"The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it."

                   UMUONUNAKA WOMEN The Umuonunaka women, a voluntary kindred group of Umuobasi-Isiama Afara-Ukwu, comprises married women or wives inducted into the group to manage local community affairs. They focus on settling minor kindred issues like marriage, burial, and related matters. Recently, they released a statement boycotting my mother's burial, claiming they were denied access to her during her illness. My elder brother, younger sister, and I were implicated, which surprised me as I was accused of a crime I did not commit. Investigation revealed Ikechi was approached by the women to visit our deceased mother but did not oblige, citing a unanimous family decision to keep her away from public view. Ikechi's disrespectful utterances escalated the situation. De Uche, a respected elder, intervened, meeting with the women's leader to pacify them and reverse their decision. Auntie Ejituru also intervened, and toge...