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EXILE - Chapter Fifty-three
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2024-10-29 19:42:56It was late in the afternoon when the sun of Umuoku escaped from the gates of heaven and began to burn. Okonta felt uneasy as he waited patiently for his visitor to arrive. The last time his visitor had come, he had vociferously assured him that his work would be done in Umuise without any complications, and yet for some incoherent reasons, he chose not to believe what he had said. He could feel the anxiety that was swelling up in the face of the man when he told him that he could no longer continue with the act. An act that he felt was not worth the risk they were taking. All Okonta could do was soothe his visitor lively spirit with a gourd of palm-wine. He comforted him on the back and told him that the man they were fighting for, would be proud of them. His soul would rest in peace, knowing fully well that all the people who made life miserable for them had been properly dealt with. Every cause prompted by a just revenge was a righteous call from home.
Okonta had longed fo
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Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Fifty-four
Ibekwe stood beneath the lofty shades of palm trees that gathered around a diffused area of land about a quarter of a mile away from Okoli's compound.Ibekwe what did you see in the black pot in Umuoku? Can you not remember what had made you run home that day? The voiceless words echoed in the silence of Ibekwe's mind.There was no logical way to prove that he had seen a black pot, Ibekwe knew. Even if he saw the blurry images in shades and had told Ifeme about it on the first day that they sat alone in his room, he knew he couldn't approve he was right. If he answered yes, that he was sure, it would lead to more loop holes that he was not ready to delve into. If he answered no, that he wasn't sure, the road was rather easier. No more thinking.As he stood alone, waiting for Ifeme to reappear, Ibekwe suspected that something about him wasn't right. If there was any moment when the little man and legal adviser of his soul was to take a stand and consult his
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Fifty-five
A village market is a village square, where traders set up spaces with boundaries while waiting for buyers to take a walk and browse their merchandise. It is also a geographical area where a group of people that share the common gift of gossiping come to showcase their talents. There is a popular saying in Umuise that a man who doesn't know the insect that stung him will never know the part of his body that caught the insect's attention.Somewhere in the outskirts of Umuise, a mad man was seen digging a hole, close to the stem of a tree. It is not frequently, we see mad men trying to pull out objects from the ground but what was particularly interesting about the object that this mad man was trying to unearth was the sad truth that it was a charm. A powerful charm that could render the crops in a man's farm useless within some days.Osisiakalaka was quickly called to action. He took the charm from a peasant farmer who had found the mad man playing with it when he
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Fifty-six
Ibekwe was surprised to see the long line of people which pointed towards the shrine of Osisiakalaka. The sun had just risen and from the look of things, it wasn't happy with the way people flocked where the diviner communed with the gods. In order to show its disapproval, the sun had decided to shine brightly on people, sending them hot rays that made some of them hide under trees or run home to seek shelter but a few of them were stubborn to leave and one of those set of stubborn people was Ibekwe.Ibekwe took another good look at the line and hissed. How long would it take before he had the opportunity to see Osisiakalaka? He thought. He wondered how he was going to see Osisiakalaka without having to wait for a long time. After two sharp looks, he noticed that the hut close to the shrine that served as Osisiakalaka's temporary residence was almost filled with people who sat down at the verandah and spoke in hushed tones with a lad that had been assigned to serve as Osisiak
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Fifty-seven
Adaugo rushed forward and hugged Ifeme as they approached her compound. Her wrapper, made of red and yellow stripes proudly hung on her waist, shielding the region between her waist and her knee. She covered her developing breast with a different piece of cloth with a material utterly distinct from the wrapper she had worn. The orange tree which stood at the side of her mother's hut dispersed some of its leaves with caution as it dwindled to the sound of the incoming rain. A smile appeared on her face as she saw Ibekwe standing behind. Solitary. Watching the birds chirp while flying past the orange tree."Ibekwe are you not going to hug me?" She asked."I think I am fine without that. Besides, you have Ifeme by your side," Ibekwe replied."So you are still going to avoid me like you did before?"Ifeme interrupted. "Leave him alone. Let my brother do what he wants. You cannot force him."Ibekwe folded his hands, watching the little show that was pla
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Fifty-eight
