subject: My Marriage in Obollo Community, Udenu LGA, Enugu State, Nigeria [print this page] Very early, on Dec 12, 2010, I set out from Ibusa my hometown. Venue was Obollo-Afor in Enugu State. It time to fulfill the second of the important phase of my life, the first being birth, with the third and final stage being death. The second stage, I consider usually the happiest moment since it occurs at a very conscious of man. The above mentioned date was the day of my marriage, yet, I had decided to take-off on that same day by road for reasons obviously personal to me. I had also happily and excitingly engaged the presence of my friends and family members in my moving train to Obollo. We soon set-out, passing several Igbo communities and villages, with my guests wondering why we had to journey this far to take up a woman commonly found in and around the Anioma region. It made no sense to me, and as one of my Aunties remarked, the road to the house of ones in-laws is never a far distance in ones eyes. Bad road and frequent police check-points which we encountered slowed down our movement so we arrived at exactly 3.15pm even though we left Ibusa at about 9.21am. My audience, the purpose of this article is to gave you an insight of what event we might expect marrying someone from Obollo part of Enugu State. As I later understood from the arrangement in place, the Igbankwu ceremony was not strictly my affair, as members of my family especially as the indefatigable representative of the Diokpa of my family was often called upon every now and then to observe certain rites. My extended families and kinsmen also played leading roles involving the igbankwu-nwanyi ceremony. Upon our arrival, we found out that a tape was tied separating us from the venue, and as we later learnt, we were supposed to gain entry only after appreciating our in-laws with certain amount of money, so we readily beat this as we were excused by our nice and magnanimous in-laws. Next on the agenda, after we had gained entrance was welcome greeting by the brides parents. My now wifes parents soon danced out of the audience and Alaa, and the sound of Nno nu o filled the air as they rejoiced towards my family members and greeted us all. Other members of their family soon joined in this remarking dance. My family responded, not knowing what to do but only beaming with smiles. It was now the turn of my wife, who did the same. We moved from this tradition item on the agenda to another important rite. By this time, palm-wine, and other forms of drinks had filled our table, not forgetting the presence of kola which had also started playing important roles already, following the opening prayer. There was a conflict of culture. Our in-laws out of further magnanimity desired to break the kola for our people but they were quickly reminded that the Ibusa tradition forbade visitors from breaking kola for the Ibusa people especially in a far away distance, when such kola is/are meant for them (Ibusa). The most interesting rite was the selling of boiled eggs. My bride having been expensively dressed walked into guest amidst ovation from the guests carrying eggs that were to be sold. The auction of the eggs began with me as she fed me with one causing the whole of my body to quake with excitement. I had eaten boiled eggs but none had tasted so good like this particular one on my igbankwu nwanyi day. As I bit half of the egg off her hand, I was reminded that I needed to drop a certain amount of money with her. I soon did and she moved on with her sales attracting smiles and money from the audience. It was very unfortunate, that the idea behind the sale of boiled eggs in traditional marriage in this part of Nigeria was not explained to me. My audience should be reminded that Ika-Akilika which is the payment of bride price had already been made at the introduction ceremony that took place earlier. And it was accompanied with the filling of palm-wine by my brides father and presented to me. It was the first time; I drank palm-wine in the public amidst cheers from guests. Again, this was repeated after the sale of boiled eggs, and I felt so proud marrying this lady from Igbo land especially after I had paid the bride price. What soon followed was the bridal dance, as danced and twisted my waist to the rhythm of highlife music blaring and completing my joy, the joy of recently joining the world club of married men headquartered in Enugu State. Guest threw money around us in appreciation of our first dance together in the public. For a while I forgot I was an Igbuzo man and enjoyed every bit of it as dictated by my Igbo in-laws. My family too celebrated with me, wishing a happy married life at every point of the dance. Soon after, I brought my wife home and threw another round of celebration with my Igbuzo friends, families and well-wishers who could not undergo the journey. And finally, my Igbo wife was traditionally welcomed into the family of Igbuzo by wives by Ikpoho-Ogbe She could now be traditionally greeted Oliofe in the dialect of my people.
My Marriage in Obollo Community, Udenu LGA, Enugu State, Nigeria
