you image/picture is not a true representation/depiction of a Sola...try a tearing girl with a dark pigmentation and a brown eyes; otherwise, explain your rational.

Jakemond

Good observation..now you've got my attention and I have 20 minutes to go catch my flight. that said your deep insight merits another snippet. so here we go:

#3
result, most towns in the area, including Owerri Nkworji, were densely populated. The most logical reason that the system thrived was that people’s livelihoods depended solely on subsistence farming. In order to cultivate large farms easily, men found it necessary to take many wives so they could bear more children, especially boys, who would work on the land. The children also helped with domestic work. The inhabitants of Owerri Nkworji lived in traditional huts that were mainly covered with palm thatch. Some of the huts were beautified with drawings of past heroes, great warriors, and dead ancestors. It was said that the presence of those heroes and ancestors could be felt through the drawings. These drawings were a constant reminder to the people that the gods and the spirits of their ancestors watched over them.
My grandfather, Onyechere Nmaduagwu, was a revered warrior. He was highly acclaimed for his fearlessness and bravery in battle. He single-handedly defeated notorious and fierce warriors from other towns. His gallantry and bravery earned him awards and favor among the people of Owerri Nkworji, including the king and his cabinet. His popularity went beyond his community, and people from neighboring towns would visit Owerri Nkworji just to see and shake the hand of the great warrior.

During this period, it was virtually impossible to travel from one town or village to another unchallenged. Travelers always had to anticipate being challenged to a duel at some point in their journey, and therefore employed strong fighters to travel with them. People who were defeated in duels lost their honor, and sometimes their homes and families. Traders were constantly anxious about being attacked during their travels. But my grandfather offered protection. He followed many traders to other villages, and no one dared to attack while he was with them.

Onyechere had seven wives and several children, and they all joined in cultivating his vast farmland, as well as doing domestic work. Before marrying his seventh and most beloved wife, his six wives were like a thorn in his side; they fought constantly among themselves. One day Onyechere traveled to a nearby village, where he was mesmerized by a young, beautiful, and absolutely charming girl named Nwaibari, known as Nwanyi Burunnu. She was twelve years old, with long, black hair and a celestial smile that revealed well-crafted, sparkling teeth parted in the middle with a slight gap. Her beauty and elegance put young men in and around her village in a trance-like state whenever they met her. She was admired by all, but had given in to none. Onyechere was overwhelmed by her beauty and fell deeply in love with her. He quickly obtained information about her family and met with them to express his desire to marry their daughter. Her family was pleased at the prospect of giving their daughter to a renowned warrior. Onyechere’s people were notified as to what traditions and customs had to be performed and fulfilled in order for the marriage take place.

However, due to financial constraints, my grandfather was unable to marry Nwanyi Burunnu right away. The demands from her family were so great that he could not meet them immediately. But he was not deterred. He sold some of his valuables, including his entire farm yield for that year, in order to pay Nwanyi Burunnu’s dowry and pay for the traditional wedding ceremony. He and his people completed all the traditional obligations, and he took her to his home as his seventh wife.

My grandfather’s love for Nwanyi Burunnu was extraordinary. He spent most of his leisure time with her, focusing all his attention on her and inadvertently neglecting his other six wives. This state of affairs did not sit well with them. They weren’t going to stand around and watch a twelve-year-old girl steal the heart of their man, at least not without a fight. They ganged up against Nwanyi Burunnu and were determined to make her life a living hell. She was treated badly, beaten, and brutalized. Even their children—some of whom were much older than Nwanyi Burunnu—taunted and abused her when their father was not around. She was isolated and treated like a slave. They compelled her do all the housework, and whenever Onyechere gave Nwanyi Burunnu money, foodstuff, or cloth, the other wives would intimidate her and steal all the gifts........

I'm persuaded by the deep conviction that all seemingly complicated and complex things in life when articulated in simple terms can be better understood by all. However, when simple things were articulated in jargon and technical terms, all seemingly simple things becomes complex and complicated. In reality complex language and jargons are typically used effectively to subjugate presumed ordinary people by the intellectual and socio-economic elite. By nature all human being are equal but in reality, every human being is a follower by default and a leader or a potential leader by virtue of his/her exposure and awareness. The auras of leadership often overwhelm the ability to actually lead; whereas good leaders lead through the powers of their examples, others lead through the example of their power.

Not unlike Maquivelli, I am also a firm believer that human-beings are naturally evil; however, what really separated us from other beast is our given ability and wiliness to continuously fight to suppress/restraint the intrinsic evil which besieges us every minute of the day.

Everybody is a wise man; there is an inherent wisdom—awareness-- in every human being. Everyone equally has the key to unlock this awareness which is locked within self. The ability to unlock this awareness called wisdom depends on a person level of consciousness. Consciousness attended through continuous self realization and desire to understand self and improve self. Those who do not seek self-improvement will never attend any level of consciousness; consequently, they will remain lazy, uninformed and useless to self and the society at large.

