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CHAPTER 72
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2022-07-05 17:29:25Another east wind drifted through the trees and rested upon him, easing out the discomfort of the last twelve years. He shifted to the side and smiled when the golden rays that tubes from the trees' leaves, seemed to knock on the door of his eyes. Only one word came to his mind. Peace. Indeed, one does not know the value of what they have until they lose it. But it is also true that one does not know the value of what they have been missing until it arrives. Before now it was wars, killing, revenge, and anger. There have been several sacrifices to different deities and for different purposes. But now, everything has changed. It was the introduction of the divine, the coming of the king of kings that has blotted away the darkness which plagued the land for a very long time.
"Still enjoying the view or should I say the peace?"
Jide's smile broaden as he took the cup of palm wine. It was obvious, the peace. Everyone was enjoying it
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Cause the sun to riseSing to the heart that weepsCause the moon to fallLet the heart that weeps singThey said we are a curseThey said we course the land with curseBut we are like Rehab the harmless dragonTheir ignorance were the cause that cursed the land. Cause the sun to riseThe blight of ignorance has walloped our mother with curse.But in our infinite troubleIn our heart melting like the oil from a candle waxThere lies the one, the king, the mother of all mothersThe father of all fathersHim and him alone took us inThere walked the king of kingsThe God of godsHim and him alone took us inShelters us, fed us and clothed us.There smiled the love of all lovesSaying, I will never leave you nor forsake you We are EjimaWe cried, We screeched, we screamed, and the God of gods answered. Cause the sun to ri
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It drifted into the room again. Silent at first, but slithering now like the heartbeat of a phantom. That tantrum of unspoken words. That stillness spoke louder than the voice of frivolity, drilling its ugly head into the faint of heart. She had heard it once, long ago, before she became a wife and now a mother. It had even smudged her courage, making her wonder if this was the end for her. No, it was not her end. It was their end. An end without a beginning. If tomorrow starts without her, she would gladly have these lovely faces with her. It was their end. The end of a life that was never lived. "Alu. Mmeru ala. Tufia!!" Njideka flinched but held tight the wrapped cloth as she hid behind the bamboo bed. It was a poor choice. Her heart raced as her eyes pierced the dark, towards the entrance. No one was in the room of course. They were outside. The brood of vipers that sought the head of her children were outside. Waiting, perhaps for the right moment. She knew the voice that h
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Come on now. We are almost there. Ejima steadied her arms, with a sling and stone ready to fly. Her breath was calm as she waited from her hiding place for the animal to move closer enough. It was an antelope with brown fur and few white spots. There was no horn yet. But the rich dark eyes suggested that it was matured enough. It was nothing close to the one she had killed two moons ago. However, the size would generate an income that would serve for two or three market days before she comes back for a proper hunt. Songs of praise echoed from the mouth of the forest, merging with the weak afternoon heat and animating the leaves which carpeted the floor. The birds also joined the cacophony, as if warning the animal of the impending danger. It didn't listen, nor showed any sign to obey. One swing was all it took Ejima to let the stone fly. The motion was swift and before she could retrace her hands, the antelope slump to the side, dead. Her stone had found its mark on the animal's h
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The spark came from his fingers or was it his body? No, perhaps his soft lips were the force that was electrifying her, gulping her strength and leaving her moaning like a helpless child. He was a beast in the face of battle. She had seen him fight one or two times. But in bed, the story was different. His touch was as tender as the fur of a day-old chick and even though she had tried to master them, she always fell victim to this perpetual ecstasy that words can hardly express. “I wish I had you all along,” Nneamaka breathed in deeply as he caged her in his strong but tender grip. “Hmm, so romantic. Boredom would have killed us right before your late husband did. Besides, I have always been here. You were just too blind to notice me.” There he goes again, always with the habit of ruining the flawless moments. Nneamaka frowned and peeled away from him. It was a reluctant effort and even as she created a slight distance between them, she could hear the silent words that were yelling
