 |
| Don't Rock the Cradle - Episode XV (Josh Ziregbe) |
Previous Episodes
Food, finally. Dotun has been wailing non-stop and the fruits he's been eating along the way have only made things worse. The group is passing through Ngwo, famous for a particular snack, and even Omalicha is a little famished now. It's been more than two hours since they left Udi.
Female Voice: Okpa di oku, okpa di oku, okpa! Okpa!! Okpaa!!
A woman with a baby on her back, a tray of food on her head and a dog on her tail is passing by. The dog is completely mesmerized by the aroma of the delicacy emanating from the tray and is sheepishly following the woman, praying for something to drop.
Hawker: Okpa di oku, okpa di oku, okpa! Okpa!! Okpaa!!
Omalicha waves to the woman and signals to her that the group is interested.
Omalicha: Anyi choro.
The woman comes over and the dog follows. Her baby is just waking up and is working his mouth, he turns his head to get a good look at the group and fixates on Uzo, even squinting his eyes.
Dotun: Can I have another one??
A woman with a baby on her back, a tray of food on her head and a dog on her tail is passing by. The dog is completely mesmerized by the aroma of the delicacy emanating from the tray and is sheepishly following the woman, praying for something to drop.
Hawker: Okpa di oku, okpa di oku, okpa! Okpa!! Okpaa!!
Omalicha waves to the woman and signals to her that the group is interested.
Omalicha: Anyi choro.
The woman comes over and the dog follows. Her baby is just waking up and is working his mouth, he turns his head to get a good look at the group and fixates on Uzo, even squinting his eyes.
*Grab!* *Munch!* *Swallow!*
Dotun: Can I have another one??
The lady has barely handed them the okpa and Dotun has demolished the first wrap of the soft, spongy, golden brown goodness; he is licking the plantain leaf wrapping. He downs another and a third, speaking through a full mouth and with teary eyes...
Dotun: shooo ghooood!
The lady responds with concern to his ravenous appetite...
Hawker: Ezigbo aguu na gu nwata a...
She hands him another wrap of okpa for free and her baby starts to giggle. Dotun is animatedly tearing through the okpa, as if he hasn't eaten in days and the dog is beside him, whining, rolling around with puppy eyes, begging for a morsel. The baby, finding it all funny, is laughing out loud. Reluctantly, with an even more animated display of sadness, Dotun gives the dog a piece of the action. The dog gobbles it up and barks in delight. The woman is off, she puts the tray back on her head and is walking away.
Hawker: Okpa di oku, okpa di oku, okpa! Okpa! Okpa!
Omalicha waves her goodbye and the dog follows, wagging its tail. The baby waves back.
Dotun: Tshenk yhou!!
Omalicha takes her time to enjoy her own okpa as they continue their journey but Uzo, no one even saw him make his disappear. "You've eaten it already??", Dotun sobs. It's getting late and the meal will do for the night, time to set up camp.
Omalicha and Dotun tilt their heads simultaneously to look at Uzo, surprised that he is even speaking. The boys point in unison.
Twins: There!
Uzo: Let's go.
As the group moves in the direction of Ozo Ozioko's house, the boys chorus out.
Twins: One of Ozo's daughters is getting married tomorrow and so they are preparing for a huuuuge feast!
Omalicha turns back and waves to the boys
Omalicha: Daalu! Don't talk to strangers!
Dotun & Uzo: Huh?!
The sound of a number of people cheering is audible and the group can see from this distance that there is a lot of activity around the estate. Ozo Ozioko's place cannot be described as a house or a compound, it is massive!
Crowd: Ngwanu! Cheiiii! Ewo!!!! Chukwunna!!
The group arrives at the source of the fanfare and it's a sand pit not too far from the main house. From the looks of it, it's a sparring ground.
Crowd: Kwuchaa ya! Kwuchaa ya!
