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| Don't Rock The Cradle - Episode XII (Josh Ziregbe) |
NB: The comic reads right to left like traditional Japanese manga.
Previous Episodes
Despite his wealth of knowledge, Mazi Edochie had to consult to find a solution for Omalicha's situation. It's not everyday one comes across the old hydrosapien art, not many even still know of it. The solution itself has never been tested but each of the core ingredients is potent on its own. Uda, a pepper that boosts healing and recovery, given to women after child birth. The milk of ulu-oyibo, an effective cleanser for injury, from bruises to lacerations. Red banana, a rich source of vitality, boosting immunity and strengthening the body. Honey, is the ultimate solvent.
Mazi has set the group on another journey, this time, they will have to travel for a day to reach their final destination. Uzo is furious but his temper is being tempered by Mazi's cold message to Omalicha, "You will die...". Even he was shocked at how unemotionally the grim message was delivered.
Awka is about five hours behind them now and the trio has just crossed the Oji River. Uzo has only been to their destination once and this was many years ago with his older brother. This time, he leads the way.
Mazi Edochie: Boy, do you know the path?
Uzo: I have been there once.
Mazi Edochie: Good. When you arrive, ask for Nnuku Ozo Ozioko, tell him I sent you and tell him to give you ripe red bananas straight from the tree and three days old Nnsuka honey.
Awka is about five hours behind them now and the trio has just crossed the Oji River. Uzo has only been to their destination once and this was many years ago with his older brother. This time, he leads the way.
#Flashback
Mazi Edochie: Boy, do you know the path?
Uzo: I have been there once.
Mazi Edochie: Good. When you arrive, ask for Nnuku Ozo Ozioko, tell him I sent you and tell him to give you ripe red bananas straight from the tree and three days old Nnsuka honey.
#ThePresent
Omalicha has been solemn ever since the words hit her ears. Adaobi, Mazi's granddaughter, tried to comfort her there and then but she has retained the weary expression of a falling plantain leaf. All the blood rushed out of her face as Mazi's words sunk deeper, and it is yet to return. Her demeanor is understandable, in fact it is expected, yet, she has forged ahead and made it this far without breaking down or bursting into tears. Not many, including men, would have managed this.
Dotun's attempts to cheer her up have all failed but his fooling around has succeeded in irritating Uzo who is rolling the grip of the new machete Mazi gave him, in his hand. There is a merger in the road up ahead, someone traveling in the opposite direction would call it a fork in the road. A sound, it's faint but as they get closer to the fork, it becomes clearer and more audible. A young girl, about their age grade, arrives at the junction before they do. She is balancing a pot of water on her head, something Omalicha could easily do before she cut her hair; she misses her hair, she misses her father. The voice belongs to the girl, she is singing.
Dotun's attempts to cheer her up have all failed but his fooling around has succeeded in irritating Uzo who is rolling the grip of the new machete Mazi gave him, in his hand. There is a merger in the road up ahead, someone traveling in the opposite direction would call it a fork in the road. A sound, it's faint but as they get closer to the fork, it becomes clearer and more audible. A young girl, about their age grade, arrives at the junction before they do. She is balancing a pot of water on her head, something Omalicha could easily do before she cut her hair; she misses her hair, she misses her father. The voice belongs to the girl, she is singing.
Girl: Onye mere nwa nebe akwa; Egbe mere nwa nebe akwa; Weta uziza weta ose; Weta ngaji nkuru ofe; Umu nnunu aracha ya; Eh! Eh! amaghim onye owu.
The girl catches a deep breathe and then turns back. She sees there are people behind her and realizing that they are young, she waves. She's pretty and has made good use of uli to highlight her natural beauty. She waits for them to catch up.
Girl: Kedu, my name's Ezinne, what's yours?
Dotun: I'm Dotun!
Omalicha: Kedu, I'm Oma
Uzo: *silence*
Dotun: His name is Uzodinma!
Uzo grimaces at Dotun and brandishes his new machete, Dotun hides behind Omalicha and the girl giggles. She looks at Omalicha.
Ezinne: Why the long face, did your brothers upset you?
Omalicha: No, it's not them...
Uzo: We're not related.
She moves closer and whispers something in Omalicha's ear. Immediately the blood rushes back to her face and she screams out while Dotun is pestering round, trying to eavesdrop.
Omalicha: Nooooo!
Dotun: What, what?? Tell me, tell me!!!
Ezinne bursts into an uncontrolled laughter while Dotun is still chanting, "Tell me, tell me...". Uzo scoffs and forges ahead.
Uzo: I'm leaving.
Ezinne: Who burst his bubble?
Omalicha whispers into Ezinne's ears and she bursts out again, this time tears are rolling down her cheeks. Dotun is now begging, tears pouring from his own eyes, catarrh running from his nose.
Dotun: Pleasssee te-h-ell me! Pleaasssseee!!!
Uzo looks back with scorn more corrosive than raw blended pepper and silence! Even the water in Ezinne's pot stands still. He returns his gaze to the road and forges ahead. The group follows behind.
