Journey To The Unknown

Episode 19

They walked faster than ever imagined to the
Igwe’s Palace, the guards at the entrance seeing the anger they where coming with tried
stopping them but the Priestess lifted up her
staff and a wind moved them out of the way,
even the Igwe stood up immediaely he saw
them coming

“What brought the Priestess to my honourable
abode in such a displeasing mood” The Igwe
asked not concerned about the Presence of the
chief elders.

“Igwe, the cry of a mosquitoe in the ear is not
an attack notice, it’s only a noise that it cannot
stop making” Priestess made an adage

“You Speak in Parables Priestess, kindly come
down to my level” Igwe requested

“Someone who dances Surugede dance should
be careful because Surugede is the dance of
the Spirit” Priestess made another adage
“Gbam.. That is it!!” Uchendu affirmed her
parables

“Priestess, why don’t you say what I will
understand” Igwe said

“Where is your wife and Child Igwe” Priestess
asked

“They are inside the hut” Igwe said and sent
someone to call them

“I know you haven’t heard they pushed
someone into the dreaded leaf two days ago”
Priestess inquired

“No I haven’t Priestess” Igwe said and Lolo
arrived followed by Azuka
“Igwee!” They greeted and stood beside him
“How wicked will you be to infest on an
Innocent boy the wrath of the dreaded leaf”
Priestess asked Lolo and Azuka
“And who is that?” Lolo asked
“Anochie of course” Ukadike said annoyed
“Ooh, that boy” Lolo began
“He was walking on my path and on passing, he
fell with his firewood. After all, he used his evil
powers on my sons face” Lolo said
“Shut Up Woman” Priestess ordered
“The evil deeds of your Son gave him the slap
he received” Priestess said
“Be careful before the gods strike your mouth”
Priestess added and faced the Igwe
“Your highness, what did I hear you did this
morning” Priestess asked the Igwe
“I don’t know what you heard, but whatever lies they fed you with is what happened” Igwe
replied

“Your highness, Pride goes before a fall”
“The gods are becoming unhappy with you”
“I told you to inform me before taking any
critical decision Igwe and now you have left evil
go unpunished” Priestess said
“I should inform you as what?” Igwe asked
standing up

“As the Custodian or as the traditional ruler?”
Igwe asked further which startled the Priestess
and the elders

“Ask her?” Lolo added
“Mind your tongue Igwe. A tree never make a
forest” Priestess said
“The gods are…” Priestess tried to say but Lolo
interrupted

“Which gods?? Eeh Priestess or whatever you
call yourself” Lolo interrupted
“Gods dead or alive?” Lolo added and the
elders were shocked the more
“Lolo, you are crossing your bounds” Priestess
said

“Oh, I’m I??” Lolo asked
” After being bribed by these old men, you
come here to blab your mouth? Better start
going” Lolo said and the elders removed their
caps

“Abomination!!” Onowu exclaimed and others
shook their head

“Lolo, you have beaten a drum harder than
your palms and chewed a kernel harder than
your teeth. Be ready too dance to the tune you
played” Priestess said

“Priestess please spare her” Igwe tried to plead
in pretence
“Tarrh!! Igwe” Lolo barked at the Igwe
“Plead foe who?? Spare who??.. Is like you don’t know who I am Igwe” Lolo said proudly
“I am the Lolo of Umuanyanwu” She added.
The chiefs did nothing but rather shook their
heads in sorrow

” Lolo, mind your words for the gods placed
you where you are” Priestess said in anger
“They did nothing. They are useless, if they
cared they would have brought a solution to
the long aged calamity which befell the land”
Lolo said as Azuka was supporting her. Even the
Igwe said nothing again

“My Husband the Igwe is the custodian of the
Law of the Land, so he does not need any
external help. Nonsense!! Pack of Conspirators,
evil men!!” Lolo exclaimed and left followed by
Azuka who laughed the hell out of them.
Without saying anything further, Priestess
looked at the Igwe who sat unconcerned. She
angrily took her staff and left the Palace with
the chief elders who were speechless. As they
left, the Igwe mocked them…

Lolo came back to the throne and they laughed
together

“See how she was threatening Me Lolo” Lolo
said

“Papa, these people are really wicked siding
the boy that did this to me” Azuka said touching
his cheek

