Obiora kept running through the narrow path as the moon lit the way. All he could think of was what his father had told him about the men of Umuaturu. His friend, Ekene, with whom he had left home with had varnished as the fighting started in the village square, shortly after the wrestling match.
It turned out that the men of Umuaturu were not happy with the verdict delivered at the village square, as they believed that their champion Chimankpa did not lose as his full back didn't touch the ground. They blamed the men from Umuagu of cheating and bribing the orator of the match with promise of yams and horns of palm wine.
Obiora's fight with Chimankpa had been the most talked about across the five villages, the men in Obiora's age group believed that with Obiora winning the fight Umuagu would finally gain her place as the most revered village among the five villages and strike fear in the hearts of their neighbours as the people of Umuaturu did.
"Obiora is that you?"
Ekene called from the clog of bush he had hidden behind, as he heard someone running towards him. He saw the figure of the person, but needed to be sure it was Obiora.
"I have been looking for you Ekene" Obiora said amidst breaths of air,
"I ran as soon as that Ewu drew his matchet" the two where now walking together not minding that they had escaped a life threatening event and still where in danger. They had not completely left the boundaries between Umuaturu and Umuagu.
"I can swear before Amadioha shrine that his back touched the ground, for a second" Obiora said, his breathing was calm now,
"I saw it my friend, but you know Chimankpa does not sweat as you do, so he didn't gather any sand as he stood up" Ekene said, he face still looked gloom even in the little light the moon provided.
The duo continued home as Ekene recounted the many victories Obiora had gotten and how Chimankpa wasn't an exception. When they got the path leading to Obiora's home, Ekene bid him good night and continued walking.
As Obiora entered the compound, his father who had been sitting in front of his Obi (hut) taking sniffs of snuff from his little snuff bottle, beckoned on him.
"I have told you about men from Umuaturu" he started,
"they don't always agree to anything unless it favours them"
he then stopped to sniff a little and twitched his face, Obiora could see it, even in the little light.
"I don't want you to wrestle anymore" he said finally shaking his legs,
"Chimankpa is not a well behaved person, he killed a man from Umunna because of a parcel of land"
he paused now, and the continued abruptly, "he will kill you if he thinks you're a threat" .
Obiora didn't reply his father, he just went into his hut, his mother brought him his dinner in a wooden bowl, she had been worried sick as people returning from Umuaturu came back with the news of the fighting. She tried not to ask him about what had happened as she sat on a small wooden chair and watched him eat.
It was his favourite soup, Ofensela soup, but he couldn't eat much as he was still frightened by what would have happened to him had Chimankpa gotten close with his matchet. He was now afraid of the extent Chimankpa would go to sate his vile opinions of him.
The next day Chimankpa came out of his hut late, as he slept late. Everyone in the compound had gone to work in the farm. Earlier before he woke up, his father had an arguement with his mother.
"Why should a man be sleeping till this time" he had said,
"he must be having back pains" his mother retorted, Chimankpa had always been pampered since he was a boy. Being the only male child of his father's three wifes.
"He better join us in the farm" his father said, he had a chewing stick in his mouth. "He didn't get pains while tending my yams" he added.
Chimankpa decided to go to Umuagu Stream as he had been seeing a girl from Umuagu, Ifeoma was her name. He carried his goat skin, and put his drinking horn with meat wrapped in plantain leaf he had stolen from his mother's hut. He also carried his matchet.
Obiora was going to Ekene's hut when he saw Chimankpa on the same path. His instincts were to run the other way but he kept going forward.
"Cheater" Chimankpa screeched,
"you won't survive today" he added as he unsheathed his matchet.
"If you truly won fight me like a man and not as an Ewu" Obiora said, and wondered where he got the courage.
Chimankpa threw the matchet into a nearby bush and rushed at Obiora. Obiora bent and flinged him into the trunk of a nearby tree. Chimankpa let out a shrill and the fight was over before it started.
The news of Chimankpa's injury spread throughout Umuaturu and soon it was discovered that he had an encounter with the one person who bested him in the wrestling match, Obiora. Chimankpa never fought again as he couldn't really stand upright.