A life so cruel, that it gave me no happiness.A life you're shunned for being who you're; something I can't control but was born with.A life I do so much for, so I can be called one of its own, yet it drags me into the pit * dirt mingled with water.*Spitting on me, he stood up," you're always as great as you were before. You must have bewitched me for me to want you more than I've wanted any female in my entire life,” adjusting his Akwa, he smiles down at me," expect me next Izu Uka," he leaves without so much as a backwards glance.I've become the shell of who I was when I left the forest, a shell of the girl whose major focus was on getting herbs for her patients.A girl who wants nothing more but to be accepted into a world that hated her.A girl who wants to experiment with maternal love more than anything in this world.A girl who's happy to die alone if the villagers can just give her the love she wants.A girl who smiles despite the ill-treatment of her people on her.A girl
"It's either you drink this Amataba dear, or you face your death." I wouldn't want him to die, but it's better if it thinks I am going to allow it to die if he refuses to drink the antidote.He gazed it at for what felt like Oge before he reluctantly opened its mouth.Taking that as a sort of animal invitation, I pour the Amataba down his throat."You're doing alright, boy", I smile fondly at him as he gulps down the dark liquid.He opened his mouth with his tongue sticking out like a dog panting for breath. Seeing his action made me laugh, especially when I found out exactly what it was trying to do.It wants to expel the bitter taste from his mouth."Aren't you cute my dear," I try to caress his fur, but he growled at me?I guess he would rather not be touched, "you're really lucky you met someone who wishes to touch you.I? Am hungry for a human touch," not the one Papilo gives to me.It looks at me for some time before it closes its eyes in sleep; the antidote must be working its
Have you ever wondered what life will be like if you weren't born the way you were? Have you wondered why people judge others for a situation they can't control? If you haven't, then welcome to my life. Welcome to my world, the world of Rabel Ichie Uzoamaka, the shunned maiden of Mabudazou. “Witch”, I hear a villager mutter as I passed her by, “Ekwensu's(is an evil proprietor; he's the god of all things evil) child,” another spat. Without saying anything about that, I continue with my journey. I've grown used to the way they treat me in our small town. It doesn't help that I dyed my white hair black to blend in with others, but despite that, the villagers still single me out every time; every single damn time. I pause at Mama Nneka's house to drop a herb for her; her daughter Nkechi is seriously down with fever. A single dose of my Akwukwo Ede administered to her by me can clear her fever in a few hours. Her mother is willing to take the medicines I drop on her doorposts,
I saunter towards the house of the people that owns them. Four more houses to go to before completed my customary routine A daily routine that ends with me back in the forest collecting more herbs for the ungrateful villagers. You might be wondering why I still help them despite their ill-treatment of me.Well, you can say I help them to prevent a disaster. It won't be right to whatever God must have gifted or cursed me with my healing powers, to ignore the sick when I can be of help to them. God must have gifted me to heal the people by giving me what the people consider a curse. “Murderer,” a girl of almost the same age as I spat as she walks by, “witch”, she continues to spur more evil words. “A person like you is better off in Okumu where your fatter Ekwensu is residing in his pretend Obi (palace),” she says with a glare at me. “Trash like you isn't worthy of living,” she spat as she resumes her journey to wherever she was supposed to be. Touching my dyed hair, I resume w
Walking towards my fifth house of the day, I breathe out a sigh of relief. I'm lucky I didn't encounter any mishaps on the way. It's not every day a girl like me walks the wood *I do everything possible to avoid judging humans* without encountering any wild hungry animals on the way. In my case, I don't worry about the animals; am mostly worried about the humans in wolf clothing. Their deadly words make threading on human paths more dangerous than the woods, which is the abode of all things dangerous. “Ubochi Oma (good day)Mrs. Onog”, I smile at the hundred moon's cycled female. She's the oldest of everyone in Mabudazou. She knows how the werewolf wars started. A war that wipes out most of the towns that made up Mabudazou, a war that ended with them taking their part and us taking ours. Scoffing, the said woman turns towards the forest, muttering under her breath. I won't be surprised if she's muttering an Afa *it's like a protective ward against the evil one* One that's agai
A banging sound alerted me to what Fosy and Chika are currently doing to my room. Walking in there, I was met with a sight that made my furious side rear its ugly head up. Fosy was jumping on my Apa* it's a wooden box-like Oche, but instead of it being a sitting place; it's considered a resting place* which by the looks of things my APA I broke. Chika on the other side of the room is trailing around with my most priced akwa *the material we put on to cover our nakedness.* The akwa is made up of sown-up ede leaves for those who can't afford the animal skin. My entire Akwa is made up of animal skin; a strong material that lasts for a long. The akwa am currently putting on now has lasted for more than twelve moon cycles; Father made it a bit bigger, so I can grow into it and not out of it. His hindsight is what kept me alive for all those moon cycles. Without his penchant for making things that will last for numerous cycles, I won't be as fit as I am. “Fosy! Chika!” I glare at t
