THE CURSED LANTERN Episode 18 By Okafor Erasmus Ugochukwu

THE CURSED LANTERN Episode 18 By Okafor Erasmus Ugochukwu

The fight between Amandi and Chizorom started without delay. It was a fair fight because no weapon was needed. It was wrestling used to test their physical strength.

The two warriors had a large compound to use, so each of them had to employ his skills and ensure winning at the end of it.

The princess was a bit afraid because she just saw Amandi getting up from the sickbed and may not be fit for a fight.

Ozioma was skeptical about who she sided in the fight. She already wanted Chizorom to win but at the same time, she wished Amandi didn’t lose. In the end, all she focused her attention on was the liberation of the kingdoms and the end to the silence of the gods. So, at that point, winning and losing wasn’t her concern but the positive aftermath of the fight.

Ikem began to feel that her mother needed her attention. He began to feel the full presence of Mmirimaraugo. The force and presence of his mother were too much on him that they made him weak. He started feeling weird. Since he’d been communing with her spiritually, he’d never felt that strange. Ikem knew that the priestess was to partake in witnessing the fight, so she had to be in attendance through him as her representative.

Being that Ikem was becoming weak; Ozioma had to provide a chair for him. She made him sit while she held him so that he wouldn’t fall. She already knew that something spiritual was going on, so she had to lend her support as a mother. By this time, the fight was already fiercer than they thought.

As the fight went on, Ikem closed his eyes and began to see strange things. He was afraid because he was still a kid even though he was blessed by the gods. In that trance, he saw the traditional rulers giving orders for the killing of twins. He watched those kids being killed in the forest. He tried not to look but the gods made his eyes open to see all because it was his mother that was seeing everything through him.

“It’s now the time to confront the children,” Ikem communicated to Mmirimaraugo.

Ozioma heard Ikem clearly but couldn’t understand the language. Ikem communicated to the priestess through the language of the spirits.

Inside their hut in Azummiri, Ijele was surprised that his wife was acting strange. He knew that something was going on spiritually but couldn’t explain what was happening. He had witnessed his wife in such a mood but that of that very night threw him off balance. He tried being a man but couldn’t help but entertain fears.

Mmirimaraugo was fully dressed in her priestly apparel as she strode down to the Azummiri River with her eyes closed. She walked blindly using her staff of office for direction. As she moved, she staggered and shivered convulsively.

Ijele tried stopping her because he was afraid, but Nneka who was also dressed in white apparel befitting a deputy to the priestess instructed him not to do so. She simply followed the priestess as they headed to the river of blood.

Mmirimaraugo vividly saw the fight between the two lions as it went on. As the fight continued while she strode down the river, the little children began to gather in numbers with their lanterns. They chanted some sorrowful songs as they streamed with tears. She was afraid seeing such a large number as they shed blood while they gathered.

When she got to the river, she began to enter until it almost covered her head. She raised her head to be breathing and be alive. With her staff of office raised, the children began to enter the river too. The priestess was afraid seeing them join her but she still had to remain strong to be able to attend to their needs.

Ijele and Nneka could only see the priestess uttering some statements they couldn’t understand but didn’t see the kids mobbing her already.

As the duel went on, Amandi and Chizorom were seen to be of the same strength, so it was a tough fight.

Chizorom tried to prove to Amandi that he was the master of the jungle but Amandi reminded him that he was a palm wine tapper blessed by the gods.

Amandi remembered how his left hand helped him win the lion; so he adopted the same tactics for Chizorom. The strong blow he gave Chizorom made him lose balance but he didn’t fall.

Chizorom was surprised about the effect of the blow on him, so he smiled. He had the same velocity and strength on his left hand but he didn’t want to use it yet. It was about time he used it, so he gave Amandi a punch that he couldn’t dodge.

Amandi staggered that he almost fell to the ground but he used his legs to provide the support that made him not fall.

The two warriors held each other’s hands and tested their powers to subdue physically. It showed they had equal strength.

When Chizorom held Amandi by the waist and threw him up in the air, instead of Amandi falling, he held the branch of the chelekwu tree and dangled there. He released his grip and landed on the ground firmly.

Amandi rushed at Chizorom and held him too but he couldn’t lift him because Chizorom seemed heavier to him. He shook his head thrice and tried again. This time, he lifted him higher than he could imagine.

Chizorom thought that Amandi was about to throw him up in the air as he planned but Amandi used his right leg to give him a rough tackle that made his back touch the ground. That made Amandi the winner in the first round.

By that time, it was becoming dawn because the fight lasted for a long time.

The princess was happy but no cheers or clap was allowed during the fight. She simply watched as she secretly prayed for Amandi to be victorious.

Ozioma had a mixed feeling of happiness for Amandi for winning the first round and sadness for Chizorom for losing.

Ikem’s eyes remained closed. He started pronouncing some abracadabra that no one could understand. Suddenly, he sprang up and started dancing the Ikwaada (staggering) dance before everyone. He danced around and staggered but never fell.

Mmirimararugo also started dancing the Ikwaada dance in the river while she spun around as if she was about to be drowned.

Ijele was so afraid because he didn’t even understand what the ritual was meant for. He felt that the gods wanted to take his wife away from him, so he tried to enter the river to save her.

Nneka stopped him saying: “This is the moment we all waited for. The priestess is at the peak of doing what the gods chose her for. She won’t drown, she won’t die, but she’d be weak at the end. A lot is going on in the spirit world but she alone can see it. We are just here to observe, so do not obstruct the ongoing work of the gods. If you attempt to enter this river of blood, you’d be paralyzed. And if you dare touch the priestess in a bid to save her, your blood would be spilled; meaning you’d die,”

Ijele was so surprised to hear that. He didn’t even know that Nneka knew all that. He’d always seen her as someone who was just a helper to the priestess but never knew how she knew all she told him. “But how did you know this, even when the priestess never told you what to tell me just as she always did?”

“I am not just a handmaid to the priestess,” Nneka said boldly as her eyes remained fixed at Mmirimaraugo. The apprentice wasn’t just observing, she was learning the job too. “I am the daughter of Ajunere, the midwife that made the switch at birth,”

Ijele didn’t even know what to say. He was shocked on hearing that. He just began to reminisce on the night when his wife delivered a baby boy. He remembered how the announcement was made concerning the death of his child. It was then he realized that Nneka was a chip off the old block.

“I now see that you look so much like your mother,” Ijele said and shook his head in surprise, “No wonder I kept looking at you thinking I’d met you before. How is your mother?”

Nneka looked up at the sky and shook her head. She closed her eyes as if she wanted to go into meditation. She opened her eyes again and hummed an unknown song. After a while, she became mute.

Ijele wanted to ask more questions but felt that Nneka needed more time to answer his question. He was just patient as he waited to hear from her.

“She’s late,” Nneka replied tearfully even when she didn’t want to shed any tear, “Ajunere died as a result of the switch,”

Ijele didn’t understand how the switch of the babies made the midwife die. He was eager to know more. “I am listening,” He muttered.

“Before she died,” Nneka went on, “she came to me and told me everything. She said that the little child urinated on her when she was about to make the switch. It was a warning from the gods which pricked her conscience but she was afraid of punishment from the king. She went ahead and made the switch. The urine on her body made her start having boils and itches all over her. Being a nurse, she tried the entire herbs she knew about but it never stopped the ailment. She even went to the chief priest and complained to him. The chief priest tried all he could but nothing worked. Ajunere even tried to get herself drowned in the Ngene River out of frustration but the gods didn’t allow that. She started dying slowly until the priestess visited her and told her that she knew what she did. My mother asked for forgiveness and begged the priestess to take me as her apprentice as a payback. The priestess told my mother that it was the same reason why she came. Mmirimaraugo told Ajunere, nnem (my mother) to bring that same cloth that had urine of the child on it. The cloth was brought and the urine was still active and fresh. She instructed me to wear the cloth because that urine was both a blessing and a curse. My mother chose the curse by the switch she made. I put on the cloth and began to see things I’d never seen. Before me and the priestess, Ajunere died with smiles on her face. The gods forgave her before she repented before she died. My mother was happy that her daughter was chosen by the gods. Ajunere was buried like a great woman. I followed the priestess to Azummiri and became not just her handmaid or apprentice, but her best friend and sister. This is my story,”

Ijele was happy to hear that. He smiled and nodded feeling satisfied with the reply he got from Nneka. “The gods chose you too, that’s why you’re working for the priestess. May their name be blessed,”

“Iseee (amen)” Nneka said and continued to observe the priestess.

It was already dawn but the fight between Chizorom and Amandi continued. Those observing the fight never got tired because it was an interesting fight between two lions.

Chizorom and Amandi never got weak. The more they fought, the stronger and energized they became. They fought until they started to be weak. The two wrestlers even rolled on the ground and pulled down Chizorom’s hut during the fight but none gave up. They spun each other around and even pulled down trees but still, the tough fight never witnessed a winner.

As Amandi tried to use his left hand the second time, Chizorom grabbed it with his right hand and delivered a heavy punch on his ear that made him lose his balance. Amandi fell on his back to the ground. That made Chizorom the winner in the second round.

Ikem and the priestess met in the spirit world while in a trance. The little boy saw that the river of blood had been overtaken by the fire. As this happened, the weeping kids watched her die without pity. Ikem tried to save his mother but she was drowning in the river already. He looked around and spotted the one in the middle, so he rushed to her and held her lantern to plead for mercy.

To Ijele and Nneka, the priestess was still staggering in the water without knowing that she was dying in the spiritual world.

“Let me help you carry the lantern but please do not allow my mother to die,” Ikem pleaded to the leader of the kids, “I know that you’re Chinualumogu, the leader of the children. What have we done to witness this? We’re simply trying to help. Please, let us help you. I am a kid like you, so I understand better than the adults,”

The girl-child looked around and saw her mates crying and making the inferno more intense. She looked back at Ikem and said: “For many years, the ten kingdoms have been killing twins as if we are cursed by the gods. We are all innocent babies, but the promulgation of the chief priest and traditional rulers put us in this condition. Whenever twins are delivered, a sharp knife known as Ogbuejima (killer of twins) is used to slaughter the baby in the forest. They don’t just kill us but dismember our bodies and scatter them in the bush. Twins are not a curse but double or triple blessings to the people depending on the number that came at once. Lack of knowledge has made our people murder thousands of souls while their decayed bodies end up making the lands be fertilized with manure. The rich harvests of many kingdoms have been the result of the decayed bodies of the slain babies. The lanterns each of us carries are the lantern used to dispose of us at night. That’s the time when that atrocity is usually committed. Our souls can never rest because of the mode of our murder. We have been roaming in the afterlife without having a direction; either to enter heaven where the gods gather, or to enter hellfire where the wicked dwell. We are restless and confused; hence the grave anger that had taken over us. We need to rest, that’s why we started crying to the gods for vengeance. Due to this, the gods took to silence and decided to allow calamity to overtake the kingdoms. Those women with unborn twins have stayed for long without delivery. They see it as a problem while they never knew that the gods were busy delaying their delivery so that the babies wouldn’t be harmed. Amandi and Chizorom were chosen to fight. That fight is to represent two strong supernatural forces; evil and good. The good must win the evil if we must be liberated and unchained. We have suffered a lot without having the peace that our souls sought. We need to rest in peace. Your mother is saved because she’s just trying to help. The priestess will not die. We’re all praying for the fight to end well. We started showing ourselves to Amandi to make him hasten his journey to help us get justice and freedom. Amandi had a delay because his destiny was delayed by his wicked uncle; that’s why we chose to make Obidi paralyzed. But right now, he is freed but must confess his sins before he’d be whole again. Obidinazu is still bedridden but can now talk. If evil wins over good, the calamity continues, and there would be no freedom for us and the entire kingdoms. Aside from the killing of twins, some parents choose to kill their stubborn kids or relations in secret because they felt that their future has dents. Thirdly, whenever a kid is born and taken to the chief priest, the child’s future would be foretold. If the child is seen as someone that would be a bad child with questionable characters, the child would be taken to the forest and murdered. Some of the slaughters kids have been set aside by the gods to end up being great men and women. The chief priests can only see within their powers but the gods see beyond what humans see; this is called predestination. We are all innocent kids murdered due to the mistake of mortals; even when the gods never approved of it. Let the fight end first,”

Ikem was glad to hear the history. He, as well as others, believed that twins were cursed by gods. He began to realize that the entire kingdoms have been making a grave mistake thinking that they were fighting for the gods. When he turned and looked at his mother, he discovered that she’d been freed.

Ikem smiled and continued to pray. Between Chizorom and Amandi, he couldn’t detect who represented the good and who represented the evil. He continued to wait; with his eyes closed so that he wouldn’t lose connection with his mother who was observing the fight through him.

The last round of the fight between Amandi and Chizorom was the toughest because each of them tried to win the fight. The fight lingered for long into the day but they never stopped fighting. At a point, Mazi Nwokorocha became tired due to his age but he still had to see to the end of the fight. He took a seat and sat as he continued to witness the interesting fight.

As Amandi outwitted Chizorom and carried him up to land him on the ground, Chizorom clenched his teeth and made himself so heavy even without knowing how he did that. His eyes were wild shut as this happened.

Amandi felt as if he was carrying a heavy rock. He tried to put Chizorom down but he couldn’t, so he began to sink into the ground due to the weight of the man he was carrying.

Osinachukwu felt that Amandi needed help, so she tried to go and pull him out because he was getting himself buried into the earth.

Ikem whose eyes remained shut shouted: “Do not interfere in the matters of the gods. Even your grandmother who is in heaven cannot save you from the anger of the gods when this happens,”

Osinachukwu drew back as he watched Amandi sink. She was at least happy that Ikem said that her mother was in heaven.

The princess was uncomfortable because Amandi was sinking into the hole being created by the heavyweight of his contender. If not that Ikem stopped Osinachukwu, she’d have helped her handmaid to drag Amandi out from the hole that almost got him swallowed up. There were tears in her eyes but she couldn’t help but watch patiently; though restively done.

“One among them represents evil and the other represents good,” Ikem said to the hearing of everyone. “Representing evil doesn’t make any man evil but just to mimic what is currently going on in the spirit world. The light must subdue darkness for us to be free, even though I already got the revelation of why all these calamities have been ravaging the kingdoms. The lantern used in the killing of the innocent children are cursed by the gods while the gods remained silent out of rage against mortals,”

The audience didn’t understand what Ikem meant by ‘the killing of the innocent’. They waited for more revelations that’d clear the air; for them to understand the message from the gods. As they waited, they continued to observe the fight keenly.

Amandi began to find a way to come out of the hole that was almost getting him buried. He started pushing his body forward as if he had a stepping stop beneath the earth that helped him to climb out.

Chizorom took the advantage of Amandi’s stress at the moment to make him weaker by becoming heavier. When he realized that Amandi was so weak to carry him, he got down and pulled him out of the hole.

Being that Amandi couldn’t stand anymore because he was greatly fatigued, he fell on the ground with his back bedraggled by the sand.

For a couple of minutes, Amandi couldn’t get up.

According to the rules, the one whose back touches the ground loses the fight. Amandi’s back was already on the ground, thereby making Chizorom the winner.

The onlookers were amazed because they thought that Amandi would win but ended up seeing him lose the fight.

“The prophecy is fulfilled,” Osinachukwu said smilingly, “When Amandi is defeated, the kingdoms are liberated. I thought that the gods would change their position but that never happened. The gods are wise,”

“And light must have defeated darkness in the spirit realm,” Ikem said and went back into the trance. He was surprised to see that the Azummiri blood River had turned to very clean water like spring water. He also saw Mmirimaraugo smiling and dancing in the water, so he knew that liberation was already taking place.

The entire chief priests in their shrines saw what happened in the spirit realm. They needed no one to communicate the anger and decision of the gods to them. They already knew why the gods had been angry. They all started preparing to meet their traditional rulers to inform them first, and then to gather the people and tell them what happened.

Nwanyibuife, the heavily pregnant woman in Umudike went into labor after many market days of not having the sign when she’d passed her delivery period. The people around her gathered while five professional midwives came for her help.

Ijiji the chief priest rushed from the shrine to the house of Nwanyibuife because he already knew what would be the outcome of the delivery; twins.

When the chief priest was sighted, the people that gathered around made a space for him to pass. He went in and touched the protruded tummy of the woman and said: “The blessed twins are about to visit the earth. Keep your Ogbuejima knives away because this same killing of twins has been the reason why the gods were angry with us,”

The people couldn’t believe that it was the chief priest that said that. They knew he was always the one to hand over the knife to the killers of the twins, but this time, came to protect the babies. They were surprised when the chief priest revealed the intention and decision of the gods. This made them understand that the silence of the gods had ended. As the people were still waiting for the good news, the babies were delivered. Triplets were delivered making the people celebrate.

As the celebration was ongoing, some group of village guards came and announced that the bloody rivers had turned to be spring water. Many people stampeded to the stream to bathe, fetch water, wash, and swim. It was a moment of jubilation for the entire kingdom.

The sealed lips of Atakataagboo, the chief priest in Achina kingdom became unsealed. It was a thing of joy. The gods showed him a lot of things; including the reason why the entire kingdoms have been undergoing trying periods. The diviner was so happy to announce to the king leading to jubilation in Achina kingdom. The people were also surprised that the chief priest who was deaf and dumb finally regained his freedom. They praised the gods for their wonders.

In the Oduma kingdom, Oturukpokpo didn’t waste time to break the good news of what happened. He knew that some rituals had to be performed by the entire kingdoms but waited until Amandi is back to go ahead with the necessary rituals to appease the gods. Even as they celebrated, the search for the Princess never stopped.

Oturukpokpo whose gift of vision had returned announced to the king that the princess was on a mission and would return very soon.

That announcement returned their confidence and made them hopeful.

It was surprising to Chizorom that Amandi was still immovable on the ground as if he’d passed on. He suddenly became afraid and rushed to him. He thought he’d probably died, so he shouted: “Brother, please wake up! I know you can hear me,”

“Brother?” Ugegbe repeated looking at Chizorom, “Well, since you are the reincarnation of the same man, you can address each other as brothers,”

“No,” Chizorom said, making everyone confused, “He is my brother or someone that looks like me. I never knew of this until I started having dreams I never wanted to have,”

Everyone didn’t understand what he was talking about. They were speechless except Mazi Nwokorocha that began to chuckle secretly.

Ikem looked up to the sky and smiled. “I think I am beginning to connect the dots now,” He said and smiled, “Can we see your face, Chizorom?” he demanded, “This isn’t a plea but an order from the gods. That’s the revelation I just got,”

Chizorom had so much respect for Ikem, so he didn’t hesitate to remove the hood and dropped it before anyone.

Everybody became so surprised because the face they saw was Amandi’s without having any change in looks.

They were all shocked because it was never heard or witnessed that two people looked exactly like one. The observers all became afraid except Ikem and Nwokorocha.

“The reason why the entire kingdoms have been in bondage was because of the killing of twins,” Ikem revealed, “As the fight was going on, I had a vision. In it, I met the children. They told me that they are all children that were murdered at birth because they were twins. Some among them were those whose future we foretold to be sordid, so they were sacrificed. It wasn’t a sacrifice but a murder. The gods have always frowned at this but we’ve all been living in the dark thinking that we were right. As I’m talking to you, the entire rivers in the ten kingdoms have turned to spring water without having an atom of blood in it. The bloodshed of the innocent children was too much that they turned all rivers into blood. The winning of light over darkness, good over evil, made everything return to normal. What I cannot understand is how Amandi and Chizorom escaped being killed. I think that our father, Nwokorocha knows more. The expressions on his face say a lot,”

The shock of seeing Chizorom looking exactly like Amandi couldn’t leave the observers so soon. They continued to mope and try to figure out how two people would look so identical.

“Nna anyi (our father), can you start talking immediately?” The princess ordered because she was itchy to have the mysteries unraveled.

“How are we sure that the person lying here is Amandi?” Osinachukwu said with a tinge of doubts, “Maybe the person that won is Amandi. Until we see the face of the man lying here, we may not believe the healer,”

“You made some sense,” Ozioma said in bewilderment, “It’s possible that the man here has died but the gods changed the face of Chizorom to become Amandi while Chizorom remains dead. Nothing is impossible,”

“Unmask this man immediately!” The princess hollered out of confusion as she remains optimistic to understand what was going on.

Chizorom quickly removed the animal skin worn by Amandi making everyone see his face.

Everybody was shocked to stupor seeing that it was the same face. They expected to see a different face but saw it was Amandi lying lifeless.

The princess felt that nothing was making sense to her, so she rushed to Chizorom and held him by the cloth. With tears, she began to pull his face to understand how Amandi could turn to be two people at once.

“Stop, my princess!” Nwokorocha said and entered in the middle of them all, “these two are twins. They have their story just as I have my story with my twin brother,”

“You mean the man in Umudike that they call the storyteller?” Chizorom asked.

The princess started crying and went to Amandi. She tried to revive him but he didn’t wake up. She thought that he was dead so she shed those sorrowful tears while shaking him vigorously.

As she continued to cry, the young man opened his eyes. The princess was shocked to see that Amandi was awake, so she continued to cry out of happiness.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Ugegbe said with so much happiness.

Amandi got up slowly and looked at Chizorom while feeling a slight headache. He looked around and got up slowly. He didn’t understand why everyone kept looking at him as well as at Chizorom.

“What happened?” he asked with confusion, “I lost the fight, right?”

There was a moment of silence before Osinachukwu looked at Amandi and said: “The issue at hand isn’t about the fight but the resemblance between you and Chizorom. Two of you look just like one,”

“You both look the same because there is no difference,” Ozioma said excitedly, “Ikem just confirmed that you and Chizorom could be brothers,”

“Yes, he is your twin brother,” Nwokorocha hinted, “Esomchi is my twin too, so stop being confused. Esomchi always told me to ensure that you’re safe. This didn’t just start recently but when you were to be slaughtered in the bush after delivery,”

Amandi went close to Chizorom to observe him closely. They stood face to face with each other. They looked just like one person that appeared to be two. He tried to wrap his head around being a brother to Chizorom but it got more complicated for him trying to figure it out. “Do I look like this strong warrior?” Amandi asked looking so confused, “I haven’t seen myself or the way I look, so I wouldn’t know how I look. What’s going on? I thought he is from the Ojukwu kingdom. How can someone in Umudike be a twin brother to another in Ojukwu village? Nothing is making sense to me here,”

The princess and Ozioma nodded because of what Amandi said. They needed an explanation to be sure the gods weren’t playing pranks with them.

