By Tony Okafor
In the once-traditional town of Odela, Okonkwo Ikem searched tirelessly for a wife. He yearned for a partner with the timeless qualities of his mother’s generation: kindness, humility, and domesticity. But his quest seemed futile.
Everywhere he looked, he saw girls with bleached skin and artificial beauty. Their bodies, once temples of natural elegance, were now canvases of chemical enhancements.
Education had not instilled in them the values of their foremothers; instead, it had made them reliant on convenience.
None could cook a decent meal, opting to buy their way through life. Domestic chores were anathema to them. They had forgotten the gentle art of greeting elders, a cornerstone of their culture and traditions.
Okonkwo Ikem’s friends and family urged him to settle, to compromise on his ideals. But he refused, holding on to the hope that somewhere, somehow, he would find a woman who embodied the virtues of the past.
Months turned into years, and his search continued. He attended social gatherings, visited neighboring towns, and even tried online platforms. Still, he found none who fit his vision.
One day, as he sat under the shade of a mango tree, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair wash over him. The beautiful ones, with their inner beauty and outer charm, seemed to have vanished. He whispered to himself, “The beautiful ones have finished.”
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Okonkwo Ikem rose, his heart heavy with the realization that he might never find his ideal partner. The world had changed, and the virtues he cherished were now a rarity.
He began to wonder if he was the problem, if his expectations were too high. But deep down, he knew that he was not asking for too much. He wanted a partner who shared his values, who would stand by him through life’s joys and struggles.
As the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, Okonkwo Ikem made a silent plea, hoping that somehow, someway, he would find his gem in a world that seemed to have lost its luster.
