Concubine

The Concubine
The village of Omokachi and its surrounding villages are very close to each other, whether physically or emotionally. The inhabitants of these villages show great respect and love for one another, even if the individuals are not related by blood, they are always there for one another. Omokachi was a small village comprising of eleven family groups, because of this they had close relations with their neighbors. Worshippers from two villages would meet and offer sacrifices to establish goodwill and ensure no evil would cross from one village to the other. (pg. 14) When life brings great sorrow or trouble to the members of the village, their neighbors are quick to be by their side to aid them in any possible. This sense of community is what helped these villages thrive.
When a member of the village has been harmed, all neighbors and relatives are quick to be there for them. When Emenike came back from a fight with Madume and he was badly hurt, his brother Nnadi, and his wife Ihuoma, rushed to his side to help him, and soon the rest of the village would be aware of his injuries (pg. 3). After a confrontation with several men from the village, Mudame is injured when a snake spits poison into his eyes leaving him in pain and unable to see. Despite the prior confrontation, the men rush to get help for Mudame. (pg. 70) When Ekwueme is suffering numerous illnesses from the love potion, his parents care for him with each one, and they continue to check in on him and know when he seemed to be off from his usual personality (ch. 24). The sense of community helped the Omokachi village thrive. The whole village lived as a family and when another member of the family was in need, there was an army of people there to help them. No one wanted to see another member of their village suffer, and it showed by the actions that were represented.
When a member of the village was in need of help, they could always count on their neighbors and family members. After the fight between Emenike and Madume, Emenike’s wife, Ihuoma, stays with Emenike the whole time caring for him and preparing his food. A steady stream of visitors would come daily to be there for him as well. (pg. 7) When Emenike dies, Ihuoma is distraught and cannot seem to do anything but cry. Even though it seems like Madume is to blame, Wolu, his wife, goes to console Ihuoma even if it seems weird due to the fight between their two husbands. (pg. 20) Regardless of the situation the two women were put in because of their husbands, the two women were there for each other for their husband’s untimely death. Ihuoma was in need of a lot of help and consoling after her husband died, Ekwueme and Nnadi help her a lot. Ekwueme comes to comfort her by distracting her by having conversations with her about things like wrestling and even makes a song for Emenike’s honor (pg. 22-24). Nnadi and Ekwueme also work on Ihuoma’s leaking roof before raining season starts to prevent her from having to deal with flooding (pg. 42). Since Ihouma is the only women living in her compound, Nnadi is always watching out to make sure she is safe. When Ekwueme and his father, Wigwe, stop by to see Ihuoma late at night, Nnadi came over to make sure everything was okay and that she was safe. (pg. 112) After a year of Emenike’s death, Ihuoma has to begin the preparations for his second burial rights. Her neighbors and family help by distracting her to get her mind off of it, they help cook food and fetch water. And on the day of the ceremony a lot of people from her village and other villages come to honor Emenike. (pg. 31-35) When Ekwueme has gone mad from the love potion and runs away, the whole village gets together to search for him. Then, when Ekwueme is in a tree and the only person that will get him out is Ihuoma, she comes. She also pretends to want to marry him when it is the only things that will make him take the antidote for the potion to make him better. (pg 180-185) Despite differences or personal problems, the individuals living in the village were always there to help their neighbors and family members.
The people living in Omokachi always showed deep love and respect for one another. They lived like a family and were always there to help when someone needed it. Whether it was emotional pain or physical pain, there was always someone rushing to help. No one was ever alone and that helped the village thrive. Through great sorrow, loss, and troubles, the people of the village acted as a family and never left someone to deal with things alone.

Work Cited
Amadi, Elechi. The Concubine. Waveland Press, Inc., 2017.