The Glory of the Gods Part 1: Awele's Tale

 

Call it fate. 

Call it destiny. 

But coincidence? ... No! Never. Uremma Agubogu, as enthusiastic as she may be, would never have imagined nor fantasized about the events that would soon change the course of her life. At eighteen, she was unusually mature. I guess it came with our mom disappearing, or the fact that we still don't know where we're from or who our relatives are. It's been a year and eleven months now since our mother left for work as a tour guide and didn't return. Ure had just turned sixteen, and I had to assume responsibility for the both of us. At twenty-six all I knew of our origin was that we were Igbo and of royal blood. All we had from our place of birth was two necklace pieces made of wood and engraved with ancient languages. Mom said it read "the beauty of the gods" on Ure's and "the grace of the gods" on mine.

Uremma, my sister, had thick black hair. I always wondered why mine wasn't as thick or as dark as hers. Anyways, let's keep the spotlight on my sister. She's taller than most people her age and unusually smart. I think her interest in photography had to come from her flawless eyes! So deep yet so glossy, there was always a glow in them, the type that makes you want to sit under her stare and not move. Her arms were long and graceful, with fingers you wouldn't mind grabbing at your life. Ure probably had the curviest waist I have ever seen, and to think she doesn't even diet... My sister was indeed the beauty of the gods!

It was her birthday that Friday. I had promised to take her to the caves where our mother was last seen. She had always talked about taking pictures there. I think she believed we would find our mother. Coincidentally, or so we thought, our mother had disappeared on this day too. She thinks she'll be able to capture something extraordinary. It makes me happy that she can still dream, she has been through a lot these past years. All I want is to make her happy. 

I had just graduated law school when mom disappeared. I was to serve at Abuja, but leaving Ure by herself was not an option. I wasn't called to the bar, so I don't practice law. I teach history at the national museum. I also paint when the emotions are rowdy, but nobody understands my art, not even other painters. They say it's probably a combination of all the wavy experiences I've had throughout my life. 

But, enough about me, my head was in a haze when we pulled up at the reserve where the caves are, but no way was I going to let Ure see. I parked, paid our fares, and as soon as we stepped into the area where the caves were located, it hit us! As heavy as the storm Noah navigated—well maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but it felt like that.

The caves were interlocked, with a passage to the later in each, seven of them. My mom was spotted here last. I wondered which one of them she was in, which walls she had touched.

It made me smile thinking I was in the same place. Ure was busy taking pictures, she probably didn't see the tears or bewilderment in my eyes. I wondered what she'd do if she did, so I wiped my face and picked up my pace. We had to get home before dark, and knowing Lagos traffic, it was impossible at this point. 

We had just stepped into the sixth cave when we noticed the waterfall at the end of the seventh. The guide we had didn't say there was a waterfall in any of the caves, however we were warned to stay away from the seventh cave since it was raining. We were soaked anyways, and Ure wanted to take pictures of the water so badly that I had to oblige. At that point, I'm sure we were both thinking only of our mother. We had to get through the water to see the end of the caves, so hand in hand and thoughts alike, we stepped through the silver lining. 

What we saw might have been a scene from an epic movie in history because it definitely wasn't the 21st Century. Amazed and confused, we stared totally awestruck. To add to our bewilderment, it was quite sunny in this part of the cave, absolutely no sign of rain or moisture.

We had turned to return through the caves, but just like our mother, it had disappeared. 

Fear, confusion, and a whole new level of leg-melting anxiety engulfed me. Where were we? Why were we here? I wondered.

"How would we get home?" I kept wondering.

At that point, I'd have given anything to be stuck in Lagos traffic on my way home with my little sister next to me.

