A DISCARDED PIECE OF THINGS FALL APART(The piece that was never published)

It was no rumour that the white men were imposing chiefs on the natives. An osu from Aninta had been made chief of his village and the surrounding clans.The elders rejected the choice of the whitemen unsheathing opposition-the nature of things weren't hidden from them,and an efulefu couldn't be their lord.But the osu who was called Aroma viewed his installation from a different perspective. He saw it as a clear mandate;given to him by God,to avenge himself and his fellow osus on the freeborns.
He said to them,"the stone which the builders rejected has become the headstone of the corner-This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in my eyes..."
And while the elders rained vituperation on him,he laughed mirthlessly and vowed to chastise them with snakes and scorpions.The native policemen(Kotma of The Ashy Buttocks) he deployed to arrest offenders who had committed an offhence against the whiteman's govern ment were all osus.These offenders were the lords of the clan who had made human sacrifices to the gods of the land and had refused to pay their taxes.They were starved and whipped every morning and night, and sometimes made to eat their own feaces.They became Aroma's houseboys, fetching firewoods and water from the stream and farming the lands Aroma had confiscated. It was humiliating that this wasn't done in the day time when the blanket of night couldn't shield them;and they had to contend with the profane gaze of women and children.
In Umuofia Ezeudo was famous for his undying love for the palm-wine gourds.He was another efulefu,though a freeborn, who,at forty;couldn't boast of a land on which to farm.He had his own special palm-wine tapper who brought him several gourds every day.Ezeudo had a case to answer in the assembly of rulers. His bosom friend,Chukwunonso had accused him of bedding his wife. While the trial was in progress with a large crowd watching, the district officer called.He was accompanied by two or three whitemen and a native interpreter surrounded by a protective ring of soldiers.Through the interpreter the ummuna were told that the whitemen's king wished to speak with their chief.
This utterance caused quite a lot of stir among the natives for it was said that the whitemen tricked important and powerful men just to imprison or exile them.Besides the ibos had no king.The ummuna didn't wish such a fate upon any of them so they shouted that Ezeudo be handed over to the mercy of the whitemen.
"Let him go with them," they cried:"He is our chief!"
Ezeudo was led away, weeping disconsolately and pleading for mercy.Umuofia had made a costly mistake.It was on an oye market day when he returned to Umuofia.He came to the market,accompanied by a dozen men,and carried in a hammock. The men who went before him had gongs which they beat repeatedly.
"What's wrong?" The people asked.
"People of Umuofia;behold your chief!"
People jostled to have a better glimpse of "the chief."It was no other person than Ezeudo.
Ezeudo the efulefu.
His carriers put him down and he crossed his legs,and one of his men proceeded to read the warrant making him a chief. There was an air of authority about Ezeudo.He wore khaki shirt and shorts and a pith helmet and carried a short staff.
"It is Ezeudo!"
The market went crazy;and picking up stones,pelted Ezeudo and his entourage. They turned round and fled. The following day Ezeudo and his men were found building a native law court on a land which belonged to Okonkwo.Witnesses came to inform Obiereka.He summoned the men of his household; whose hands were strong in combat,and they went to challenge the osu who thought he had guts.Ezeudo had anticipated their coming for they walked into the firing range of trained rifles. Obiereka and his men were helpless.If they dared lift their machetes, bullets would fly.Chief Ezeudo was reclining on a chair and while the work on the native law court continued,he swigged wine straight from his gourd and invited Obiereka to drink with him.