Chapter 1: The wicked deity

Anine sat on a log of teak tree that fell at the back of Ajonwa's shrine. The tree had been her source of solitude each time she remembers how unfair life had been to her. The falling of the tree reminded her of the day her husband passed on to the great beyond. 

The unfairness of life began when Anine's husband died three years after they got married. She lost her mother when she was just three years old. She was raised by a father who made sure she never lacked anything, so her mother's absence was not felt. However, her father died after giving her hand in marriage. He sold everything he had just to make sure Anine never had anything to do with Ajonwa deity. This led to depression and consequent upon that, he died. 

Anine continued with her life after the death of her father. Her loving husband filled every vacuum her father left. When he died, Anine's world collapsed. 

Sitting on the log of the fallen tree, Anine began to recall how she got to Ajonwa's shrine - the same shrine her father made sure she never had anything to do with before his death. She remembered her beautiful daughter, who had gone missing for over ten years, tears began to roll down her smooth face. 

Anine wiped her tears immediately with the tip of her sackcloth when she heard a noise in the bush. It was taboo to cry around the shrine. The Chief Priest had dealt mercilessly with those who were found guilty. 

Crying around the shrine was often seen as a sign of cruel and inhumane treatment. The Ajonwa deity believed that all his captives were treated fairly, and as a matter of fact, one is considered safe in the hands of gods. Crying was also seen as a sign of denial and lack of appreciation for the fair treatment Ajonwa believed he offered, so people who were found crying were punished by death.  

Anine looked around the bush and discovered that the noise was made by a Guinea fowl that laid eggs on the foot of the fallen tree. Perhaps she was not the only one that was traumatized by the falling of the Tectona Grandis tree. She sat back and began to recall all the events that happened since she was a child. 

As a child, Anine had always tried to find out how the strongest deity presiding over her community was created. She has heard stories of how some powerful deities protected their people against invaders by manifestations of sacred power. Her father told her that deities are always envisioned in ways appropriate to the culture of the community they are presiding over. They are seen as supernatural, divine, and sacred beings with powers greater than those of ordinary humans, but interacts with humans, positively in a way that carries humans to a new level of consciousness, beyond the grounded preoccupation of ordinary life. 

However, the Ajonwa deity was nothing compared to all Anine's father told her about gods. The deity had caused so much pain to the women of Ohanta community. This left the villagers with rhetorical questions. 

"Who created Ajonwa deity?"

"Why was it created?"

"No one created Ajonwa deity, gods cannot be created by mere mortals!" Anine recalled her father's voice bellowed as if she had committed an abomination by asking who created Ajonwa deity. 

"But I will tell you a story my late father told me when I was about your age," Mazi Ugwu said to her daughter. 

"Some seasons ago, a certain man paid one of the ancient rulers of this community a visit. He told the king that he came from a distant land, but the people rejected him. No one wanted to associate with him. He also revealed to the king that the last place he settled was at Ndikwe community, however, one of the greatest deities presiding over Ndikwe instructed the villagers to drive him out of the village. He was driven out of the community like a common criminal. 

The king had compassion on him and promised to help him. He summoned his cabinet and shared the traveler's story with them, they all had compassion on him and agreed that land would be given to him to farm, build a house and raise his own family. 

The king and his cabinet took the traveler to a valley that ran between four great hills that is in Ohanta. He gave the valley to the traveler since the land belonged to no one. The traveler's joy knew no bounds. He told the king and his cabinet to return back to the valley after four market days to see the magnificent structure he would build in the valley. He also promised to leave a gift for the people of Ohanta for their good hospitality. 

The king and his cabinet were surprised. No one builds a hut in just four market days. They were also curious to see the gift the traveler promised he would also give the people of Ohanta. 

After four market days, the king and his cabinet set out to the site that was given to the traveler. They could not believe what they saw when they got to the site." 

"Father,  what did they see?" Anine interrupted. 

"Ani nne do not interrupt me." Mazi Ugwu preferred to call her daughter's name in full. 

"I shall tell you all my father told, and you shall also share this story with your children. This is the only way to make sure our histories are not erased." 

"When the king and his men got to the site, they saw a body of water. Water had been the only problem Ohanta was facing then. People had to travel as far as Uzofia community to fetch some water during the dry season. 

The king was very happy and startled at the same time. At the back of one of the hills, stood a gigantic structure that was built with mud, but the traveler was nowhere to be found. The king and his cabinet left the valley. 

They waited for another four market days before visiting the site again. On getting to the river, the men washed their hands in the water, to make sure it was real. When they tried to visit the gigantic structure that stood at the back of one of the hills, three fiery-looking bulls came out and stared at the king directly. The bulls were surprisingly heavy and incredibly determined to cause serious injury or even kill the king. The king backed away slowly and located his exit immediately." Mazi Ugwu narrated.