episode 1
could this be love season 4 soon...
The two men walked steadily in the darkness towards the
old man’s hut. They were dressed only in raffia leaves
and sack cloth, and their heads had been clean shaven.
One of them carried the necklace of thier intended victim
and the other wrung his hands nervously.
“Do you think he’ll listen to us this time?” The first man
asked apprehensively as he struck at a mosquito on his
chest.
“He has to, the oracle said he is the only one left who can
carry out this feat.” His colleague replied.
“She deserves to die. She killed our boss.” The first man
hissed and then began to stutter ‘but…but I dont know if
we should rahter forget the whole thing, afterall the boss
didnt say we should avenge him…”
The second man stopped in his tracks and grabbed the
first man by the throat.
“Our boss is mad! Our source of livelihood is gone! This
might be our only chance to redeem ourselves and gain
recognition in the family, who knows, the gods might
smile on us and Brother Afam will respect us enough to
give us a well paying job, afterall we did what he dared
not do!
He let go of his squirming companion and hissed.
“We who once lived on the laps of luxury have been
thrown into the pit of penury and you still wail like an old
woman! Have some courage! Or did you enjoy the fact
that you had to beg for food yesterday? Did you?!”
“No!” His companion rasped. “Its not like the food tasted
good anyhow. Mama Iyale knows nothing about cooking, i
don’t know what she is doing owning a buka…”
“Shut up and stop yapping! This is your last chance, if
you want to turn back, do so now!” His friend drew close
“but know this. when I do succeed, when I gain my riches
and glory, when I get the respect and accolades I
deserve…I dont so much as want to see you near my
doorstep! I will have nothing to do with you! do you
understand?”
The first man grumbled, still massaging his aching
neck.”Why are you talking like this, I was only airing my
views a little. We are here already, lets see Baba
together.”
The second man grunted and they continued their march.
As they got close to the hut, they heard a voice
“Ikenna and Richard, what are you doing back here
again? Did I not tell you that what you ask for is
impossible?”
The two men stopped abrubtly. Ikenna, the first man
looked terrified and almost made to run away but Richard
grabbed him.
“We got her necklace Baba!”
There was silence, the only sound coming from the
laboured breathing of both men in the still cold night
outside. Finally the door of the hut swung open and Baba
came out. He was indeed an old man, his scalp covered
with a red plain cap with silk white hair protruding from
the sides. his jaw hosted the same colour of hair, only
bushier and longer. His eyes were suprisingly soft as he
regarded the two men pitifully. He took a step forward
with the aid of a twisted walking stick.
“Give it to me.” He said, his voice strong and coarse.
Richard handed him the necklace and Baba studied it.
“It carries her essence. You speak the truth.” He said.
“How did you get it?”
“We followed your instructions.” Richard said “We
followed her for a number of days and saw it was her
favourite, she wore it every day to work. We finally made
our move yesterday and pretended to be beggars. We
were able to convince her to give us the necklace instead
of money.”
“I preached to her and told her since the necklace was
very dear to her it would mean more to us than her
money.” Ikenna chipped in finally. “I even quoted a
passage from the bible-”
“You must be certain she gave you this necklace of her
own free will, Ikenna. Are you sure you are telling me the
truth?”
“Of course he is!” Richard retorted. Baba looked at him
sternly and he took a step back and shut up.
“Answer me Ikenna, did she give you this necklace
willingly?” Baba inquired again.
Ikenna thrust out his chest and nodded emphatically.
“Yes she did! Check it yourself , is it not hers?”
The sadness that had momentarily left came back into
Baba’s eyes.
“The only way i can check is to begin the rites. If it fails…”
“Enough of all this baba!” Ikenna shouted suddenly in a
burst of courage, “If it fails we will look for another way!
Try it first!”
“The punishment could be severe…”
“We don’t need to know the punishment Baba!” Richard
cried. “We need to avenge our boss! Try it!”
“Go ahead!” Ikenna shouted as he got carried away with
his own bravado.
The Old man sighed and finally nodded.
