SCAVENGERS’ ORGY By OZIOMA IZUORA : EXPOSING THE CRAVINGS OF MEN AND THEIR FANTASIES

‘Scavengers’ Orgy,’ explores the role of customs in communities, in range of behaviour from taken for granted traits, deeds and actions; from child bequeathal, marriage, rape to all manners of exploitations and manipulations. Ozioma documents the shenanigans by individuals and organizations as they crisscross Nigeria to Europe and North America; identifying, exposing and amplifying associations and relationships that may not be obvious to casual readers.

‘Eyes glued to the mirror, Beatrice gauges the effect of the clingy black top she has just pulled over her black bra. It hangs over her short jeans skirt, revealing a wee bit of the alluring flesh of her tight abdomen. She screw up her eyes to better appreciate the effect of her apparel on her prospective audience…she is after all, the prize that has attracted all the attention. Normally she does not mind parading herself, a sinecure of inquisitive eyes, but not for these unpolished rural skunks. For three days, she has felt herself displayed for inspection by family members who dutifully come round to sniff up sauce for salacious gossip…she will make sure they are served with a really spicy pot this time. The sensation of it should stay on their tongue for a long while….’

The above is the opening of the ‘Scavengers’’ Orgy;’ a snip purview of the custom preparatory to nuptials. But much more, the nourishment of the male fantasy; of their suppressed longings not only to break out of the shadow of motherhood, but to have a likeness, defiled. How is this so? How else do one explain the cultural canon that has the bride paraded, as on a stage; to have her examined and prodded for any sign of rightness or imperfection, like one would inspect a car of interest in a showroom or tuber of yam in the market. To have her publicly display her body to total strangers, muted, uncomplaining to any or all of their complementary, derogatory, or disparaging comments with grinning passivity; while the groom literally paints his community red, showered with praises by peer group, by all and sundry, who celebrate with him at the fit of his conquest, – of his wonderful stroke of ingenuity.

The above opening rituals captures something in the sexuality of the male, of his sense of trepidation for the female, particularly, the arrangement of the natural order of the human being which makes him weak; for he emerges between her legs, of which she has the power to snuff his life out if she so desired, and then, left feeble, defenseless and dependent she weans and nurtures him for the better part of his early life. It is this powerlessness, he abhors and reviles, and from the beginning of time, has endeavoured to quash. Worse, even the story of male as first and only creation God intended, of male elevated to status of deity through canonical declarations of male, head of homes, superman, Spiderman or his absoluteness as God ‘a father, son and the Holy ghost’ still has not been able to wipe away such humiliation; so cultural symbolism and ceremonies are turned to as last hope, paraphernalia.

What else does ‘Scavenger Orgy,’ do? It demonstrates how an author, taking as her subject – snipes of group of people’s human experiences; in chosen voice, language, point of view, style and situation, expressively presents their lives and living to make the society review, retake and think about what had hitherto been treated as given; to reflect on all what before society had been used to and taken for granted; to examine critically, the life we all lead – the rituals, victimization, contradictions, shameful exploits and heritage that culture conceals; and, how all of them can separately or collectively impact us; individuals and collectively. Some illustrations:

A girl child is given out to relatives and the parents of the child, because of their level of poverty, cannot legislate for what happens to that child: In the following, Beatrice’s mother, expresses her resentment, and advises her daughter to be selfish and brutal in her dealings, ‘my mother practically parceled me off to Aunty Comfort. She never inquired into what Auntie Comfort did for a living. You need to see the way my aunt offered me around to her customers as if I was kolanut. And her beer parlour was a very busy one…Don’t ever trust a man,’ Beatrice’s mother warned her. ‘These recollections…left Beatrice…reared as a student of coquetry.’

And then, there is the culture of betrothals, where a child, in this case, even still in the womb, has her fate prearranged; married off whimsically; “If I had a daughter, I would happily marry her off to your Clement…How are you sure she will like,’ him ‘when she grows…’ to that question, Clement, the future beneficiary of the arrangement answered, ‘She is preordained to be my wife…’ And, when, as a result of heckling and mockery by her peers, she declared, “I don’t want to be anybody’s wife… I am not old enough to be married…” or addressing her mother, “who wants to marry Clement, anyway?…you will marry Clement…No, say it with your mouth. Say you will marry Clement,” ‘Nma,’ her mother, ‘orders her daughter…cornered like a trapped rabbit, Amaka keeps her own counsel. Recoiling into shell,…’

With enlightenment today, such ignorance and flagrance conclusions as we see above are likely smiled at with measure of condescension; such primitive deals, absence of civilization culture that the girl-child has had to uncomplainingly, suffer, have been largely stopped, but yet, in some quarters in Nigeria, continues to be, sadly, tolerated.

 How about these? ‘Pulling her…none too gently in his excitement…”No, no, Chief” Amaka pleads in futile attempt to free herself…Amaka’s body  bounces off the solid mattress as Chief Udengwu tears away any restraining piece of clothes…’ to defile her. And then, it was the turn of Chief Udengwu’s son and his friends to rape her. ‘Gritting her teeth, she endures the assault on her tender body…raping her mercilessly one after the other.’  Amaka ends up marrying her benefactor, Chief Udengwu, the rapist. In her infantile mind, that was better than marrying Clement, an alternative that, to her, having been chained to him all her life, would be like being finally shipped to penitentiary. But eventually, struggling to find herself, she ran away, marries another self absorbing jerk, Femi. However, the ghost stayed on her heels pursuing her through the maze-like entanglement that is her life, driving her to a fatal and crippling accident. Beatrice, on the other hand continually struggles to come out of the dept and gloom her mother had sown. As they all rush disastrously to the end, Ozioma brings closure, dishing retributions to each; Charles and Femi getting slaps and Chief Udengwu and son, she acquits.

 In the circumstance the author ends the story, there is an implicit supposition she did not depart from the generally accepted and taken for granted cultural practice; evoking consideration to the males, despite their heinous crimes and elevating the illiterate, Udodi, went on to prosper, while condemning the other two females who dared to venture beyond their place; challenging and questioning the patriarchal, well ordered, world. 

But, as a writer she succeeds in articulating insight to societal goings-on exposing the ills. ‘Scavenger Orgy’ is an informative and pleasurable read.