Although the actual burial was on
20th May, 2017, the activities for the ceremony started a day
before, precisely by 2:00pm where I had to record the slaughtering of the cow.
Initially, I wondered how they would bring down a full grown live cow with big
horns. The boys for the job were quite experienced. There was a long rope tied
to the right hind leg of the cow. With this, they tried to put the same rope
through the second left hind leg. The
cow, perhaps knowing the intentions of the boys, resisted, and frequently threw
back kicks to the presumed enemies.
After several failed attempts by
the cow, the rope eventually caught up with the left leg, the rope was pulled
hard, and gripped both hind legs together. Quickly it fell down. A knife was
soon put through its throat with blood gushing out like a fast-flowing stream.
I also captured the cooking all
night long with my Sony HD video camera. By 10:00am, I went along with the
procession to the mortuary. After which, the procession proceeded to Daniel
Lawani avenue, Off Ewua road, Benin city. There, the funeral discourse was
given. The speaker, among others, quoted a scripture that captured my attention.
It was Ecclesiastes 7: 1,2 which says that a good name is better than riches.
It also says that the day of death is better than the day of birth. It further
says that it is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of
feasting. These verses made me to put on my thinking cap and pondered deeply
about the true essence of life.
The discourse was concluded within
30mins. Reception followed immediately at the same venue. I was so dedicated to
my work that I forgot to grab my own take-away pack. At the time I requested it
was already finished.
At 2:00pm the procession set off
to Igarra where the corpse would be laid to rest. The road was narrow and full
of pot holes, especially at Ekpoma. The
journey took us about 3 hours to arrive at Igarra. There was a brief graveside
discourse, and thereafter the corpse was lowered down. At about 6:35pm we left
for Benin. This time the journey took more time, since it was night already.
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