her what pleases him.
He joyously proceed towards the door of the living room, pushing it open but what he saw made him disappointed. Uju was no longer lying there. To him, that happened so fast, or is it that he had spent much time arguing with the stubborn gatekeeper.
All hope were not lost, he was sure that Uju was in her room. He went further through the hollow dark of the pathway to the king's room, where Kalu, Konaso and Aneke, all made their principal bedroom. It was said to have been built by Kalu during the early years of his kingship, during the years of boom in Umudioga. The site for the erectÃon of the palace building was earlier proposed and earmarked by Kalu's late father, on a controversial piece of land.
Ozalla had laid claim to the said piece of land, but Kalu's father who was a warrior, was hard to defeat. What he did was to raze the kingdom entirely, then driving them further westward, where they rebuilt their kingdom on rocky ground. Since then, they had always continued relentlessly, troubling a kingdom that was larger than theirs, even if they were defeated severally. But Kalu's weakness had been a blessing to them, as they had succeeded in gaining full control of Umudioga's wealth. All these would now be at Ocheogo's disposal, though he was still yet to know about some of this hidden secrets.
Ocheogo proceeded into principal room, and noticed some shadow from the lantern light cast on the wall besides him. He smiled at himself and instinct as he moved further to push the door wide open.
Just as he was stretching his hands to push the door open, there was a loud bang of the same door in front of him. He, however didn't still relinquished hope, as he made all effort to push the door immediately, making it muscle for muscle showdown, with him pushing from outside and his female counterpart, pushing from inside. It was certain that he would overpower her, having the greater advantage, being the man.
Uju, however, didn't give up. From within, she pushed the door with all her might to get the old man out of her way. She wondered if it was really her whom a full grown man hadn't been able to overpower or was there another invisible force pushing the door with her? That thought might have caused her to be distracted as she was begining to lose the tussle.
Ocheogo, seeing that it was almost favouring him, resorted into using his whole bulge body to get in through the small opening of the door. While his inventive was still on course, Uju summoned whole strenght, pushing the door so that its sharp edge pierced his side against the door frame. He screamed in pains but Uju was adamant, not caring if he was dying there or not. She made sure that she saw real tears flow from his eyes before she release him, and pushed him out of the doorway with her left hand.
Ocheogo stumbled thrice before crashing to the ground subconsciously. He didn't just believe what had happened. How Uju had overpowered him was more than a mystery to him. He was sure that he would have overpowered his fellow man, but how come he couldn't do same to a young lady, but rather was humiliated.
He was very angry with himself, but would rather divert his embittered heart towards the young lady,
"You witch, you dare injure me. I'll never let you go free for this," he lamented. He thought that would do to blackmail her into opening the door, maybe so that her action wouldn't implicate her further. But far from anticipated, he got a rude reply,
"And you wizard, what are you looking for in the room of a witch?"
"I must surely get you, unless you keep on locking yourself there all the rest of your life," he said biliously, but later fused some words he'd forgot adding, "I mean till tomorrow when you will die a shameful death, WITCH!"
Uju laughed out sardonically at what she termed his bitterness of heart,
"It is far honourable to die that shameful death than to have anything to do with a living corpse like you," she retorted.
That last word must have hit his nerve that he groaned ephemerally, and he voice wasn't heard anymore.
She was still troubled in her mind despite the fact that she had successfully put Ocheogo off her way. Now she had to think of the implication of what she had done, but would she rather choose to be sexually abused by a ruthless curmudgeon? She'd never spoken to or treated an elder the way she did that night. That was so rude of her, but she just had to do it, hence no need for regrets.
She still had more to bother about. Her death sentence have seemed to be inevitable now, and she dreaded death, not to talk of death by lynching. Deep down her, she prayed that the gods would rescue her from impending danger. If she is dead, Akwanwa would have a good laugh at her on her grave. What about..........ULUMMA? That girl she'd grew up with as sisters. She wondered where she might be, or must anything have happened to her.
A stinging thought pierced her mind, 'SHE IS YOUR GREATEST ENEMY NOW'. That were the words of Nee Ajuka. How could it be true? It was true that they had misunderstanding while they lived in Ozalla, but that wasn't a cogent reason for her to be branded, "ENEMY", not to say "GREATEST ENEMY." Afterall, Ifenna, who was the main reason for their misunderstanding was no longer with her, so why should they still be at loggerheads rather than be reconciled. Nee Ajuka had so many questions to answer here, she needed to invoke Ajuka to get answer to what have been bothering her.
Just as expected, Ajuka was already seated besides her, so quiet. Uju was startled seeing her there so sudden than expected. But the fairly aged woman gave her the reassuring smile that all was well.
"Don't be shocked my daughter, I'm always with you whenever you need me," she said jovially.
Uju breathed a sigh of relief seeing her around. She wondered how she could read her mind to know when she had pressing issue, bothering her tender mind.