How in the god's name will I get another To make a potion for my Ima? Getting herbs are difficult in this season of the moon falling like pulling the teeth of an Aguiyi. Wait until I lay my hands on those insolent brats who thought it funny to chew my Ude. Had I known this will happen, I would have mixed the potion yesterday when I still had the chance to do so. Fosy and Chika should better hide for like thirty complete moon cycles, by then I would have forgotten the stunts they pulled off on me. Destroying my room is far easier to forget about, chewing is the last straw that hits the camel's back" hope that's how to say the expression?* The bubbling of the potion on fire made me startle. I was too lost in thought I forgot all about my surroundings, the boiling potion made me aware of my location. Hurrying to the table, I open the pot with a Ngaji *it's a wooden handler made from the Ikika tree, it's made to help with pot opening to avoid getting a burn on your fingers. I can
and hope not to be implicated. It was a tough decision, but one I had to make*I prepared the poison for him on the condition that he doesn't make mention of my name when caught.I know it was a fruitless talk then because he won't fail to mention my name if caught.Of course, I had a backup plan; I plan I kept helping the poor girl.Preparing the poison, I added a little dose of Agbaramebie * it's like a poison antidote, except it doesn't spotless the poison from your system; it stops the complete flow of the poison. The poison will still be in the person's system, but it won't have as much effect on the person as it would have without the Agbaramebie)* to stop the complete flow of the poison in her system.To cut the long story short, since I'm about to head out for another herb search, he was caught before he can administer the poison to her.Luckily for me, but mostly for him, he escaped before a trial can be made on him, and since then, Ikenga hasn't been seen nor have tales of
"It's either you drink this Amataba dear, or you face your death." I wouldn't want him to die, but it's better if it thinks I am going to allow it to die if he refuses to drink the antidote.He gazed it at for what felt like Oge before he reluctantly opened its mouth.Taking that as a sort of animal invitation, I pour the Amataba down his throat."You're doing alright, boy", I smile fondly at him as he gulps down the dark liquid.He opened his mouth with his tongue sticking out like a dog panting for breath. Seeing his action made me laugh, especially when I found out exactly what it was trying to do.It wants to expel the bitter taste from his mouth."Aren't you cute my dear," I try to caress his fur, but he growled at me?I guess he would rather not be touched, "you're really lucky you met someone who wishes to touch you.I? Am hungry for a human touch," not the one Papilo gives to me.It looks at me for some time before it closes its eyes in sleep; the antidote must be working its
A life so cruel, that it gave me no happiness.A life you're shunned for being who you're; something I can't control but was born with.A life I do so much for, so I can be called one of its own, yet it drags me into the pit * dirt mingled with water.*Spitting on me, he stood up," you're always as great as you were before. You must have bewitched me for me to want you more than I've wanted any female in my entire life,” adjusting his Akwa, he smiles down at me," expect me next Izu Uka," he leaves without so much as a backwards glance.I've become the shell of who I was when I left the forest, a shell of the girl whose major focus was on getting herbs for her patients.A girl who wants nothing more but to be accepted into a world that hated her.A girl who wants to experiment with maternal love more than anything in this world.A girl who's happy to die alone if the villagers can just give her the love she wants.A girl who smiles despite the ill-treatment of her people on her.A girl
Papilo is the only person in the entire Mabudazou I fear, he's my worst nightmare, a Payne in my healer's arse.He doesn't make his advances on me a secret whenever we're alone, but with others, he acts like the scum of Mabudazou *it should be Otito since my father came from there.* I've evaded his advances in me; it's just a matter of time before he gets what he wants *I will be dead then; I can't be alive and watch him degrade me.* “You look so different with your new hair color,” he murmurs in my ears, as he mercifully lets go of my hair, “you're Lucky am in a good mood.” Papilo in a good mood is like when an Aguiyi is in a good mood; it always ends up ugly.Straightening my hair, I bend down to pick up my basket. It's not over, and I know it, it's just a matter of time before he burst.The cup is almost filled; it's running over and is about to start.When he saw I wasn't replying to his word, he looks down at me with anger, “and you dare ignore me?”!he kicks off my basket, “yo
