DEAR DAIRY: ADA

Ada, Ada!, oh! my Ada. 
what has become of you?, have you lost the pleasure of our childhood love?
Oh! Ada, queen of my heart......

These were the lamentations of John after he returned from a losy battle. It was evening and it was a rainy season and the season to plant; his coco yam plantation was blooming, but his heart was on fire, John had lost the love of his life.
It all began three years ago when John first met Ada, by first met, they fell in love. Ada and John had been friends since childhood, and the innocence of their love had been traded with one more intense; filled with romance and complexity, a complexity that comes with maturity.
As a result of this new found love and romance, John and Ada began making plans for the future, their village was a small one, a commercial city though, since it was close to a large river,  which flowed into the Niger. John was over 25 and being born to the village chief his request for allocation to a large piece of land and a large section of the community river as his fishing ground had been granted. John had great potentials and his potential had been what had driven the chief, his father to aid him in every way possible, but then Ada came along.
Ada, the apple of her fathers eyes and the daughter of the king maker was the beauty of the village, an angel to behold- she could be a shield in battle- although she wrecked many men.
Through the course of their romance, they began to build greater bond between their parents and their romance was greatly encouraged, John was not ready for marriage, although he was not a virgin and Ada was not the first woman that had caught his eyes, he had played the games that young men of his age had, and yet even when Ada asked that they should be married, he asked for more time, citing that it was too early and that they needed a few more months. Ada soon showed her real color and that was when the drama began...

3 months after the beginning of their relationship, oil was discovered within the village. John however had no idea about the change that was about to begin, he concentrated greatly on his farm work, making as much produce and sales as he can, within those few months he had sown and reaped greatly and his sales were profitable. When one of the women he met in the past came along, asking for a little romance, John did not resist, being a man who had little to worry about; but his obligation to an aging father, his community and the beautiful Ada who he was beginning to fall for. Within a few months, Nnkechi came around, telling John that she was pregnant for him and that she was about to have his child and wanted to be married to him. The news spread like wild fire and soon Ada heard, the king maker heard and the canon was prepared for the big boom. 
White men had began entering the community, coming with big cars- as it appeared to them, then bigger cars which carried strange looking iron which the villagers did not understand what it was, There was no educated man in the village, so an interpreter was called and they soon understood that the white men needed oil, oil that was not from palm cannel but that flowed below the ground. The village chief was confused and asked for his smartest and most hard working son John to be called; Chief Mazu had called his son John, after some strange mannered black men as himself came to the village, claiming that they had found Jesus and that he was the way. The villagers refused them, and so did the village Chief, but he fancied the name of one of the people mentioned in the stories, John the baptist, who the missionaries claimed was the greatest in his time, so he picked the name John, because it was a name respected by the white men, who were the colonial masters.
When John arrived at the village square and the interpreter had passed across the information which was intended, John thought for a short while and then asked what the white men had brought for the villagers, then the interpreter presented mirror and clothes and a device which could tell the time and few wards of British money, then John asked about the nature of this oil, if they can use it to cook, if they can feed on it, but the reply was negative and John grew very suspicious, bothering himself about the intentions of the white and advised his father to let the white men leave their instruments, but they should leave and return on a fourth night.
Now the anger which Ada had in her could not be compared because she felt betrayed and cast down; that her love had slept with another, getting the girl pregnant and that she had lost her place to be first wife and that if this other girl gave birth to a boy, she will lose the right of inheritance for her first son.

Because of her anger, Ada left with her friends to a bush bar, drinking herself to stupor and ended up having sex under a guava tree, deep in a bush in which she lost her virginity. The following morning, Ada was depressed and she decided to make a complete mess of her entire life and deal with men in total, she was going to start with John, but before him, she'll deal with that bastard, the idiot that raped her.
In two days, the news was out, that Ada the beautiful damsel had been raped and that the culprit was to be hanged, it was big taboo. Ada had to be flogged, stripped and paraded about the village for her defilement, because in an African village virginity is valued above gold, valued above oil, and Ada should have protected it, even with her life.
After the ritualistic cleansing process, Chief Akamzi, the village King maker was ready to make war with the King. His only daughter had been disgraced and all these terrible things had happened because of John. 
John had been quiet about the entire incident, he was more focused on his wife to be and future baby mother, Nnkechi. John had began to have to feelings for Ada, but he didn't understand if it was because of her present predicament and disgrace or because he was really beginning to develop feelings for Ada. He loved her like a sister, and he didn't know how to approach her to say he was sorry and to let her understand the kind of love that he felt towards her and why he did not want them to get married so soon, that it was because he was confused and that he wanted to really understand the kind of love that he felt within.
However, Chief Akamzi had decided to make as much money as he can from the white men who were around in the village, the wads of British currency had been so enticing, and he intended to take bribes from the white men, to leave the village and go to the city.
When the white men returned after a fourth night, the village king and the counsel were prepared with an answer for them. The interpreter was ready, the white men were ready, but John was nowhere to be found. After a few hours of waiting, John finally arrived, claiming that his wife was in labor and that she was with the midwifes, waiting to be delivered.
The meeting proceeded with John having a brief conversation with the king, the king maker and other chiefs. 

