I’m delighted to share that I’ve finally taken a short vacation, and what better way to spend it than to be closer to nature? Visiting my mom's village (Ndiebe Abam in Arochukwu LGA Abia State) has always been a great joy for me, especially during the holidays. But this time is different. It’s not a festive period, and this is the first time I’ve visited the city out of season, but I’m enjoying every moment.
When my mom mentioned that she was heading to the city to help my uncle with the farmland, my immediate response was, “I’ll go with you!” It was too good an opportunity to miss: seeing the village earlier than usual, learn how to do traditional things, be closer to nature and appreciate it the more, and of course, collect some content for Hive.
As I expected, my mom agreed to let me accompany her, but she had one condition: I had to make her two new dresses so she could attend church in style. I accepted without hesitation. However, since she was due to leave the next day and still had one dress incomplete, I asked her to go ahead and I told her that I would meet her the next day with the second dress in hand.
Then I realized that I would be traveling to the village alone. I had never done this before and did not even know the way! But my mother was sure that I would find my way, and her confidence touched me. Something inside me told me that everything would be fine, so I did not worry too much.
The next day, after finishing the dress, I packed it with my clothes and prepared to leave. After a cool bath, I carefully selected my favorite set of clothes for the trip. With everything in place, I set off on my exciting journey.
The bus ride was quiet and it took just 1 hour and some minutes to get to the village.
Seeing the village again filled me with joy; not much had changed. The people were still the same: united, friendly and warm. All the passersby greeted me, some even asked whose daughter I was. My heart warmed every time my mother’s name was mentioned.
"Ah, Ibu nwa Rebecca, chai ka nnule, ka!!!" (So you are Rebecca's daughter, oh, welcome my daughter! Welcome my dear!)
Their warm welcome made me feel at home and I knew this trip would be really exciting as always.
The next day, I joined my uncle and mom on a visit to the cassava and rice farms. We set out early in the morning, with the cool air and the sounds of nature accompanying us on our journey. The cassava farm was our first stop, but it wasn’t as close as I had thought. It took us about two hours of walking. We passed by rivers, muds, swamps, through thick vegetation, to finally reach it. The journey was long, I even got really tired on the road, but my uncle and mom seemed to be used to it.
When we finally got there, the cassava plants were standing tall, but my uncle informed us that they weren’t due for harvest yet. The plants needed a bit more time before they would be ready. We only cleared some weeds in the farm so they don't disturb the cassava's growth.
Despite this, I didn't feel the visit was wasted. I learned about the different stages of cassava growth, how to tell when the roots are ready for harvesting, and the importance of being patient in farming.
After leaving the cassava farm, we made our way to the rice farm. Unlike the cassava farm, it wasn’t too far, but the road leading to it was swampy and difficult to navigate. We carefully made our way through the muddy path, taking our time to avoid slipping. When we finally reached the rice farm, I was amazed at the sight of the tall stalks swaying gently in the breeze. The rice wasn’t ready for harvest either, but just being there and seeing how it grew was exciting and I learnt a great deal!
While returning home we stopped at the palm trees and harvested some.palm fruits. These fruit's with their bright red color were heavy and filled with oil. At home we used the palm fruits in various ways, we used some for stews, and the rest we processed into oil .
With each passing day I found myself learning more about village life. How to make local foods from scratch, I'm learning how rice is planted and processed, I also learnt how to extract oil from palm fruits. It was exciting to see fishermen fishing in the river, villagers fetching woods from the forest, and also collecting water from the stream.
I've also witnessed some festivals like wearing masquerades, and there's also a new yam festival coming up soon- a time when the villagers will gather to celebrate the harvest of yams, which are a staple food here. I really hope we stay longer to see this festival next month so I can experience and as well share the story.
I'm so glad we embarked in this adventurous journey filled with new experiences and insights. I'm so happy and grateful for this opportunity to connect with my roots, learn valuable skills and be closer to nature and learn how to appreciate natural things.
There's a big contrast with living in the bustling city to living in the village where we celebrate nature and eat things freshly gotten from the farm, seeing tiny seeds that you planted grow gives extraordinary joy and that type of joy is priceless!
