PRINCESS AMARACHI Episode 5 by Okafor Erasmus Ugochukwu
Amarachi was surprised that when she got home, she saw Dave waiting patiently for her, though he didn’t go into the palace but waiting outside by the tree stump, sitting and wiggling his legs while he played a game using his phone- a habit he couldn’t stop.
He was surprised seeing Amarachi coming home looking so traditional and cute. Dave’s happiness knew no bounds when he saw his fiancé he hadn’t seen for long since the school holiday.
Amarachi became shy when she saw him, so she tried to hide behind Udara tree without knowing that Dave already saw her. She remained there peeping while Dave feigned being busy with his phone but was waiting for her to come out from her hiding place.
After a while, he stood up and tiptoed to the tree but Amy didn’t know that he was there. When she tried to peep the third time, Dave startled him with a yell, so she screamed and ran out while he followed.
As Dave was chasing after her, they bumped into Ichie Agwoturumbe and Ozo Utaba as they were standing and whispering, so they paused and looked closely.
“Who are these people?” Dave asked and smiled at Amy without even acting as if he saw them, “I hate those red cap men because they’re always the ill wind that blows no one good,”
Amarachi didn’t want to reply to that but dragged Dave as the passed the elders. She simply faltered: “A…amm…mma Dede (Good morning elders)”
“Beautiful maiden,” Ichie Agwoturumbe said with smiles, “It is ‘amma dedee’,” he corrected and came closer for a talk but Dave tried to drag her away in haste so that the elders wouldn’t come closer, “My son, you need to understand that when you see men with grey hair known as the wisdom hair, you greet them. We’re fathers, so you should respect…”
“Good day,” Dave said and continued to make effort to drag Amarachi but Amy stooped and signalled that he shouldn’t be too quick to go.
“Amma Dedee,” Amarachi greeted and looked intently at the faces of the elders as if she was searching for clues on their faces, “I know that you elders are among the cabinet of Eze Omekannaya,” she said and removed the scarf she had on her head, making them recognise that it was the princess standing before them.
“Oh, my princess,” Ozo Utaba said and reverenced her the way it’s done in Ubulu, with his two fingers perforating his ears and a twice nod. “We never knew that you’re the one,” he said and tried to leave immediately but Agwoturumbe stopped him.
“Don’t be too quick to run because I’ve been looking for an opportunity to talk to the princess,” Agwoturumbe said and reverenced the princess, “but this is a secret that even the guy with you shouldn’t hear from me, not even Ozo Utaba,” he insisted.
Dave looked furious because he had no trust for the man. He wouldn’t have even stopped if not that Amarachi’s curiosity forced her to stop.
“Papa,” Dave Handsome called angrily and came close to the aged man who became so frightened by his unsmiling looks, “I think that you’ve earned enough respect already from me, but this time, I will break your head,”
“Let’s hear him first,” Amy urged and covered her hair with the scarf so that the veiled face would conceal her identity. “But we need to move away from this place since it’s close to the palace,” she suggested.
Dave didn’t want to allow Amarachi to go but Amy’s insistence bought her some freedom, so she followed the man to a corner for a whisper.
Even though Dave watched from few feet away, he wasn’t comfortable leaving Amarachi with the old man that he looked closely with suspicion.
“My daughter,” Ichie Agwo said sonorously, “I have two suggestions to make,”
“Go ahead and make them,” Amy said hastily because she wasn’t comfortable around him, especially for the fact that Dave’s actions and suspicions made her feel so. “Or do you need him to come after you?”
“He can do that if he wants,” The man said boldly, “but one thing is certain: an elder has the power of the supernatural guiding him. And in Ubulu tradition, any evil you do to an elder without respect…”
“The God of the elders must surely visit the person, I know,” Amarachi said, “I have read it too,”
“Good you did, so you see why you should advise your friend to be careful,”
“But that’s if the elder’s purposes are pure and he is without blemish,” Amy reminded him, “so if you’re the bad one, flee or you end up being beaten and the gods of the elders wouldn’t even heed to your plea because he is of justice and peace, from the best of my knowledge,”
“Good, but there is a secret you need to know about,” Ichie Agwo clued and came much closer for a whisper but the way Dave looked at him made him maintain some gap to avoid coming too close to Amarachi.