After a few minutes the big answer was passed across, which was concise and straight to the point. John asked the white men for the truth saying that their spies in other communities have reported to them about stories on how the oil that was collected from the soil was sent to the white mans land and that the oil they collected spoiled their earth and that they will not allow the white men drill oil in their community. So the answer was no.
From the moment that the King accepted John's advice, chief Akamzi was displeased with the conclusion that was reached. He had his plans, and he was going to make sure his plan works; John was the hindrance to his success, the spec in his eyes, and he needed him out of the way.

Ada had a few days to recover, she was accepting the fact that she had been made a public example, a shame to womanhood and had lost the right and chance she had to a husband such as John. In her confusion and depression, she found herself getting closer to different sorts of men, by what means they found access to her, she could not say, but they were always on point, punctual and never caught in the act. Ada didn't understand what made them come around, if it was because she was so much more attractive than she usually was or that she was now of little or no value. Even her fathers friends made advances at her and the madness that took over her mind, like a raging dogma, made her sleep with a couple, and then another couple and she soon lost count and now she was just the sex addict and it was no surprise to her when she missed her period. She seeked help from the community herbalist; of course through the help of her friend, with who she had gone to the bush bar for a night out on that Friday- the day she lost her virginity. Her depression coupled with her badluck had become madness. She knew but she couldn't help herself. The herbalist gave her concussion which she soon took and had a few nights of intense bleeding during which she believed she would die and hoped that she did, but as the gods will have it, she lived.

After the disagreement with the white men, the people of the community did not realise that the soft and calm nature with which the whites came was just a community entry, a means to an end- the oil under their feet. Soon they will return with a greater means of persuasion, the only thing that black men understood- violence.

The community , although small, was a province, it was the leader of a ten other communities, with it as the war head. Their military was unsurmountable and their strenght and valor was their pride.

Finally, John found courage and paid a visit to Ada; chief Akamzi could not complain, because John was the prince and as royalty, had the benefits of a ruler. John had a few hours of conversation with Ada and for the first time since the incident, she smiled and laughed, enjoying the privilege of innocence and the Joy that she felt within her heart, and she could swear, that it was in Johns heart also, for they were children again, and the innocence was beautiful; playing and laughing in the cool of the evening under the almond tree like they used to when they were children.

John noticed her random flinch of pain; sometimes he noticed her hold her stomach, and other times she noticed her face change when she laughed hard. He didn't bother to ask what the problem was because he was afraid he might hurt her.

The moment they shared was a beautiful one, and from that moment John realized that he had always loved her and that he loved her more more than just as a friend, or as a sister, even for a wife.

Nnkechi had given birth to a baby boy, who from the moment of birth raised suspicions about who the real father of the child was. It was adviced by the village chief that the high priest of the village should be consulted. The high priests answer was simple and straight; it was that John was not the father of the child and that the father of the child was a lover of women, a name that brings smiles to the face of loose women. Ukadike was the village drunkard and it was after him that the young baby boy take a strong resemblance. UKadike was known as a palm wine drunkard and a lover of women; he brought smiles to the face of young damsels through his constant praise. 

John put Nnkechi away quietly, choosing to believe the words of the gods and paying no attention to the gossips that arose. He thought again about his growing affection for Ada but put those thoughts aside; because being third in line to the throne, it could he heard that he married a defiled girl, or that she bore a child by him. 

Soon the white men arrived and along with then they carried guns with which to stair fear and cause orderliness through a little coarsion for the purpose they intended.

John was not distressed or surprised by the turn up of the whites and because he understood the cause of fear. John had earlier called a meeting of all the military heads from the ten districts asking them to prepare for war and telling them about what he had learnt from the interpreter, who he had bribed with a large piece of land and a wife . Now John, although he had a christian name, believed greatly in the gods and consulted them at all times, and on this mater he had seeked the face of the gods asking for the outcome of the war which was about to begin. The chief priest gave his blessings and prophesied victory but at a price of tragedy of love. In all this, notwithstanding, John was consistent with his farm work and his produce from both land and sea were bountiful and he prospered greatly. It was believed that the love of the gods was upon him and the his destiny was to save and liberate the people. 

Ada continued to recover from her illness and had gained great joy and encouragement from Johns constant visit although she believed that her tragedy was a handwork of the gods, she did however believe that she might still play a role in near future, since on several occasions John had come in to her and their love had been consumed.

