered it all. It didn't take much intelligence

ment and horror of the new life we're been forced to live. He spoke and defended the federal military government in such a mann

ry government, one would think you communicate se

let their state be stolen from them in broad daylight? Especially now that the Biafran soldiers have declared Albert Okwonkwo as the military Midwest administrator, they won't. That declaration is a slap on the federal military government," Nna spoke reassuringly. He kept

ban

nd let out a broad smile. She ran

ept on shouting,

ne and jumped on him. She spent a minute embracing him while we all watched in excitement of seeing him. We didn'

ou wearing?

k at what he was wearing as if he had no ide

he asked again with more

niform," he answered

her ears as she repeated them slow

------

air in the parlor were Nna was meditating. It was there he sat mulling over what I don't know, and there he would sit till the day runs out. I would occasionally come to check on him. I came down that afternoon to hear Nne warning than talking to him. It was her first time in a long time to do so. I

y at women. I remember him always warning us when we were young to never hit a woman; he says 'it is a weak man that exercises his power on a woman.' They are the

n. If anything happens to my

funny since the day he we

pecially her cooking. There wasn't a day that Ndidi cooked his food that he didn't c

my room when precipitously there was a bang

compound and wants to destroy mine?" Nna shouted

nt and he was looking for who to exercise his anger upon, I wasn't going to be

to find out as I ran back shouting "Nna, the beasts fr

t was only to realize it was some Biafran soldiers that b

ecame clear Nna had no savings, the little he had didn't even last us through the season of festivity. He now went to the market himself to buy whatever we needed, not because he wanted to but because he felt he knew how to buy good foods and could price heaven and earth with the market women, and importantly, he didn't want Nne to gain a kobo from buying food stuf

are. Three months since school had resumed and I was still home. I wanted to go make new friends, and

the immobile radio, I wondered what h

alled his

sion. The man made it worse when he ordered all Igbo's to come back to their native lands, deported and banned non Igbo's residing in the east. His declaration even triggered Igbo's who were in the military to abandon their pledge to the country and come home. He was building an army, Nna belie

said anything about my school, the

ll be no school to go to," he still didn't lo

ng of some sort, the man only declared themselves as Biaf

ke of those states? It is criminal for a group to go against a country and declare

en the North and the east; it ha

ntinue to if care is not taken," Nna retorted irately.

conds but I wasn't thinkin

tuition fee so I can resume," I finally made my point instead of dilly

re?" he retorted. "From the job I've los

u c

d let me tell you, it's not a must I send you to school, my own fa

ormal life, make new friends and maybe even see Ivie again and he was not willing to help me achieve them. Nne warned me not

---------

't, men don't cry or at least I don't. I thought about what I would miss if Nna eventually didn't pay my fe

on had ordered the military to retake the eastern region, "before their secession madness got out of hand" according to Nna's words. I sat

e beginning of a civil war," Nna

jukwu had underestimated the man in power, believing he's

"You have a point there. Especially k

enjoy the coming war,"

kafor, he literally is but he was changing and I could feel it. He had a ravishin

thinking. This would be the bes

think so?"

umbfounded. What surprised me more was Nna's reply. He seemed mor

ordering the Northern soldiers to go back to their various states to

ave a

d increase our def

hat you want, you migh

in and inte

not corrupt my son," she rushed to where Igbane was and dr

this has gotten to its limit" she must have s

arned him and ordered Igbane to go to his room, promising not to talk about the matter again, "I'll fold my hands and watch

lost a child to miscarriage and her father to village community war. Keeping quiet wasn't mother-like. Silence sometimes could be foolish. Nne most times believed in silence but no

s a result of her action, he wanted to walk out the

tary again, I'll show you I'm still your m

oked at Nne grudgingly and shouted

e looked at me sitting at the edge of the chair seemingly moved by what my brother had said. She looked at m

---------

accusing him of not being a decent father to Igbane. Nne could not stop thinking he would go do something foolish, something that would change the course of his life, like joining the army. For those days, Nna did not eat well, n

have gone to?" Nna asked me that sunny afterno

ea in his soul, but he would say nothing about it, he was too proud to. The next day made m

