Chapter 25 twenty five

The parish administrator led a group of heavily armed soldiers and court officials to Okonkwo's courtyard, and saw a small group of men sitting in the main room, all with sad faces.He ordered them to come out, which they did without a word. Who among you is Okonkwo?he asked through an interpreter. he's not here.Obierika replied. where is he? he's not here! The administrator, flushed with rage, threatened to lock them all up if Okonkwo was not handed over immediately.Several of them exchanged a few words in a low voice, and it was still Obierika who answered. We can take you to him, and maybe your people can help us.

The Chief Executive doesn't understand what Obierika means when he says maybe your people can help us.It was one of the most irritating habits of these people, he thought, to use unnecessary words. Obierika led the way with five or six others.The Sheriff and his men followed, all with their guns in their hands.The administrator also warned Obierika that if he and his men tried to play any tricks, he would shoot them all.And so they went. There is a bush behind Okonkwo's yard. A small round hole in the laterite wall of the yard is the only exit to the bush. The poultry go through this hole all day long, looking for food.People can't go in and out of this hole.Now Obierika led the Sheriff and the others into the undergrowth.They walked along the fence.Only when they stepped on the dry leaves under their feet did they make a rustling sound.

Finally they stopped suddenly in front of a small tree on which Okonkwo's body was hanging. Maybe your people can help us take him down and bury him, said Obierika, we've sent people to find outlanders from other villages to do it for us, but they may be a long time away will come. The identity of the parish administrator changed immediately.Hard-line administrators gave way to researchers of primitive customs. Why can't you take him down yourself?he asks. It is against our customs, replied one, that it is a vile act for a man to kill himself.It is a crime against the Mother Earth.People who have committed such crimes cannot be buried by members of the clan.His body is sinful.Only outsiders can touch him.That's why we asked your people to take him down, because you guys are out of town.

Did you bury him like the others?the Chief Executive asked again. We cannot bury him.Only foreigners can.We'd pay your man to do it, and after he's buried, we'll do our duty for him.We will offer sacrifices to the Earth Mother to cleanse this desecrated land. Obierika, who had been staring intently at the body of his hanged friend, suddenly turned to the parish administrator and said angrily: "He is one of the greatest men in Umm Ofia. If you force him to commit suicide, he will kill himself." Buried, like a dog.His voice trembled and he could no longer speak. shut up!A servant yelled redundantly.

After taking down the corpse, the chief executive ordered the leading officer to bring the corpse and the group to the court. Yes, sir.The official saluted and replied. The Chief Executive left with three or four soldiers.Over the years he had labored to bring civilization to various parts of Africa, and he had learned a great deal himself.One of these things is that a parish administrator should never be concerned with the ignoble trifles of how to take a hanged man down from a tree.Heeding such things would make the natives look down on him.In the book he plans to write, he will emphasize this.He kept thinking about the book as he walked back to the courtroom.Every day, he will get a little new information.The story of the man who killed a servant and then hanged himself would be an interesting article.About him, the author could write almost a whole chapter.Maybe not a whole chapter, but anyway, a fairly long section.There are still many things that should be written, and the author must be willing to give up the details.He had thought twice about what the title of the book would be: The Pacification of Primitive Clans in Lower Niger.

(End of the book)