Chief Ezego of the Amansi community was a very wealthy and famous high chief, he had 5 wives and 10 female children, he lived in the biggest compound in the community. His compound had 8 bungalow buildings and one duplex, all fenced from each other. He lived in the duplex while his wives lived in the bungalows separately with their children.
When High Chief Ezego passed on, it was a sad one for everybody, both in the family and the whole community. His burial was celebrated for 7 days, each day a special kind of activity was done.
Apart from the king, Chief Ezego was the wealthiest man in Amansi, he owned hundreds of plots of lands and properties which not everyone knew about. He was a very secretive man who never shared every detail with his family. He always believed it was the best because of his number of wives and children. Such things could instigate conflict in the family, according to him.
Before passing, Ezego wrote and handed his Will to his lawyer, A Barrister Willie Obinu. He gave specific and precise instructions on how his will should be read and handled, his instructions were not to be joked with, he had told my Willie the day he submitted the will to him.
So after the funeral ceremony, a meeting was called by Barrister Willie. Everyone in the family was expected to be in attendance, from the first to the last wife and the youngest to oldest child. On the day of the meeting everyone was in attendance but Barrister Willie refused to start the meeting, he claimed that some family members were still missing. And at that moment they heard a knock on the door, when it was opened unfamiliar faces stood behind it.
A woman with 4 male children stepped into the house, there was confusion everywhere as the late chief Ezegos wives demanded an explanation to the identity of the woman and her male children. They had already seen the resemblance on the faces of the boys, jealousy filled their hearts because they all knew the tradition and that was that girls don't inherit the fathers properties, everything goes to his male children.
The 5 wives demanded that the Barrister read the will immediately, but instead a letter was read first. The letter simply stated that everyone presently in the room were related, including the strange woman and her children, in the letter chief Ezego explained how he had a family outside, he kept it a secret because he didn't want to cause troubles with his wives. He stated that everyone presently in the room should stay together in his own duplex building in the compound for 2 days without any conflict, after which his will and final wishes will be read.
Barrister Willie emphasized the importance of obeying the late chiefs instructions as any altercations between the wives in any form of conflict would prevent the will to be read for another 5 years. So everyone obeyed and moved into the late chief's duplex.
The first day wasn't easy as the wives kept on provoking themselves, the 5 Wives teamed up in a bid to frustrate their late husband's concubine but they failed as she was a very peaceful person. She ignored all their tricks and antics. She just stuck with her children with her lover's instructions in mind.
On the 3rd day, when the will was to be read by Barrister Wille, everyone assembled in late Chief Ezego's massive living room. With fear and curiosity in the minds of everyone, they all listened as it was read. Everyone hoped to receive a large inheritance from the late chief.
According to the will, all late Chief Ezego's properties were divided into two. One would be shared to the community and the other would be shared among all his children equally. No one was exempted both female and male including all his wives and concubine.
He had succeeded in making peace in his family even in death.
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