The Blind Gods

Book excerpt: The news that the gods of infidelity has struck Mama Titi to death for committing adultery brought the social life of women in Afon community to a halt. The women were aggressive and despondent. “How about the man, her lover? Sharia has come to the South!” Cried the women. Mama Koko, an ambitious good-looking women leader whose gorgeous figure could intimidate the most confident of the men, finds this male chauvinism deeply repugnant. She is poised to liberate the women of Afon from the tutelage of a traditional deity, Ekpo Nkagwo, the god of infidelity, which has been instituted by men to punish adulterous women only. But Ikwo, a sharp-tongued woman who sees men’s dominance as godly and invincible disassociates herself. She sheepishly discloses the plans by women to destroy the Craft Image of the god of infidelity to her husband, Chief Anwana -- a betrayal of the worst kind, which temporarily paralyses the women’s liberation moves. “Our problem is in ourselves”, regretted Inim, the virgin. Chief Anwana is unhappy. He summons the elders in Afon who consider the women’s suggestion to destroy the deity as a threat to their dominance of the women folks. The elders, in a unanimous decision, send the women’s leaders -- Mama Koko and Ntiense-- on exile. Yet Afon community was without excitement as Adiaha denied her husband, Akpan-utere, romance. Akpan-Utere, now drunk is forced to reveal the secrets on how to demystify the power of the god of infidelity. Mama Koko, who is on exile, is unrelenting in her bid to free the women. There is more to learn from the intrigue in the destruction of the blind gods to free Afon women.