The Coronation

The sun was smiling down on the earth, and all could feel its warmth on their skin. The streets were empty, and Mahi Village looked like a ghost town. It was going to be so for the next six days.

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Chief Eze was a tall, elderly man, his face like that of a sunflower, his eyes sparkling like diamonds. All the women in the village were enchanted by Chief Eze.

The Royal Messenger knocked on Chief Eze's door. He had a letter from the palace. He opened the letter; it was an invitation to the coronation ceremony of Chief Ike as the new King of Mahi village. Tears rolled down his eyes, and he swept like a baby whose mother had refused to breastfeed him.

Chief Eze was to be the next King of Mahi village, as it was his family's turn to produce the next King.After the former king died, everyone expected Chief Eze to ascend the throne. But some elders in the village said it was not the turn of Chief Eze. Chief Eze protested the decision. "It is my family's turn to ascend the throne, and nobody can stop us". Mazi Emeka responded "Sit down, Eze; you are unfit for the throne" Zaki, a man who was regarded as the village tortoise, stood up to speak. Everyone kept silent as Zaki was regarded as a wiseman. "Chief Eze, you cannot be king of this village because you are not married". Eze interrupted Zaki. "When did marriage become a qualification for being the king of Mahi". "Sit down, Eze," Emeka shouted.

Chief Eze turned to the other members of the council and said, "This is wrong; you all know this," but they all echoed that this is the new law of the land.

Chief Eze walked out of the palace. He went straight to the village shrine. They looked like another world, decorated with wooden carvings and cowries. "Welcome, son of Mahi," the chief said. Chief Eze bowed and said "A great evil is about to befall this land". The chief priest smiled and said "Eze, the gods of our land have given a new law: if a man becomes a king, he must be a husband." Chief Eze could not believe his ears. He thought, "Why will the gods wait still when it is my turn to become the king of Mahi before they bring a new law?" He left the village shrine looking like a hen beaten by the rain.
As Eze walked home, he met a crowd of young people singing and chanting war songs with leaves in their mouths and charcoal on their faces like those going to war. The youths had heard what had happened at the council meeting and were protesting the decision not to crown Eze as the next King of Mahi. The leader of the group shouted "Chief Eze, you are our king, and you alone will be bowed to". Eze looked at the young people and said "My children, let us allow peace to reign", The young men shouted "no". Eze looked at them and immediately knew that if he did not do anything, the young men might set the village on fire. Eze said to the young men, "If we burn down our village, where will we all stay? "Do you all want us to be strangers in another land?". They all echoed "no". The leader of the group said "Wise words, Chief Eze".

It was the day of the coronation. The music from the palace engulfed the whole village. All the villagers appeared like angels in their best attire. It was going to be a great feast.The young maidens danced, their waists moving like the waves of the ocean. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Chief Eze walked into the palace, and there was great disbelief among some of the villagers. No one expected him to come for the coronation. Eze had summoned courage; he told himself "The gods of our land will defend their throne". He sat close to Mazi Emeka. Mazi Emeka whispered to Eze "You are a man without shame; I know you came here because of the food".

The chief priest walked into the palace, and the place became a grave. It was time to crown the new king of Mahi village. Zaki walked into the palace courtyard, where the coronation rites were to be performed. He wore a royal garment. It was glittering like a thousand diamonds. He sat on the royal chair. The chair was glowing like the early morning sun.

The chief priest gave Zaki the royal signet. Zaki could not wear the ring as it was so heavy. "Wear the signet, Zaki," the chief priest shouted. The more Zaki tried to wear the signet, it became like a rock.
Some of the youths shouted "The gods have rejected you, Zaki". They protested that Eze should be given the signet to wear. Eze wore the signet, and the crowd shouted in jubilation. The elders who had conspired against Eze stood up to leave, but the young men prevented them from leaving. The chief priest tried to disappear, but he couldn't; his incantation had failed.

The young men wanted to mob Zaki, but King Eze asked them to let him go. Zaki fell to the floor and thanked the King for showing him mercy. Zaki confessed that he was driven by greed. He had bribed the chief priest of the village, promising to give him a part of the kingdom. He promised the other elders to give them lands of their choice and part of the monthly taxes.

The crowd shouted "Kill them, our king". Eze looked at the crowd and the anger in their faces. He said, "The good people of Mahi deserve death for lying against the gods of our land. But what shall we gain from their heads on a stake? Let us not pollute our land with the blood of these men. I therefore banish them from the land of Mahi. Let them live with the shame of their evil deeds till the day the earth will swallow them".

The villagers clapped and hailed King Eze. King Eze thought to himself "If I had not responded to the invitation with an open heart, maybe the gods would not have favored me".