was looking. He couldn't believe what he saw with his eyes, the place that was filled once with villagers and other spectators from the neighboring villages.
Though he could hear noise of what seemed to be that of controversy, he wasn't concerned about that, it could be that of passers-by.
The day had been a big disappointment, no thanks to the 'old monster' that had come and put to ramshackle an occasion that cost time and fortune.
He was however for the second time moved by the sound of controversy heard from the same direction. He overheard his name been mentioned, and then the voice of Uju which he wouldn't forget in a jiffy how melodious it sounded. It was now obvious that his attention was needed as soon as possible, so he made himself present there.
*****
They say love is like a parcel and emotion, its seal. There is no better way to send a parcel to a special person without the seal on it, unless you want others to have a feel of what you intended to make a surprise. In other words, emotion makes love stronger.
But it was an interesting midnight of drama, which was starred by the ever-beautiful duo of Akwanwa and Uju. Many spectators and eyewitnesses, mostly those who'd also been in the occasion ground.
Uju and Akwanwa, right from birth, have never had any quarrel, not to talk of a feud of this sort.
It started when Akwanwa was been decorated to appear before Ifenna as his chosen wife. Uju had already dressed herself in the same bridal regalia and matching forward to present herself as Ifenna's bride. It was told Akwanwa and then she got furious and went before her to stop her from going any further.
Uju felt angry and embarrassed and perplexed,
"Akwanwa, what's the meaning of this?"
"Go and present yourself to Aneke, and leave this place," she said disdainfully, "you're not needed here."
"Do I look to you like someone you can scare out of here? Loser." she returned her disdain.
"You think Ifenna is not aware of your affairs with his archrival, Aneke? You see, friend, there is an easier way to avoid the shame and disgrace of open rejection." she looked straight into her eyes and said in low tune, "see, Ifenna is coming, you have to sneak out now."
"You think I'll do that? You are too desperate for my liking. Just be quiet while he comes."
Nwabiala was also present there, but she had been mute just like everyone else. She knew that the ladies would be mature enough to handle their differences non-violently. The duo had always find way to disengage from a duel involving them. So it would be a really interesting what a rare clash between these two would turn out to be.
Ifenna soon arrived, and his shock wasn't hidden either. There were many people there, men, women and teens, possibly, from those who might have came from the party, making there scanty.
He directed his gaze towards Akwanwa and then to Uju and then back to the first, in a continuous manner.
"Ifenna, you never told us about your intention to marry two wives," one of the elderly men, an ichie, present there asked him with his eyes fixed at him.
"No. My father married only one wife, so also my grandfather." he shook his head vehemently, "I don't think I'm ready to go against that."
That wasn't convincingly enough, it was still expected of him to make a candid choice if he was really going to go by his word. Everyone's gaze was fixed on him in anticipation of whom he would choose. Akwanwa posed gracefully before Ifenna, with hands akimbo, and cheerful smile. Meanwhile, Uju stuck with her modesty, she wasn't ready to put on some spurious ostentation, though it wouldn't be far from the fact that she wasn't on the best of her regalia. She begrudged her self-confidence and narcissism which might have given her an upper hand if (like she thought) Ifenna would even have any interest in her. She and Ifenna had wonderful time together, and to her, Akwanwa was trying too hard to impress him. Even if the two might have had anything on between, it wouldn't be as deep as hers.
Ifenna was taking too long to take decision, and everyone was running out of patience including the elders. One of them had to voice out,
"Ifenna, it is midnight and we have to sleep, we can't wait for you forever to confirm one of these girls."
"Did I come here with anybody else in mind?" he said looking deep into the man's eye, "who did we go to pay her brideprice?"
"Oho!" Nwabiala said triumphantly.
"I am not going to marry a traitor or someone who have given herself to the chief enemy of this kingdom, nor a backstabber." he said meanly. Uju didn't see herself been told this unkind words until Ifenna went close to Akwanwa and embraced her firmly instead of her, and there was and there was a round of ovation.
Uju felt debilitated in her spirit, she didn't whether to break into tears or even run mental. She wasn't even sure if her eyes were seeing the right thing, but her ears were there to attest to what her eyes have seen.
She had to leave there hurriedly before her heartbreak would turn to outburst.
Some of Akwanwa's friends jeered her as she left, Uju didn't listen to whatever they said against her lest she would be tempted to spit curse on them.
