My Umunne is gathered at our usual meeting ground, the very spacious front yard of my father's compound. Here, my mum holds important gatherings and parties and even the Umunna hold theirs here too. I love our meetings where I get to see my relatives especially my cousins and we get to gossip about the latest happenings in the village. This has been the ritual since we were kids and it hasn't changed a bit now that we're young adults.
Asides the gossip, I love the dancing that takes place. I barely dance and I always shy away from it but it's always fun to watch my counterparts and other Umunne groups move to the rhythm of the wooden drum. Having other Umunne ladies perform at our meetings is always a highlight, that's where I get to see Ifeyinwa showcase her talent. In the last meeting Ifeyinwa's Umunne won the Ikorodo dance contest. I remember how she swayed her hips left and right, her waistbeads climbing up her body. Her fair legs hitting the floor at the same time the metal gong hit. Ifeyinwa, always with the rhythm.
The first time we kissed was in rhythm. I chuckle whenever I remember our first kiss. Two village girls exploring the sexuality they had come to know, so unsure yet so sure. It's been seven months of a forbidden affair, hiding from the world for five of those months. Somehow, word got out about our relationship.
"nwanyị nwere mmasị nwanyị"
That was our new name. Lesbians.
We had soiled the sacred land, so they said. Loving Ifeyinwa was a crime and a taboo. Not hurting anybody, being ourselves somehow makes the gods turn in their graves.
I'm paraded in front of the Umunne and they give me a last chance to denounce my sexuality or face the consequences. My mum is looking keenly at me, hopeful that her stubborn daughter listens this one time. I am not the child she raised. One born from her womb doesn't display such witchcraft like I was doing now by being a lesbian.
"I like girls, I don't care about the gods".
My Umunne screams and wails. I am a total disgrace. The chief priest appears a while later adorned in his weird red and white regalia decorated by cowries and snail shells. He strips me naked and leads the trail as everyone watches me as I walk to the evil forest. At the border of the forest, I see Ifeyinwa also naked, guarded by the servants of the chief priests. Our hands are tied together and we're declared banished from the land as we're thrown into the forest.
With great team work, we're able to untie ourselves and walk around the forest. Ifeyinwa looks so beautiful even in distress. She's always been the softer one and I try to make her feel better as I stroke her cheeks.
"Adanne, look!", I hear her say and I look at where she's pointing at. Far off, there are houses in the forest. We had walked a long while and had no idea what part of the forest we might be in. Moments later, we were in the middle of a beautiful village with the most beautiful people. We were welcomed with open arms in the most 'evilest' of places. The evil forest was a home to people like Ifeyinwa and I. We had found our people, we found our home, free from the chief priest and his gods.
*Umunne- female descent
*Umunne- male descent