“Wait outside.”
He turned and entered back into his hut as the two men
sat outside in the company of the night insects. Richard
clapped Ikenna gleefully on the back.
“Now you are behaving like a man!” He grinned. Ikenna
smiled back. He had always wanted to impress Richard
who on more than one occassion had made him feel
weak and less than a man. Richard was the only family he
had ever known as he was abandoned by his mother as a
child and left to die in the streets. Richard had found him
and introduced him to a street gang of orphans who
begged, stole and did all sorts for money. They had
grown up together like prothers and Richard was always
getting him into trouble butr he didnt mind as he
practically worshipped him. He was proud of himself as
Richard clapped him on the shoulder again and they both
grinned.
From inside the hut they heard the old man’s coarse
voice as he raised up incantations. The smell of burning
incence filled the air and the sounds of cowrie shells
tumbling in an earthen vessel pierced into the night.
Ikenna looked at Richard, his apprehension returning full
force.
“But what if it doesnt work? He said the punishment
would be severe…”
“Whatever it is, I will share it with you.” Richard said
thumping his chest. “The last time someone disobeyed
baba, the Boss gisted me that the man was made to walk
through the bushes naked and beating a gong announcing
his shame…”
“What? I dont want to do that?!” Ikenna retorted, “I
thought you said we will be made to sacrfice a goat or
two…”
“Anyone, I will help you steal a goat, its not a big deal so
don’t worry. And if its to walk round the forest naked it will
be a chance for both of us to show off to the ladies!”
They grinned again in thier camaradierre as the moon
went behind a cloud and the night grew darker. the
chanting in the hut had stopped and a moment later, Baba
came out.
“Here,” He said, handing the necklace to Ikenna. “since
you were the one she gave, you have to give her back.”
BOth men jumped to thier feet.
“So it worked?” Richard asked enthusiastically.
“Yes, it did.” Baba replied, his hand still out.
Ikenna smiled and stretched his hand to collect the
necklace
“We are going to be rich! We are going to be famous!” He
said and took the necklace.
As soon as his hands closed around the necklace Ikenna
fell into a terrible fit. He convulsed where he stood as his
eyes rolled up into his head leaving only the white sclera
visible. He opened his mouth to scream but his clamping
jaws bit down on his tonuge andcut a good portion of it
clean off. Blood spilt on Richard’s face as he started to
shout in alarm
“Ikenna! Ikenna! What is it? Baba, what is going on?!”
“You finally killed him, Richard.” Baba said sorrowfully.
“You finally led him to his death.”
Richard cried out and grabbed his friend, tried to make
him lie down but it was no use. The convulsions
increased in intensity and Richard heard a sickening snap
as the bones in Ikenna’s hands began to fracture. Ikenna
suddenly toppled over like a log of wood and crashed on
the floor with Richrd following suit, trying to hold his
friend still with no success. Ikenna continued to convulse
and his bones continued to break as blood oozed from his
nose and mouth.
“It will continue like this,” Baba said, “Till all the bones in
his body are broken. If you have a gun it will be good of
him to spare him the misery of a very painful death. ”
“But why?” Richard screamed as he continued to hold on
to ikenna, “Why is this happening?!”
“It only happens like this when the item is stolen. I told
you specifically not to steal it…”
“But we didn’t!” Richard shouted. “We told a boy to steal it
from her hoe and then give it to us willingly. Isnt it the
same thing?”
“Apparently the powers that be don’t think so.” Baba said
with a dep sigh. “I should kill you for what you did to your
friend , but I think letting you live will serve a better
punishment. Now go. and carry this corpse with you.
So saying, the old man turned and went back into the hut.
Richards screams toreat him from outside but he ignored
the man. he had no pity for him and actually wished he
could kill him, but unfortunately there was no one around
to help move two heavy bodies.
He turned back to the Oracle before him and saw the girl
in the magic mirror. She was sleeping peacefully on her
bed in her room far far away in Lagos. And covering her
were the biggest pair of wings he had ever seen.