Everything about the ceremony had already ended, some had already fallen asleep. Everyone matched in groups to their home for security purpose.
The dark night in Umudioga was stricken with horror, from sounds coming from all kinds of nocturnal birds. Some of them were believed to be voices of spirits in the forests, but it took only a brave man to go on along a lonely road without the fear of the unknown.
Ifenna and Akwanwa had walked miles from the playground which was far from their house. They had already gone past the house of everyone who had walked with them from the playground.
In the dark they chuckled lightly as they moved along, discussing in hush tone chatting down the lonely path. They were not in a hurry to get home, they enjoyed every single time they spent chatting, laughing and föndling like they haven't seen each other for several years. Their discussion had thus transcended into a deeper one. They were no longer talking about animals, festivals but now love. Ifenna, as expected, initiated it advancing in front of her, patting her cheek with his hands.
"You no what, Akwanwa?" she stylishly bent her head against one side of her neck, in anticipation of what his next word would be. Even if she didn't ask with her mouth, it was obvious that the had the look of "what" in her eyes.
"You are the most beautiful girl on this earth."
She smiled gracefully and reciprocated his gestures towards her to him.
"Ifenna, you know what?"
"What?"
"Its midnight and we're still on the road, lets get home first." they laughed, and stood back parallel to each other and walked back the way holding each other closely.
Soon as they got closer to home, they heard footsteps in surrounding bushes, their laughter quickly faded. Could that have been an animal, maybe possibly a wild one, because no normal human being would keep up that late even in the bush. Ifenna tried not to believe that it was a spirit that was doing that. He didn't totally believed in the existence of such since he hadn't seen one apart from the ones he sees in his dream, about dead people speaking to him.
"Take it easy, don't panic," he reassured her, "my amulet will serve the two of us."
"I'm not afraid, you should the one to be afraid," she said with partial confidence. Ifenna stood out of the places close to the bush to the middle way of the path.
"Akwanwa, they are human beings o," Ifenna said panicking, "they are after us." She spread her legs like she was posing for a wrestle, now it was her turn to restore confidence to her lover,
"Don't worry, my love, I will not allow anything happen to you. Leave it to me."
"No, its not your responsibility but mine to take care of you. Don't refuse my offer." Ifenna was insistent, so Akwanwa relinquished the lead to him, allowing him handle the matter his own ways.
Just as they were looking here and there to be on the guard, the loudness of the footsteps grew and they were frighten. Someone fell on Ifenna from up the tree with full gravity, drawing out his knife at the process, at quick interval, but Ifenna was lucky to have dodged that. It was obvious that the assailant had targeted his belly but luckily he had dodged that first blow. Ifenna hope was half-restored because the assailant lost his weapon and was looking for it, he looked around and Akwanwa was nowhere to be found. He thought it the right time to escape but too late for him, more assailants sprang up from the bushes and the pounced on him. Ifenna thought he had seen a dragon also pouncing on him at the same time, and fell unconscious.
Ifenna, if he waked up would think it was hallucination, but what appeared before him was real. The weird creature wasn't after him after all, it took an instantaneous attack on the men. They attempted taking a bow shot on it, but it swung in reverse angle, and came in full force, forcing them to a concession. The creature struck at the spot, two of them who tried to back out from the fight.
All the archers were soon down to five men, who were just fighting for their survival in a forced battle.
It was now glaring to them that they were fighting a lost battle, and their use of weapon was needless because it had no effect on the wild creature. What foolishness it was for a mortal to fight an immortal with physical weapon.
One after the other, the creature struck its opponents with fire from its mouth until it had wiped them all.
It was now Ifenna regained consciousness, he opened his eyes to see that same creature that went past him before unconsciousness, go back again, the sight of it made his liver cut, it was horror to behold. He tried standing to his feet to hurriedly leave the horrific scene but he couldn't. His groins were and ankle were badly injured but there was no joint that was sprained.
He forced himself to crawl all the way into Ararume's compound. The door of the house was locked from inside when he tried pushing it open. He called on Akwanwa from outside but there was no response. It was later that Nwabiala had to come out from inside to know who could be knocking at the door at such ungodly hour. She went stumbering on objects because it was dark inside, until she was able to scamper on the door hold.
"Who is knocking at this ungodly hour of the night?" she barked.
"Ifenna."
On hearing him, she let out a sigh of relief and opened the door for him. She was surprised that her daughter wasn't there with him.