“I never knew we look alike until the day I was seen by the woman that always appeared in my dream,” Chizorom began. Everyone listened, “Since Amandi came here as a patient to me, I began to feel that I have contributed to his anguish in life. I became restless. I also began to feel somehow around him. Whenever I go to bed, I see myself being divided into two halves. I tried a lot to understand the meaning of the reoccurring dream but none worked out for me. Every midnight, I always remove the hood even though I never wanted anyone to see me. I usually remove it when I am alone. I always saw Ozioma in my dream. I knew her even before I met her. I knew that seeing me while hiding behind the hood would make it hard for her to know who I am. For this reason, I started hiding the hood under the Anunuebe tree whenever I want to sneak into the Oduma kingdom. I followed my instinct until I reached her compound,”

Ozioma couldn’t understand what Chizorom was saying. It sounded both amazing and incredible to her. She fervently listened to get all details of the narration. She was full of admiration for Amandi’s look-alike.

“This is is just mindblowing,” Ikem said with excitement.

“Whenever I enter Oduma,” Chizorom went on, “I’d pretend to be a beggar and get myself covered. The first day I set my eyes on her, I couldn’t understand how I felt. I kept following her around just to understand the strange feeling but I couldn’t. On that very day, I was there hiding beside her compound, as usual, to peep at her. It was very early in the morning. I saw the princess coming to see her, so I remained hidden. That was the day I wanted to reveal myself to her. I saw everything that happened until the guards showed up looking for the princess. To avoid being captured, I followed another route and disappeared. I knew that the presence of the guards would make them see me. I saw when the woman that always made me feel strange began to find her way out of Oduma kingdom. That was when I ran as fast as I could to avoid being seen. As I ran, the cloth I used to cover my face fell off. I was almost caught, so I sped up and ran to the other side of the river to observe Ozioma. That was when I was sighted by her and others,”

“I am amazed hearing this,” The princess said with happiness, “No wonder we said that we saw Amandi,”

“And that was why I realized that I look like him,” Chizorom said with a faint smile, “I rushed as quickly as I could to get to the Anunebe tree where I hid the hood. When I got there, I took it and quickly got back to my house. I took my time to look at Amandi to see myself. If people can see me as being him, then he looks exactly like me. It was then I began to realize that the strange feeling I always had around him was because he is my blood. While fighting him, I wanted to allow him to win but the gods made me heavier than I could explain,”

“Just to ensure that the prophecy and liberation are fulfilled,” Ikem said and clapped twice for the twins.

“Esomchi is my replica,” Nwokorocha began, “He aged faster while I grew younger because of circumstance,” He paused for a while and started smiling but none could understand why he was smiling.

No one talked because they wanted to hear from Nwokorocha. They never stopped looking at the faces of the twins and couldn’t even detect any difference.

Amandi had a lot of questions seeking his attention. He wanted to start asking but didn’t even know where to start. He still had to attempt, so he gently said: “What are the circumstances that led to the difference in age between Esomchi and you? I also want to know why you said that Chizorom hailed from the Ojukwu kingdom. Twins can’t come from different kingdoms. So you lied. Am I right?”

Nwokorocha nodded in affirmation. “Yes, I lied because it wasn’t yet time for the secret to be revealed,” He replied, “Before the birth of the twins,” He continued, “Mmadiche, the priestess visited Esomchi and informed him that twins would be born in Acharaba’s family. She told him that the children were chosen by the gods for a mission, so they were required to be hidden and kept away from the eyes of the people. She warned that even the chief priest wasn’t meant to know about the plan. Since it wasn’t easy keeping the twins away, a prank had to be played through Ajunere, the midwife. It was Ajunere that took away one of the twins after delivery. The baby was handed over to Esomchi to take him away to a distant kingdom. Esomchi was afraid because he didn’t want to take such risks. He tried all he could to hide the baby but was too afraid to do that. When I met him at the boundary between Umudike and Oduma kingdoms, my twin brother handed over the baby to me. He told me to kill the baby if we must be out of trouble. I almost obeyed him because I was a bit convinced that he could be right. Seeing how innocent Chizorom looked, I had to spare his life; especially having the voice of the priestess that kept ringing in my head. I took the child to my house in Onyekelihem kingdom where I singlehandedly raised the baby. I named him Chizorom which means ‘the gods have hidden me’. When the baby was growing, I realized that my identity could be ascertained, so I had to take him to Umundanda village. This hut that was been pulled down during the fight was built by me. Chizorom only made some minor repairs. Since that period, I’ve been monitoring the boy to ensure he is out of trouble. That monitoring continued until this present day. Esomchi’s decision to kill the child made the gods angry towards him. That was why they visited him with heavy arthritis. Being bedridden for many years got him weak and older. He couldn’t even use his hands and legs well again. That was when he took Amandi as his son just to atone for his sins. The gift of storytelling was compensation by the gods. Being that he’s always confined in a place; the gods made him attract so many children with his stories just to keep him company. Esomchi never married, for a reason that I know nothing about. Me too, I never married and never had the zeal to. Maybe the gods want my brother and me to remain celibate until we die. Since we were born until this present day, we do not know any woman. My assignment has been to ensure that Chizorom and Amandi achieve their common aim. Now it has been done and I am happy. My twin brother and I are happy. You may also ask how my twin brother and I survived when we were born. It was the great Obejiri of Azummiri that took me away at birth while Esomchi remained in Umudike. It was a long story but suffice it to say that we’re all happy that our dreams came through today,”

Amandi began to recall how he sneaked into Oduma kingdom using the costume of a masquerade. He couldn’t believe that the great storyteller had a twin brother that kept getting him confused about his identity. He was happy that the mystery had been demystified. He was so happy to look Chizorom in the face. He was proud to have such a strong man as a brother. He pulled him into a hug and said: “After many years of suffering, I finally got this mission accomplished,”

“And I finally found my beloved brother,” Chizorom responded and relaxed on Amandi’s body.

“I’m sure he’s the younger one between them,” Ozioma said about Chizorom making everyone laugh.

“Of course, he is,” Nwokorocha replied, “Even the wicked Obidinazu doesn’t know about the existence of Amandi’s twin. But he always finds his way to Umundanda just to get the charms that even the chief priests can’t prepare. Chizorom is a great healer and the one who can make use of the Anunuebe tree to heal and destroy whomever he chooses. If any chief priest dares to come close to the tree, he’ll be turned into a beast or a stone. That was revealed by Mmadiche too,”

“And I never knew that the Ikenga he kept in my care was what is meant to be mine, and that of my brother,” Chizorom said feeling a bit happy and sad.

“The gods made the Ikenga return to the owner,” the princess pointed out, “There are other diviners and healers that could have held the Ikenga in Umudike but the gods made your wicked uncle come to this far to give it back to you. Although it intensified Amandi’s suffering under his care,”

“And if not for our father’s Ikenga,” Amandi pointed out, “you wouldn’t have survived in this thick forest alone. Think about it,”

“But you’ve been suffering because of me,” Chizorom said and tugged Amandi’s chin.

“No, I have been suffering because of our uncle and not because of you,” Amandi corrected objectively, “Let’s say that everything happened as the gods planned. I think it’s time to go back to our village and possess what rightfully belongs to us. Ojiugo must be waiting,”

“Your wife?” Chizorom asked making the princess frown slightly to that and then smiled.

“I hope my princess didn’t hear that,” Amandi said jestingly.

Everybody laughed while the princess blushed.

“Ojiugo is the daughter of Obidi,” Amandi said, “She is the only good person in that family that defended me. She was even the person that aided my escape,”

“Then I can’t wait to meet my cousin,” Chizorom said happily, “And to the princess, I apologize for trying to give Amandi away to another,”

They all laughed with great happiness. The laughter continued until Ikem raised his hand signaling that he wanted to talk. There was decorum at this moment.

“The fight between the two lions pulled down not just trees but the huts in this compound,” Ikem said in that deafening silence. Everyone listened to his good counsel and words of wisdom, “It wasn’t done by mistake,” he pointed out, “It was the gods letting Chizorom know that this place is not his home. To Umudike he shall return with Amandi. The gods have spoken,”

Ozioma was so proud of Ikem, so she went to him and embraced him. “I bless the day I found you, nwam (my son)” she said to him and caressed his head. “You’ve been the source of joy to me. But I know that soon, your biological parents will come for you,”

Ikem smiled with tears in his eyes and said: “They’re here already. I summoned them,”

Looking back, they saw the priestess fully dressed in her white apparel made from the skin of a white horse. She came in the company of her handsome husband, Ijele, and Nneka, her apprentice.

Ozioma was filled with both happiness and sadness, so she smiled faintly and slowly took Ikem to meet them. When they met, she handed over the boy to his mother, looked at Ijele, and then back at Mmirimaraugo. “I have long waited for this moment, and now it has come, I am happy to tell two of you that I tried my best in taking care of him as a mother,”

Mmirimaraugo couldn’t control her tears. She handed over her staff of office to Ikem and embraced Ozioma. “We’ve always been inseparable as sisters, so we’re not starting today. Taking Ikem doesn’t mean that he isn’t yours anymore. Meanwhile, we’re not even taking him away but the gods are,”

Ozioma didn’t understand that statement, so she hummed.

