Chibwantu.
People in the village all cheered. It was time for another festive celebration. Time to honour and remember our loved ones in the beyond.
Ah, this was not an easy moment. A mix of joy that I was glad they were not in pain, or suffering any more. But also sadness, their physical presence was no more.
I walked a little further away from the crowds of folks. After finding a nice spot by the River of the ancestors; I sat by the edge of the water & pondered about how the circle of life.
A group of dark clouds gathered in the sky. Oh no! Don’t tell me someone had invited the rain makers to the celebration.
I sighed, and hardly noticed a stranger approach. He sat down right by my side.
Suddenly, I tried to get up and leave right away. If it was going to really pour, ’twas best for me to head home.
The stranger coughed & asked me where I was rushing to. I told him there was a storm coming. He smiled, and told me to settle back into my former position.
So, I quietly moved back to my comfortable spot by the river’s edge. He then handed me a cup of the locally brewed beer~ Chibwantu.
I stared at the cup in his left hand. With a gentle—slow motion, I held the cup and pulled it away from him.
He noticed that I didn’t swallow the sip I took. I looked at him and smiled.
‘‘Dont’ drink it if you don’t like it.’’
I shook my head and swallowed the Chibwantu. It was not as sweet as the one my Dad makes.
The stranger asked why I wasn’t part of the cheering over by the huts. I shrugged my shoulders.
‘‘Oh!’’ he exclaimed. ‘’You young ones think you know so much.
’‘‘When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see.’’’
This man’s wisdom seemed somewhat familiar. I grinned. Er, I guess his spirit was still roaming about this earth.
He rose to his feet and fixed his glasses.
I rushed to get up, and tried to follow him. ‘‘Wait.’’ For an elderly person he sure did move at lightning speed.
He laughed at my bad attempt to keep up with him. Unbelievable it was him after all, I spotted his book- ‘Things Fall Apart’- in his hand.
I guess it was important for us to all gather together and remember the souls that were in the beyond. What a story this would be to tell. How I met Chinua Achebe! Well, maybe I’d tell folks it was just a dream. Wonder if they’d believe me if I said it wasn’t.