But that wasn't the main issue, she needed to know about Ulumma's whereabout, and why she should be seen as an enemy rather than a sister. She asked not sure if she hadn't provoked her with her queries.
"You have only one sister in this world, and she is Akwanwa," Uju was just sick and tired of this constant reminder of her link with Akwanwa. Even if it were true, she saw it as an unfortunate mistake. Ajuka was just been ironical with her statement. From her experience, Akwanwa was the enemy and Ulumma was the sister, and not the other way round. But she knew best, so let it be so.
"How can she be my sister when she is planning to kill me? She took Ifenna from me, and killed Aneke on the day of our marriage. How else do you define an enemy, nne?" she was almost shouting at her, but she left her to finish her speech before she retorted back at her,
"That person that her mother wanted to kill your mother is your enemy, that person who carries a royal blood in her womb that poses a threat to our possession of the throne of the whole kingdom of Umudioga, Ozalla and beyond, and even our life, is an enemy to us all."
"Ulumma is pregnant?" she exclaimed with great shock, "Who? How? When?"
"She have Mba's son in her womb," after a pause, she continued, "asking how and when it happened is too much risk already, lets get into action." she just had to skip the vital part of Ulumma's ordeal with Mba, so as to get Uju still incited.
"So Ulumma was not as decent as I'd known." she smiled to herself as she mumbled, "she thinks she would lure a prince to bed, and answer a princess or queen tomorrow? Now the struggle is over for her," she grimaced.
"Uju, the battle is not over! It has just begun!" the old woman screamed angrily.
"I know," she retorted, "but you can kill the baby, that will do, or would Ulumma be of any use to royalty without the child?"
"Their spirits are linked, so that if you kill one of them, the other would die afterwards but they are strongly protected that it would be a very strong task lying ahead," Uju became confused with her statement that she had to call back her attention to demystify her intricate statement. When did people began linking their lives with that of their children. If anyone would do, not Ulumma whom she knew very well to be very ordinary. When did she started seeing native doctors whom she was known to detest so much?
"Nne, which spiritualist is she visiting?"
"Agumba!" she could see fury in all over her face as she mentioned the name, which all translates to anger with the person that bore the said name.
"I thought Agumba is your ally, so why could he get the job done for you, by undoing what he did himself. Moreover, you made Agumba what he is, so why can't you nullify his handiwork?"
Nee Ajuka became moody, it seemed that hearing Agumba became repulsive to her. Agumba had betrayed her by giving out vital information about her to Ulumma, more like what a traitor would do. She would have to eliminate both of them because as far as he was on the land of the living as Agumba, he was at her disposal. Uju's continual reminder of Agumba, though inadvertent, made her rage keep burning. She didn't understand Agumba whom she thought she had done something on Ulumma that she couldn't nullify. What other supplementary powers could Agumba be using to her own detriment? She still pondered on what to reply her inquisitive daughter, but what else would she do than giving the gullible fellow all the notion that she was at the helm of power.
"I'm going to put an end to Agumba's existence before he causes more havoc for us." Uju had remembered how she had boasted to her of having the whole kingdom of Umudioga and Ozalla in her palms and how she would hand over all these kingdoms to her and Akwanwa, and how she was capable of bringing the entire Aro kingdom to the dust. That all sounded sweet to the hearing, albeit its possibility was on doubt.
"What then are your plans on revenging your humiliation on Aro? Or have you relinquished all hopes?" she kindly asked.
"Never!" she retorted maniacally, "Don't undermine my powers by your pointless inquisition, it is insulting to me. We can make a great kingdom out of Umudioga, Ozalla and some other neighbouring villages to invade Aro." Uju was scared of what her anger could possibly lead to. Her countenance of outburst was like that of thunder even though she always showed her the kind qualities she always ostentated.
"I'm very sorry, please don't be angry with me," she felt it was the right thing to do though it seemed there wasn't need for that afterall.
"You owe me no apology, but action!"
"But nne, I'm still worried and confused about what my role in fighting Ulumma," she had to pause at this point to know what would be the woman's reaction, whether she would get angry but there was no reaction that sprang forth, but does it really matter what she felt at that moment? She had to be sure of the task that lie ahead, owing to the fact that she had indirectly confessed Ulumma's invincibility. How then was it possible for her to thrive where she (Ajuka) had been striving to make success.
"If you find this task unfeasible for you, then I should use Akwanwa for it, she is more spirited than you," she blasted on top of her voice that Uju felt like crying but she restrained herself.
She couldn't speak articulately, other than making unconventional stammer,
"N...nn...e, I have a request to make," the old woman listened with rapt attention to catch every glimpse of what she had said.
"You can cede all authority to Akwanwa but give me back Ifenna." Ajuka bore a mixed feeling of both surprise and rage. Was Uju this foolish than what she thought she was already.
TBC AT 7:30PM