It has an almost triangular shape.*She must have been hurt by a Hunter; a hunter who wasn't concerned about her newborn baby * her stomach's still soft from child birthing.*I don't know how people can be so heartless.How can he do this to a mother knowing she has a little one?Lamenting and cursing the bad ones who are not worthy of walking the world won't make her wounds disappear, rather, it will make her bleed to death if nothing is done to stop the bleeding.Taking a little Ukazi leaf from my bag; I chew on it a little and spit the residue in her wound.She wriggled in pain as the leaves and their residues landed on her."Sorry, but it's a necessary stuff."Without the Ukazi leave, I'm afraid she will bleed to death.The medicinal property of the Ukazi leave is to mainly stop bleeding.It stops the flow of blood and prevents infection.Taking two Ude fruits from my bag, I hand one to the baby and one to its mother.The baby bit into the fruit without wasting any time at all, w
Not shunned for something you don't have a hand in.Shunned for a gift I never asked nor requested for.A gift I wouldn't have wanted to be had I been given the chance to choose my path of destiny.A gift that benefits them more than it does me *hand on my chin; lost in thoughts*“Have the gift benefited me for once? The answer remains no. If it works only to my benefit, father wouldn't have died before I can get to him. Mother wouldn't have died before she can hold me in her arms. I truly am a cursed child like the villagers call me, not a blessing as my father thought my gift to be.If I'm a blessing, why does misfortune knock on my door every damn time? Why is that people around me always gets hurt because of me?I'm the daughter of Ekwensu.The forest is always devoid of both humans and the occasional sounds that surround Uderide forest * a forest that never sleeps, with wolves parading in it almost every time.*A forest I've only been to twice; forest humans are afraid to thre
Since they blended well with us humans.The only distinct difference between us is their skin colour; theirs is a dark golden to our almost pale skin.People spoke in a hushed tone about the strangers in our mist, not knowing they were spies disguised; a specie come to dominate.They walked among us (the humans) for four moon cycles before their inversion; then they've completely known and studied our ways.Invading a kingdom they knew inside out wasn't that difficult for them; it was mainly a piece of Ude * oh my sweet fruit; how can I get a replacement for the potion I want to make for my Ima?*When they struck, it was too late for the humans to fight back(even if they did, they wouldn't have defeated them since the wolves are known to fight with strange instruments. Fighting gears we've not seen in our entire life), caught unawares, the four kingdoms were utterly destroyed.They didn't wipe out our race completely; they killed the Igwe and high chiefs of Mabudazou, taking control
and hope not to be implicated. It was a tough decision, but one I had to make*I prepared the poison for him on the condition that he doesn't make mention of my name when caught.I know it was a fruitless talk then because he won't fail to mention my name if caught.Of course, I had a backup plan; I plan I kept helping the poor girl.Preparing the poison, I added a little dose of Agbaramebie * it's like a poison antidote, except it doesn't spotless the poison from your system; it stops the complete flow of the poison. The poison will still be in the person's system, but it won't have as much effect on the person as it would have without the Agbaramebie)* to stop the complete flow of the poison in her system.To cut the long story short, since I'm about to head out for another herb search, he was caught before he can administer the poison to her.Luckily for me, but mostly for him, he escaped before a trial can be made on him, and since then, Ikenga hasn't been seen nor have tales of
How in the god's name will I get another To make a potion for my Ima? Getting herbs are difficult in this season of the moon falling like pulling the teeth of an Aguiyi. Wait until I lay my hands on those insolent brats who thought it funny to chew my Ude. Had I known this will happen, I would have mixed the potion yesterday when I still had the chance to do so. Fosy and Chika should better hide for like thirty complete moon cycles, by then I would have forgotten the stunts they pulled off on me. Destroying my room is far easier to forget about, chewing is the last straw that hits the camel's back" hope that's how to say the expression?* The bubbling of the potion on fire made me startle. I was too lost in thought I forgot all about my surroundings, the boiling potion made me aware of my location. Hurrying to the table, I open the pot with a Ngaji *it's a wooden handler made from the Ikika tree, it's made to help with pot opening to avoid getting a burn on your fingers. I can
A banging sound alerted me to what Fosy and Chika are currently doing to my room. Walking in there, I was met with a sight that made my furious side rear its ugly head up. Fosy was jumping on my Apa* it's a wooden box-like Oche, but instead of it being a sitting place; it's considered a resting place* which by the looks of things my APA I broke. Chika on the other side of the room is trailing around with my most priced akwa *the material we put on to cover our nakedness.* The akwa is made up of sown-up ede leaves for those who can't afford the animal skin. My entire Akwa is made up of animal skin; a strong material that lasts for a long. The akwa am currently putting on now has lasted for more than twelve moon cycles; Father made it a bit bigger, so I can grow into it and not out of it. His hindsight is what kept me alive for all those moon cycles. Without his penchant for making things that will last for numerous cycles, I won't be as fit as I am. “Fosy! Chika!” I glare at t