The Cry

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 3

So bright and early was the morning as Anochie

was seen in front of their mud house,sitting on

a bench with only a wrapper tied on his

waist,slowly playing his flute in a sorrowful

tone. Tears ran down his eyes as he played,but

the cause of his tears no one can tell. His

mother woke up to see his part of the bed

vacant. She wondered where he went to, so she

rushed outside only to see him sitted there

playing his flute, she said nothing but rather

went inside, tied up a wrapper and ran to his

late husband’s brother house. She was close

enough to Maazi Ukadike’s house and began to

shout his name in tears

“Ukadike, I am finished ooo”Mrs. Nworie

shouted and fell at the door mouth of his

house. Mrs. Ukadike rushed out and carried her

up consoling her followed by Ukadike

“It’s Okay Mama Anochie..What is it?”She asked

“Is Anochie dead?”Maazi Ukadie asked holding

his staff tightly to his chest

“Haaa!!..My Husband,stop saying that”Mrs.

Ukadike rebuked him

“What else will I say eeh woman”Maazi said and

sat down close to Mrs. Nworie

“My wife,what is it?”He asked again

“Heeei!!..Mrs. Nworie shouted. Why did death

take away my husband from me oo”She

exclaimed in more tears

“Dry your tears and stop blaming death. Death

comes in it’s time”Maazi Ukadike said

“Then it come and carry me also.”Mrs. Nworie

said

“Tufiakwaa!!. God forbid”Maazi Ukadike

rejected her statement spitting out the

chewing stick in his mouth

“Mama Anochie take it easy and talk to us”Mrs.

Ukadike said

“Is it not Anochie”Mrs. Nworie said

“Anochie??..What did he do?”Maazi Ukadike

asked surprisingly knowing that Anochie was

never a bad child

“Since his Father died,he hardly smiles,always

isolating himself and playing the old flute his

father gave to him. Eeeh,am I not better than

dead tell me Mama Ada”Mrs. Nworie said

looking at Mrs. Ukadike (Mama Ada)

“Hmmm..This is serious. Let’s go let me see

him”Maazi said and she dried her tears

following Ukadike.

On reaching to Nworie’s house,Anochie was still

there playing the flute and tears was still

dropping from his eyes without him noticing

any movement.

“You see what I am talking about Nna anyi”Mrs.

Nworie complained and Ukadike walked up to

Anochie,he sat besides him and called his name

“Anochie”He called but Anochie did not

respond

“Anochie!!”He called more louder but Anochie

still didn’t reply so he tapped him hard

“Anochie!!!”He called again tapping his back and

Anochie arose in shock

“Aarrh!! Papa,you are here”Anochie said

recovering his senses and placing the flute back

on his neck

“No, I am not here,this is my twin spirit. What

has come over you Anochie?”Ukadike asked

Anochie as Anochie looked at his mother whse

eyes were red in tears

“I don’t understand what you are talking about

Papa”Anochie said

“Why do you want to kill your mother before

her time?? Eeh Anchie!!”He yelled at him

“What?? Kill my mother, how Papa??”Anochie

asked in surprise looking confused

“Oh,you are asking me how isn’t it? Ok,now

listen to me”Ukadike said in an elderly order

“You hardly talk to her or even anyone,you

hardly smile,you are always isolative playing

this your flute leaving your mother in heart

break and memories of your late father. Is it

good eeh Anochie??”Ukadike asked him leaving

him speechless still gazing at his mother

“Anochie I am asking you!!”Ukadike barked at

him

“Sorry Nna anyi,I can’t really tell but I normally

have this sad and sorrowful feeling”Anochie

said holding his flute

“And only my flute keeps my mind at rest from

the feelings

“What sort of nonsense feeling is that,you

better conquer it and make your mother happy

again. Look at her,she is now turning to the

letter I written with faint ink getting thinner by

the day. Anochie,mind yourself!! I have

finished my own”Ukadike concluded

“Yes Papa,I am sorry. Mama, I am

sorry”Anochie said in remorse

“Mama Anochie,you have heard him, he said he

is sorry. It’s ok now”He said holding Mama

Anochie

“I know Anochie is a good boy,don’t worry it

might be the feelings of his father”He

concluded

“Thank You Nna anyi”Mama Anochie

appreciated him and Ukadike tried leaving but

he turned back

“And by the way Anochie, Why are you

crying?”He asked looking at the tears on his

eyes

“Am I crying??”Anochie asked touching his eyes

“Chim oo (My God),so it has gone to that extent

that you don’t know or feel any stimulus again.

Hmmm, Anochie!! Well,let me start going”He

said and left shaking his head.