Awele! Awele! ...It took me a few minutes to notice Ure's fear and anxiety. She had been calling to me nonstop for a while. By the way, Awele! That's my name. I wouldn't describe myself as pretty, I am beautiful though. My hair may not be as thick and as dark as my sister's, nor my legs as long. My arms are equally not as gracious or feminine. I'm what you would call a handsome woman. Maybe that's why everyone wants to lean on me all the time. I've spent most of my days supporting others and getting little or no reciprocation. I would tell you more about my depressing relationship with people, but I don't feel so talkative today.

Ure had been tugging at my arm and screaming questions I should know the answers to, but I had no idea what was going on. I had only one thought echoing in my head, and I'm sure she was thinking it too: Mom! Mom is here! I could feel her, maybe even smell her.

Ure was crying at this point, and just as I was about to take charge and console her, another leg-wobbling experience ensued.

I had seen my fair share of glorious-looking men for someone my age, considering I work directly with artists. But nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared me for the deafening heartthrob I was experiencing right now. 

For a second, we both forgot what was going on and focused on the epically dressed warrior-like man walking towards us, with graceful strides I can't compare to a lion's because they were way better. Sorry, better doesn't do it enough justice! I can't even begin to talk about his hair, locked in bold dreads falling to the sides of his face and adorned with cowries. His bare chest! Damn! I've seen a lot of nude men in my lifetime, but nothing I had seen could compare to this mass of masculine excellence in front of me. I could already picture his 6 ft 10 body spread across my canvas, his barely clothed torso hiding little of the massive pleasures beneath. If I hadn't been raised to be modest, I'd have taken my jacket off so he could see I was female. Sine I didn't, he probably thinks I'm a weirdly dressed guy. 

He came to a stop right in front of me, and it took every ounce of home training in me to keep my eyes on his face alone. Then he spoke! His voice roared, sounding like Amadioha had come down to converse. He spoke thick unadulterated Igbo, the type you'd have to squint to understand. He spoke with the grace of centuries-long mastery and the fluency of a millennium of practice. 

"Aham bu Obiamarachi, kedu ndi unu bu? Kekwanu ebe unu si?" He asked in his Igbo dialect.

(My name is Obiamarachi, the graceful heart of the gods. Who are you? And where are you from?)

Awestruck! I kept staring, and so did Ure. She didn't really speak or understand Igbo properly, so when he repeated his question and didn't say it in English, I knew we had to either be on a movie set or we had gone back in time. I would really have preferred the former, but every indication pointed towards the later. I might have been optimistic about art and history, but I sure as hell didn't imagine this would happen.

Snapping out of my daze, I said, "Aham bu Awele. Onyea bu nwannem Uremma. Anyi si Ikeja Bata ebea, anyi Amaro ebe anyi nno biko ee nweike ituru anyi aka uzo anyi ga esilohachi history reserve?"

(My name is Awele. This is my sister Uremma. We came here from Ikeja. We don't know where we are, can you please point us towards the history reserve?)

He stared at me for a bit and then said, "ebea bu obodochi, amarom ebea ikporo aha, soso obodo di nso m Mara bu Amaeze, na Alaudo. Mana ha tere aka,kedu ihe bu ihea unu yI na ahu?"

(This is Obodochi, the land of the gods. I don't know this place you mentioned, the only close towns are Amaze, the place of kings, and Alaudo, land of peace. But what kind of clothes are these?)

I don't know if it was the husk in his voice, the way his eyes twitched when he spoke, or the slight downward curve his lips did as he spoke that almost stopped my heart's beating. Maybe it was the sudden realization that this was no movie set, we had really gone back in time and there was no going home, at least not today. I think Ure realized it at the same time too cause she had a look of horror in her eyes. My sister's cheerful face had a sadness in it that I didn't know what to do about, the glow had left her eyes and was replaced with a moistness I could definitely relate to. One second the massive representation of beauty before me makes my insides turn with happy expectations and excitement. I could handle the whole thought of having walked through a time portal into historic times, but my younger sister looked petrified. She finally spoke after a long time.

"Awele...do you think mom is here?" Ure asked.

Then it struck me!