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Ejima wiped away the sweat that walked down the bridge of her flat nose, but sneezed twice when she accidentally sniffed the dust in her hands. She wiped the tears that followed and tried to return to work but leaned away when a sharp pain strode through her waist. She hissed out the frustration from her teeth and tightened her grips on the wooden hoe. All the light-headedness and the weakness she had been feeling for the last four months, had turned out to be pregnancy. A pregnancy she never wanted. It was a curse to her. A punishment from the gods themselves. Tightening her grip on the farming hoe, she bent carefully but without ease, and was glad when her hands touched the heap of earth and grass. With the hoe, she dug around the brown tendril and tried to pull with her free hand. The yam obliged at the first trial but snapped in two when she tried forcing them the second time. She murmured and continued with the digging, hoping to bring out the rest of the yam that was still under
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Latest chapter
EJIMA CHAPTER 72
Another east wind drifted through the trees and rested upon him, easing out the discomfort of the last twelve years. He shifted to the side and smiled when the golden rays that tubes from the trees' leaves, seemed to knock on the door of his eyes. Only one word came to his mind. Peace. Indeed, one does not know the value of what they have until they lose it. But it is also true that one does not know the value of what they have been missing until it arrives. Before now it was wars, killing, revenge, and anger. There have been several sacrifices to different deities and for different purposes. But now, everything has changed. It was the introduction of the divine, the coming of the king of kings that has blotted away the darkness which plagued the land for a very long time."Still enjoying the view or should I say the peace?"Jide's smile broaden as he took the cup of palm wine. It was obvious, the peace. Everyone was enjoying it
EJIMA CHAPTER 71
It was his only place of solace, his last resort. Even as he walked blindly through the foliage of green, the word ‘I am your son’ kept his mind awake. It was a bold claim, and for the moment, Uche could have sworn that his powers had turned into water. He wanted to run into the boy's arm and wrapped his hands around him. If Bozo was his son, then everything he had been fighting for was useless. Bozo had the kingdom and the power, which Uche could lay claim to once he took the boy in as his father. He could have amassed the boy’s riches to himself since Bozo seemed to be richer than Ame a hundredfold. That way, he would have control of the land, and everyone would bow to him. But on the other hand, accepting Bozo would also mean accepting Ejima. And that was a curse he wouldn’t wish for his enemy, not while the woman was a bag of misfortune and evil. He would rather spend his days in poverty than accept Ejima into his home again.Uche added pressure on
EJIMA CHAPTER 70
Navigating through the forest was not as easy as the masters had predicted. But that was partly due to the malfunctioning compass which had misled them twice. Goddison had taken charge after the third trial had failed. He was leading them now, through a path in the forest, trusting his nose and ears. Mary on the other hand had said fewer words since they departed four days ago. She had kept to herself, speaking only when spoken to. As usual, there was no age on her face, despite the scorching heat, her expression was plain, yet each time Jide looked in her direction, the woman was always muttering to herself. It was called prayer, Jide had learned from one of the masters, which made him wonder if the prayer is everlasting.Five people had embarked on this journey, excluding Ugomma and Jide. The locale in the village had provided them with horses and supplies and had bid them farewell with the grace of God. Jide had made a few friends though, a man n
EJIMA CHAPTER 69
She thought she heard herself screaming, but that was a thought that her consciousness did not register. Her head was heating, and the sweat that streamed from her body was like a pool. Uche was laughing now, and the triumph in his eyes only dug the anger that Ejima had harbored for the past twenty years."No, this is not happening,"Ejima panted and watched in horror as Kachi and his men, lifted Bozo out of the pit and placed him on the dusty floor. She trotted towards their direction and rested Bozo's head on her lap, using her free hand to add pressure on his wounded chest. It would have been worse, but his metallic armor had prevented some damage."I will do it all over," Bozo coughed and blood dribbled out of his mouth. His brown eyes had lost their grandness, mixed now with tears and regrets."Please, don't die. Please." Ejima cried amid the hot breath that came pouring out of her nostril. Some inches away was the pit which Uche had dug. Ghost, Bozo