The group and the crowd wince together as one of the men in the ring delivers a decisive suplex. The receiver is out cold! There are three men left standing, this was a match of three against one to begin with but the one man army seems to be putting up the show.
There is a large man by the side of the ring, drinking from a large palm wine cup. He is electrified and unmistakably emotionally invested in this match. His large, protruding belly is jiggling as he flinches and foreshadows responses to every move in the ring.
Half of the audience holds their chests as the one-man-army takes out the second man. He slams his well-defined arm across the breadth of the second man's chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs. The second man's feet are thrown up and he falls back first to the ground. Number two is down, gasping for air.
Crowd: mMMmmmm!
The third man's head connects with ground, the force is brute, he's out! The crowd goes wild!! They're chanting the one man army's name! It has to be, even Dotun joins in after hearing the name a second time.
Crowd: So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu!
Sopuluchukwu: Ozo! Where's my goat?? You owe me a BIG goat!
The large man with the large cup opens his mouth.
Ozo: Sopuluchukwu!! Ahahahahaha... Today you have defeated my sons, don't worry, they will come back with a vengence, ahahahahaha!
Uzo guessed right, the big man with the big belly is Ozo Ozioko, despite his friendly demeanor, the aura around the man is dense. A woman passes from behind the group, no one sensed her approaching, which is a bit strange. Omalicha can tell that she's early 50s but could easily be mistaken for late 30s, she's that fit. The woman is holding in her hand a spear, not your average spear, this one looks heavier and is well adorned with intricate crafting along it's shaft. As she moves, Uzo notices a level of deference despite the busy atmosphere. The woman isn't joining in the euphoria around her, she comes across as... a little stern. That's it! She reminds him of his grandmother, Mama Ebube. The woman gets to Ozo Ozioko.
Woman: Chibuike, you're still drinking.
Ozo: Nwunye m (My wife), you're still looking beautiful.
Ozo smiles a little sheepishly, it appears he's actually been drinking a lot of the mmanya nkwu. Palm wine is sweet but can get to you. The woman is not moved by the flattery, she is as stoic as can be, she hands him the spear.
Woman: Over there...
She points up in the air to a distance that only she can see.
Woman: ...two rat tails to the right, now up by a bird's eye... there!
Crowd: So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu!
Ozo Ozioko turns to look at the group across the sand pit and then speaks to his wife.
Ozo: Chinwe look, Mazi Edochie's guests have arrived.
There is an odd gathering of men, about 23 or so.
Leader: We will take them by surprise!!
Group: Yes!
Leader: We will dance like the python!!!
Group: Yess!!
Leader: We will...
Something bores a hole right through the large tree just in front of the group!
Man: Alusi!!!! (Evil Spirit!!!!)
A gaping hole stares the men in the face as the sinister object hurdles towards them, taking no prisoners as it guns forward.
Translation
Kwuchaa ya: Finish him off.
Next
Dotun: shooo ghooood!
*Deep Sigh*
The lady responds with concern to his ravenous appetite...
Hawker: Ezigbo aguu na gu nwata a...
She hands him another wrap of okpa for free and her baby starts to giggle. Dotun is animatedly tearing through the okpa, as if he hasn't eaten in days and the dog is beside him, whining, rolling around with puppy eyes, begging for a morsel. The baby, finding it all funny, is laughing out loud. Reluctantly, with an even more animated display of sadness, Dotun gives the dog a piece of the action. The dog gobbles it up and barks in delight. The woman is off, she puts the tray back on her head and is walking away.
Hawker: Okpa di oku, okpa di oku, okpa! Okpa! Okpa!
Omalicha waves her goodbye and the dog follows, wagging its tail. The baby waves back.
Dotun: Tshenk yhou!!
Omalicha takes her time to enjoy her own okpa as they continue their journey but Uzo, no one even saw him make his disappear. "You've eaten it already??", Dotun sobs. It's getting late and the meal will do for the night, time to set up camp.