Ibekwe cupped his hands as the liquid flowed through his throat. He leaned on the wall and angled his right knee, to give his body adequate support. The night air had grown warmer, much to the comfort of his own soul and a wind had risen and the rains had slowly darted away. After he emptied the water inside the gourd into his stomach, he dropped it down and placed it near the kitchen counter. He lit a fire and grabbed some firewoods to keep the surging flames of the fire, glowing. He heard the sound of a metal gong and there was a moment of silence as the town crier stopped in front of Okoli's compound. The town crier gave his message and a cranky sound followed.Ibekwe yawned as he stretched his hands as if he was trying to catch something unknown to him. He dropped his hands down. The night was cool and not as dull as the previous nights where he had to stack pieces of firewoods to keep his body warm. This night was better. Despite the rain, the moon had still decided to p
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Fifty-nine
Ibekwe quickly bolted the door as he entered the room he shared with Ifeme. The room was poorly litted, almost dark. He cupped his hand and yawned, stretching his elbows sideways. The moon was slowly shrinking as it prepared to announce the coming of a new day. Midnight. He crouched as he took his sleeping wrapper and spread it on top of the bamboo bed. Satisfied with his effort, he carried the fading palm oil lamp and dropped it near the door. He knelt down as he pressed his lips tightly. He prayed for a short period of time to no god in particular. He prayed that whoever was looking at him should guide him. After he was done praying, he slipped into the bamboo bed.Ibekwe twisted his head from one point to another as he stared at the ceiling blankly. He kept on changing his sleeping position until he accepted that no position was suitable for him unless he stopped thinking. After wrestling with sleep for some time without
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Sixty
Ibekwe got up quickly as if stung by a bee. He stretched his eyes to where the palm oil lamp rested, quietly. Slowly, he moved towards the palm oil lamp to check what could have possibly made the lamp to give up its light. After several failed trials of reviving the lamp from its gloomy mood, he dropped it and returned to the bamboo bed. He laid down straight, closed his eyes and prayed for the lamp to come back to life. He kept on praying until he felt a touch on his lap. It was a gentle touch.The palm that rested on his lap were soft. They were like feeble palms that had not smelt the pain and suffering accompanied with manual work. The palm circled around the ball of his foot and stopped, then moved up to his knee and continued. Ibekwe smiled when the palm stopped at his thigh.At first, he thought it was Ifeme's palm but he knew it couldn't be him, lying on the bed and touching him. He opened his eyes widely and saw the face of a woman or more like a girl. S
Shading Black EXILE - Chapter Sixty-one
This was the second time that Ibekwe was visiting Osisiakalaka's shrine and he was familiar with the road to Osisiakalaka's temporary dwelling place and his shrine. The long trees with vivid branches spreading across different directions indicated that he was close to the shrine. He lowered his pace and squinted to see if the long line of people that came to visit Osisiakalaka everyday for his help was still there. He didn't hear the voice of a single soul.The place was free from any human form except for a statue resembling an awkward human with an inscription on his feet which he could not see clearly because of the gap between where he was standing and where the statue stood. He moved closer to the statue and roamed his eyes to check if any unwanted visitor was watching him from a silent corner. Aware that he was not being watched, he faced the lifeless human. The elbow of the statue was almost touching its knee as if it was taking a bow of silence in front of the high go
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Shading Black About the Author
Chibuzor Victor Obih was born in the southern part of Nigeria. Delta State to be precise. His writing includes essays, poetry and short stories. He likes to play soccer, read, study and above all, write. He is currently a fourth year student of a renowned public university in Nigeria. The University of Port-Harcourt is where he is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Shading Black is his first book and his first attempt to explore the beautiful world of a novelist. To stay connected with him and his works, you can follow him on Instagram using the account name: Chibuzor Victor Obih or follow him on Facebook using the account name: Author Chibuzor Victor Obih.
Shading Black Epilogue
The room was silent. The door swung open and James came inside, holding a book. Ibekwe stared at James and sighed. They looked at each other for a while before James sat down."I got some interesting information you might want to hear," James said."Tell me," Ibekwe said. He had been feeling guilty since the death of Ifeme."The same boy who killed Osisiakalaka confessed some of the diviner's sins to me. He gave some fascinating explanations about your history that still baffles me," James said, moving his fingers. "Is the name Isiewu familiar to you?" He asked."Not really. I have only heard my grandfather mention him once and that was when he told me to story of Umuolu's war."James reasoned with compressed lips. "Isiewu played a major role in destroying your family. According to Efulefu, the diviner slept with Agunwa, the daughter of a chief priest named Egwusinala. Does these names sounds familiar to you?""I think it does," Ibekwe said.
Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter One hundred and three
When James Streamer and his father arrived at Osisiakalaka's shrine with some of the people of Umuise who had converted to Christianity he was shocked to find a large crowd of men and women sitting tiredly in front of the shrine. He asked a young woman to explain what was going on in the shrine and she obeyed without hesitation."A great man has fallen in Umuise," she said with tears in her eyes."Who is the man that has attracted everyone in this village to Osisiakalaka's shrine?" James asked."The man is not here. He is far away from this village.""What do you mean by that?""His body is lying in the shrine but his spirit has departed," the woman replied slowly."What is the name of the man that has caused so much tears to flow in your eyes?"The young woman turned and pointed at the door of the shrine."Osisiakalaka," she said. "Maybe you will be able to tell us why your god has sent his messenger to kill the greatest
Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter One hundred and two
"What is happening to the family of Okoli? The news of death has become a common thing in Umuise." Chima said as the elders gathered in the village square.There were many men and women sprawled on the ground. None of them brought stools along with them. It was a day of mourning."What will the ancestors of Okoli say when they hear that his family lineage was wiped out within a week?" Chima asked but no one replied.The women sprayed ashes on their heads as if they were mourning the death of a chief priest. The children covered their bodies with sand as they wept and called Ifeme's name.After Chima sat down, the next elder who spoke was Ekwensi. He did not salute the crowd."Great people of Umuise, our gods have been offended. They have been desecrated and now they seek justice for the blood of Okoli. People of Umuise, we have sinned against our gods by sending a man that did not deserve death an
Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter One hundred and one
Ibekwe was thinking about Richard Streamer and what James had told him about his father as he approached Okoli's compound. He brushed the thoughts aside as he remembered that him and Ifeme were yet to bury Okoli. Now, that Ezeugo, Okwudili and Okoli were gone, it was the duty for the next of kin to inherit all their properties while ensuring they had normal burials. Ezeugo's body was almost rotten by now in his compound. Okwudili's body was wrapped with cloth and still left unburied. Okoli on the other hand was in the village square with his head uprooted from his neck. He was beheaded after being found guilty by Osisiakalaka.Ibekwe wondered how Ifeme would deal with the whole family situation as he passed a cherry tree. He had already decided to help him in the best way he could and James and his sister had also offered to help him too.He stopped when he reached Okoli's compound and took a deep breath.As he entered Okoli's hut, he looked through the du
Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter One hundred
Osisiakalaka came to Umuise as soon as he was able to leave Umudike. By his side were Efulefu and the young lad that was sent to deliver him the message of the elders. As he reached the village square, he drew two straight lines on the ground with a chalk and stepped on it. He gave the chalk to Efulefu who broke it and threw it in the direction of Okoli."May the gods be praised," Osisiakalaka yelled. "Let those who stand with evil fall. Let the men who invite the bringer of evil into their midst perish."As soon as Osisiakalaka was done, Okoli picked the chalk from the ground and started chewing slowly. In Umuise, it was a law for an accused person to chew the white chalk before spitting on the ground. It was a way of acknowledging the presence of the gods.Osisiakalaka ordered Efulefu to bring some sand after Okoli was done with chewing and spitting the white chalk. He took the sand from Efulefu and pou
Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter Ninety-nine
When the first palm wine entered Okoli's throat, it dawned on him that his death was near and there was nothing anyone could do about it including himself.Outside the window of his small hut, a full moon had risen, dazzling and vivid, blotting out all other celestial bodies. Okoli gazed at his two sons that he had condemned, lost in his thoughts of all that had happened in the village square.He knew that he didn't deserve the love and comfort that his sons were showing him and he felt bad for not appreciating their efforts even when they tried their best to be the perfect children that a parent could have.As Ibekwe and Ifeme left him for the white man's hut, Okoli thought of what was going to happen to him when Osisiakalaka finally decides his fate. Would he be killed? Would he be thrown into the forest? Would he be banished?Outside the window of his hut, a pair of stars were dancing, lifting their voices and slowly making it to fade away. Some moment
Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter Ninety-eight
Okwudili's body was brought to the village square a day after he was murdered in his compound by a masked man. By his side, was the lifeless body of Akwaudo. She was found dead in Okoli's compound the same night that Okwudili's life came to an end.Life means considerably more than just waking up in the morning and going through the motions of living in Umuise and for the first time in nearly a century, two people who were related to each other were brutally assassinated in the same night. A year after the death of a man whose passage into his ancestral abode was yet to be considered fair and devoid from foul play.It did not take up to a week after the shock of the two deaths had been accepted and managed before words started running from one end of the village to another, each bearing a tale with Okoli as the subject. It was difficult for any irrational man in their time to deny his involvements in the death of his wife and brother."Let us reason like one ent
Shading Black NEW LIFE - Chapter Ninety-seven
The sad day was friday for a man who feared he had lost his children even though he hadn't. Rain fell slowly and the town was calm as the water poured over the roofs. It was a lively evening and everywhere was dazzling as fathers who had returned from work came together to celebrate the last day of labour for the week by having special dinners in quality restaurants with their children but that was not the case of the man who had not been able to sleep well since the day he heard his son was gone— taken away from him and sailing without his permission to Africa.Richard Streamer sat at the Billy Landy bar, remembering the night he had told Kathleen he was going to Africa. It was almost two weeks now and he was still in England sharing a bottle of beer with some couple of friends, and each of them bragging about their personal achievements as they ordered more drinks.He took a rumpled letter from his pocket. He had planned to send the letter to his