“Go ahead and spill it,” Amarachi urged inquisitively, “I guess you should hit the nail on the head, and be fast about it before Dave’s patience exhausts,”
“Don’t just be afraid of Okwatulueze group but you should be more afraid of Ozo bu Iwem group, a group that doesn’t just control and regulate the powers of Okwatulueze but controls even the chief priests, diviners and wealthy. No wonder you should be afraid of going to the native doctors because you don’t know who has been subdued and controlled by this deadly group,”
“Whoa whoa…” Amy said to make him pause, “Is there still any good man in this village?”
“Yes, they are many,” he answered assuredly, “but you need to find them. All lizards lie prostrate, who knows the one suffering from belly ache?”
“Where do you belong?” Amarachi asked looking a bit frightened, “are you for good or for bad?”
Taking a deep breath and still keeping his eyes on Dave whom he dreads, he said: “I trust no one, and I don’t even know where I belong, but as I’m standing and talking with you, I mean well for you and the kingdom. Do not trust me tomorrow because tomorrow is like a pregnant woman that is fickle. No one knows what about it,”
Amarachi couldn’t just comprehend it. She felt like leaving everything about royalty, but even if she does, she still had to find her dad.
“That sounded a bit honest, but what do you want?” she asked and looked at Dave was already coming to take her away from the man.
“Seek for Adaoma,” Ichie Agwo said quickly so that he’d leave before Dave comes closer. “Also look for the oldest man in this village, Anyamuo is his name. He has a lot to offer,”
The old man left immediately with his walking-stick as he limped away effortfully just to avoid being touched by the virile unsmiling Dave who came after him.
Amarachi remained speechless even when Dave came and held her for comfort.
“What did he say to you?” Dave said to Amy and looked all over her to ensure that she wasn’t hurt, “did he hurt your emotions? Why are you looking dispirited? What’s going on? I am going after him…”
“Don’t,” she said and smiled, making Dave heave a sigh of relief, “I’ve heard a lot lately and I end up not knowing who to believe anymore. But first of all, take me away from here let me get my head cooled because I think that the best way is to flee from the village,”
“I came here to tell you that my dad would want to see you but it seems they are all confusing you because you’re desperate to find your dad,” Dave said held Amy by the waist and led her into the palace.
“I think I don’t need the palace right now because there is a mole in there,” Amarachi said and footslogged as Dave tried to convince her to enter the royal compound, “I need to find a lady called Adaoma right away, and now is the time,” Amy insisted and started moving back to the entrance gate.
If Dave knew Amy well, he knew that she wasn’t going to look back once her attention and interest are focused on finding his dad.
“Fine, let’s use my car,” Dave said and closed in to catch up.
“But I didn’t see you with any car,” Amy said observantly, “where did you park your car?” she asked as she looked searchingly around.
Dave didn’t reply but took her about ten metres away from where he parked before coming around.
Amarachi was surprised to find Onyedika and some guys around Dave’s car, with Dave’s car being destroyed with stones and machete.
Amarachi quickly dragged Dave to a corner and they left through the other side of the road into the bush and remained there.
Dave wanted to act but so angry that he hadn’t with his gun with him. He was more infuriated because his pistol was in his car, and it was likely that the guys that came with Onyedika would end up taking it away, and it means doom once it gets into the hands of those villagers.
“Let’s stay here, and be calm,” Amy advised, “they are many for you to face, so be calm. I wish I have my cell phone with me. I’d have called Chisimdi to alert the guards to stop them,”
“But how did they know about me?” Dave asked scouting around the bush to be sure that they weren’t being sighted.
“Onyedika tricked me to believe that she was against the Okwatulueze group,” Amy said tearfully feeling bad for putting Dave through the stress of being hooked in her family quagmire.
“How did you meet him?” he queried and took his phone, made a call and waited.
Dave had some bad guys who operate in Okporo axis, so his call invited them to Ubulu, making the hitmen show with firearms and weapons.
