LETTERS TO CHRIS....(CHRIS & I )... NOL ..1722 OF NOV 2004

1722Chris & I  

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/NENWEONLINE/conversations/messages/1722

• CHARLIE_MBC

  Nov 29 11:58 AM
  CULLED FROM nenweonline@yahoogroups.com archives 
  

  Dear Chris,In the Italian culture today is we celebrate your “ottavario”. It is the 8th day of someone’s death or burial. The person is remembered with a mass or in other cultural and traditional ways that might make some of our” Nigerian Christians” think twice about their opinion on “Ikwa-ozu nkwa lambo”. Remember we talked once on how some of our devoted Christians are entering into the black books of their Pastors because of this act. Remember, we discussed on the problems one faces when he comes home, with reconciling himself again with the “Nigerian Christianity and the neo Nigerian Christians” I told you that I do not consider it a blasphemy nor sin that I do not do (sometimes even advice opposite) what our Parish priest at home preach to our people. Well, dear Mono, good or bad   we remembered you and will still do it again in many other ways. A mass started it anyway. I don’t know when you will read this mail; someone said that it will be on the last day, if it is so I will be coming with it then. Some other person said the last day could be  .now, today, tomorrow, and one hundred years to come; another said it is all over… Just a moment: did you ever understand this catechism before “crossing over there”? Hey, either way anytime you see me ask for a copy. I just want to share again with you those stories and moments that we passed together which always brought different feelings and sensations anytime we met. The last time was in June 2003. It was 1966/67 and the returnees were flooding home from all parts of the federation,the schools were filled with those “foreign Nenweraians”. Some never spoke Nenwei nor Igbo. The Mbanwarus, Nwaruezes, Kanus, Mbahs, Chukwus, Alintas etcYou were there in elem 5c with me, Ngozi Mbah (Agbada), Rebecca Ani (now Mrs. Ndubisi),Bonny nwarueze, Osy Allwell, Mike Ogbete etc: Some of you were also coming from St Paul’s  Agbada and St David’s Obuovu which had only elem 4. You all were new to us. The returnees like you were viewed as more intelligent pupils than we locals probably because you spoke only English, but this wrong opinion vanished after the first test and exams, we saw we were all Elem 5     pupils with individual capacities and developments. Our courage came back. Both parts practiced a great rivalry and some “discrimination”.

  

  
  You got your first “guy name” (man pass man) from the essay/composition   the late Willy Ugwueke (choir master) told us to write on our fathers compound. …… Man pass man…. But nothing passes God…..The war intensified late Rev Fr Orji came home, we were serving him and the Parish priest Rev Fr Eze from Nsukka. We both “stole” and ate Rev Fr Orjis host for the communion under the guide of one “bad boy”. We felt like Adam and Eve the next day at the morning mass and never did it again. I continued to think we would end up in hell (Oku Nmuo) for that until Fr Orji talked to us. None of us told him what we did, then how he knew of it was   a mystery to us then.The militiamen came to County and St Peters and we enrolled with the Boys Company in county under Charlie Agwu of Mgbowo/Maryland USA). I went to Agbogugu  for further training and lost you. Agbogugu, Nenwe, Agwu fell to the Nigerians and you escaped with Rev Orji to the PH/ Uguta  war front. My father- MBC told me during the war when he met you people at a dangerous spot, you confirmed it after the war.”.. I saw that your friend the son of Chief D.K Mbah., he is  living with Father Orji  and I have advised Father Orji to go away from war zones but  I know he will not listen …. Rev Fr Orji: your tales about him and his activates (helping Biafran soldiers and civilians in surviving the enemies) during the war would make  a big book and the South American Jesuits jealous. 
  The civil war ended and we found ourselves again at St Peters and could not finish exchanging stories of our 25 months separation before we were due again for another road.St Johns Seminary Nsukka   saw both of us, and during the week of entrance exams and selection we all prayed to be selected to be together in the seminary and probably to become priests same time ( easy sweet dreams).Both of us were selected but as you know, some forces that I came to understand later stood between St Johns, you and me.  I went to the almighty County and you stayed at St John’s. However, County continued to be our meeting point during the holidays either for  holiday studies or those unending table tennis tournaments. Remember Inno. Ezeh-Mobutu, now at Oji River (anesthesiologists),  Ume Jilmin the best player, D.mbah, Law Nwarueze-playing with left hand , Charlie Nwarueze, Aaron Okorie –if he was not with S. O at Enugu, Clem. Nwogidi, (then a student of Tai Solarin’s Mayflower collage Ikene) and a host of others.It was on one of these outings during the holiday at County that you met me under a mango tree after better or lucky players eliminated us and confided in me you problems and intention to leave St John’s. According to you I was the first to know and you asked my advice and possible ways of getting about admission. A bitter decision for you and difficult assistance you were requesting from me.  To be continued……
  

  
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CHASING SHADOWS

CHASING SHADOWS? Popped up on this forum a number of times. Those of you who attended Awgu County Secondary School in its pre-civil war glorious days will remember our esteemed senior tutor, the late Mr. Eneh. He was a remarkable precision shooter. As the kites (egbe) would hover above in the sky, he would ask one his children to bring his double barreled rifle. He never looked at his target directly. He would look at the shadow of the kite on the ground, points his gun upward, pulls the trigger, and tells his children to go pick the kill. The legendary fictional Sherlock Holmes also used shadows prominently. How about James Bond in the Gold finger who used the shadow of his enemy to gun him down. Chasing shadows may not be a bad thing. I must confess that I have chased shadows in my life. It could be a good thing. One could chase the shadow of the person he adores and admires. One can also track down a shadow he wants to abolish. I have chased the good shadow of my late father and have attained some success with it. Now, I am tracking down the shadows of the enemies of Nenwe culture. You need to know or define the objects whose shadows you want to chase. Shadows represent real objects and invariably do not exist as phantoms. When you have done this, you also want to ensure that you become good at chasing shadows, and a little bit of luck can't hurt. Now, let us join hands and track down the shadows of greed, tyranny, and corruption in our society. They are the real enemies of Nenwei. Did I mention to you that I am also walking in the shadow of a distant figure in Nenwe history? Let not your spirit be troubled. Sincerely, Cosmas Onwudiwe Onuora, M.D., FACOG, FICS.

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