The Man and His Destiny

By Dr. Kemdi C. Opara

Destiny calls many people around the world to do great things and make a difference in their communities, countries, and societies. In Nigeria, destiny set its eyes on an orphan boy called Amajuoyi. After leaving home in the wake of abuse by his father's other family, Amajuoyi is found by a palm-wine tapper named Nkwuzor, who makes him his son and raises him to be an honorable man. But the road to greatness isn't always smooth, and Amajuoyi encounters several bitter and disheartening challenges along the way. But in the end-with faith, forgiveness, and perseverance-he finally achieves the great honor that destiny has prepared for him all along.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642141276

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The Man and His Destiny

Dr. Kemdi Opara

Copyright © 2018 Dr. Kemdi Opara

All rights reserved

First Edition

Page Publishing, Inc

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc 2018

ISBN 978-1-64214-126-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64214-127-6 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Acknowledgment

To all individuals who are mentally ill in the diaspora, especially the New York State Office of Mental Health, who gave me the chance to interact with those who are mentally challenged and allowed me to appreciate all people and also know that every life counts. To my many friends, who encourage me to persevere along the way.

To all my family members who believed in me and gave a reason to grow up. I thank you all for being part of my life and for giving me the needed support in life. You are all my family, and I love you all dearly.

Chapter One

Ogadinma and the Madwoman

She looked up and down, moved forward, moved backward, and shook her head. She closed her eyes and opened; she did that again and again. After a while, she was drawn from the market and walked the straight road. It was a tiny neighborhood market where garrulous women gathered at sunset to gossip and buy foodstuffs for their evening meal. The market environment is a huge bazaar of different people from far and near. There is a narrow road beginning from the village and ended in that stream—a dangerous broad dark highway without beginning or end. After much wandering, she had discovered two such markets linked together by such a dangerous highway; then she ended her wandering. One market was Nkwo, the other Orie. The two days of the market suited her. Before setting off for Nkwo, she had a enough time to wind up her business properly on Orie. She passed the night there putting right again her house, but after a day of defilement by the two big market women who said it was their market still, first she had put off a fight. But the women had won and brought their men four hefty animals from the bush to whip her out of the house. After that day, she always avoided them, moving out in the morning of the market and back in the dusk to pass the night. There in the morning, she rounded off her affairs swiftly and set out on that beautiful road to Nkwo in the distant town of Umundu. She held her stuff and cage in her right hand, and with the knife, she steadied the basket of her belongings on her head. She got herself this cudgel to deal with little animals on the way, who threw stones at her and made fun of their mother’s nakedness, not her own.

She used to walk in the middle of the road holding herself in conversation. But one day, the driver of a truck known as Osondu and his mate came down heavily on her, shouting, pushing, and slapping her face. They said their truck nearly ran over their father. After that, she avoided those noisy trucks with the vagabond inside them.

Having walked one day and one night, she was now close to the Orie marketplace. From every little side road, crowds of market people covered the big highway to join the enormous flow to Orie. Then she wondered how some young ladies with waterpots on their hands could make it toward her, unlike the rest away from the market. This surprised her. Then she saw two more waterpots rise out of a sloping footpath leading off her side of the ever-busy road. She felt thirsty then and stopped to think over it. Then she set down her basket on the roadside and turned into the sloping footpath. But first, he begged his highway not to be offended and continue the journey without her. I’ll get some for you too, she said coaxingly with a tender backward glance. I know you are thirsty. On that fateful Nkwo market day, Ogadinma was a man of high standing and the epitome of justice in Umundu. He was rising higher. A man of wealth and integrity. He had just informed all the eze-ji men of the town that he proposed to seek admission into their honored hierarchy in the coming initiation season.

Your proposal is excellent, said the man of little. When we see, we shall believe, which was their dignified way of telling you to think over it again and make sure you have the