When the whites arrived with the police, their guns and larger gifts, they called for a meeting, presenting them (the gifts) to the people; they were confused and frustrated when they were not welcomed and turned down by the village worrior and champion, John.

With a brief show of violence and coersion, they met a stronger resistance and this time with a larger turn up of people, local warriors, who appeared all of a sudden from the bushes and were dressed in worrior clothes. They were outnumbered and their show of force had been outmarched so they departed knowing that this was war- but as always, there is always a Judas among every twelve, so they seeked out chief Akamzi, knowing that he loved money and that he hated the village ruler and wanted vengeance on John. So they called him to a secret meeting asking for his help to conquer the village in return for a huge sum of money. The amount was great, larger than he will ever get in all his lives work and so he agreed, promising to leak strategic information to the British government. It was war, and it had begun.

Chief Akamzi needed an accomplice and the person on his mind was his beautiful daughter Ada. Ada was reluctant to be a partner in the deal but consistent persuasion by her mother was enough to convince her. She soon agreed, having been convinced to get closer to John, to get information and to give fake counsel to him.

Ada agreed to the deal, partly because of her mothers persuasion and partly because she had a chance to be closer to John. It was one last chance, either to make this right or mar their relationship forever. John gladly accepted Ada's counsel, told her about his plans and the strategy which he had in place. He had ordered that foodstuff and produce should be stored with an aim to cushion the scarcity that may arise from the impending war. He had increased their trade margin, creating larger sales by cutting the price of local produce. Agricultural yield was plenty that year and so there was more than enough for storage and sales. The military strategy had been simple; since the whites used guns which the local warriors had no idea how it was mechanised and were terrified by the tales that they had heard about it, they decided that they will be on defence of the community with no form of attack by using a new system which John had discovered in one of his dreams- a vision from the gods. He had seen in the dream an instrument which flew like a bird, but had a pointed piercing end, with a head of iron. He talked to the local blacksmith and the village carpenter and plans were made to build such a machine, a machine that can make the piercing bird fly. They soon invented the bow and arrow, aided by rumors of its existence and the common practice of the north. John decided that there was no time and by means of a trade with the northerners, received enough bows and arrow for his military, although the blacksmith had to work day and night, fashioning a head of iron that was not too heavy, that was pointed and that could fly through the air.

This was an outright declaration of war and leader of the British was willing to bring them hell.

When the first attack came it was bloody for the villages, John almost lost his life. By some means, the whites had found out their plan and had their soldiers, during the night, behind the lines of the villagers vantage point. The slaughter was great and John sustainedown to fe threatening injuries, the village chief was killed and some of the women and men taken prisoners. John however escaped, and so did the high priest. Through secret passages, John and a few of the surviving warriors seeked out the high priest asking for answers. The high priest replied that Ada had sold the secret to the whites and that she had betrayed their trust but went ahead to warn John that Ada carried a royal blood and that she bore within her Johns son. Then John broke down and cried, wailing and calling out to Ada, wondering why she had forgot their childhood love. The other soldiers held him down to calm his anger. Their journey had been long and the produce that they carried from the farm were heavy.

John asked for the help of the high priest, saying he was willing to pay any price to defeat the whites who had done great damage to the community. The high priest replied that there had to be a blood sacrifice but there also had to be a request. John replied that he wanted invinsibilty and that he wanted the guns and the bullets of the white men to be powerless to him and his warriors. The high priest said the price was a human life and insisted that John cannot have Ada and the child, and that Ada's life was forfeit.

John agreed, although he argued his point vehemently; that his life should be forfeit, but the gods had spoken.

The ritual was performed, and the deed was done. In 7 days the village will be avenged and the gods will be pleased. 

"Its surprising how fast time flies especially when you are expectant of something". The seven days had ended and it was nightfall and John and his men were prepared for the big attack. So they went in the night, killing the whites and blacks - all those involved in the construction work for the oil drill. In the morning there was mourning everywhere and the British ruler vowed to kill every single one of the men of the community left. John had rallied the other communities, who fears for their life and their fate but provided the men who were still willing to go into battle. Finally they had a total of 100 men, able bodied and choice men and they did the deed- becoming invisible to the white mans guns or so they thought. They had no means to test its potency but they had blind faith, enough to drive their purpose. So they met the white men in the battle field and that day they all fell, one after the other they fell until the very last of them. Because John was in the front of the battle, he was the first to be cut down by the flying bullet. The gods had failed them.

Ada was taken prisoner along with the rest of the villagers. They were allowed to go about their various businesses so far as they provided food and lodging for the construction workers.

In 6 months, Ada had a baby boy who she called John after his father.

Written by Shadrach Onyarin.

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