Tortoise and Tomorrow 's Surprises in the Pattern of Relationship

By

Obododimma Oha

I heard this interesting story about Tortoise from my father and learnt a lot from it. I  learnt, for instance, that, without me, life would continue. Interestingly, there would be new patterns of relationship. In fact, they could start right away when I have just stopped breathing or have just closed my eyes to look at another reality.

I have often wondered why my late father has not bothered to phone me or write letters. This was a man who used to come to my room regularly for a discussion. But, after more than 20 years, nobody hears from him or sees him. If he has a computer in his head, it must have been reformatted and he must have lost all his files! Imagine, he lost memory completely and hardly remembers, it seems. One doesn't even get a message from him in a dream. Maybe he went very deep in his afterlife experience. He must have gone very deep to rest, as if he was getting away from our trouble! But, didn't I tag his oration, "Ezumike Pụrụ Iche" (Special Rest) during his funeral?

This was what papa told me about on the strategic death of Tortoise. Tortoise wanted to find out what tomorrow would be like after his death, what his wives would do.  So, he pretended that he had died. Right away the last wife who was very young, made herself up and left to attract men. The next in youthfulness said, "What? So this idiot could die one day? So, one can be this free?" And with those words on her lips, she wiped her buttocks and left. It remained the first wife, who was ugly and too old. Tortoise hardly went to her hut. But this one wept bitterly, saying: " Oh my dear husband! Great one! What must have killed you? Please, don't die yet. Don't leave behind in this terrible world!"

On hearing this lament, Tortoise sneezed and said: "I won't die again," and embraced her. You need to see the warmth and sincerity in that embrace. Tortoise said : "Now I know who is truly my wife."

Tortoise had embraced his first love. Those that were not his wives had left. We could see him as he was and he could see clearly. He was an idiot for picking a wife that was not his. Her heart was somewhere else and she was just waiting for Tortoise to leave her life. But the first wife was there for him. She was looking at Tortoise, not her makeup kit. Her beauty was not on her face but in her faithfulness, her enduring love. 

And the third wife? Aah, that one was really never the wife of Tortoise. Maybe she saw Tortoise as one of her decorations and was waiting for the old fellow to die for her to inherit something. But she saw nothing she could proudly inherit. Just his stupid tricks! So she gave up in despair. Now, this is her chance! 

The third wife only seized an opportunity. They say that an opportunity comes but once. Is she going to wait for which next opportunity? She just had to seize the one she could see.

So, that old fellow thought that she was stupid?  She wasn't and she had to show it. If other wives wanted to stay, that was their business. After all, they came on different missions. 

One thing is clear: tomorrow may be unpredictable but we have to be able to read the signs on the wall. "Onye ma echi?" (Who knows tomorrow?). 

You can be sure that when that second wife called Tortoise an "idiot," the trickster felt like someone stabbed. Great Tortoise an "idiot"? He could not believe his ears! This was a woman because of whom he made so many enemies, even on Facebook! This was the same woman because of whom he told the first wife terrible things, including telling her to pack and go. Now, that special third wife has left, thinking he was dead! Imagine! This world sef. 

We cannot tell tomorrow to sleep on this side or on that side. Tomorrow as wives belonging to Tortoise may go to another man! Imagine that. 

Tomorrow is not anybody's wife. It is not under our control. We may be misled into thinking that we have her, having wedded her. But she is not ours and her pattern may surprise us. 

One thing is certain about the pattern of things tomorrow and that is their uncertainty. The younger wives of Tortoise will not wait to obtain permission from him to leave. If they leave without obtaining permission from Tortoise, it is predictable. The pattern of things tomorrow is not something to be worked out with tricks. That reality is beyond anyone.