Dr Oliver Akamnonu

The Pagans' Medals: New Taste of the West Dr Oliver Akamnonu

A male child is born into the family of a traditionalist in the backwoods of Umunta. The third child of the family, first son of his father and first and only child of his mother is kidnapped and whisked off to a notorious slave baron a day's journey away from home. Intervention by the baron's wife borne out of reminiscences of her earlier lost sons saves the young victim from the jaws of slavery and possible death. Returned to his pagan parents the child grows up and satisfies the simple test of maturity for enrolment into school in a society where birth certificates and registry of births and deaths are non-existent. The test for maturity for enrolment is satisfied by the child reaching his or her left ear with the tip of the right middle finger from across the head. At school the child decides to embrace a religious life which is not approved of by his parents. The ensuing conflict borne out of differences between religion and traditional beliefs as well as a father's resolve to uphold the dignity and traditions of his ancestors lands the father into detention after he physically attacks school teachers to avenge the reported bullying of his son and mockery of his ancestors. Ultimate display of dehumanization is meted out in custody by a self-appointed prison king to the embattled husband and father during his ensuing detention. The situation is saved by the Ogaraya People Club an Association of polygamists which is in a battle for supremacy with the practitioners of the nascent Christian religion in the community. Overzealousness on the part of a school teacher over the right or otherwise of a non-baptized pupil to wear a medal with a saint's emblem on it threatens to restart a new battle. But good reasoning later prevails and compassion for the emotional tears from a son compels a reluctant father to acquiesce to the ordination of his only son to become a Fada, a celibate priest. This is in spite of the father's earlier opposition to the ordination an