EJIMA CHAPTER 68
He kept looking into the bright eyes, lost in the exuberance of the woman he had longed so much to meet. The past twenty years had not changed her much, just the crease that was gliding towards the sides of her face. Despite the age, her chocolate skin was almost radiating like that of a baby. Gray was the song of old age, yet her hair had failed to sing its songs. She fitted the picture he knew since he was still ten years. Nothing about her had changed nothing.She has been through a lot. Guilt crawled through Bozo's stomach triggering regrets and maybes. He should have remained here to help her. He should have found her earlier.“You are my son? You are…Bozo?”“How did you know my name, Mmechi made sure we remained hidden from the rest of the village?” Bozo said as he helped her to her feet. He could still hear the rustle and the crushing leaves, he still remembered the night when Mmechi had smuggled them out of the village, for
EJIMA CHAPTER 67
Cold went through her nape as she went on down the lonely path. Raining season had pathways for the harmattan wind, which fogged the treetops like the smoke of a burning bush. Until today, coming here wouldn't have crossed her mind in ages. It's been a long time and every step into the forest flushes back the memory. How long has it been? Why was the forest notorious for harboring evil?Ejima steadied her hands on her staff. The burning sensation on her side was still there and her head ached. She needed a good sleep. She needs to clear her mind. Life has indeed dealt with her, she could sense the heavy stripes on her soul and the weight crashing on her shoulders. It has always been from one problem to another, one death or misfortune to another. She was the victim. Maybe the villagers were right? Maybe the words of the Dibia were right? Maybe she indeed was a daughter of misfortune.No, that can't be. A voice assured in her head as she continued. She had not met anyon
EJIMA CHAPTER 66
The almond eyes flashed into Ejima's memory and instantly she could place the horny skin and the rich dark hair that had turned grey. "My goodness. What happened to you? You look-" "Old?" Mmechi laughed, "Ije Uwa. Constantly working on the farm, with the sun blistering its heat on your head could leave your hair as snow white as mine." She laughed again. "But those are the good days. It brought me here." "You look fine." Ejima smiled. The woman's hunchback was gone and even though Ejima would love to know how she didn't ask. With the misery that came with the woman's condition, Ejima decided to keep that part aside. Unless Mmechi told her along the line, she was not ready to prey out the information. The past should remain buried sometimes. "I never thought I would see you again." Ejima helped herself out of the bed. Mmechi was already lost in thought. The woman was once her servant. Ejima had taken her in after the villagers had condemned her because
EJIMA CHAPTER 65
She opened her eyes to the pounding noise of the mortar and pestle. It sounded distant at first, yet the tantrum on her head, registered like two stones, rubbing over one another. It was a dark room, candled by a dim light, burning wastefully by her right. Horrible-looking creatures hung on the ceilings. Skull of animals, different types and breeds. The soapy smell also made her rub her nose, she couldn’t help but think of some dead fish, left by the riverside to decay. Not that it affected her much, the headache and the occasional blurring vision left her in doubt. Maybe she had hit her head on something. It was hard to tell. But she remembered lying on the cave bed and begging Uche for her life. He had not freed her, the blood lust had driven him into stabbing her continuously with his dagger. And she had...is this the land of the dead? “You are awake.” The pounding noise ceased as an old woman appeared, smiling weakly at her. Her hands were a tendril of vein
EJIMA CHAPTER 64
Another wave of dust followed the marching feet as the men snailed through the mountain peaks like migrating ants. From one end of the hill to the far side on the horizon, war songs upheld the calmness that once asserted the forest. There were at least a hundred men on horseback and a thousand or so on foot. These were husbands, fathers, farmers, brothers, and uncles. Before now, they were familiar with pitchforks, knives, and other household materials. But not anymore. Years of torture and torment from the Freeborns have drilled them into valiant warriors of anger and vengeance. They were fearless and would battle anything that stood in their way. While some people in the council had argued about their brutality, the truth no one was seeing was the fact that these men had kept the land safe for the past fifty years. It was the will to keep their family and loved ones from oppression that kept them going. That love was so stronger than any force in the universe.Bozo deepened
