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It was the day of the big wrestling match. The distant beating of drums began to reach us from the direction of the ilo, the village playground. Every village had its own ilo which was as old as the village itself and where all the great ceremonies and dances took place. The drums beat the unmistakable wrestling dance—quick, light and gay, and it came floating on the wind.

“Is that not Obiageli weeping?” Ekwefi (my sister) called across the yard to my mother.

“Yes,” she replied, “She must have broken her waterpot.”

Children filed in carrying on their heads various sizes of pots suitable to their years. Ikemefuna (my sort of adopted brother) came first with the biggest pot, closely followed by Nwoye (my brother) and our two younger brothers. I brought up the rear, my face streaming with tears. In my hand was the cloth pad on which the pot should have rested on my head.

“What happened?” asked my mother, and I told her my mournful story. My mother consoled her and promised to buy me another pot.

I had been making inyanga (showing off) with my pot. I had balanced in on my head, folded my arms in front of me and began to sway my waist like a grown-up young lady. When the pot fell down and broke, I burst out laughing. I only began to weep when I got near the iroko tree outside our compound. crying
I then brought my father his meal. My sister Ezinma brought him a meal also.

“Obiageli broke her pot today,” Ezinma said. redface

“Yes, she has told me about it,” Okonkwo said between mouthfuls.

“Father,” I said, “people should not talk when they are eating or pepper may go down the wrong way.”

“That is very true. Do you hear that, Ezinma? You are older than Obiageli but she has more sense.”
3nodding

My father uncovered his second wife’s dish and began to eat from it. I took the dish and returned to my mother’s hut. And then Nkechi came in, bringing the third dish. Nkechi was the daughter of my father’s third wife.

In the distance the drums continued to beat.


(Dialogue and story adapted from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart)