"You have till the next two nkwo market day to make the sacrifice or else death follows" This was the voice of the priestess of Aro echoing in Akidi's head.. He was in a dilemma, should he sacrifice his son or let his lineage close, he had barely eight days to make this hard decision.
They had gone back to Owa the next day after the consultation, aside the human sacrifice, Akidi would be bringing a special kind of white cloth which his son would have on the day of the sacrifice,he would need money for the purchase of the white cloth and the purchase of other small items as listed by the priestess, he also wanted to confide in someone about his ordeal... He was torn between the devil and the deep blue sea, how will the only remedy be Ozoemena, the son who finally stayed, his conscience would taunt him for the rest of his life if he killed his son but then his father's lineage would close and he was sure his father's spirit would never forgive him, he needed answers to all the questions his mind were bombarded with and fast.
It was on Afo market day, time was going and Akidi had not come up with what else to do.. He was in deep thoughts when he had a voice outside "kpoi kpoi", it came three times before he responded, it was his friend, Okeosisi, the palm wine tapper.. After exchanging greetings and taking the kola brought to him, Okeosisi demanded to know how Akidi's health is and what was the outcome of his journey to Aro. Akidi explained his current situation to his friend and asked if he had any idea what else to do as he couldn't kill his only son.
Okeosisi listened with rapt attention as Akidi poured out his heart to him, he had just remembered there was a great medicine man in his maternal home whom his powers were said to be greater than that of the oracle of Aro, the only problem was getting to see him as his maternal village was quite a distance and would take two nights, he knew his friend had limited time but he had to tell Akidi about this great medicine man.
He told Akidi about it and he agreed they had to set out tomorrow for Okpanri, Okeosisi's maternal village.
That night Akidi made his decision, he couldn't disappoint his father nor kill his son, he would ask if his life would be taken so his son can live and procreate for the family, its going to be a life changing journey and Akidi couldn't wait for the outcome, he was prepared to die in place of his son after all, he had lived some time.
Before the cock crew, Akidi and Okesosisi set out to Okpanri, they had packed water and some edible leaves and roasted yam which Okeosisi's had prepared for them as cure for hunger on the way, they would be passing the two nights at Okeosisi's relatives house, the women were married to men from the two villages they would pass before Okpanri.
They had walked for quite some time and needed rest, so they decided to take shade under a tree before continuing, they sat down, ate and soon dozed off.
Akidi saw himself in a pit, a very deep pit, at the edge of the pit was his late wife, Nwanyinma, his father and his mother, he was asking them to help him out but they had laughed continuously at him, increasing the tone of their laughter each time, Akidi was so scared as he shouted for their help till he woke up, his shouts woke Okeosisi, whose heart almost jumped out of his body.. "What is the problem, my friend, have you been bitten by a snake?" Akidi with a confused face answered "it was a dream, oh a dream", we can continue now, as he took the next question that was on his friend's lips..
They continued till they got to the first relatives house, they hadn't spoken till they got to the house. And true to what Okeosisi told him earlier, they were received well, the best part was when they were facing well prepared Egusi soup and a bowl of pounded yam each with fresh palm wine to wash it down.. Akidi hadn't eaten well in a while, and for a second his problems seemed not to bother him especially when they joked and laughed over different things as they gulped down horns of palm wine with the man of the house, Akidi slept so well that night, who wouldn't, if you only slept on mats and now had to sleep on a bamboo bed like kings do.
The next day at dawn, they set out again, Akidi kept mute most of the time, he wasn't even listening to whatever Okeosisi had to say, he had just three days remaining.. They needed to walk faster, they had to get to Okpanri this night, there would be no need to sleep over at anyone's house, he didn't care if they made it into Okpanri at midnight when the spirits commune, he wasn't going to lose his life and that of his son, and prayed his chi favours him this time around!
Ifunanya Ononiwu (c) 2016
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