The eyes of Anochie and His Mother jammed

together boiling up a Mother and Child feeling

and Anochie played the flute for his mother to

make her happy..

*

*

“My Father I greet you”Prince Azuka, a tall fair

handsome young man greeted Ebubedike his

father. Azuka’s physical combinations made

him proud because he was known as the most

handsome amongst their neighbouring villages.

“My Son,how are you today”Igwe asked him

“I’m fine Papa”He replied

“Ooh..That’s good”Igwe replied and ended the

smiling mood on his face

“Papa,this calamity that has befallen the land is

bothering you so much,afterall it does not

affect you,you no longer bear children so I

don’t see the reason you will be eating yourself

up”Azuka said

“May the gods seize to release their anger on

you Azuka. Now get out of my sight if you don’t

have anything else to say!!”Igwe ordered and

Azuka stood up

“I will be at the stream”Azuka said and left with

his two guards.

“What sort of a son is this??”Igwe asked himself

and sighed

“Nwaagu,get me my palm wine”He said to the

guard standing besides him

*

*

The Prince walked the path that led to the

stream followed by his guards,the path was not

wide due to the fact that bushes were on both

sides. Ada and Anochie went to the stream on

that day after the words of Maazi Ukadie his

uncle.

On their way back they met the Prince. Ada was

a very beautiful girl with anything better than

figure 8,she tied a wrapper t cover her breast

in the local way leaving part of her stomach

below open and an average lengthy local skirt

she wore carrying her calabash on her head

laughing with Anochie as they were walking

back home so the Prince lustfully admired her

as they drew closer

“Good day My Prince”

“Good day My Prince”They both greeted trying

to pass from the little chance they had near the

bushes but the guards blocked them

“What is this now,let us pass”Ada said drawing

back with Anochie

“Why will you pass when you have not paid

homeage to your Prince”Azuka said smiling

broadly

“What kind of Homeage?”Ada asked

“But we greeted”Anochie added

“Will you shut up your mouth! I wasn’t talking

to you flute boy”Azuka harshly said to Anochie

“I’m sorry”Anochie said

“Sorry for yourself.. Now you, I don’t know

your name”Azuka said

“My name is Ada, Ada Ukadike”Ada said

“Oooh,I see,that name makes you more

beautiful”Azuka said but Ada said nothing

“Well as you can see I am interested in you,so

kindly follow me to the bush and give me what

I want”Azuka said smiling

“What? May the gods of Umuanyanwu forgive

you. Do you think I am one of those girls you

molest? Excuse me”Ada barked at him and

tried to pass but the guards pushed them back

thereby breaking the water pot of Anochie

“Chim oo (My God)”Anochie exclaimed

“That serves you right weakling”One of the

guards said

“Bring her!”Azuka ordered and one of the

guard tried to carry Ada

“She is going nowhere!!”Anochie said angrily

“What if I insist?”The Prince aske d and a guard

hit Anochie and he fell down in pains. The

other guard brought down the calabash of Ada

and carried her on his shoulder covering her

mouth. She yelled aloud and cried pleading but

no one heard for her mouth was covered.

They got into the bush and Ada was laid down

by the guard holding her hand and the other

covering her mouth as she mutely pleaded…

Anochie,painfully stood up seeing that they

were gone,tears ran down his eyes and he

began to play his flute in angry tears..

“I get whatever I want”Azuka said as he pulled

off his robe and unzipping his trouser,he knelt

down sexually admiring Ada touching her

sensitive parts,but when he got to remove her

local skirt an invisible hand slapped him that he

fell on the other side.

“My Prince”A guard shouted and ran to the

Prince taking him up..

The flute of Anochie became louder and more

furious that wind began to blow around him…

“What happened my Prince”The guard asked

“I don’t know”He said and walked to Ada again

who was still held by one of the guards. As he

drew closer,he received another slap

“What was that??”He asked holding his cheek

painfully. Before the guards could reply they

received their own portion of the slap. The

more they stood,the more the slap increased

so they ran out quickly with the Prince holding

his robe in his hand. Ada wondered what

happened and stood up immediately. On

standing up she saw Anochie coming to her

fastly “Anochie!!”She called

“Ada what happened, I have been searching the

whole bush for you”Anochie said taking her by

the hand

“You are wounded”Ada said ignoring his

question

“Don’t mind that”Anochie said touching the

wound

“What will you tell Mama about it and the pot

also”Ada queried standing back

“Just don’t bother about that, Let’s go”Anochie

said and they went outside the bush,Anochie

carried Ada’s water pot for her since his own

was broken. After dusting herself, they went

home leaving Anochie’s broken pot behind….