This encounter seems to have lifted Omalicha's spirit and has made her forget the current situation. Dotun is now the one with the long face. The girls keep chatting.
Ezinne: So where are you people headed?
Omalicha: We are going to Nnsuka
Ezinne: Ohhh that's nice, me, I'm on my way back home, I'm from Udi.
I came to Oji to fetch clean water. My father likes to drink the water from the river so I come here often. Udi doesn't have so much fresh, clean water available because of the hills, so it's either Oji River or I head towards Ngwo.
Omalicha: I also used to get fresh water for my father but he's gone now.
Ezinne: Ewwwo, ooo, ndo o! I'm so sorry for your loss! I should have known, your head is shaved.
Omalicha: It's okay
The group gets to another junction and Uzo stops, he's still a few paces ahead of everyone else. There are three options to choose from and they all look the same to him, he's not sure which is right.
Uzo: Girl, which is the way?
Ezinne: Small boy, my name is Ezinne, not girl!
Dotun: Ehehehehe!
Dotun is back, his state of depression didn't last very long. Omalicha giggles, Uzo scoffs.
Ezinne: It's the path on the left.
Uzo marches on, Ezinne giggles and Omalicha joins in.
It has now almost been nine hours since their journey began. They have traveled quite a distance and have a longer way to go. Dotun is starting to whine.
Dotun: I'm hungry o! I can just faint now, somebody please help me pluck even fruit, I will eat. Even if they tied it with red cloth, I don't mind, I will eat.
Dotun peers ahead, Uzo has stopped walking again. He laughs,
Dotun: Ehehe, I think we're at another junction.
But Omalicha has stopped walking too, only Ezinne hasn't. He peeps beyond Uzo and there's a figure standing in front of a large udala tree. It can't be. Maybe the hunger is affecting his vision. He blinks, his eyes feel peppery. There's a hefty, muscular white looking person. Ezinne is still walking and is reaching halfway between Uzo and the figure.
Uzo: Come back, can't you see!
Ezinne turns back and the expression on her face is vicious. Everyone is taken aback, Omalicha especially.
Dotun: Ezinne get away!! It's a ghost!
It's like she's hypnotised, Ezinne doesn't listen, she keeps walking and now she's standing in front of the figure. The figure scoops out some water from the pot on her head with the cup in its hand. It drinks and offers a deep sigh of satisfaction.
Figure: Fresh and Clean as always. Well done my daughter, you have even caught more witches in addition, your mother would be proud. The people of Udi will get quality service for what they have paid, we smellers will eliminate every last witch and their associates that live in or move passed this village!
The figure is a man not a ghost, this huge and ripped albino is Ezinne's father!
Uzo thinks back, "She took a deep breath when we first met.".
Uzo: I should have known, how could I be so careless!
Uzo catches a whiff of concentrated garlic and feels the slight irritation in his eyes, Omalicha screams, he turns back, they are surrounded! Smellers! Two men are holding Dotun down, trying to gag him and a third is pressing a cloth against his nose. Omalicha is kicking and flailing her arms against the two trying to subdue her. She just bit one. Two are coming for Uzo, but he's trying not to lose sight of Ezinne and her father.
Now a cloth is being forced over Omalicha's nose. It hits him! Garlic! Uzo has heard of this! They call it... ogu ula mmuo! A drug made from the extracts of specific grasses that grow in deep waters, mixed with garlic, that sends people to sleep.
Dotun has passed out, Omalicha just did as well. Uzo re-grips the machete in his hand and readies himself for the incoming assault.
He takes a heavy blow to the base of the skull. His count was nine people in total: three taking Dotun, two taking Omalicha, the two in front of him, Ezinne, if that's her real name and her father. He staggers forward, he wasn't expecting this. Another blow covering his right eye follows, this time from one of the men in front. There was a tenth person, a young boy like himself that he didn't see and that's who knocked him silly from behind. Now they're restraining him too and there's a cloth over his nose and mouth! The garlic is pungent but there's an underlying sweet smell also emanating from the cloth. He's succumbing to it. He gets a blurry view of the attacker that came from behind, his hair is locked in dreads. Lights out.
T/N
Uli: Igbo traditional make-up
Udala: A fruit also known as Agbalumo or African Star Apple
Next
Girl: Kedu, my name's Ezinne, what's yours?
Dotun: I'm Dotun!
Omalicha: Kedu, I'm Oma
Uzo: *silence*
Dotun: His name is Uzodinma!
Uzo grimaces at Dotun and brandishes his new machete, Dotun hides behind Omalicha and the girl giggles. She looks at Omalicha.
Ezinne: Why the long face, did your brothers upset you?
Omalicha: No, it's not them...
Uzo: We're not related.
She moves closer and whispers something in Omalicha's ear. Immediately the blood rushes back to her face and she screams out while Dotun is pestering round, trying to eavesdrop.
Omalicha: Nooooo!
