They have been best friends their entire life, starting from childhood, both beautiful, admired by the young men of their community and praised by all for the sincerely bond of friendship between them. During the farming season in their village, they have formed a pattern for helping their parents by rotating their combined work.
On a particular day, they would jointly go to farm to help Uju's parents, where they will eat together like blood Sisters with Uju's siblings while on the next farming day, Uju will accompany Nneka to her own parents farm.
Everyone in the community knows that they are both inseparable, in the morning they go to the stream together, often in company of other ladies though. On occasions of quarrels with other youths, they are known to have fought on the same side even though the matter had nothing to do with one of them and they continued like that until they became very beautiful young maidens in the community, having attended the same schools all through from Primary to Secondary School.
One day, Izuchukwu, son of one of the wealthiest men in the community had returned home
from the city where he had successfully passed through the Igbo apprentice system that lasted for a period of six good years under the pupillage of a wealthy man from the neighbouring town, a friend of his fathers. Izu as he is popularly called has been away from the village since he was 10years, initially he was staying with his uncle, the younger brother to his mum at "Ikwu nneya" his maternal home before his dad arranged later for him to go to the township to learn trade.Izu came back to the village that Christmas as a big boy, he now owns his own shop at Onitsha having been settled and established by his master, though he had no car at that moment but the fact that he was well to do could be felt. He was the toast of many, parents used him as an example to their own children, he was humble and many youths of the village, male and female alike flocked around him daily.
Uju and Nneka like other maidens also went to see Izu, to welcome him back to the village even though he was still going to go back to Onitsha after the Christmas holidays. It was during one of these encounters that Izuu took interest in Uju. H e took every opportunity to tell her and her friend Nneka about himself and his business in the town, he showered them with gifts. Soon the whole village took notice, he would spend time with them at the village square and even visit Ujunwa in her parents home. Ofcourse Uju's usually strict parents though they appeared hash on the first few days gradually softened up, who wouldn't like to have a humble, rich young man from a very good family as an in law?
Soon, it was new year and Izuchukwu left for Onitsha to pursue his business, due to time and the pressure of business couple with the fact that was no telephone or mobile phone, he found it difficult communicating with those at home including his parents. Those days you will have to write a letter if you can or look for someone who can write it for you, and then again look for someone, who from your village or close to your village who wants to come home for one thing or the other, so he can help you deliver the message. Izuu was so preoccupied with business to do that, Uju only received a gift and a letter from him once through out that year, soo when Izuu finally came back home during Christmas, Uju refused to visit him.
Nneka had told her not to visit Izuu to show her anger for his neglect all through the year and Uju did exactly that. She told her that Izuu is too proud and that his wealth is getting to his head, that he values his business more than her. Nneka ensured that her head was filled with nothing but hatred for Izuu. However, Nneka was one of the first maidens in the village to visit Izuu when he came back. Izuu was surprised seeing her alone without Uju, when he tried to find out why, Nneka blamed him for abandoning Uju all this while and that Uju is very angry with him and needs to calm down before he can see her. She advised him to visit her the next day since he is too tired and Uju too angry, Izuu accepted her advice. She thereafter having received her own gifts ran back to Uju to tell her how Izuu was lavishing gifts on other maidens without bothering to come and see her, she filled her head with hate and disdain. Uju cried through out that day at how at how Izuu her love has neglected her even after not seeing her for 12months.
The next day, Uju was at Nneka's house with her water pot, Nneka quickly took hers and they left for the stream, on their way going, Uju narrated how Izuchukwu had come to visit her in her father's house very early in the morning, even when her parents had told hIm it is too early and had refused him access to their house, he stood his ground until she came to join him. "That is not all" she said. "Do you know that Izuu had the guts to propose marriage to me after abandoning me for a whole year" she told her that after all the begging that she forgave him but promised to think about the marriage proposal and get back to him. She told Nneka how Izuu had informed her of his intension to move to a bigger city called Lagos which is in far away Yorubaland. His intention is to marry her early January and move to Onitsha from where they will relocate to Lagos later that year because of the expansion of his business.
Nneka laughed at her, she told Ujunwa that Izuu's interest had always been business and business and money not love, "why would a rich man who stays in the township, having seen all the beautiful and educated ladies there come back to the village to marry someone who stopped her education at secondary school level if not to turn her into a slave in the city?" She said so many bad things about city men and their dangerous games with village girls and advise Uju to atleast stay action on the marriage, pretend she is not interested to see if Izuu will have the patience to beg for the marriage as this will be a sign that he truly loves her, Ujunwa agreed to the plan and that was her greatest mistake...
find out what happened next on "Izuu, Nneka na Uju" Part 2