 |
| Don't Rock The Cradle - Episode VII (Josh Zirigbe) |
Previous Episodes
Old woman: Wiccan, you are far away from home.
Dotun: Wiccan, *sigh* you're definitely a wise old lady!
Omalicha has gone back to the old lady at the edge of the village, this is the only place she thought to come to. The entire town probably already believes she's a witch, rumour travels fast. Regardless, who else could make sense of all the craziness that's happened today if not the old lady. Dotun followed her here, he hasn't been much help explaning anything, all she's gotten from him so far is, "I'm a wiccan not a witch..." and that doesn't make sense to her.
Old woman: Where is it?
Omalicha: Err... mama you see, it was Chidinma o, it was not me. I told them to leave me alone o but they didn't listen. They started fightin...
The old woman turns back to look at the person she's questioning. She squints for a few seconds but Omalicha isn't sure if this is an attempt to perceive or if it is the effect of age on the old woman's sight.
Old woman: I see, did you swallow it?
Omalicha: ehehe, mba ma, I didn't swallow it o.
Old woman: You're just like your mother, a handful, but at least she brought it back in one piece.
Omalicha: You knew my mother?
Old woman: Of course, who do you think your birth attendant was, your father? That man almost panicked to death when your mother was in labour. Sadly, somethings are beyond even my control, your mother was like a daughter to me. I begged her to use the power now inside you but she refused, reminding me that there could be a price. She never wanted to imagine that you would have to be the one to pay, whatever it could be.
The old woman's face grows sullen and her eyes travel to a distant past that only she can see. Dotun has long since stopped paying attention and is now enchanted by quite the colourful butterfly.
Old woman: I promised your mother that I would tell you of your ancestry when you were ready but now, I might as well. That egg you swallowed...
Omalicha: Ah mama I didn't swallow it o.
Old woman: Mechi'onu! Don't interupt me.
Omalicha: Sorry ma.
Old woman: That egg you swallowed was not left here by a stranger as the rumours would have people believe. It was left by a woman that came from across the Niger, her name was Ebiuwa and her blood remains in this town.
Omalicha: Mama I kno...
Old woman: I said mechi'onu! You children of nowadays, you never listen. Where was I, yes, she left that egg in the care of my great great great, you get the point, grandmother, Ebube. After Ebube's death, the task of keeping it safe and waiting for Ebiuwa's return was passed down to Ebube's first daughter and every first daughter in her line after that. Everyone of them like myself has been named Ebube in case Ebiuwa or any messenger one day returns for it. Ebiuwa had a daughter...
Omalicha: Ah mama I kn...
The old woman gives Omalicha the look and Omalicha zips it.
Old woman: ...her daughter and the founder of Onitsha shared the same father. Do you know where the rumours of the power of that egg come from?
Omalicha: No
Old woman: Ebiuwa's granddaughter, Ekemma, was the first. She had heard about the egg from her mother and thought it would be the answer. Her husband was dying and she used the egg's power to bring him back from the edge of the other side. The problem was, no one knew exactly how the original ritual that gave Ebiuwa this power was performed, Ebube and Ebiuwa's daughter only discovered a way to tap into it. They never realised, maybe because they never used so much power from it at once, that using a back door came with a price. Exactly a year after she brought her husband back, after exactly thirteen full cycles of the moon, Ekemma died.
If anyone thought that was a coincidence, Ekemma's daughter also asked for the egg. There was a great famine in her time, it was as if the gods were angry with Onitsha: crops were destroyed by disease and the few that survived were ravaged by pests, there was no food. She heard of the power her mother had used to save her father's life and decided she could use it to heal our land. She did, and the land was green but then after the harvest, she died. That was the second strike but no one was willing to be the third.
The rumours about beauty, however, are untrue. No one has every used the egg to become more beautiful. The women in your lineage have always been beautiful.
The old woman squints again and peers more keenly at Omalicha.
Old woman: ...although I think with your shaved head, both your mother and grandmother were prettier than you at this age, hahaha...
Omalicha is not sure how to react. The old woman has always come across as stolid and emotionless but now she's laughing. This is definitely an awkward moment. The old woman continues.
Old woman: The curse of breaking the egg and dying was only made up to ensure it was always taken good care of. No one has ever tried or wanted to find out what would happen if it did break, or if it could break at all.
Omalicha: Mama I have seen some of these things, I saw Ebiuwa, I saw men fight like gods and Ebiuwa herself spoke to me.
Old woman: Did a coconut fall on your head?
Omalicha: Mama it's true! Ebiuwa's daughter was named Adanna and Adanna's father was Izunna. Izunna's first wife like himself drank too much mmanya-nkwu, palm-wine, and her name was Amaka.
The old woman freezes as Omalicha speaks. She knows no one could possibly have told her these things as the history has been lost with time. She only knows because her grandmother told her. There was no daughter in the generation before hers so the title and task of Ebube passed directly to her at a young age.
Old woman: Tell me everything.
The old woman listens to every detail, her aged eyes reflecting signs of excitement as the tale dives in and out of the pool of darkness. Even Dotun is drawn when Omalicha mentions blades and flames. The tale ends with Omalicha pulling through and the rest, the old woman figured. She turns to Dotun.
Old woman: You must be a direct descendant, I have only ever met one other before now.
Dotun chuckles, all the while Omalicha remains clueless. She has no idea what a wiccan is, not to mention a direct descendant. She's exasperated and tired of being confused. Someone's approaching the door, the foot steps are light but the shadow confirms it, someone's coming into the old woman's house.
Unknown voice: Mama, a natagom, I'm back.
Old woman: Uzodinma, e natago, you've returned.
Uzodinma: Yes ma.
A boy in his late teens enters the hut, from his appearance Omalicha can tell that she's slightly older than he is, he's probably in the age grade below hers. From his lean muscular build she can tell that he is physically fit and must be agile, they are about the same height but he is slightly taller. He has a forest machete hanging from his waist meaning he is probably a hunter. Omalicha looks at his right hand and there's nchi, bushmeat, in it.
Old woman: This is my grandson Uzodinma he will escort you to Awka to see a man, an old friend of mine.
Uzodinma: Ah mama!! I'm just coming back! Awka?? Can't they go on their own?
Old woman: Mechi'onu! You children of nowadays are very lazy. In my day we could travel from Onitsha here to Enugu in less than a day and you are complaining about ordinary Awka here, straight road.
Dotun is fixated on Uzo's hairstyle, he seems to have taken a liking to it. Uzo on the other hand is sulking, his eyes turn towards me with acidic scorn, more corrosive than a mixture of lime and pepper, hot enough to dissolve me completely.
Old woman: This old friend of mine is hot tempered and quick to punish people for the slightest misdeeds, so don't annoy him. When you get to Awka ask for Mazi Edochie or as people like to call him Ichei Mbeku. Tell him Ebube of Onitsha sent you, he will understand.
She turns to Omalicha.
Old woman: Tell him everything you told me and tell him I said you are now the egg. He will explain what you need to know.
Next
Comments
Post a Comment