Mom!

Obiamarachi offered to take us to his obi, and not having any other option, we followed him. Walking down the path to his compound, we went with searching eyes. People stared at us as you would at a naked celebrity walking down the streets of Udumota. We got to his compound and didn't need much to tell us that we wouldn't be sleeping this night. It was dark already, and Obi being a bachelor, he didn't have provisions for female visitors. His hut did have an extra room, making me question epic movies and stories. This place looked nothing like the movies we've seen. The architecture was very impressive, almost breath taking. Almost. I didn't breathe for a bit when we arrived. After a long moment of silence, he spoke.

"Gi na nwanegi ga arahu nime ulom ka m nodi na iro, echi ruo kanyichota ihe anyi ga eme Maka unu, anyi were ike ee ga na obi 

ndi Ndu obodochi,kanyi maru iheanyi ga eme. Unu gaeche ka m ruo anu m gbutere n'oku kanyi rie nri were naba. "

(You and your sister can sleep in my room, I'll stay out here. Tomorrow we'll figure out what to do. We may go to the council of the leaders of Obodochi so we can find out what to do. You'll give me time so I can roast this meat so we can eat.)

I explained everything he said to Uremma, and then she showed her appreciation the best way she could, she took a picture of him.

The flash from the camera put him in a total frenzy. He jumped and moved away from us, his massive hands hitting the torch by the passageway. It brought my attention back to the architecture of the hut. It was square. Unlike the ones in the movies, it was as large as a five-bedroom bungalow. The entrance had railings made of wood and decorated with fabrics of different colors, loosely woven but perfect still. From the entrance, you can see the yard, spread across immeasurable square feet, with long wooden torches on each corner, illuminating the whole place. You could compare it to the glow of ten industrial energy bulbs, except the rays are yellow.

The rooms were spacious but not lacking in beauty. The bed was 2 ft high and covered with the most colorful and soft-looking mat I've ever seen. I originally had worries about sleeping on hard bare mat, but this exceeded my expectations and drew my attention to my tired bones. I rested on the bed, half expecting it to be hard as mahogany, but the softness baffled me. Slightly I lifted the cover mats to find layers of fabric underneath. As you can imagine, it's as soft as the regular waterbed you know, maybe even softer. 

The fireplace was a little too organized for a bachelor's home. The carvings on the wall showed he was just as much a foodie as I was. It made me smile everywhere, and he must have noticed because he smiled at me, and oh! Did my soul just leave my body from between my legs!

The sound of plates woke me from my memory search. He looked me straight in the eyes as if he was looking for something and said, "nne, bia nu rie nri ka unu rahuo ura."

(My dear, come and eat so you can sleep.)

"Dalu." (Thanks.) I told him.

The first bite of the roasted meat I put in my mouth was heavenly. I already didn't know what meat it was, but the spice in it was of different layers and flavors. In my twenty-three years of experimentally eating everything I could find, I had never tasted anything this beautiful...never! Ure obviously felt the same way because for the first time since we walked through the waterfall, she smiled!

And in that moment of sheer happiness, I knew we'd be fine.

Not long after we ate, he came up with cups of water, and I was surprised as to how clean and cold they were.

Then he spoke again, and I couldn't help the cold shudders his voice gave me. This time I shivered visibly, and he held my shoulders and smiled at me.

"Ee ga dii mma." (You'll be fine.) he said to us. 

I had no idea where I was or why I was there, but in that moment, I knew I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay here.

Here, with this man, this man that makes my heart beat faster than a speeding car on a racetrack.

I wanted to stay here, with his large palm on my shoulder blades and his eyes searching my soul.

