The Dawn of Justice

Chapter 1

Before the back becomes so tired, nature never ceases to surprise the one carrying the load by easing it with a lighter one. No matter the difficulty in realizing that what is black is black; honey is honey not sugar, waiting for the day when the ears will only hear, the tongue to say only the exact of what it tasted, the nose to proclaim what it smelled; the eyes of the blind world will see again and walk in the light of justice.

40 years before the present, Lima was banished for the murder of her husband, D-Jero and she abandoned her only child, Zoola. There was famine in the land of Ishaka and survival was only for the rich who saved enough. Hardly did the poor among them feed in a day. It reached a time that many were dying due to hunger and those who had could not offer even a scrap of bread for others to survive. The king, his family and the cabinet members could sit for meetings of how to feed their stomachs and never for once was it for the hungry denizens.

Bekee, Lima’s firstborn son, died on his endless search for food in the evil forest. He couldn’t find what to survive on. Two days later, her only surviving son, Zoola and his friend Vera took rope to the forest to end their pit of misery. In disguise as an old woman, Lima came with sacks of raw food, two plates of cooked food and offered it to them. They ate the food and she was nowhere to be seen afterwards. They survived on those items for some time. Six months later, they were in agony again. They searched for help but no one came to their rescue. As they were still nursing the thoughts of putting an end to their existence, she approached them again and revealed to them that, “life is best if you know how to endure both in pain and riches.” She gave them hope and a treasure. They went home blessed.

Chapter 2

Every creature dances according to the nature of its circumstances which is not limited to tears alone but sometimes hug you with a smile. As Zoola and Vera went home blessed, soon, life returned to normal. They lived their lives purposefully utilizing the treasures she gave them. Five years later, they made incredible riches that left the whole village in awe. They were so generous to the less privileged among them. Some young men admired them and wished to engage in the same coffee growing business like them. For a decade, they impacted the lives of several people. That aside, Bobo and Hatoma, the two elders in their village were not happy with all these new developments. 

“Why should these children of yesterday be worshiped by the whole community?” Bobo lamented.

Bobo and Hatoma vowed with their blood to see that they remained miserable. They plotted to kill them with the help of Ataka, the greatest old witch of Tambolo.

The next morning, Bobo and Hatoma left to see the old witch of Tambolo. While they were on the way, Bobo asked Hatoma, “What do you wish we do to those good for nothing children that have taken all the glories and attentions of everyone in this community?”

“I think it is best to make them mad and they go about eating from the dustbin on the streets.”

“No, I feel we should kill them because seeing them just irritates me. I don’t want to see them anywhere.”

“Ok, If that will make you happy, I will concur to it; let us finish them so that they will not live to see tomorrow, then, we shall celebrate our victory together."

“Hold on please, what if they fail to die?"

“That’s impossible. Are they immortals? Leave that to me, I will tell the old witch everything that we want; her poison is final, no doubt.”

“I agree with you though I’m afraid. There is a way those young men behave as if there’s something greater than the old witch preparing their success charm.”

“Anyway, let’s continue we are already on the journey. It will all end today,” Hatoma conceited.

About an hour later, they arrived at Tambolo. The old witch’s shrine is still 45 minutes away, they continued discussing and soon, they arrive to their destination. The old witch caught sight of them and began her divination.

“Men of Ishaka what’s chasing you to behold the presence of the old witch this early morning? Speak! Speak!!” She ordered them.

“Old witch, we greet you. Our hearts are in pain.”

“Speak up because it is all over you that all is not well.”

“Yes, we have been slapped on the face by two little rats that have been spending money on our subjects. Now they are happy. Seeing them smile makes me have diarrhea. I want them dead today,” Hatoma affirmed.

“Uum! No one dares the old witch. Calm down. I will strike them from this shrine so that before you go back to Ishaka, you will be celebrating news of their death.”

As they were still in the shrine, Lima surfaced again.

“Oh! I know you, Lima the woman with the golden pot of Justice. Your end has come. How dare you appear before the old witch of Tambolo? The only Witch whom mortals bow in worship for powers, life and death. Let me pay you for intruding into my shrine with my heartless staff of kill and bury.”

While the old witch was still preparing what to do to her, Lima invoked the spirit of justice on all of them. The old witch also manifested her strength to challenge her but she was struck with epilepsy while Bobo and Hatoma were ruptured in blindness and dumbness. Still stymie, on what has befallen them; the old witch couldn’t do much in her epileptic state. Meanwhile, Bobo and Hatoma struggled to get out of the shrine. Lima left and returned to the village. She never showed herself to anybody nor said what had happened.

Chapter 3

It’s disturbing to receive a termination letter from your boss just on the same day that you had planned to fire your housemaid for just asking you for her wages? Bobo and Hatoma fell into their own traps. They went out of the shrine still blind and dumb. The villagers were laughing at them because they were known to be malevolent. Meanwhile, Zoola and Vera went ahead prospering in their businesses. A year later, they got married. Zoola married Acio, daughter of Soloso and Vera married Lora, daughter of Akugwo. Their marriage ceremony was one of a kind. The guests ate and wined to their satisfaction like never before.

After the marriage, the old witch went into the village confessing what she had been doing to the villagers.

