TWO MOTHERS, ONE FATHERFor Umunze village, Anambra State, for inside big forest wey dey between Anambra and Imo, lives Papa Okor

Ugochukwu Asiba Realistic Urban

TWO MOTHERS, ONE FATHERFor Umunze village, Anambra State, for inside big forest wey dey between Anambra and Imo, lives Papa Okoro - a great man wey marry two wives.First wife - Mama Nneoma - soft, calm, from same Umunze. Her son na *Obiago* - 28 years old - tall, dark, with gun for shoulder every morning. Hunter.Second wife - Mama Ifeoma - sharp, business mind, from Onitsha. Her son na *Asiba* - 26 years old - fine boy, always with polo and boat key. Businessman wey dey control boats for River Niger, Onitsha.Same father, different mothers - but Papa Okoro train them to love each other like twins.Obiago no go school pass SS3, but e sabi forest pass anybody for Anambra State. E fit enter forest for 3 days, come back with bush meat, honey, herbs wey even doctor no know.Asiba go Unizik, study Business Admin, but e no like office work. E follow him mama go Onitsha Main Market, start with one boat for River Niger wey dey carry market women from Onitsha to Asaba. Now? 12 boats! Big boats wey dey carry 50 people! Every day e dey count 300k!Two brothers - one dey inside forest, one dey on top water. But they love each other die.Problem start when Papa Okoro die.For will, Papa Okoro write:"My land for Umunze - 10 plots - I share am 5 for Obiago, 5 for Asiba.""My money for bank - 4 Million - share 2M each.""But my father's gun and my father's boat - na for who go unite the family."Mama Nneoma say gun na for Obiago, because hunter.Mama Ifeoma say boat na for Asiba, because businessman.But village elders say NO.Elder 1: "Gun and boat na spiritual things - must stay together. If you separate them, family go scatter."Obiago look Asiba. Asiba look Obiago.Obiago: "Asiba, nwanne m, you be my brother. Make we no fight like other families. How we go do am?"Asiba smile: "Nwanne, you dey hunt for forest, I dey do business for water. But what if... we combine forest and water?"Obiago: "How?"Asiba: "Your bush meat and honey wey you dey get for forest, my boats fit carry am go Asaba, go Lokoja, go even Lagos! Forest to River! We go make money together!"Obiago eyes shine.Obiago: "And your passengers wey dey travel for boat for 4 hours, them go hungry - my bush meat fit be food for them!"Two brothers laugh for Papa grave side.Mama Nneoma and Mama Ifeoma look each other, shock. They expect fight, but children dey hug.For that grave, Obiago and Asiba make promise:"From today, we no be hunter and boat man separate. We be ANAMBRA FOREST & RIVER COMPANY!"Elders clap.But for back, one cousin wey eye the land - Obinna - vex. He want make brothers fight so e go collect land.He whisper: "Make I put fire between hunter and boat man."

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