I wanted to stay.

o biamarachi woke up confused on a bright Eke morning, the previous night had passed with a rather disturbing dream, he had to know by now that his dreams were not mere occurrences. The last time he dreamt his father would send someone to come down and secure his return, Enyichi appeared in his life. Enyichi just like his name entails, was the friend of the gods, until he failed to bring Obiamarachi back to the land of the gods. Yes, you read right, the land of the gods where else should deities reside, Obiamarachi, referred to by the people as Amadioha, had been sent down to obodochi almost three decades ago, following a prophesy by Amadioha that his union with the one ordained by the gods, would give way to the liberation of the people from the tyranny of the immortal queen "Asandu.

Asandu, beautiful as the moon in the sky on cloudless night, local poets compare her beauty to that of the rising sun after a heavy storm had hit. She was married to the late Igwe Ekwejiudo, they had been married one decade after his first marriage and coronation as the kind of Obodochi.

Igwe Ekwejiudo had been married to Uremma, the daughter of the Onowu (prime minister ) they had been married for ten years without an issue, and as tradition demanded he had to take a second wife in search of an offspring maybe more. Not long after he had married Asandu, Uremma took in and was delivered of a baby girl, The first princess in a millennia to be born into the royal family of Obodochi, Asandu on the other hand had been discovered to be barren, having had a child and a possible successor, the Igwe paid little or no attention to her. By the time the princess had turned three years of age, Urenma, the first queen was pregnant again, the whole land was in constant jubilee, all except Asandu of course.

In the day the queen was to put to birth, Asandu had just returned, from her two weeks visit to her mother's land. When she stepped foot into the palace, the clouds became ominously heavy with dark unease. The whole land could feel it, something had changed, something was going to happen and it was pretty obvious it wasn't just going to be the cry of a newborn.

The queen had barely gone into labor when the chief priest of Ogwugwu arrived, dressed in a black loosely woven fabric draped over his shoulder and falling to the ground, with a red and white belt holding it in place around his waist, he walked straight to the Igwe's Obi and seeing him, the Igwe knew to expect bad news.

Dressed in a black draped fabric of loosely woven fiber, falling from his shoulder to the floor and held in place with a piece of red and white color, he squatted in front of the Igwe, visibly shaken by what he knew.

"Ezemmuo! Okara mmadu okra mmuo, onyeozi Ogwugwu," The Igwe praised him.

"Kedu ihe anyi na atu anya ya?" He went on to ask.

("Chief priest, part human part spirit, the messenger of the gods" the king praised him.

"What are we to expect" He asked him.)

The Igwe had tried not to sound as scared as he felt, for fear was never an attribute of kings but the cold hand of premonition clenched his heart.

The chief priest spoke without mincing words, or hesitation.

"Eze Ekwejiudo! Njinji ga ji na obodochi t a, uchichi ga ekpuchi ututu, lolo gi Asandu na ajo mmuo okijaegbala akwokorita go aka, Tata, Oga ewere Ndu gii na nke Ezenwanyi, mana out n'imeumueze ga amuta onye nzoputa obodochi na or di anya, ka nkea were mme, ee ga agbambo fu na ka Ezenwanyi na amputa nwa, na aga akporu ya na ada eze, kpopu na obodochi. Ha ga alohachi na aka ha mgbe ogeruru. Ofu n'ime ha ga amuta onye nzoputa obodochi, site na mekoritanya na Amadioha. Nwa ha ga amu, ga enwe ike Ikwusi ochichiri ochichi Asandu ga eweta na obodochi. Igwe,gba mbo fuu na onye ee tinyere ha naka bu onye ee tukwasara obi nke ukwu!"

(Igwe Ekwejiudo! calamity will befall obodochi today, the night will surpass day, your wife Asandu has communal with demons, today, she'll take your life and that of the queen. One of your children will birth the savior of Obodochi in the future, for this to happen, you'll ensure that as soon as the queen delivers, that she together with the princess will be taken far away from Obodochi. On their own they will return when the time is right. One of them will birth the savior of Obodochi, through the union with Amadioha. Their offspring will have the powers to Stop the reign of darkness that Asandu will bring to obodochi. Igwe, it is paramount that this mission is assigned to someone you trust extremely.)

