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ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty
The insinuation that Echi had been killed in the war between Umuolu and Umunsogbu left a fatal blow in the young heart of Ofu. He cried because he had never expected that the messenger who brought the message of the death of Umuolu warriors was also indirectly telling him that his father was dead too. Ofu stopped crying when Ato came back in the evening with mangoes he kept inside Echi’s goatskin bag he had carried along with him before they left Umuolu.
“Why did you run away?” Ofu asked as Ato dropped the goatskin bag on the grass.
“I was hungry, and both of you were also hungry. We would have had aching stomach tomorrow morning if I had not taken the decision to risk my life just to bring us these mangoes,” Ato replied. His voice sounded rigid.
“Did you see any warrior of Umunsogbu?” Ofu asked.
“I saw only a few men just moving around. They were hunters who had come to hunt grass cutters. Nothing big to worry abou
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Shading Black ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty-one
“We were lucky,” Abuo said as they leaned on a large palm-tree with long branches.“How were we lucky?” Ofu asked.“Snakes!” Abuo echoed. “We could have been bitten by large snakes in the forest.”“I doubt that. Our gods are very much alive.”“I thought so too.”Abuo picked a small stone and threw it at a lizard that darted quickly as soon as the stone touched its fragile body.“Do you miss Ato?” Ofu asked.“He had his own decisions to make. He chose to follow the hunter and leave us. Should I miss him for not taking me along?”“I knew that he would leave. I just sensed it.”“It doesn’t matter now,” Abuo said absent-mindedly.Abuo's skin was lighter tha
Shading Black ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty-two
Hours turned into days. Days rolled into weeks. Weeks formed into months, and months got covered by the pride of years. Fifty years had passed since Ofu, and his brothers got separated. He was now an old man, married with only one son whose name was Nwaka.“You were beautiful the first day I met you,” Ofu said to his wife.“Old age has taken away my beauty,” Ihuoma replied. She was Ofu’s imagination of an ideal woman, just like Olanna.“I can never forget the day I met you. The gods must have brought you to save me from dying.”“The gods must also have been reasonable enough to humble you so much in order for you to go on your knees and beg me for a little water,” Ihuoma said, laughing. It was one of those few times they sat outside under the light of the full moon to reflect on their younger days.“Your people were wick
Shading Black ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty-three
Ibekwe raised a finger, which he pointed at Ofu, who was sitting in front of his compound with Ihuoma.“Ibekwe, the son of the last prophecy,” Ofu said as he sighted Ibekwe coming from afar.“Good evening, grandfather and grandmother,” Ibekwe greeted.“How are you?” Ihuoma asked.“I am doing fine.”“Where is your father?’“He is almost here.”Nwaka walked sluggishly with his wife, Ezinne, by his side. She was as pretty as his mother, Ihuoma. The idealness of both women had often been debated by him and Ofu. They had constantly refused to accept that one was better than the other.“Good evening, father. Good evening mother,” Ezinne said.The scarf that she had tied around her head shot out as she bent to greet them.
Shading Black ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty-four
The first foreigner from Europe to visit Umuoku was a missionary from England. His name was Peter Stonefield. He was one of the few men filled with revivalism who had decided to go on a solo mission in spreading the gospel of Christ to villages that had not yet been blessed with the message of Christ.Peter gazed at the shrine of Umuoku. The home where the devil conveyed his message to his followers. He formed a quick saliva and spat on the ground. In his mind, he wished he could light a fire and get rid of the heretic symbol in front of him. As he eyed the shrine in front of him, he kept telling himself to be patient in order to avoid getting himself involved in a mistake that he would later regret.A year ago, he had made a firm decision to leave his comfort, sworn an oath of celibacy and venture into the darkness of Africa to spread the goodwill message of christ. The message of love and peace and hope for a better life after earth. His zeal had led hi
Shading Black ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty-five
The high-pitched sound of the town crier's metal stick striking the surface of the hard, rusty gong woke Ibekwe. The morning was still early, and the dew was just beginning to wet the plants and grasses that laid uncovered in their compound. Another sound from the gong, and he drew closer to the window where he saw the stoutly built town crier, beating the metal piece harmoniously. The town crier was announcing a wrestling contest that was to be held in the evening.It was almost a month now that Peter Stonefield’s body was burnt in the outskirts of Umuoku and his companion, Ada, disgraced in front of the whole village before being chased away by a pack of warriors.Ibekwe could have sworn that he had never felt anything as genuine as the gentle Igbo words that Peter used to express God’s love towards his sinful soul. A young boy damned for eternity under the torment of a cursed devil could be saved by the simple acce
Shading Black ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty-six
The elders took their positions in front of the crowd as they waited for the wrestlers to arrive. The first match of the day was between two young men who were in their mid-twenties. The men came out separately, in their own war-like style. They hit their chests with rigid bare hands and danced to the wrestling drums before clutching hands together to indicate a fair game.The first match started with a whistle, and the wrestlers locked hands immediately. They held each other firmly in the shoulders, circling and moving their muscles to the fast beats coming from the drum. They pushed and pulled for a long time until the whistle was blown again, signalling a draw match.The wrestlers went away. New palm fronds were brought to replace the old ones. The next wrestling match was among teenagers, and the favourite teen wrestler was Akagi, a seventeen-year-old bastard who had never been thrown on the ground. He held the title of best teenage wrestler in
Shading Black ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty-seven
Ofu’s old legs rocketed in platonic propulsion as he chatted with Ihuoma about their hazy past. Slowly, the wrapper tied around Ihuoma’s waist flared out, and she tightened it as she saw Nwaka, Ezinne, and Ibekwe approaching.Nwaka greeted his parents, so did Ezinne and Ibekwe. He always liked being the first to share good news with his old father, especially when it involved the triumph of his son.“Father, your grandson just won a wrestling match,” Nwaka said.Nwaka’s voice was soft and cajoling. He reached towards Ofu and jerked his shoulders softly as if that would quicken the impact of his words.“The gods be praised,” Ofu declared. “I know Ibekwe is a good wrestler even though he has avoided the sport. That is why our people say that what an old man can see sitting down, a young man cannot see even if he climbs the tallest Iroko tree. He has
Shading Black ORIGIN - Chapter Twenty-eight
The proxy voice of a man instructing a woman to touch Ibekwe drained him out of his sleep. He stared at the two people in front of him and quickly identified them as his parents.“Mother! Father! What are you doing here?” he asked.Ezinne was silent. She wailed and shrieked before she finally found comfort in the arms of Nwaka.“Father! What is wrong?”Ibekwe fought against his weakness and stood up, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.“Ibekwe!” Nwaka called, turning and bending his eyes to look at Ezinneh who was hugging him tightly and crying. “The evil spirits have struck.”“What happened, father? Where is grandfather and grandmother?”Nwaka lifted his eyes and grappled the resistance that was growing within him.“Ibekwe, you have to be a man.”“Why are you saying all these things?”
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