The Ways of My Village
In my village, a man must tread carefully when it comes to marriage, for our customs run deep and the spirits of our ancestors — the Ibegwu — do not sleep.
If you take a wife from my village, know this: adultery is not just a moral wrong — it is a death sentence. Should your wife betray you, and you hear of it but choose to ignore it, the Ibegwu will not spare you. Your body will turn against you — your stomach will swell, strange sicknesses will come, and before you know it, death will knock without warning.
It is not the gossip of men that kills — it is the wrath of the ancestors. The Ibegwu punish any man who allows shame to rest upon his head.
There is another rule too, one many outsiders find strange. A man must never lick his wife or lover’s private parts. To do so is to invite the fury of the Ibegwu unless proper sacrifices are made. Many women have rushed back to the village in fear, seeking to appease the spirits. One woman I know had to perform the ritual twice — the third time, the Ibegwu demanded not the usual cock, but a goat. That is how grave the offense was.
This is not idle talk — it is a warning. If you wish to marry from my village, understand the weight of our traditions. When you notice your wife “playing away match,” you must act swiftly and perform the required sacrifices, or otilor — it is finished for you.
We have many customs, each carrying its own consequence. But this one, the wrath of the Ibegwu upon marital unfaithfulness, remains the most feared. In our land, if a wife cannot remain faithful, the ancestors themselves will reveal it — and justice will follow.