Dotun: What, what?? Tell me, tell me!!!
Ezinne bursts into an uncontrolled laughter while Dotun is still chanting, "Tell me, tell me...". Uzo scoffs and forges ahead.
Uzo: I'm leaving.
Ezinne: Who burst his bubble?
Omalicha whispers into Ezinne's ears and she bursts out again, this time tears are rolling down her cheeks. Dotun is now begging, tears pouring from his own eyes, catarrh running from his nose.
Dotun: Pleasssee te-h-ell me! Pleaasssseee!!!
Uzo looks back with scorn more corrosive than raw blended pepper and silence! Even the water in Ezinne's pot stands still. He returns his gaze to the road and forges ahead. The group follows behind.
This encounter seems to have lifted Omalicha's spirit and has made her forget the current situation. Dotun is now the one with the long face. The girls keep chatting.
Ezinne: So where are you people headed?
Omalicha: We are going to Nnsuka
Ezinne: Ohhh that's nice, me, I'm on my way back home, I'm from Udi.
I came to Oji to fetch clean water. My father likes to drink the water from the river so I come here often. Udi doesn't have so much fresh, clean water available because of the hills, so it's either Oji River or I head towards Ngwo.
Omalicha: I also used to get fresh water for my father but he's gone now.
Ezinne: Ewwwo, ooo, ndo o! I'm so sorry for your loss! I should have known, your head is shaved.
Omalicha: It's okay
The group gets to another junction and Uzo stops, he's still a few paces ahead of everyone else. There are three options to choose from and they all look the same to him, he's not sure which is right.
Uzo: Girl, which is the way?
Ezinne: Small boy, my name is Ezinne, not girl!
Dotun: Ehehehehe!
Dotun is back, his state of depression didn't last very long. Omalicha giggles, Uzo scoffs.
Ezinne: It's the path on the left.
Uzo marches on, Ezinne giggles and Omalicha joins in.
It has now almost been nine hours since their journey began. They have traveled quite a distance and have a longer way to go. Dotun is starting to whine.
Dotun: I'm hungry o! I can just faint now, somebody please help me pluck even fruit, I will eat. Even if they tied it with red cloth, I don't mind, I will eat.
Dotun peers ahead, Uzo has stopped walking again. He laughs,
Dotun: Ehehe, I think we're at another junction.
But Omalicha has stopped walking too, only Ezinne hasn't. He peeps beyond Uzo and there's a figure standing in front of a large udala tree. It can't be. Maybe the hunger is affecting his vision. He blinks, his eyes feel peppery. There's a hefty, muscular white looking person. Ezinne is still walking and is reaching halfway between Uzo and the figure.
Uzo: Come back, can't you see!
Ezinne turns back and the expression on her face is vicious. Everyone is taken aback, Omalicha especially.
Dotun: Ezinne get away!! It's a ghost!
It's like she's hypnotised, Ezinne doesn't listen, she keeps walking and now she's standing in front of the figure. The figure scoops out some water from the pot on her head with the cup in its hand. It drinks and offers a deep sigh of satisfaction.
Figure: Fresh and Clean as always. Well done my daughter, you have even caught more witches in addition, your mother would be proud. The people of Udi will get quality service for what they have paid, we smellers will eliminate every last witch and their associates that live in or move passed this village!
The figure is a man not a ghost, this huge and ripped albino is Ezinne's father!
Uzo thinks back, "She took a deep breath when we first met.".
Uzo: I should have known, how could I be so careless!
Uzo catches a whiff of concentrated garlic and feels the slight irritation in his eyes, Omalicha screams, he turns back, they are surrounded! Smellers! Two men are holding Dotun down, trying to gag him and a third is pressing a cloth against his nose. Omalicha is kicking and flailing her arms against the two trying to subdue her. She just bit one. Two are coming for Uzo, but he's trying not to lose sight of Ezinne and her father.
Now a cloth is being forced over Omalicha's nose. It hits him! Garlic! Uzo has heard of this! They call it... ogu ula mmuo! A drug made from the extracts of specific grasses that grow in deep waters, mixed with garlic, that sends people to sleep.
Dotun has passed out, Omalicha just did as well. Uzo re-grips the machete in his hand and readies himself for the incoming assault.
*Gbim!*
He takes a heavy blow to the base of the skull. His count was nine people in total: three taking Dotun, two taking Omalicha, the two in front of him, Ezinne, if that's her real name and her father. He staggers forward, he wasn't expecting this. Another blow covering his right eye follows, this time from one of the men in front. There was a tenth person, a young boy like himself that he didn't see and that's who knocked him silly from behind. Now they're restraining him too and there's a cloth over his nose and mouth! The garlic is pungent but there's an underlying sweet smell also emanating from the cloth. He's succumbing to it. He gets a blurry view of the attacker that came from behind, his hair is locked in dreads. Lights out.
T/N
Uli: Igbo traditional make-up
Udala: A fruit also known as Agbalumo or African Star Apple
Next
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