---------

quickly gave way to the delighted men and women of the city as they were quick to walk upon dawn in its prime. I heard Nna say there would be an open celebration

spoke lesser than normal and this worried me but not Nna, he was more worried her cooking has reduced and t

dered her to prepare her Nne concoction rice, so I followed in her place. Nne wa

aced me and in a threatening tone asked: "Are you listening to all what I'm saying? You better kill that laziness in you so you won't t

positively, then eventually one did say he had seen him some days back heading towards Evotubu and Nne was hopeful. We immediately started towards that direction, she kept on cu

e direction when suddenly something went wrong. Men and women from that direction began to run backwards. Nne held me tight j

this people running what is going on and

ve a mission to find your brother and we

This time Nne didn't think twice, she joined the running crowd but held o

ter," sh

---------

an's came searching house by house, we should beseech on their behalf so they won't be hurt. It didn't take long; Mr. OyIgbo and his family too came into our house with the same kind of plea. Nna didn't

't be," N

saw with my korokoro eye

rations in this matter unless where necessary. How can we now be brought into thi

He still doubted and wanted to

to be talking politics, just promise us if worse comes to

t of their agitations s

uba way of gesturing when something goes wrong. They were the worst set

e trouble and if not careful, dead. Ndidi sat close to her and cuddled, she too was helpless but wasn't saying much about it, actually, she never said much about anything sinc

building; the terror in the city was amassing, we didn't know what was happening, in all I silently prayed for my brother's

---------

ason for the invasion. Some claimed it was in retaliation to the federal governments attack on Nsukka, some say the Biafran's were trying to make a statement, while others believe Benin isn't their target fo

w what they've done,"

y both were at opposing ends in what they supported. Nna was for the federal milit

push the federal military government to declare a full scale war, and secondly

are unleashing terror on people, and that even our governor escaped by sheer luck and in

d "Please don't di

hing you can do. Bring me back my so

turned to look at me with a sigh to mean 'a woman

n and we will find h

id: "Better be sur

---------

had become power in the town oppressing civilians who went about their daily duties. As the day passed, we became certain that they were here to stay and not passing by to Ibadan as people had earlier suggested. This was

Ojukwu's stooge led the invasion on the city but unknown to him, Lt. Col. Ochei a mid-west Igbo officer was given a specific mission to attack the Government house and unluckily for him, Major Ogbemudia had changed guard details overnight thereby removin

ly wasn't a bad idea until it became political. Only indigenes with passes were allowed to move freely at night, and people who weren't Igbo wer

e blood of between ten to thirty thousands of Igbo's living in the North were spilled and fe

we with the hope. First, they began searching for Igbo's in the city, forcing them especially those with siblings in Enugu the Biafra capital

its importance for explosives. What heightened it all was the fact that not many were affected by these shortages; we the poor suffered it all. It didn't take much intelligence

ment and horror of the new life we're been forced to live. He spoke and defended the federal military government in such a mann

ry government, one would think you communicate se

let their state be stolen from them in broad daylight? Especially now that the Biafran soldiers have declared Albert Okwonkwo as the military Midwest administrator, they won't. That declaration is a slap on the federal military government," Nna spoke reassuringly. He kept

ban

nd let out a broad smile. She ran

ept on shouting,

ne and jumped on him. She spent a minute embracing him while we all watched in excitement of seeing him. We didn'

ou wearing?

k at what he was wearing as if he had no ide

he asked again with more

niform," he answered

her ears as she repeated them slow

------

air in the parlor were Nna was meditating. It was there he sat mulling over what I don't know, and there he would sit till the day runs out. I would occasionally come to check on him. I came down that afternoon to hear Nne warning than talking to him. It was her first time in a long time to do so. I

y at women. I remember him always warning us when we were young to never hit a woman; he says 'it is a weak man that exercises his power on a woman.' They are the

n. If anything happens to my

funny since the day he we

pecially her cooking. There wasn't a day that Ndidi cooked his food that he didn't c

my room when precipitously there was a bang

compound and wants to destroy mine?" Nna shouted

nt and he was looking for who to exercise his anger upon, I wasn't going to be

to find out as I ran back shouting "Nna, the beasts fr

t was only to realize it was some Biafran soldiers that b