#Nnsuka
After more than a day and almost being burnt alive, they have finally made it to the red-earth town on the hills that is Nnsuka. The group meets two children running along the way, the first people they see and the children appear to be twins, about seven-ish from the look of it. Omalicha calls out.
Omalicha: Ejima, biko bia.
One of the chubby boys turns around and Dotun can swear that he literally "rolled" over.
Omalicha: What's your name?
Boy: Aham bu Ifenna and my brother's name is Ifezim
His brother remains where he is and scowls. It seems Ifenna took all the cheer and left only gloom for his brother. Either that or Ifezim is the one that paid attention when their mother must have told them not to talk to strangers, like every mother does.
Omalicha: Please we are going to Ozo Ozioko's place.
Nobody saw Ifezim appear, he is standing right beside his brother, now with a glint in his eyes. They really are identical. The mention of Ozo Ozioko has triggered some deep-seated euphoria.
Ifezim: Are you asking about Nnuku Ozo Ozioko, Ugo Ukwu!?!
Omalicha, trying to keep track of who is who, turns to the twin that asked the question and answers.
Omalicha: Well, yes... but I didn't know he was called The Great Eagle ("Ugo Ukwu").
Twins: Eh!??? You didn't knoowww??? Everybody knows Ozo the great hunter!!!
Now the twins are finishing each other's sentences.
Twins: They say the range of Ozo's spear is beyond compare, they say his sight is sharper than the greatest birds of the sky, some say that his vision is so clear that he even sees things before they happen!
The boys are clearly animated, including Dotun. Uzo's excitement isn't visible, but he is a hunter afterall and Ozo Ozioko sounds like the type of person he would like to meet.
Uzo: So where is his place?Omalicha: Ejima, biko bia.
One of the chubby boys turns around and Dotun can swear that he literally "rolled" over.
Omalicha: What's your name?
Boy: Aham bu Ifenna and my brother's name is Ifezim
His brother remains where he is and scowls. It seems Ifenna took all the cheer and left only gloom for his brother. Either that or Ifezim is the one that paid attention when their mother must have told them not to talk to strangers, like every mother does.
Omalicha: Please we are going to Ozo Ozioko's place.
*Swoosh!*
Nobody saw Ifezim appear, he is standing right beside his brother, now with a glint in his eyes. They really are identical. The mention of Ozo Ozioko has triggered some deep-seated euphoria.
Ifezim: Are you asking about Nnuku Ozo Ozioko, Ugo Ukwu!?!
Omalicha, trying to keep track of who is who, turns to the twin that asked the question and answers.
Omalicha: Well, yes... but I didn't know he was called The Great Eagle ("Ugo Ukwu").
Twins: Eh!??? You didn't knoowww??? Everybody knows Ozo the great hunter!!!
Now the twins are finishing each other's sentences.
Twins: They say the range of Ozo's spear is beyond compare, they say his sight is sharper than the greatest birds of the sky, some say that his vision is so clear that he even sees things before they happen!
The boys are clearly animated, including Dotun. Uzo's excitement isn't visible, but he is a hunter afterall and Ozo Ozioko sounds like the type of person he would like to meet.
Omalicha and Dotun tilt their heads simultaneously to look at Uzo, surprised that he is even speaking. The boys point in unison.
Twins: There!
Uzo: Let's go.
As the group moves in the direction of Ozo Ozioko's house, the boys chorus out.
Twins: One of Ozo's daughters is getting married tomorrow and so they are preparing for a huuuuge feast!
Omalicha turns back and waves to the boys
Omalicha: Daalu! Don't talk to strangers!
Dotun & Uzo: Huh?!
#Eagle'sNest
The sound of a number of people cheering is audible and the group can see from this distance that there is a lot of activity around the estate. Ozo Ozioko's place cannot be described as a house or a compound, it is massive!
Crowd: Ngwanu! Cheiiii! Ewo!!!! Chukwunna!!