I don't know how you would react when you're told you'll die, but Igwe Ekwejiudo definitely wasn't happy at all, and knowing the chief priest as well as he did, he was fully aware that he wasn't bluffing.

While the queen was in Labor, the Queens younger sister was summoned by the Igwe, and bestowed with as much riches as is possible for one person to carry, she was saddled with the responsibility of caring for the two little princesses, two neck pieces were gifted to the children by their parents, and with eyelids heavier than the weight of a dead elephant on the shoulders of a ten year old, they parted ways.

********************************************

Obiamarachi had just taken a bath when the sudden whistling of air around him awoke him to the possibility of something celestial happening in this day, he packed his hunting bag and was on his way to the forest, amongst all the habits he had picked up during the course of his lifetime on earth was cooking, and he had an inclination to gathering his ingredients personally. He had become famous for creating new recipes, people come from villages far and near to taste his creations and tried to recreate them. He might well be the first to run a restaurant in Igbo history, next to his compound lay a square shade, with wooden tables and branches woven around them, then a fireplace just in front where he made those delicious creations.

People paid a lot in gold coins to taste his meal, and every evening children from Portland homes would gather for a free meal, Everybody in Obodochi loved him...including the queen.

She always sent gifts and several form of advances his way, but he always rejected them, people were beginning to wonder why she couldn't just enchant him as she does to everyone else she liked, little did they know, it wasn't from lack of trying and the queen herself was beginning to wonder why her enchantments weren't working.

He had spent all day in the forest, feeling unusually drawn to the peaceful rustling of the leaves, silent places filled with nature had always seemed to calm his nerves and give him peace, peace of mind and spirit.

He was just about to leave with his load of grass cutters, the forest had been productive today, when he felt the slight tingle in his bones. The time had come or so he thought.

He didn't need a compass to find them, and the second he set eyes on them it felt like his world had been completed. Two they came, and together they stood. You would think he needed to get to know them to figure out which one he was to love, but no! Standing in front of him barely two meters apart.

He could see clearly, feel clearly the fear, the anxiety, and the frustrating confusion they both had, but one of them had an enormous level of responsibility attached.

It wasn't too easy to figure out who was older, the taller one had long, rich, black and moist looking hair tied up, she was slender and beautiful, but she had such tenderness to her, she obviously hasn't had to worry about too much in her lifetime.

The other one, definitely doesn't look like your regular woman, it was quite a wonder how he didn't need to see the beautiful mounds on her chest to react to her as any grown man would to the most beautiful woman they meet. The minute she turned around to face him, all his senses awoke and stayed that way for what he would soon realize wouldn't just seem like forever because it'd be forever. Her hair was cut short and curly, confusing curls he thought, they almost looked like his locks, he had only seen widows with short hair but she looked too beautiful to be a widow, He thought nobody in his right senses would let death take him away from this woman. Not in a millennium or more. When she smiled at him, it was as if the heavens were playing a game of poker cause her face lit up with the rays of the sunset, captivating enough to capture his heart and squeeze it in all directions.

It was funny that they thought he couldn't understand English, but he knew hearing him speak English would make them feel they were still on their comfort zones. But he was a god for crying out loud...he could speak and understand all tongues, but that was discovery for another day, taking them home wasn't a difficult decision to make, he knew what was to happen and he had waited too long for it, he'd be dammed if he wasted a second on fidgeting.

That night at his place, when she almost fell and he held her shoulders, those few seconds of contact he could have sworn she also felt the burning sensation, the need to laugh and cry at the same time!

Regardless, he knew this woman would soon not depart from his arm, no way in the world was he going to let her go. It took all of his strength as god and man to stop him from starting the processes of fulfilling the prophesy right there and then. It was evident that he would not sleep well tonight, not when she wasn't tucked next to him.

And with assurance that she was safely tucked away, he slept.