“Many noblemen of Ishaka have drunk from my pot of witchcraft. They have sacrificed many innocent souls to retain their powers and riches. I command the destiny of all the youth that none of them can progress without visiting my shrine. All these years, I have tried to capture the spirits of Zoola and Vera, but I don't know where they got their powers from. Please forgive me. I want my sight restored.”

 Immediately, the villagers gathered around her and stoned her to death. That same day many people got healed of rare illnesses infested on them by her doing and her shrine was burnt. That day the existence and efficacy of the charms of the old witch of Tambolo ended.

Chapter 4

Wise men make haste while it is still early. Something’s in life has no room for reverse if you are engulfed in its web. Consequentially, Bobo and Hatoma were called for cross-examination by the council of elders but none could explain the cause of their misfortune. The elders became confused about what to do, and then Lima appeared and said, “I will tell you a story which happened 40 years ago but before that, I need to rest.”

Her request was granted. The elders dismissed the gathering and agreed to continue tomorrow as she was led to a place of rest. Meanwhile, the whole village was in limbo because no one knew what was next. The elders were all afraid and no one slept comfortably all through that night. One remarkable thing happened, a man called Mokas who was also a follower of the old witch, came to kill her so that she couldn’t make the pronouncement the following day, but nature flogged him mercilessly. As he approached her resting place to strangle her, he was struck by thunder, paralyzed and half dead. His wailing woke up everyone and they gathered to find out what was going on but she warned them never to stand on the way of nature.

 “Either you confess or die," Lima commanded

“I planned to kill her so that she does not revoke the secrets that I have concealed. The moment she set foot on this land, I became uncomfortable that’s why I left my home to finish her up with this slow killer poison from the old witch so that she cannot say anything tomorrow. Please forgive me,” He said.

At that spot, he breathed last.

Chapter 5

Whether hell or heaven, both are interesting places waiting for their candidates today. Interestingly, the act of Mokas resulted in the immediate summoning of the council of the chiefs and the whole village as directed by the king. Lima didn’t rest again as the elders convened to listen to her story.

She narrated, "40 years ago, I was banished from this village because of the evil plot against me by Bobo and Hatoma. I abandoned my child, Zoola to Vera’s mother. The whole day was too small for me as I went away to wander to death. I wondered when all this would end. As usual, my litany of frustrations couldn’t give my eyes a click of sleep at the forest of Dumendo. That day at the forest, it rained so heavily with lots of thunderstorms. I hid under the trunk of a fallen tree. It was mid-night while I was still tarrying under the tree when something terrifying happened. I encountered a spirit in the forest which asked me what I was doing in that place because no human exists there apart from spirits. I replied that I was banished by the elders of my village. The spirit said to me, "I will not harm you because you have a good heart. For that, I am going to give you my powers. Henceforth, you shall be great and whoever you bless will as well be great; no mortal has the power to destroy you." I received the golden pot and I was instructed not to open it until I find a land that welcomes me. I followed the instructions faithfully till I entered the next village after three days of starvation and wallowing in the forest to find my way out. Every moment in that forest was a nightmare.         I faced other spirits that demanded to have the golden pot; I always appeased them with my songs of peace. I managed to guard the pot; welcomed by the widow of Okokoma, she was scared of the golden pot, but she insisted that if I am to stay with her, I must tell her the truth of how I crossed the forest of Dumendo alive. I narrated my experiences to her and she availed me a handful of roasted groundnuts. I loved my dead-end because it created the world I wouldn't have lived in. Desperateness was the cloth that covered my frustration. As no hope for where my destiny would lead me to, I was caught up in the mercies of two pieces of roasted yam daily. The struggle continued for years. The widow had nothing to support me with apart from the roof over my head. I worked as a gardener hoping that things would get better one day. Daily as I woke up, I could remember how I abandoned my child in the hands of another woman without any coin to take care of him at his very tender age. Just this alone could take away my joy. Sorrow ate up all the sweet scent of smiles that I shared with everyone around me. My pant sagged and walking over my despondency became so difficult that I was unable to lift my miserable body from the mat. One evening, I battled with severe fever; the only neighbor who didn't come was my casket for burial. The birds who noticed my absence from the garden blew the trumpet to others. Afterwards, I got better with the local herbs prepared for me by the widow. From that day forward, I started trading there in the village square with the little savings I made from gardening. At first, it was not easy to start because to acquire a space to fix my tent was difficult, but the widow simplified it. One day after work, I went home and remembered the golden pot that was given to me. I rushed to the place that I had hidden it, brought it out and opened it. I was filled with extraordinary energy. Inside the pot was a lot of money that I added to my business. Since that day, the amount of profits I made on daily basis beats my imagination. People came from different places looking for me for help. I received gifts and several men were willing to marry me. I turned down all proposals after narrating to them my life story. I always disguised as an 'old woman,' to help my child, Zoola and the friend, Vera waiting for the right time to prove my innocence. It seemed impermeable at first. However, I understood it happened so that the secrets of men may be laid bare.

After that, she used the powers given to her by the spirit of Justice in the forest of Dumendo on the night she was banished to make them speak again.

 “The ominous catastrophes befalling this community were due to our handiwork. It has dawned on us that justice will always return to the upright no matter how it’s thwarted," said Bobo.

Hatoma added, “The truth will always be brought to light. Please we are sorry for what we’ve done.’’

After their last confession, they were then banished and warned never to surface anywhere near the land of Ishaka.