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CHAPTER 29
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EJIMA CHAPTER 30
Hawk rested his hands on his sword, rolling on the floor and back to his feet, even before he could think of jumping off his saddle. Ji had run off to the other side of the forest, away from harm’s way. Hawk had not instructed it to wait behind, but the animal had lowered its head and was watching them from the corner of its eyes. Uneasiness was hanging on its shoulders yet it had stood its ground like always. It had waited for him, doing what it was trained to do. Hawk sucked his tongue with a little hint of remorse streaking the side of his heart. Ji’s devotion will never cease to amaze him. The animal had been nothing but faithful ever since King Bozo gave it to him. They had fought many battles together, some of which, Ji, had been directly or indirectly involved. The animal was a perfect friend, but on the other hand, Hawk doubts if he would do the same for the animal if kick comes to shove. “Well, well,” Hawk’s hands tightened on the hilt of his sword as the owner of the voic
EJIMA CHAPTER 31
“Drop your weapon or I will kill you,” Jide shouted, or so he thought, for the sound of his heart which swelled his head and ears, made it impossible for him to iron his thoughts correctly. His throat was like the face of a desert, and he could feel his tongue perching on the roof of his mouth and causing a painful sensation that almost peeled the skin from his palate. Tightening his grip on the sword, he locked his gaze with the older man and advanced. The sword felt strange in his hands too but he didn’t let them go, not while the other man’s gaze still boggled down at him as if they knew all the sins he had committed. Jide did not care though. His blood was already boiling. All he wanted to do at the moment was to shoo the Hawk man away from the King’s brother. If he had not acted immediately, perhaps Kalu would have been a dead man. But you will be a dead man too if you continue. Jide shook off the thoughts and tried with all willpower, to swallow down the fear. He was going to di
EJIMA CHAPTER 32
The footfalls echoed through the nights again as they had done the day before. It was guesswork, for the darkness that enveloped her made it difficult to keep track of time. There was not even a cock nearby to announce the birth of a new day or the maturity of an aging one. Her captors must have done so on purpose. Possibly to keep her on the bridge of incognizance while they waited patiently on the other side of knowledge, hoping she would lose her senses and snap to insanity. Not knowing. She hated not knowing things. The fact that her captors had hung her on the fence and had rid every knowledge of the outside world from her, was more painful than death itself. Nobody had visited let alone tortured her. Yes, they had allowed her thoughts to do so for them. The only time she gets a glimpse of the world outside was whenever footfalls like this one, begin to echo over some distance away. It was often seconded by the sound of a plate, which always slid on the floor as if they had been
EJIMA CHAPTER 33
Mmiri (water), yes, that's the word. The notorious word that has circulated the village since time immemorial. It has even become a swear word and used by angry parents to scare their children away from the claws of weakness. The reason was still a mystery to Ugo. Even though her mother has repeated the story countless times, it still did not make any sense. Live to fight another day. That was another side of the puzzle that appears not to fit. Yes, it made no sense, because the one man that had taken those words into action had been labeled a coward. The people had called him a fool for saving his life. His own life. Ah, what else is more precious than life itself? Honor? No, only the living speak of honor. The grave yearns and longs for the chaplet, but indeed, only the living are worthy enough to wear the festoon and perceive its marvelous fragrance. Well, here they are. According to her mother, it was twenty years since the incident. The 'blessed twenty', as mother always puts it.
EJIMA CHAPTER 34
Kpa ngoloKpa ngolo, kpa ngoloDudume, ogheneDudume, ogheneOnyamara Dudu yayaya, duduya…The moonlight songs faded Ugomma's ears as the words of her father resonated, spreading through her chest and making her shift her weight to the other foot. It was hard to keep Jide off her mind. Nothing was right. The village square was not fun and will never be fun if Jide was not around. Most of the children were happy of course or perhaps pretended to be. The space of Jide was still empty and that void could never be filled by anyone. And as if to add more salt on the injury, nobody was saying anything. Its true rumors were like harmattan fire, but so far, none of it was burning through the dry straws of curiosity. It’s as if what the King’s messenger had told her father yesterday were false. She had tried to observe some of the elders within their vicinity. There was nothing odd about them; the only extraordinary thing was that aura of joy and celebration hanging on their shoulders which Ug
EJIMA CHAPTER 35
“By the heavens!"Adaku jerked away, but her elbow caught the calabash by the right, knocking it off from the rack and spluttering the black liquid. Nnenna’s eyes broadened as she tried to jump away, but Adaku did not give her the room. She caught Nnenna by the collar and landed two hot slaps on the older girl’s cheeks.“My…princ…”“One more word from you and this Uri (local pencil) would be the last thing you remember when I have your head hanging on the crimson pole.”Tears were already dripping as Nnenna held her cheeks. She muttered something under her breath but did not make any reasonable sound. Adaku was tired of Nnenna’s foolishness. She had taught the girl how to hold the pencil so that it wouldn't hurt. But every time, Nnenna would push the pencil with so much pressure that it often sent a stinging sensation through Adaku’s skin.“Are you stupid?”“I am so sorry, my princess. It won’t happen again.”“Yes, of course, it won’t.” Adaku breathed out, not realizing she had been h
EJIMA CHAPTER 36
“Another servant leaving?”Adaku didn’t turn to the voice of Rudima which came from the other end of the door. She fastened her long hair instead and tried to bundle them up in a way that would hide her ear and leave the back exposed. But that was harder than she thought.“Need help with those?”"I am fine, mother""Of course you are, but the shaking fingers don't lie."Adaku clenched her fist, hating herself for always giving out an outward sign whenever she was angry. Her mother knew her too well, and hiding stuff from her was becoming difficult."Let go," the older woman said as she tapped the princess's shoulder and began the finger work on the dark hair.Ada wanted to protest, she wanted to be left alone with her thoughts, but that would be difficult. Not with her mother who would not stop until she has every piece of information at the tips of her finger.“The gods have been merci
EJIMA CHAPTER 37
The drums continued to frazzle the night. It was the third beat of the normal traditional cycle. Well, maybe not the third, but his eyes dazed through the curtains of darkness when the music suddenly stopped. Sitting up from the floor, he strained his weak ears. Waiting, and listening.Could this be the redemption he had hoped for? Ah, of course not. There was no redemption. His father was dead. No siblings, no uncle. It was foolish to think anyone would come to his rescue.His stomach knotted as he lazed back on the pole. Not that the music had returned, but the footfalls of silence was the only proof he needed. He was not going home anytime soon. They would not let him return, not while he remains the son of their enemy. Not while he was the child of the best warrior in the land.Do all you can for the king, but never trust him with your life.Jide closed his eyes to the voice of his father. If only he had heeded to the advice of the old man
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