"Where is Akwanwa?" she was first to ask the same question Ifenna had in mind to ask.
"I wanted to ask you the same question."
Nwabiala wasn't very sure of what she heard. Could he be saying in another word that her daughter is missing? The same Akwanwa whom they had left smiling and laughing with him. She thought that maybe they'd spent the night at his house that was why she hadn't been bothered.
"What are you trying to tell me? That my Akwanwa disappeared into thin air?" she queried with hands akimbo, as far as she was concerned, he was saying nothing sensible, maybe joking.
"Actually we were coming back on our way and we got attacked by some armed men."
"And then?" she gripped him firmly in fear.
"I'm here!" Akwanwa said coming out from one of their farms, Nwabiala went and held her closely. Ifenna was as well surprised but was hushed by Akwanwa's eye gesture.
"Was this suppose to be a prank or what?"
Ifenna was to narrate the whole incident that took place but Akwanwa hushed him again.
"It was a prank mama."
"Please stop that it's not funny at all." she said and went back to sleep.
Akwanwa giggled silently while Ifenna watched how she lied to her mother, and pretending that nothing happened. This was really a serious matter, not to let die down. He just luckily escaped death and here is she saying that it was just a prank. He thought of going to her mother himself and narrating the whole story but he, on a second thought, decided not to go against Akwanwa's wish. But he still had questions to ask,
"Where did you go?" he didn't wait for an answer to that before he quickly snapped in, "Did you see that weird creature like a dragon?"
"A dragon?"
"Yes, a dragon."
"In your dream?"
"Not in my dream, but with my two nåked eyes!" he said waving his hands across his eyes.
"No, I don't believe you."
"Akwanwa, you need to believe me, what I saw was real, infact as I stood up I saw dead men all around me presumably those who attacked me." he said maniacally and solemnly. Akwanwa squinted one eyes while she shrugged,
"Maybe the gods fought for you because they had a reason for you to be alive." They were still with their words in their mouth when Nwabiala called from inside for them to go to bed.
The hot morning sun felt like it was it unleashed its fury on Inene while she trekked all along to Aro. She had told Agumba that she was going to see her friend but she had in mind to escape and never come back. She hated how Agumba intimidated them like they were his slaves, and the worst of all, he made Ulumma, who had done nothing against him, dumb. That was the part that pained her the most.
Ulumma, who was pregnant, had been going through the pains of maternity and Agumba had added disability to it. How could someone who claims to be a mediator between the gods and mortals practise despotism even when he has no kingdom ruling. She'd never known Agumba to be this kind of man, because he always appeared to be a kind hearted, judging from the way he treated the sick. He would come to administer treatment to somebody in Ozalla all the way from Aro and would not collect a cowrie. Too unlearned of her that she had to define such ostentation as kindness.
Left for her, she would have confronted him, but that would be as good as suicide.
She kept pondering on this until she got back to Agumba's place. She was only coming back to this place only because of Ulumma, Agumba didn't let her to go out with her because she might escape with them. His fear wasn't far from the truth because that was the plan made by the two girls. What he did was to diabolically make Ulumma turn down her invitation to come with her. Inene had threatened after much argument that she would never come back again, but for sisterly love and for someone concerned, she opted to defy her vow and come back for her newly found friend and sister.
*****
Agumba's compound was very quiet like graveyard, noone was around.
Ulumma saw herself been saddled with the responsibility of cleaning the wide compound, not forgetting what she was carrying in her. She felt her life shattered and the end of world ended.
What was the need for living, when someone is been subjected to such slavery. She reminisced one again her life, how she was born into a wealthy family and now to someone with no home, no family, no friend. Is there any reason for living?
Tears filled her eyes as she an alternative to life, looking left, right and centre to see if anyone was passing. She thought of what to do as to end the miserable life that has brought her so much pain. The life that had turned her from a princess to a slave.
She'd sometimes wonder if she was actually Ulumma, the pretty daughter of Ararume, one of Umudioga's richest men, a second in command next to the royal lineage. What has life brought to her? She has no home, no family, no friend. Talking about friends, Uju, her only surviving sister whom she could bank her own trust in if there be noone else, wanted her dead. Agumba whom she thought was her last resort, having saved her from destitution had practically proven how valueless she worth in his eyes by making her dumb, this part pained her the most.
TBC TOMORROW AT 11AM