The group arrives at the source of the fanfare and it's a sand pit not too far from the main house. From the looks of it, it's a sparring ground.
Crowd: Kwuchaa ya! Kwuchaa ya!
*Slam!*
The group and the crowd wince together as one of the men in the ring delivers a decisive suplex. The receiver is out cold! There are three men left standing, this was a match of three against one to begin with but the one man army seems to be putting up the show.
There is a large man by the side of the ring, drinking from a large palm wine cup. He is electrified and unmistakably emotionally invested in this match. His large, protruding belly is jiggling as he flinches and foreshadows responses to every move in the ring.
*Gbim!*
Half of the audience holds their chests as the one-man-army takes out the second man. He slams his well-defined arm across the breadth of the second man's chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs. The second man's feet are thrown up and he falls back first to the ground. Number two is down, gasping for air.
Crowd: mMMmmmm!
*Spear!*
Taking advantage of his comrades's fall, the third man launches shoulder first for the one-man-army's guts, appearing from behind his comrades's falling body. His attack connects but the one-man-army isn't fazed. He takes the hit, even flowing with the motion to reduce the impact on his own body. As he glides backwards, a delinquent smile runs across his lips, his back is hanging inches from the ground.
He seizes the third man's head under his left arm and flexes his back to add more force to the impact he is about to deliver.
*Grip!*
He seizes the third man's head under his left arm and flexes his back to add more force to the impact he is about to deliver.
*Tihm!*
The third man's head connects with ground, the force is brute, he's out! The crowd goes wild!! They're chanting the one man army's name! It has to be, even Dotun joins in after hearing the name a second time.
Crowd: So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu! So-pu-lu!
The large man with the large cup opens his mouth.
Ozo: Sopuluchukwu!! Ahahahahaha... Today you have defeated my sons, don't worry, they will come back with a vengence, ahahahahaha!
Uzo guessed right, the big man with the big belly is Ozo Ozioko, despite his friendly demeanor, the aura around the man is dense. A woman passes from behind the group, no one sensed her approaching, which is a bit strange. Omalicha can tell that she's early 50s but could easily be mistaken for late 30s, she's that fit. The woman is holding in her hand a spear, not your average spear, this one looks heavier and is well adorned with intricate crafting along it's shaft. As she moves, Uzo notices a level of deference despite the busy atmosphere. The woman isn't joining in the euphoria around her, she comes across as... a little stern. That's it! She reminds him of his grandmother, Mama Ebube. The woman gets to Ozo Ozioko.
Woman: Chibuike, you're still drinking.
Ozo: Nwunye m (My wife), you're still looking beautiful.
Ozo smiles a little sheepishly, it appears he's actually been drinking a lot of the mmanya nkwu. Palm wine is sweet but can get to you. The woman is not moved by the flattery, she is as stoic as can be, she hands him the spear.
Woman: Over there...
She points up in the air to a distance that only she can see.
Woman: ...two rat tails to the right, now up by a bird's eye... there!
*Vwooooooooom!*
The spear tears through the air creating a vacuum tunnel that collapses on itself as it eats through. The power behind that launch is tremendous but the man does not seem to have put in any effort into it. The people continue with their jubilation, this is not new to them.
Ozo Ozioko turns to look at the group across the sand pit and then speaks to his wife.
Ozo: Chinwe look, Mazi Edochie's guests have arrived.
#500mAway
There is an odd gathering of men, about 23 or so.
Leader: We will take them by surprise!!
Group: Yes!
Leader: We will dance like the python!!!
Group: Yess!!
Leader: We will...
*Vwooooooooom!!!*
Man: Alusi!!!! (Evil Spirit!!!!)
A gaping hole stares the men in the face as the sinister object hurdles towards them, taking no prisoners as it guns forward.
Translation
Kwuchaa ya: Finish him off.
Next
Comments
Post a Comment