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ORIGIN - Chapter Nine
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2020-05-18 21:40:14Isiewu came in at midnight when Echi and Olanna were already fast asleep. His eyes were wide like a night cat, and his lips were tightly pressed together as he studied the moon through the small window in Echi’s hut and smiled. It was the right time for the sacrifice.
“Which sacrifice?” Echi had asked when Isiewu told them that they should prepare themselves for an atonement sacrifice.
“We need to do an atonement sacrifice to the spirits hovering around you,” Isiewu replied.
“Can’t the sacrifice wait for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? Must it be done this night?”
Echi and Olanna awakened after Isiewu entered their hut.
“There is a strange feeling I had that made me return back after I had left. The gods told me that your life will be in danger if we don’t do the sacrifice this night. We have to do this sacrifice right now,” Isiewu said.
Outside the hut, Isiewu grabbed a female
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Akunna arrived the following day. He was a man whose pride was his height. It was often said that, during his creation, the high god among all the other gods had decided to bless his mother, who had been patiently waiting for a child with him. The best way the high god felt to appreciate her good deeds was to give her a son who was as tall as the iroko tree.“How was your journey?” Echi asked when Akunna arrived.“It was smooth. Father send his greetings,” Akunna replied.“I hope you brought something for me?”“I did. Let us go inside.”They entered the hut with Echi leading the way. From the expression on Echi’s face, Akunna knew he was surprised by how tall he had grown over the few years, although he had refused to talk about it. Echi brought three pieces of kola nuts. He gave two big pieces to Akunna and reserved the small one for himself.“How is your wife?” Akunna asked
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Akunna’s death stunned the whole village because it had never been heard that a man slept in another man’s house for the first time and died on that same day. A lot of accusing fingers were pointed at Echi. The signs were clear on the wall. Akunna had died from food poisoning. The only way the people of Umuolu could know the truth about the nightmare that had occurred in Echi’s compound was to consult the chief priest of their land, Isiewu.Once again, duty called. The villagers quickly summoned Isiewu to investigate the cause of Akunna’s death. He answered the call with his son by his side and promptly set to work. By noon, Isiewu finally announced to the village after peaceful hours of silence, that Akunna had died an evil death and needs to be buried inside the evil forest as soon as possible.This shocking news sent shivers to the bodies and minds of the people of Umuolu because no one could remember when last any
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Despite everything that had transpired between him and Isiewu, Echi still managed to feel happy. He was happy that all his years of prayers had been answered. He was elated the gods had finally paid him for all his faithfulness. When he got home, he was surprised to see a lot of people in his hut. The first person he recognized was his mother, who was sitting close to Olanna. His mother was rubbing Olanna’s stomach. Not too far away from his mother was his father, who was smiling widely.“Bring them some kola nuts,” Echi said to Olanna.“No! Leave her alone. Let her rest,” Abali replied.The few women who came to visit clustered around Olanna, each wanting to see the big bulge in her stomach.“You have become a man today,” Echi’s father said proudly. His voice was low and crackly, but he managed to let out his words in a clear and distinct form.Echi laughed. “The gods have proven my potency as a man.”
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A wave is like a trembling man suffering from an unending seizure a panic attack with a glowing beam. Isiewu came the next day when the moon was taking a long stride and leaping beyond the boundaries of Umuolu to another part of the world. His footsteps sounded loudly, followed by a rattling sound caused by the staff he held in his hand. He struck his stick several times on the ground as he got closer to Echi’s compound. His movements were slow and steady. Precise.It was often said that when Isiewu walked in a hurry, he was being chased by his personal god for disobeying the task given to him, but when he walked slowly, especially when he wore his dreaded raffia cloth stained with blood in its centre, he was believed to be under the influence of Igweka-ala’s reserved spirit. Beliefs were essential to the people of Umuolu. They were the foundation of their existence.“Greetings to the eyes of the gods. You are welcome,&rdqu
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Olanna watched as the midwife left the room, gasping for fresh air. Bubbles of sweat flowed down from her thick hair and ran through the wrapper that covered her breasts. Her arms were involuntarily twitching, and her energy was dying down slowly. Once or twice, the midwife had noticed the first child head popping out from Olanna, but that was all. She didn’t see any baby come out with a frenzied cry.Olanna leaned on the bamboo bed with her legs spread wide apart. The bed was covered with dried leaves, which helped to relieve her back from the excruciating pain she was feeling. The midwife was talking to Echi outside, and she could hear her explaining to Echi about the complications that were occuring. She moaned as the midwife came back inside and adjusted her wrapper.“You must push harder this time. Let us go again,” the midwife said.Olanna nodded in agreement as she felt a strange sensation come upon her. She pushed the first
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Many years had passed since Olanna walked through the surface of the earth with a gleaming smile that struck the heart of Echi. But nothing changed much. Echi and his three sons still managed to live through the years of her absence, still managed to cope with their daily lives with the absence of a woman in their household, still managed to go to farm, laugh, eat and sleep as if everything was normal. The only thing that was different and strange to Echi were the eyes of his sons. Eyes that asked about a mother who they only saw once during their birth.Echi was sitting alone in his room after breakfast, remembering how he had brought the body of Olanna to Okezie alone, in the same night she died. He remembered how he had wrapped her body in their marriage wrapper and fled with her corpse away from Umuolu before the village drums would be rolled to announce the death of another villager. That was the night when for the first and last time, he saw the face of hi
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"Father!” Ofu called as they headed back home from the village market square. He was the first son of Echi.“My son,” Echi replied.“Are we going to fight the people of Umunsogbu?” Ofu asked. His voice was light, clouded with fear as he spoke in his childish voice.“I don’t know, Ofu.”“Father, I hate war. I heard from one of your friends that used to visit that war is terrible. I have heard that a lot of people get killed in wars. I also heard that my mother’s parents were killed in a war we had with Umuoku because they refused to give us a virgin last new yam festival,” Ofu said, clutching his hands.“Where are your brothers?”“They are behind us. I don’t think they would like it if you tell them to walk with us. They like staying behind every time we walk.”“Who told you that I wanted them to walk with us?”“Nobody!” Ofu replied, moving his clutc
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In the evening, new, fresh palm fronds were passed around the whole village, signifying a new war. Weak men ran inside their homes, gathered their wives and children, and started a meeting on how they would successfully run away from the village withoutbeing seen. It was the next day, as early as the cock crowed that Echi got hold of his own palm frond. The dark greenish leaf disintegrated into different parts. As Echi observed the edges of the leaves, he knew his death was near. The death he had longed for and waited for many years was finally at his doorsteps. The passage to his dear Olanna was finally in his own hands. He strained his eyes to see the small drop of blood that was on one of the leaves. It was the smallest drop of blood he had seen on a leaf since he started receiving the palm fronds of war on his threshold.The thirteen emissaries sent to Umunsogbu returned in the afternoon with their leader, Chika leading the way with the message of Egwu
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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
