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| Don't Rock The Cradle - Episode XI (Josh Ziregbe) |
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Omalicha: Otutu oma nna anyi (Good morning sir). We are looking for Mazi Edochie's house
The group has come across a middle-aged man with a hoe hanging from his shoulder and a chewing-stick in his mouth. He is most likely a farmer returning from the morning duty of tending to his crops. The chewing-stick has been aggressively gnawed, signalling that the man has been awake for a while; his protruding belly is quite distracting and the fact that he is massaging it is not helping. The stranger replies.
Stranger: Who?! Mazi Edochie, Ichie Mbeku himself!? Are you sure you know who you are looking for?? Ichie onye ne zu'Mbeku does not take kindly to strangers coming around his house. They say there are terrible things awaiting those who displease him, Ichie is not a forgiving man but he does not go out of his way to be angered either. Are you sure you know where you are going?
Omalicha: Nna anyi, that is where our grandmother said we should go.
Stranger: Hmmph, if you insist, but don't say it was me that sent you there. Children such as yourselves, what do you have to do with Mazi? Anyway, continue on this road, take the first right turn, then the next two left turns and finally the road in the middle, then you will see it. Ngwanu, bye-bye nu o.
#MaziEdochie'sHouse
Dotun: This place is huuuugggeeee!!!!
Uzo walks up to the front door, the other two in tow. He is about to knock but the door swings open before he does. Standing there is a girl of about Dotun's height with a rather dismissive expression on her face. She looks up at Uzo and Omalicha then back down at Dotun.
Girl: Go away.
Dotun: Ah ahn, that's not nice.
Girl: Go away.
Omalicha: We are here to see Mazi Edochie.
Girl: Well he doesn't want to see you, now go away.
She attempts to slam the door but Uzo puts his foot in the way before it bangs. From inside the house, a very calm yet unsettling voice speaks.
Man: Is there someone at my door?
Girl: Papa there are three of them o and I already told them to go.
Man: ...and they did not listen to you?
Girl: Mba.
*Strike*
The sound of a hard walking-stick touching the floor echoes from beyond their line of sight and it is making its way towards them. Tension starts to fill the air as Omalicha senses what she can only describe as a strong force approaching. This presence makes the ghost encounter feel like an irrelevant mosquito-pestering in the night. Dotun's face seems to be reflecting a bit more sunlight, he is sweating lightly. In all the time that they have been traveling together, from wild animals to the ghost, Omalicha has never seen him sweat. Uzo on the other hand is gripping his machete tighter, somewhat reflexively; is he bracing for impact? Omalicha is squinting, trying to get a better look behind the door.
Girl: It's your fault, I told you to leave, now you'll see.
A figure is appearing and the palpable tension is made worse by a wind that starts to blow.
*Strike!*
They see the walking-stick, it is made entirely of polished wood and has a random pattern of uneven darker and lighter shades of greenish brown that remind Omalicha of a turtle's skin. The hand holding it is firm, built, and must belong to a man that is equally made of lean muscles. They see a turtle shell hanging around a neck as the man to whom it belongs takes another step forward.
*Strike!*
Mazi Edochie pulls the door wide open to see three children. Obviously, these are not the elders he was expecting. There is to be a meeting about his acquiring more land to add to his farms. These are children. "Who gave these urchins the audacity to come to my door", Mazi's blood boils as he rages in his mind. It is now noon and the sun hanging half way through the sky confirms this. The elders are late; Mazi detests lateness and any other form of indiscipline.
Mazi: Who sent you?
His anger is still hot, and as always, his perception of time is heightened when his blood boils, every second feels at least like two.
Mazi: Are you deaf!? Speak before I descend on you!
Uzo catches himself and responds, the other two are still feeling the pressure of Mazi's intimidating presence.
Uzo: My grandmother, Ebube of Onitsha, sent us to you great and wise Mazi.
Uzo himself can hear the insincerity in the flattery he is ascribing to the man. He has never seen the need to praise or bestow another person with elaborate titles, especially elders. This is why Ebube made sure to force him to memorize the, "great and wise" bit before leaving. She definitely knows Mazi Edochie because the honeyed words seem to have marginally cooled his temper.
Ebube's name sinks in and Mazi's anger towards the group subsides but is immediately replaced by another shade of annoyance; this time towards old memories of being tormented by Ebube herself. Mazi frowns, realizing how close he was to striking that woman's grandchild, a sure way to pick a fight that even he knows would not end well.
Mazi: ...and who are these behind you?
Uzo: Her name is Omalicha, my grandmother made me follow her here. The other one is Dotun
Dotun: Ehehe...
Mazi: So what do you want?
Omalicha raises her hand, like a toddler asking for permission to speak. Given the circumstance, talking without permission could be dangerous, from her point of view.
Mazi: What is it?
Uzo gives her a dirty look saying, "Don't say rubbish."
Omalicha: Nne Ebube said I should tell you what happened?
Mazi scowls at her then turns his back to the group and is heading inside.
Mazi: Will you come in before mosquitoes enter my house! That doesn't include you wiccan, you stay outside, I don't want wiccans in my house.
Dotun: Ah ahn!
Uzo: He fought with us against robbers and kidnappers...
Mazi: How does that concern me?
Uzo: ...and he helped us defeat a ghost.
Mazi pauses in his stride, glances round for a second, raises an eyebrow, then...
Mazi: Will you all get in and close my door! If I see a single mosquito, I will swat all of you! Adaobi close my door.
