When they were still teenagers Pa Okugo made it clear to his two sons, Obinna and Kelechi not to marry girls older than themselves so that they can enjoy their marriage and live to see their grandchildren. But Obinna spurned his father’s counsel. He met his dream girl, Chinenye during a festival at their village. Chinenye was a very popular girl in the community and four years older than Obinna.

Nobody knew why Pa Okugo gave such warning to his children and they kept wondering what could have made him give such warning until he let the cat out of bag.

One day he called his kinsmen together and narrated to them why he gave the warning to his children. He said: “My people, I greet you. I called this meeting to explain why I am strongly opposed to the marriage between my son, Obinna and Chinenye, Ikechukwu’s daughter.

First of all, most of us are aware of the death of my only surviving brother, he said, sobbing and turned to Uncle Ugo , saying You are very wicked and heartless. I don’t know how to describe the whiskers you call mustache around your mouth. You are pretending as if you don’t know what led to his death after he married Ahurole, from Oye-Agu village. You are aware that he suddenly became lean and before we knew what was happening, he passed on. We consulted the village shrine, Amadioaha, and we were told it was a taboo in our culture to marry older women and that was what killed my brother.

And now you are supporting my eldest son to marry a girl who is four years older than him so that he would die prematurely. What have I done to deserve this from you and why would you not allow my family to have peace in this little hamlet he asked.
Would you allow your son to marry a woman older than him?