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| Don't Rock The Cradle - Episode XVII (Joshua Ziregbe) |
NB: The comic reads right to left like traditional Japanese manga.
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#LastTime
*Footsteps*
Dotun jumps... and swallows hard. Someone is coming, it sounds like more than one person, but their steps are almost in sync. They appear, then turn to look at the group.
Voice: You.
The blank stare is directed at Dotun, this doesn't look good.
#Present
It is Ozo's daughter. Omalicha can tell because the second set of footsteps belong to Ijeoma who showed Omalicha to her room, and Ijeoma is a miniature version of the older girl standing in front of her.
Ozo's Daughter: You!
Ozo’s elder daughter Olomma walks towards the group, she is slim and tall, having the best features of both of her parents, Ozo’s height and her mothers slender curves and beauty.
Olomma: I know what you did!
She scowls with a frown.
Olomma: To think that this is how you choose to repay my father's hospitality, allowing you into our home!
She's fuming and getting closer, Ijeoma is directly behind her.
Olomma: I will deal with you today!
Dotun’s eyes widen then shut in anticipation as Olomma lifts her hand, but the slap never lands. When he opens his eyes, her face is merely inches away from his. She smells nice, of perfumed oils massaged into her skin.
Olomma: But you know,
Her countenance changes unexpectedly and Dotun thinks, "This lady is scary."
Olomma: ...I could forgive this insult if you do something for me.
The grin on her face suggests that Dotun may not be willing to do the something but he asks slowly and suspiciously.
Dotun: Liiiike what?
Olomma turns around and begins.
Olomma: Last year, Ozo Ngwere's daughter got married and at her wedding her father had her path covered with flowers. I have no idea where they got those flowers from, no one does. I haven’t seen anything like them in the forest or in anyone’s garden but rumor has it that they were brought in by horses from the North. Regardless, the point is that I want something better than Afoma, I want my flowers to fall from the sky and cover the path, the guests, and the entire compound!
She turns back to look at Dotun dead in the eyes, her voice returning from warm fantasies to the cold thrust she began with.
Olomma: Can you do that, Wiccan?
The menacing expression returns with the frosty voice and Dotun doesn't know when he answers.
Olomma: Last year, Ozo Ngwere's daughter got married and at her wedding her father had her path covered with flowers. I have no idea where they got those flowers from, no one does. I haven’t seen anything like them in the forest or in anyone’s garden but rumor has it that they were brought in by horses from the North. Regardless, the point is that I want something better than Afoma, I want my flowers to fall from the sky and cover the path, the guests, and the entire compound!
She turns back to look at Dotun dead in the eyes, her voice returning from warm fantasies to the cold thrust she began with.
Olomma: Can you do that, Wiccan?
The menacing expression returns with the frosty voice and Dotun doesn't know when he answers.
Dotun: Yes, yes!
That was a lie and Olomma knew it.
Olomma: Okay, show us, give us a taste.
Olomma: Okay, show us, give us a taste.
Dotun's eyes widen.
Dotun: Now??
Olomma: Yes, now! I’m waiting...
This is one thing Dotun hates about magic, excellence in one aspect doesn't mean excellence in another. In fact, the mastery of one aspect drastically reduces your chances of being even mediocre in others. Dotun has mainly focused on magic that allows him move things, he is a pro at this, perfecting it both on the macro and micro scales. He only needs to work on power and stamina which his grandfather had said would improve with time, but this, what Olomma is describing, is magic for materializing things from thin air. Dotun has never really worked on this but he remembers what his grandfather always told him after he died, "All magic is simple, if you can imagine it, then it can be done." So Dotun clears his mind from all thoughts of food and fun, battles and betrayals, abandonment and loss. He lets his soul flow, breaking the form that allows his ability to move objects.
Dotun closes his eyes as he starts to take a deep breath, the veins on the side of his temple pop out and start to throb but Omalicha sees more than this. It's fuzzy but she sees a large pale blue ring around him, she doesn't even notice that every other thing seems to fade into the background. The ring is so large that all five of them are within it, but it's clear that the ring belongs to Dotun. When he closed his eyes it shattered into many pieces that are now floating around him like dust. The blue particles turn to a dark red and disappear just as white fluffy petals begin to fall from the sky. It is a sight to see. The petals fall all around and the girls lose their cool, Olomma shrieks with excitement.
Olomma: Ewooo! Wonderful! I wasn't sure you could do it but this is exactly what I was hoping for!
She spreads her hands as she spins in circles, and when the ground and roof tops around them are covered with petals, the shower ceases. Olomma walks majestically, rehearsing for her walk to her betrothed, Azubike. Her thoughts drift to the handsome, rich young man she is set to marry tomorrow. She can see him, his chest, white teeth, his arms, his muscular, well defined frame. "He looks nothing like my father..." she thinks, because she does not remember the time when Ozo Ozioko, Ugo Ukwu was in his prime, she was young.
Three full moons ago, when Olomma and Azubike were formally introduced, she had fallen head over heels for her young merchant. They had met, years ago, when Olomma was still a very young girl but back then, Azubike was completely unremarkable; dark brown skin, a lean frame, and a face that was too pretty to be a boy's.
On the introduction morning she had complained to her mother, she protested at the idea of not being able to choose for herself the man she would marry.
Olomma: I want to be like you mama.
She had said, but in reality she wanted to choose a man based on her vain desires. Her mother knew this. Olomma is smart and strong in spirit, her mother knows that she is a determined young woman and very persuasive when she wants to be but she also knows that her daughter is very emotional. Her mother knows that rage can lift her, set her on fire; her pain can crush her under its weight; and jealousy can spin her around till she cannot differentiate right from wrong. So her mother had taken it upon herself to find the perfect match for her daughter: a calm and collected man, an emotional rock, one to help her daughter through the storms of life. She found Azubike.
