Faces of Luck

Abstract

Uwaoma is a luck-magnet. The day her late mother, Nwanyidiya, had her, the whole village was indoors. The day started with a strange rain in mid okochi, the season of dryness, winds and cold breeze and shortly after Ekeano festival. It was midday before the raindrops abated, letting in a different sound- the groaning of a woman in labour. One after another, the women came out of their huts, hurrying towards the voice. They knew it was Nwanyidiya, the only woman duly pregnant in the neighbourhood. It was both habitual and obligatory for women to lay aside their usual squabbles whenever it had to do with welcoming a new one. Even as it still drizzled, all hands were on deck until the cry of a baby was heard. Another female was born to Mazi Nzenna. The first, Akuoma, born about seven rain seasons ago, was happy to have a second. The drizzling ceased and ushered in a mild sun upon the kingdom, so tender. People remarked the baby had a bright destiny, was a luck magnet. Nzenna thus named his baby-daughter Uwaoma, meaning ‘the lucky one’. Of course since her arrival, their fireplace never lacked fish for Nwanyidiya’s omugho.