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CHAPTER 31
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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
EJIMA CHAPTER 38
The sound of the ikoro had woken her. It was rare. That wooden gong was never beaten unless something bad has happened or was about to happen. It was hard to tell which of the two was in play. But one thing was certain. The ikoro was a drum of the spirit. It was never sounded in vain. The last time she had heard its sound was a long time ago. She was probably ten or eleven years old then. The kingdom had lost the greatest diviner, the Dibia of the seventh generation. Ejima hurried towards the sandy path, making her way to the village square. The day was young, but the fact that she didn’t see anyone on her way to the square, made her wonder if the enemy had wiped out the entire village. For all she could tell, the village could have turned into a ghost town. Not even the noise of a domestic animal could be heard. Silence and emptiness had mended the crips of the birds. Ejima rested her hands on her sling as she roamed the narrow path. As a novice in the shrine, she w
EJIMA CHAPTER 39
Five days have gone by since they signed up for the hunt. Until today, everyone had been indoors, waiting eagerly for the final selection. Dukin, the King's horn, had insisted on an archery test since survival in the wild would be shooting a dangerous animal from a distance instead of waiting for them to close gaps. Why most people saw this as a change in the tradition and culture of the people, and would not welcome it with an open arm, others saw it as a good sign. They had claimed it would minimize the proportion of casualties and that more people are likely to survive at the end of the hunt. However good it sounded, there were whispers too. Some have argued that Dukin had enacted the new rule because a brother of his was taking part in the hunt. Ejima rested her leg on the bow, she was not the one to listen to gossip, especially those that have to do with politics. The loose end of the rope that had failed to stay true on the bow was causing enough irritation for her to
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