Olomma: I want to be like you mama.
She had said, but in reality she wanted to choose a man based on her vain desires. Her mother knew this. Olomma is smart and strong in spirit, her mother knows that she is a determined young woman and very persuasive when she wants to be but she also knows that her daughter is very emotional. Her mother knows that rage can lift her, set her on fire; her pain can crush her under its weight; and jealousy can spin her around till she cannot differentiate right from wrong. So her mother had taken it upon herself to find the perfect match for her daughter: a calm and collected man, an emotional rock, one to help her daughter through the storms of life. She found Azubike.
Azubike as well did not like the idea of marrying a girl he didn’t know, one chosen by his father. He thought of how unfair it would be for the maiden. Perhaps she had found a companion just as he had already found his heart longing for another. He had only seen her once, and before he could gather his thoughts to ask who she was, she was gone, but he is sure that he will find her again.
It had been a market day and Azubike with his father Mbadinuju had come to the market to monitor the sales of their merchandise, fabric. Mbadinuju imported expensive fabrics with intricate designs and this was the source of his wealth, but no matter how wealthy the man became, Mbadinuju loved hunting and his son has inherited his passion.
It had been a market day and Azubike with his father Mbadinuju had come to the market to monitor the sales of their merchandise, fabric. Mbadinuju imported expensive fabrics with intricate designs and this was the source of his wealth, but no matter how wealthy the man became, Mbadinuju loved hunting and his son has inherited his passion.
Mbadinuju laughed at his son’s suggestion, clearly his son was being as modest as always.
Mbadinuju: So the maiden might be in love with another man?
Azubuike: Yes
Mbadinuju: ...and you mean to tell me that you cannot persuade her to change her mind?
Azubuike: You can’t persuade someone out of love.
Mbadinuju: So the maiden might be in love with another man?
Azubuike: Yes
Mbadinuju: ...and you mean to tell me that you cannot persuade her to change her mind?
Azubuike: You can’t persuade someone out of love.
Mbadinuju broke out into hysterical laughter and Azubike was offended. His father only laughs like that when someone says something puerile and Azubike was no longer a child. Calming down, his father spoke.
Mbadinuju: Ngwanu, let’s meet this maiden and then when we are about to leave, ask her if there’s anyone else she is considering. If she says yes, we call off the arrangement, otherwise we proceed as planed.
Mbadinuju: Ngwanu, let’s meet this maiden and then when we are about to leave, ask her if there’s anyone else she is considering. If she says yes, we call off the arrangement, otherwise we proceed as planed.
Azubike thought of it for a moment and agreed it was fair. His father on the other hand knew that no maiden would be able to resist his son, if he tried, and once he saw his betrothed, his father knew he would do more than just try.
When Olomma was presented to her husband to be, her eyes stayed low, stylishly avoiding his, but as her gaze rose from his feet, she saw a stunned young man and he saw the maiden he had spotted at the market square. She was impossibly more beautiful now.
Olomma's attention returns to the petals, she looks like she is having fun. Dotun joins her and walks holding her hand like a groom, taking calculated steps, clashing an imaginary walking stick with his imaginary guests who are now cheering him on. Omalicha and Ijeoma join in, pretending to be Olomma’s hand maidens dancing behind the couple, escorting her to her new home. In no time, the four of them begin to hold hands, forming a ring and skipping in circles, with heads tilted up watching the flowers fall; it was dizzing and soon they all fell down. Uzo watched them, not moved or compelled in the slightest to join in.
After they hit the ground and regained their balance, Ijeoma scooped up a hand full of petals and blew them in Omalicha’s face and like that, a new game started. Uzo watched, resting with his back against a hut, thinking about how he would ensure they got back to Mazi’s house and then back to his grandmother, Ebube. The trip here had not been easy and it seemed bad luck followed either Dotun or Omalicha or perhaps both of them. This was not the first time he had traveled alone but the challenges that they had come across on this trip have been suspicious. First bandits, then a ghost, then smellers, and if not for the intervention of an actual wiccan, they would have been burnt to a crisp.
After they hit the ground and regained their balance, Ijeoma scooped up a hand full of petals and blew them in Omalicha’s face and like that, a new game started. Uzo watched, resting with his back against a hut, thinking about how he would ensure they got back to Mazi’s house and then back to his grandmother, Ebube. The trip here had not been easy and it seemed bad luck followed either Dotun or Omalicha or perhaps both of them. This was not the first time he had traveled alone but the challenges that they had come across on this trip have been suspicious. First bandits, then a ghost, then smellers, and if not for the intervention of an actual wiccan, they would have been burnt to a crisp.
He had to come up with a plan. He had to find out if it was Dotun causing all these mishaps, and if so, although he has been of some help, it would be best to part ways. Dotun and the girls were really going wild with the petals now, having a blast and Uzo thinks of what his older brother would have done, "I just have to get stronger.", he decides.
Mama Nnena looks up from the vegetables she's slicing. she sees three of the children and the wife to be, holding hands, skipping round in circles, their heads tilted at the the midday sky. Suddenly they break off and fall to the ground, one boy is at the corner, lost in thought. The other four get up again, scooping nothing from the ground and blowing nothing at each other.
Mama Nnenna: Children of nowadays, very lazy, all they want to do is play.
She does not see any petals.
Mama Nnenna: Children of nowadays, very lazy, all they want to do is play.
She does not see any petals.
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