The Pact and Other Stories by Ojinmah, 2024 Umelo NEUF

In a time and culture where women left their wares in the marketplace knowing that those things would be intact when they returned the next day; where bonds of friendship were like blood ties, where when men shake hands over a deal, it was like iron clad agreements, breaking ones word or promise was odious and people would inconvenience themselves to keep promises made.Socializations in Igbo societies indoctrinate members to subconsciously defer to cultural norms. One of the reasons, I believe, is the action and reward belief systems of traditional and Christian religions. While traditional religion instantly rewards actions, good or bad, Christian religion on the other hand prolongs the rewards to the point that people often disregard their consequences.The cultural beliefs that underpin many of these stories are profound. The dilemma of straddling between traditional and Christian beliefs, can be enervating. This book explores the faithfulness of friendship in The Pact Reloaded, and how fate and peoples destiny were often determined by the gods in The Dilemma of a Firstborn Priest and The Flute.Only the gods can ring a mans eyes to see what other people cant see. Oftentimes, peoples yesterdays catch up with their today, and the actions of their distant past haunt their present as explored in The Twins.