“Don’t mind them my son” Igwe said to Azuka

“Igwe” Lolo called breaking the mocking
laughter
“It’s high time we bring another god into this
land” Lolo said

“What??!” Igwe asked in shock
“Yes Igwe, as you can see, Osimmili has been
bribed against Us. We need go be fortified in
all aspect. Or did you think I boasted here in
vain?” Lolo said and asked at same time
“If you rely on Osimmili, they will kill you like a
fowl” Lolo said and left leaving the Igwe with a
mind full of thoughts…
*
*
The Priestess walked straight into her shrine in
anger and hit her staff on the floor thereby
causing an Earthquake and thunder strikes
“Osimmili, are you dead??!!! Are you deaf!!!??”
Priestess angrily asked and the thunder
increased

“Speak to me and Prove the Lolo wrong!!” She
exclaimed and a beam of light appeared in the
thunder and a voice was heard from the light
“The War For Peace isn’t an easy one. It’s path aren’t straight but the end is a beautiful field filled with goodness

“Why speak in parables.. Tell me what I will
understand” Priestess requested as tears filled
her eyes

“Patience… Patience is what you need” The
voice said again

“What patience when more calamity is befalling
the land?” Priestess angrily asked
“I have spoken!!” The voice said
“What about the insult and Pride of the royal
family?” Priestess asked looking directly at the
light but the light disappeared saying nothing
and Priestess fell on her knees and lamented..
*
*
“Nna anyi, why are your faces like this?” Nworie asked as the elders and Ukadike entered with a soured face but they said nothing.

All they did was sat down shaking their heads which concerned Nworie, Ada and Anochie
“Nna anyi, talk to Us” Nworie said again
“Umuanyanwu is dying Cheii!!” Uchendu
exclaimed

“How?” Ada unknowingly asked
“The royal family insulted our gods in disregard
and threatened to bring another god to this
Land. Even the report we went to make turned
into a fight of words between them and the
Priestess” Ukadike said

“Heii!! What is going on in this land?” Nworie
asked rhetorically

“Well, I don’t blame them, I blame the gods
that have been keeping silent all these while”
Uchendu said but Onowu picked his word
immediately

“The gods are not to blame Maazi Uchendu”
Onowu said

“Then why are they keeping quiet?” Okwanku
asked siding Uchendu

“Their ways are not our ways” Onowu
concluded and they sighed and hissed also.
“I will be going now” Uchendu said standing up
with Okwanku

“My Son, take care of yourself” They said to
Anochie who smiled at them and they left. Few
minutes later Onowu left in like manner. Just
as they left all the boils on Anochie’s body
disappeared leaving his body more handsome
than before. Anochie didn’t notice it neither
did Ukadike nor his mother.

“Papa.. Mama, the boils are gone!!” Ada
exclaimed hugging Anochie as she was the first
to discover it and they all looked at Anochie
who was also surprised himself.. They touched
him to make sure none was remaining
“Thanks be to the gods” Ukadike said raising up his hand

“Nwa m (My Son)” Nworie called smiling for the first time since Anochie was on the mat

“You are smiling now” Ukadike said to Nworie
who smiled the more. Anochie was also happy
as he embraced Ada

“Thank You” He said to her but Ada said
nothing.

“I will be going now, let me take this news to
my wife. She will be very happy to hear it”
Ukadie said and Ada stood up to leave with him
but he stopped her

“No no.. Ada, stay here till morning and help in
little things. Also make sure he is fine” Ukadike
said

“Alright Papa” Ada said with her mind blowing
in happiness

“Thank You Papa” Anochie said
“You are welcome my son” He replied and left
“Go well ooh. My greetings to her” Nworie said
as he left. They happily stood Anochie up, Ada
folded the mat and they went inside the
house..

Ukadike told his wife the news and they were
all happy that Anochie is well again
“What of Ada?” She asked
“I left her there to help Anochie’s mother”
Ukadike said

“Alright, she won’t reject as long as it is
Anochie his brother” She said and they laughed
“Is he not her brother? Or is it your brother?”
Ukadike jokingly asked and they laughed again..