“Yes, the gods have made him the priest of Ngene,” The priestess went on, “Ikemefuna is the greatest priest ever lived. He’s going to Umudike to settle there. I serve Ngene in Azummiri, while he’ll serve the same Ngene from its origin being Umudike. So let’s say that in the eyes of the supernatural, he’s the master while I’m his deputy. So you see that he’s closer to you this time than he would be to me,”

Ozioma was so happy hearing that Ikem had finally been elevated to be the full-fledged servant of the gods; a rare privilege. As she remained cheerful and happy for that, she still couldn’t understand why her sister said that Ikem who was to be settled in Umudike would be closer to her.

“I don’t understand that,” Ozioma said smilingly, “I am happy for my son; our son. But being in Umudike wouldn’t make me closer to him,”

The priestess smiled and collected her staff of office from Ikem and then watched Ikem embrace his father fondly.

Ijele carried Ikem up and cuddled him. That was his first time meeting him face to face since he was born. He was so proud to have him as a son.

“I am a priestess. I have seen Chizorom sneaking into Oduma kingdom for your sake,” she revealed.

Everyone was taken aback because the revelation was in line with Chizorom’s confession. They were excited listening to Mmirimaraugo.

“You did?” Chizorom asked feeling busted and ashamed.

“Aside from my spiritual eyes,” Mmirimaraugo continued, “I’ve seen Chizorom at Azummiri River twice as he was about to cross to Oduma kingdom. At first, I thought he was Amandi, but the gods revealed his true identity to me. I was at the river to do my priestly duty but ended up seeing him while he was being sneaky. Ozioma is going to Umudike with the strong lion. Don’t be afraid,” she said looking at Chizorom, “She feels the same way about you,”

Ozioma was shy this time but filled with happiness. She felt as if the same Amandi she’d always admired came back to her. She smiled and held the priestess by the hand. “May the will of the gods be fulfilled,” she replied with a grin.

Chizorom took Amandi to the backyard making everyone confused about what he wanted to do.

The observers just waited to know why he took Amandi away from their sight. It was a moment of happiness, so they waited patiently.

In a couple of minutes, the twins came back dressed in the same apparel.

There was serious confusion this time because no one could detect who was who. The two men got their beards neatly shaved. This got them looking just as one person.

“Now we’re all confused,” Nwokorocha said and smiled, “who can guess who is who here?”

It took everybody a lot of time trying to guess but they couldn’t.

After a while, Chizorom smiled and said to the princess: “I’m surprised that you couldn’t recognize your love. Shame on you,”

The princess rushed to him and embraced him. “I knew it was you but I wasn’t sure,” She said intending to make everyone understand that she tried at all in her guesses.

Amandi started laughing at her. “What a bad guesser,” he said to Ugegbe and smiled. “Tell that Amandi you’re cuddling to reveal the name of the guard he defeated at Azummiri River,”

The princess was shy this time because she just realized that she was cuddling Chizorom and not Amandi. She rushed to Amandi and embraced him. “I have missed you a lot already,” she said and enjoyed relaxing her head on his chest.

Ozioma and Chizorom kept looking at each other but Ozioma was shy to go closer.

“I know you have been without a man for donkey years,” Mmirimaraugo said to Ozioma and chuckled, “But you can teach him how to love. You will also enjoy having a brave man around you. Go on, my beloved sister,”

Ozioma shyly went to Chizorom and cuddled him. It was a strange feeling for Chizorom but he was learning fast. He held her closer and whispered: “I now feel like my life is complete and nothing will ever take me away from you,”

“Now you see why I said you’d be closer to Ikem than me,” the priestess reminded her sister with a wink.

“You all should meet me at Ngene at Umudike River,” Ikem said getting everybody’s attention, “I know that my shrine isn’t yet set but it would be one of the best in the entire ten kingdoms. Umudike is an uncle to the entire nine villages that made up Umunko. We don’t expect it to have something less beautiful there. I will tell you all the requirements for the ritual for the gods to be fully appeased,”

Everybody was wowed to see that the young boy already assumed his position as the priest of Ngene. They all smiled and bowed to him, except the princess and Mmirimaraugo who weren’t meant to do that because of their positions.

“Now I have to go home because there must have been unrest in Oduma kingdom because of my absence,” The princess said aloud with happiness.

“The celebration in Oduma kingdom wouldn’t be complete without the princess of the land,” Ikem said and smiled. Looking at Mmirimaraugo, he said: “Nne, I hope there would be crickets in Umudike. If not, let the gods keep their shrines. I will remain in Oduma kingdom,”

That joke got them all laughing aloud.

“One day you’ll disappear with those insects into their holes,” Ozioma said laughingly.

Everybody continued laughing. It was a happy moment.

#OpraDre

To be continued…

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