They entire guys ran away except Onyedika who could run but was caught because he wasn’t having strong morale and gut like the others that bolted.
If not that Dave intervened, even the palace guards couldn’t subdue the guys.
Onyedika was taking into the palace cell. If not for Amarachi’s intervention, he’d have been lynched by Dave’s friends from Okporo.
Dave’s men took over the palace protection since some of the guards have been biased, therefore thwarting the efforts of the genuine and patriotic guards who want the security and wellbeing of the kingdom.
Dave was so angry because of what was done to one of his favourite cars. His anger escalated when he entered the cell and met Onyedika panting like a lamb about to be slaughtered.
Entering the cell, Amarachi followed immediately because she was shocked that Dave would kill Onyedika out of fury.
Chisimdi desperately wanted the new guy to be dealt with, therefore she tried to stop Amarachi from discouraging Dave from jungle justice but Amy’s insistence paid off by making her intervene before Dave does anything nefarious on him.
Dave pulled a stool closer and sat beside the guy that was bedraggled with blood that blurred his eyes. He kept on biting one side of his lips in anger as he tried balancing between his anger against the guy and his love for Amy.
After a while, he grabbed Onyedika on the throat but Amarachi stopped him out of pity and hollered:
“Instead of this, can you involve Abuja office of the DSS just as you did in the case of Ozo Odenjinji?” she quickly pulled Dave out from the firm grip on the throat of the prisoner.
“I think I should invite the entire unorthodox method as the Capone and …”
“Remember you’ve denounced that fraternity and I don’t want to hear such language from you anymore,” Amy said frowningly and sighed, making Dave’s attention to get stuck on her, thereby giving the prisoner an ample time to take a deep breath.
“Baby, I’m sorry about that, but…”
“No buts,” Amarachi interjected cleverly, “Let’s find out what the young man knows prudently than using the torturing grilling method,” she advised.
Dave took a deep breath and smiled. Looking fondly on Amy’s face, he found his soberness once more. “I think you’re right like you are always,”
“Then respect my decisions, my love,” Amy exhorted.
“Young man,” Dave called and locked the door, leaving just three of them in the cell while others became more suspicious including Chisimdi who was eager to see the captive hurt, “Who sent you and why?”
Onyedika was so frightened that he couldn’t even utter a word other than being jittery at each of Dave’s frightening tone.
Amarachi knew that Onyedika wasn’t going to talk, and that could invite Dave’s dark being, so she took a piece of her cloth and started cleaning his bloody face.
Dave became unnerved at this point because he couldn’t understand why Amy would be handling the case benignly so he tried to stop her but Amarachi insisted.
“He was my friend a couple of hours ago, and he is still my friend,” Amy said assuredly, “I implore you to allow me to handle this. You can step aside if you’re uncomfortable with my methods. It’s not always about violence or war but sometimes, being peaceful in handling some cases pays,”
Dave knew that Amy could be so stubborn that whatever she sets her mind on must be accomplished her way even if she ends up getting it wrong at the end, but at least she bears the responsibility.
“Continue,” Dave said and relaxed with his hands akimbo, “but as for leaving this cell for just two of you, I won’t dare,” he maintained.
“Thank you,” Amy said and continued cleaning Onyedika’s face until he could have a clearer view with his eyes.
After a long silence, Onyedika heaved a sigh of relief and said: “Chukwu abiama gozie gi (May the gods bless you)” he then put his hand into his pocket, making Dave be on alert but the prisoner ended up bringing out a potion in a small bottle.
“This was a poison meant for this household but it was giving to me by my dad who happens to be one of the men that champion the Ozo bu Iwem group but no one would ever suspect him,”
Dave sprang up out of anger but Amy patted his thigh twice and said: “Don’t be too quick because he’s still talking,”
“But you just heard him,” Dave said to let Amy know the gravity of Onyedika’s confession.
“I heard everything but your action can introduce fear in him and make him hoard some words or even forget to say some things he’d want to divulge. Let’s listen to him first,”
PRINCESS AMARACHI episode
#OpraDre
To be continued…
Drop your comment
