Oyibo's Essay: The Story Of The Great Kwileto River

The silence at the dinner table was unusually loud except for the slow munching of food that filled the air. Even the buzz of the crickets outside in the cold evening grass resounded through the dining room. The dinner table was made of a cow’s skin tightened on the sides of a wooden frame with four legs and the chairs were made of the countryside reeds that grew along the great Kwileto River. No one was talking to anyone and everyone concentrated on his or her plate of the evening meal. Sselebwa, Obina’s father was sitting at his usual spot enjoying its pleasantries from what seemed to be a long day of victory. It was evident to note the wrinkles of self-approval form on his forehead routinely with every mouthful he took. The last thing anyone …show more content…
Oyibo was the only poverty-stricken neighbor Sselebwa would accept an association. They had grown up and played together as children. Oyibo owned a small piece of land and one goat. He referred to the goat as his wife. The little parcel of land was very fertile that it always gave him enough harvest to last him a whole year. Sselebwa had secretly desired to own Oyibo’s land. One day he used his influence to grab Oyibo’s land and relocated him to the great Kwileto River. Everyone, even Keseko- the village lunatic, knew that during the rainy season the floods would sweep Oyibo’s new home. The thought of it was too much for Obina to …show more content…
Everyone in the room went silent since this was strange. Astonished, all the people at the dinner table looked at Sselebwa then at Obina. In addition, Sselebwa added to their surprise when they heard him giving Obina the opportunity to speak. "Papa, I didn 't like the way you treated Oyibo,” Obina spoke feebly. The silence that followed was threatening. “What have I done?” the old man regretted as his hands began to shake in what would appear to be either anger or guilt, or both. Obina’s mother almost dropped. She knew that could be the last time she would set her eyes on her last-born son. Nobody had ever confronted the chief. “How could Obina do that?” was what seemed to be the look on her face. Well, Obina was ready for the consequences. At least someone had to stand for what was just and he thought to himself that he was willing to be that person in spite of the possible