"That woman standing there is my wife, Mgbafo. I married her with my money
and my yams. I do not owe my inlaws anything. I owe them no yams .1 owe them no
cocoyams. One morning three of them came to my house, beat me up and took my wife
and children away. This happened in the rainy season. I have waited in vain for my wife
to return. At last I went to my in-laws and said to them, 'You have taken back your
sister. I did not send her away. You yourselves took her. The law of the clan is that you
should return her bride-price.' But my wife's brothers said they had nothing to tell me.
So I have brought the matter to the fathers of the clan. My case is finished. I salute you."
"Your words are good," said the leader of the ecjwucjwu. "Let us hear Odukwe.
His words may also be good."
Odukwe was short and thickset. He stepped forward, saluted the spirits and
began his story.
"My in-law has told you that we went to his house, beat him up and took our
sister and her children away. All that is true. He told you that he came to take back her
bride-price and we refused to give it him. That also is true. My in-law, Uzowulu, is a
beast. My sister lived with him for nine years. During those years no single day passed
in the sky without his beating the woman. We have tried to settle their quarrels time
without number and on each occasion Uzowulu was guilty-"It is a lie!" Uzowulu shouted.
"Two years ago," continued Odukwe, "when she was pregnant, he beat her until
she miscarried."
"It is a lie. She miscarried after she had gone to sleep with her lover."
"Uzowulu's body, I salute you," said Evil Forest, silencing him. "What kind of
lover sleeps with a pregnant woman?" There was a loud murmur of approbation from
the crowd. Odukwe continued: "Last year when my sister was recovering from an
illness, he beat her again so that if the neighbours had not gone in to save her she would
have been killed. We heard of it, and did as you have been told. The law of Umuofia is
that if a woman runs away from her husband her bride-price is returned. But in this case