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The Test A man had two wives, Masafi and Ajientoh. Masafi was known as the village gossip. She always had complaints for her husband whenever he came home; complaints about her co-wife: “Ajientoh is a bad wife,” she’d begin. “She isn’t a good cook. Ajientoh’s children always bully and beat up my children. Ajientoh is selfish . Ajientoh is lazy. She spends all day at the river scrubbing her feet.” It was no secret that the man loved Masafi more than Ajientoh. He had once boasted he could kill a lion for her. He bragged he’d even do something as unlawful as laying the head of the lion at her feet.1 Ajientoh on the other hand was a quiet unassuming woman who went about her duties paying Masafi no heed. She threw herself into her daily work, performed her household chores, and bore her co-wife’s insults, never telling her neglectful husband how she felt. One day, Agha, for that was his name, woke up in a sour mood. He claimed he had a dream and in that dream it was revealed to him that his wives didn’t really love him. He decided to put them to the test. It was the harvest season and Masafi and Ajientoh had left very early for their farms. Agha spent the day at home mending a hole in the goat pen. When evening 167 1 A long time ago, animals such as lions, buffaloes, elephants were highly prized. A hunter lucky enough to kill one kept the meat, which he shared with family, but the head of the animal was taken to the palace and presented to the fon, who bestowed honors on the hunter. You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. shadows tailed across the nsaa, Agha caught one of the goats, slaughtered it, and removed its intestines. He lay down on his bamboo bed, next to the fireside and arranged the intestines on his bare stomach. He smeared his chest and throat with some of the goat’s blood and put the cutlass he had used to butcher the animal on the floor, next to his bed. At dusk, his wives returned from their farms with their children. They were all weighted down with heavy loads of the groundnuts, corn, and cocoyams they had harvested. Masafi was the first to rush to her husband’s house to greet him. She was momentarily taken aback by the gruesome sight that awaited her. When she saw her husband lying prostrate on his bed, smeared with blood, his intestines popping out of his belly, she concluded he was dead. She took a ladder and climbed up into the ceiling. It was smoky and quite dark up there. She closed her eyes and even as she coughed, her right hand groped for the horns she knew were lying in a corner. One of the horns contained afuondo and the other was the horn in which her husband kept his money. She also collected other valuable items, including her husband’s ndip. Without saying a word, Masafi took the things to her house and then left for the stream. Ajientoh had gone straight to the stream when the women came back from the farm. After having her bath and cooking the evening meal, she went to tell Agha supper was ready. The house was as quiet and still as a grave. It was a little dark inside and she kindled the fire. The flames lit up the fireplace and she let out a piercing scream. The children heard her screams and ran to their father’s house. All the neighbors rushed to the compound, wondering what misfortune could have befallen the Aghas. Ajientoh’s wailing led them to Agha’s bedside. “What happened to him?” “Oh abomination . . . Who would do such a thing?” some wondered but dared not say it out loud. 168 / Makuchi You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. Murder was unheard of in their village and such a gruesome murder left them speechless. Who would dare spill another’s blood and risk banishment from the land? The dead...

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