The Trial of Monogamy:

Phased Polygamy In God's own country

   

    A male child Udoka, born to a family of five daughters and one son is raised by his single mother after the boy’s father dies prematurely in a rural third world community. The boy drops out of school at a very early age and joins the company of village loafers called “ofekes” and “ofo-ogolis.” These specialize in hanging around where there are wedding ceremonies, burial, and chieftaincy installation ceremonies, venues where there will be free food and free drinks.

  During one of such ceremonies in which Mr. Odike his cousin is taking a second wife, the uneducated Udoka sees, and falls in love with Chioma who is educated and who hails from a completely different social background being a catechist’s daughter. Udoka gets rebuffed. Twist of fate again brings both young people together and through encouragement from Chioma, Udoka goes to school, progresses, and ultimately marries Chioma.

   Further twist of fate sees the couple move over to Atlanta in America where Chioma trains for, and becomes a registered nurse and starts earning well.
Her new situation positions Chioma into seeing Dr. Gerald an attending consultant in the hospital where she works. Chioma falls in love with the rich medical doctor and without provocation, divorces her beleaguered husband who, laden with the burden of debts and child support, flees from Atlanta back to his Akunwanta native land.

   Chioma gets disappointed by Dr. Gerald after she aborts a baby she was expecting for him. The polygamous nature of the common Akunwanta origin of the divorced former couple holds out the only opportunity whereby Chioma can find a place as a second wife to a now prosperous and polygamous Udoka.

   The monogamy by law policy in Atlanta as opposed to the accepted polygamy by culture in Akunwanta plays out favorably for both parties as it becomes possible for Udoka to remain monogamous in Atlanta but polygamous in Akunwanta. One man’s apparent poison plays out as another man’s delicious meat. Will the one learn from the other?