Uzo intervened only because he noticed Omalicha was about to protest and he knows the less any of the other two speak directly to the man, the better off they all will be and the earlier he can go home in peace. From the outside, Mazi's house is remarkable, the architecture is a masterpiece. It is unique and is one of the most modern houses Uzo has seen. The interior is equally impressive, Mazi is definitely a very rich man with exquisite taste. There is furniture made from expensive wood with intricate details etched into the pieces, bringing them to life; the lion skin tapestry strategically placed in the centre of the room is not a cheap item to come by. Uzo wonders how Mazi managed to amass this much wealth.
Mazi Edochie is revered as one of the wisest men in Akwa, and is one of the richest. He has no interest in politics as he considers it too petty and a waste of his time. Many would support a decision, if he so made it, to become the Igwe and this is why the current Igwe is always suspicious of him. Rumour of his scheduled meeting with the three elders had crept through the town and the Igwe feared that the meeting would be to plot to overthrow him, so he summoned all elders for a long meeting. This is why the elders have not come and Mazi for all his wisdom is not clairvoyant, it is not one of his many skills; he points to Omalicha.
Mazi: You, I'm listening, don't waste my time.
Omalicha repeats her story.
Mazi: So you swallowed it.
He concludes just as Mama Ebube had concluded and Omalicha is about to correct him but thinks it through and considers it unwise to display such childishness here. After all, if nne Ebube insisted she swallowed the egg then maybe they are both actually right and she actually did swallow it, she just didn't notice.
From a table not so far from Mazi, he picks up a cup, it is one of those fancy gourd-type cups that are mostly used for drinking palm-wine but apparently, the wealthy Mazi uses it to drink ordinary water as well. He takes a sip, swallows lightly, exhales briefly then empties the content of the cup in the direction of the group. If a moment could be captured, the expressions on their faces could be sold, the look of shock was as priceless as Igbo-ukwu art.
Dotun's mouth is wide open, his jaw drops as soon as Mazi empties the content of his cup. "Is this why the man finally let me in his house?", he can only think as there's barely time to react, definitely no time to dodge. Uzo is annoyed, "Why is this old man pouring water on me?" He chooses not to react and only closes his eyes, keeps his mouth shut and frowns. Omalicha shrieks, shuts her eyes and throws her hands up to her face to protect herself.
Dotun: Ahhh!
He squawks as the water makes contact, Uzo remains silent.
Adaobi: Wowwwww...
Omalicha doesn't feel it, she opens an eye to peep and sees the water hovering right in her face, even the droplets that bounced off the boys coming her way never made it. They are all held in place, wobbling in front of her. She shrieks again and it all splashes to the ground.
Omalicha repeats her story.
Mazi: So you swallowed it.
He concludes just as Mama Ebube had concluded and Omalicha is about to correct him but thinks it through and considers it unwise to display such childishness here. After all, if nne Ebube insisted she swallowed the egg then maybe they are both actually right and she actually did swallow it, she just didn't notice.
From a table not so far from Mazi, he picks up a cup, it is one of those fancy gourd-type cups that are mostly used for drinking palm-wine but apparently, the wealthy Mazi uses it to drink ordinary water as well. He takes a sip, swallows lightly, exhales briefly then empties the content of the cup in the direction of the group. If a moment could be captured, the expressions on their faces could be sold, the look of shock was as priceless as Igbo-ukwu art.
Dotun's mouth is wide open, his jaw drops as soon as Mazi empties the content of his cup. "Is this why the man finally let me in his house?", he can only think as there's barely time to react, definitely no time to dodge. Uzo is annoyed, "Why is this old man pouring water on me?" He chooses not to react and only closes his eyes, keeps his mouth shut and frowns. Omalicha shrieks, shuts her eyes and throws her hands up to her face to protect herself.
Dotun: Ahhh!
He squawks as the water makes contact, Uzo remains silent.
Adaobi: Wowwwww...
Omalicha doesn't feel it, she opens an eye to peep and sees the water hovering right in her face, even the droplets that bounced off the boys coming her way never made it. They are all held in place, wobbling in front of her. She shrieks again and it all splashes to the ground.
Mazi: I see. You are going to die. Adaobi...
The whole room is shook, nobody believes what they just heard, even Adaobi is shocked at the calmness with which her grandfather delivered the news, she answers.
Adaobi: Yes papa
Now blood is rushing out of Omalicha face, "Mazi can't be talking about her, can he?" she stutters in her mind. Did she come all the way to Awka from Onitsha to be told that she is going to die?? Even Uzo is shocked. He doesn't quite like the girl but he doesn't particularly want her to die. Dotun is crying on her behalf, grieving more than the victim.
Mazi: Bring me the nzu (native chalk)
Adaobi disappears for a moment then reappears with a bowl in her hand and hands it over to Mazi. He dips his fore and middle fingers into it and draws two lines across his right cheek with the white chalk. Omalicha catches a flash of light in his eyes as he does but she's not sure if its the tears obstructing her vision. I mean, she was just stone cold told that her death is neigh.
Mazi: No one knows how to get that egg back out, it comes from an old art. Even the true extent of its powers is unknown, we tried to test it in our day. There is only one option if you want to live...
Omalicha has never payed so much attention to an adult in her life!
Mazi: You will have to go there to get some of the core ingredients. Ebube will take care of the rest once you get them: uda, ulu-oyibo, red banana and 3 days old honey. Your only option is to try to destroy the egg before it kills you.
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