My brother, Ikemefuna is a lively boy despite
the crying him when he first came to our clan. He is two years elder than me,
but he seems to know anything and everything. If you can mention it, then he
can do it. He knows how to fashion out flutes from bamboo stems and elephant
grass; he knows the name of all the birds; he can set clever traps for little
bush rodents. He even knows which trees made the strongest bow! How amazing he
is! I start to respect him and rely on him. In some way, I felt that he is like
my father, my ideal father that will help me in everything that I am not good
in and teach me many interesting skills and knowledge. I gain a lot from him.
Ikemefuna
has slowly become part and parcel of our family and I do think that my father,
Okonkwo becomes very fond of him. Even he never shows any emotion openly. He
treated my brother just like everyone else in my family. He beats him when he
did mistakes too. But, I can see and feel that my father is having a high
expectation on him. Perhaps Okonkwo sees ray of hope on my brother that he
thinks cannot be fulfilled by me. I know he becomes important to my father when
he allowed my brother to accompany him, carrying his tool and his goat skin bag.
This was my job previously but Ikemefuna has taken over my job. It is good for
me also as I can carry fewer burdens with my brother has taken over it and
become the eldest son in the family. At
least, my life is less of beating from Okonkwo after Ikemefuna has come. And I
am not sure since when on, my brother has started to call Okonkowo as father.
Once
in a while, I will think of how my brother was being separated from his own
parents and family. Then I will start to remind myself to treat my brother as
nice as possible to be the closest one of him here, in a clan that is away from
his clan. We have lots of fun together. We plan yam seeds together, hunt small
animals together and I like to listen to his stories-telling. His folk seem
like would never finish be told. Even some of the folk have been told by my clan’s
people, but I felt different with a freshness of a different clan when the
stories were told by my brother. I enjoy it very much.
Besides
of teaching me, caring me and playing with me, I slowly realize that Ikemefuna has influenced me in
many ways. I felt like I have grown up after staying
with him for almost 3 years. I try to follow his steps in doing things as I respect
him. I know he likes to watch our father tapping palm tree in the evening and
so I follow him. I no more spend my evening in my mother’s hut to watch her cooking.
I think I am more masculine than before. I am happy that I can slowly get near
to my father’s expectation and not to let him down. I am trying hard now. I
want to be like my brother.
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