Awareness/wisdom vs. wealth. Wisdom does not translate to wealth but it’s certainly a conduit or vehicle by which an aware person can conceive ways and means to acquire both material and spiritual wealth. An aware person enjoys a level of consciousness which other may not have attended; therefore, he’s able to exploit others ignorant and benefits in all endeavors. “The wisest man is the saddest man” becomes the wisest man is the richest man......

Serious critics (approve/disapprove) require from you all in order to continue this series. thanks

Outstanding writing ma'am!! keep up the good work.

when you get a chance can you critic this piece for me: https://www.nairaland.com/1247140/conflicted-destiny-chronicle-natural-born#15084748

Thanks

I like you story....my apologies for my earlier intrusion;though, I would have appreciated what your thoughts about my prologue(https://www.nairaland.com/1247140/conflicted-destiny-chronicle-natural-born)

Thanks,

Jakemond

Hi Larry,

Forgive me for imposing myself like that...a little new to the site and got carried away by my quest to make an entry as well as sample my book which is coming out(publish) in June 2013..anyways, I hope that I'm forgiven as there was no harm intended.

Once again, thanks for the Achebe compliment.

regards,

Jakemond

Noted Larry..will do. I like the Achebe compliment though.

Other practices brought untold hardship, fear, and agony to my ancestral community during that era. It was said, for example, that whenever an Igwe (traditional ruler/king) died, all women and non-secret society members had to remain indoors until some traditional ceremonies and rituals were performed. In those days, tradition demanded that Igwes be buried in a grave with live humans, so they could keep him company in eternity. At such times warriors would go out in search of young people to bury alive, and virgins to kill for sacrifices, before the burial. They would attempt to capture men and women from neighboring towns, but when that wasn’t possible, the warriors wouldn’t hesitate to take from their own.
When a man desired to marry a woman, he would inform his father and his kindred. If they consented, his father and kindred—excluding the intending groom—would meet with the woman’s father and her kindred to make a proposal on behalf of their son. If the proposal was accepted, both parties would schedule a date for the woman to go to the man’s home. When the set date arrived, the woman would then be accompanied to the man’s home by her age-grades. By tradition, she would stay with him for four days, during which the groom’s family would observe her, and then she would return to her family. After several weeks, she would be required to return to the man’s home for a ceremony at which she would be “disvirgined.” This was done through the insertion of a special ritual object into her vagina by some seasoned old ladies. The object, when forcefully inserted, would break her hymen if she was a virgin. Other ritual activities would be performed by the man’s family, after which she would be allowed to go back to her parents. After a few more weeks, the girl’s parents were obligated by tradition to send her back to the man’s home so she could sleep with him for eight consecutive days and nights. After the eight days—within which the bride-to-be was expected to conceive—she would return to her parents. If she did not conceive during those eight days, the marriage was canceled.
Polygamy was also the order of the day at that time. Men who had many wives and children were highly respected and popular, and were considered productive to society. As a..........

Both positive and negative critics are welcome..so give me your best shot cuz I've got a thick skin or as some would say a "block head"

Thanks

Well done..

Check this out: https://www.nairaland.com/1247140/conflicted-destiny-chronicle-natural-born[quote author=maishot]

CONFLICTED DESTINY
Chronicle of a Natural Born Warrior



Prologue

Owerri Nkworji Town was founded and established in the eastern part of Nigeria by my ancestors in the 1800s. The inhabitants of the town were no different from those of other traditional African societies that believed in deities, traditional practices, and values passed on to them from a long line of ancestors—practices that included polygamy and ancestral veneration, and stood the test of time; values that were guarded closely generation after generation and fiercely protected by great warriors of the time. As one of the prominent traditional practices demanded, two social institutions were established through which children were indoctrinated and socialized depending on their gender. The girls were trained by older women, while the boys were trained by older men. Each group of male trainees would graduate at the age of thirteen, while the girls would graduate at twelve. During this time of indoctrination and socialization, which was normally scheduled at a certain time of the year, it was considered a taboo and a punishable offense for non-participants or opposite groups to spy on each other. Neither the trainers nor the trainees were permitted to visit their village during training.

These unisex institutions were highly revered and their practices closely guarded by the indigenes. The training grounds were normally located deep in the jungle. Females were taught important norms and values in the culture, and how to become good wives so they could take care of their homes. The males learned their traditional roles. They were trained to become strong wrestlers and well-rounded, skilled traditional warriors able to attack and defend their communities against dissidence or intruders from other villages seeking to invade or encroach on their land. They were taught to build huts, climb up palm trees to cut palm nuts and settle family disputes. They were also trained to be dauntless hunters and farmers, as these were regarded as essential skills for a man to have in order to provide for his family.....