The gods And The Ancestors

  They had been at this farm now for three days nonstop and yet, it seems to Mr. Okoye that they had been wasting their time, no sign  that progress is being made. He had been trying to wall the farm to protect it from animals and human animals that always find their way into others property uninvited. The wrapper around his waist had been dancing to the tune of the wind that was visibly present that wednesday morning in April 1943.  The farm happened to be near a part way that leads to other farms and other's houses hence the temptation it causes young souls. His wife, Mgbeke and son, eight year old John were toiling away at the weeds that seemed to respond that very year to the rain that came early. As usual when they had other commitments to see through, they always go to the farm early to return before noon and face other things. 

        They were almost wrapping up things when it started. The wind had confused them, then, it started gradually to darken, they attributed it to what everyone else had, rain. " hurry up the rate it is darkening, it's a dog and cat story today" Mr. Okoye told his wife. They had not even finished gathering their implements when it went totally dark at 1:45am and animals were the first to alert them that it wasn't rain or anything relating to water that was happening. The way they were all making noise alerted Mr. Okoye that what was happening transcends rain. Fear set in and humans started hurrying home to see from there what was happening.

They could not even see each other well anymore let alone their farm implements so, husbands were hurrying their families home and luckily for Mr. Okoye, the farm they were working in is about three minutes' walk away from their house so, with their mind eyes, they find their way home among hundreds of legs hurrying to and fro in all directions. It was chaos all over. Birds were chirping away, fowls the same and goats and sheeps were competing with each other. The dogs were barking to the sounds and sights nonstop. Excess noise added to the fear flying here and there among humans

When they entered their compound, they were initially confused. Mr. Okoye had to step back to feel where he was because about five unknown voices were talking in a subdued manner. It took him about three minutes to realize it was people whose houses were far taking cover in any compound near them. 

" Why are we remembered in this way?" a man asked him when they recognized that the owner of the house was among them.

"Let us see tomorrow first to ask questions. who knows what gods has in stock for us"  he retorted back as he went inside to light hurricane torches and placed them among ten faces he believed he had seen many times but not well known to him.

"Is it our sins or that of our ancestors?" one woman asked.

" whoever, we are the ones they remembered, so let us see what is happening first and apportion blame later" another quipped.

The males gathered in a circle while women and children huddled together in one corner in a tiny mudroom that served as a sitting room. " We all can't be hidden like women, we need to send someone to the king place to see how we can contact our ancestors and seek their opinion on how to go about this. What we are to do to ward off this calamity" After about five minutes, they decided that two people had to go to the king's palace to find out what was being done about this calamity sent to them. In flock lores of Umunka community, night never falls in the afternoon without deaths following it. Whether that is just story or truth, no one cares at that moment they needed to do something as men to see how it was handled. Mr. Okoye and another young man were sent. With machetes and the local torch as guidance, they faced towards the king's palace. But fear was there in their numbers and despite wind not present to hamper their torches, they were still having problems handling it and keeping it alight. Their hurried and forced breathing is the number one enemy of their torches. 

Animal noise has reduced to almost zero, the animals seem to have senses some humans don't know of. They seem to know when to shout and when to take cover. That stillness added to human trepidation. To think that the Umunka community believed that it was only in their town that afternoon turned into night heightened their fears too and sense of guilt. 

It was when they were near the king Palace that they saw about a hundred other lights and voices murmuring in their numbers. Many others from other villages had like Mr Okoye went to the palace to see what was being done and many lights were seen heading towards the same palace still. The king had decided to lock out anyone that is not a village leader and decided to hold meetings with his cabinets and village leaders that rushed to the palace and asked the others like Mr. Okoye to go home with promise of hearing later from them. They had refused, some out of fear of meeting calamity on the way back, some out of inquisitiveness. They want first hand information and fear seems to  be near the palace as if it is immuned from ancestors and gods anger.

It is pitch dark outside and even some torches are going out. The wind seems to cease for reasons known to it. No thunder, no lightning, noises ceased from animals except murmuring coming from those outside the palace. Mr.Okoye approached the young man he came with. "I think we should be heading back to tell others that something is being done by the town leaders. Let them have a relaxed mind. They are waiting for us to tell them the situation of things" "I think it would be far better if we knew what was decided and then tell them. Let wait for a while someone might come out to address us"  they were both still trying to let the other know of the importance of each other point when Mr. Okoye overheard another man that will pass his house before getting to his village asking who he came with to get ready to go back.

 "Maybe I will be going and you wait to hear what was decided and let us know later." "Yeah, it sounds good that way"  Mr. Okoye was anticipating bad news coming from the meeting. If how the kings were buried were any indicator of how such a calamity like this is handled, he better be home and organize his family. The young man he came with, he didn't know well. People like that with the zeal he found in him might be needed for special assignments. 

He approached the man talking about going home with who he came with and noticed they were having the same line of argument like he did with his. The younger one wants to see the end of the meeting and the older one wants to return to his family. He joined in convincing the younger that they should be going home like the Chief said for they might not even address them there but in each village square. That line made sense to the man and three of them started their homeward journey. On their way home, the two older carrying torches were behind the younger with a machete. 

" What do you believe our sin is to warrant this?"

"I think the leaders are in the best position to answer this question," Mr. Okoye told him. "They are custodian of this community and what they do is what our ancestors judges us with" 

" Are you saying that they are behind this calamity?"

"I am not saying anything, I am airing my opinion" 

The man smiled and eyed Mr. Okoye and knew he was being just cautious. What he said made sense. They kept walking in silence. When they got to the junction that connects to Mr. Okoye's house, they bid him bye as he fleed to his house a few minutes away from there. 

 Then one senior cabinet of the kings came out to address the lingering people. " You see, I am sent to address you. We have called the town  witchdoctor and he has listed why what happened happened and what to do about it. It's a tiny matter according to him, nothing serious, only a tiny misunderstanding that will be taken care of in a matter of minutes and all of you will return to your farms. It's not anyone's fault, the gods are testing their invention. Okay?" 

Before those raising their voice for questions  had finished what they wanted to say, the man had disappeared into the meeting room again.

Meanwhile,  inside the meeting chamber, fifteen young men were chosen and sworn to secrecy to dig a six feets grave at the center of the town hall field. One each from the fifteen villages that made up the town. Another ten able men from the town vigilante group were called inside and sworn to secrecy by the king and his cabinet and the village leaders after about three minutes of briefing, the ten headed south into the dark and after ten minutes, they reappeared at the town hall with three virgin girls of about seventeen gagged and tied well on their shoulders. The town witch doctor was sitting with a stool at the edge of the dugged grave and behind him stood his two young helpers all in red overall. Local basket full of all manners of despicable things was placed beside him. The witchdoctor was reciting incantation that made sense to alone. He poured different colors of liquids inside the grave, called the name of known ancestors, and threw a life goat, life cock into the grave after making them pass through the hands of all the leaders. A little gyration here and there from him and his helpers, more incantations and mutterings. Then, it was time to bring the virgins. The King ordered them  to bring the virgins. The sky, still thick dark, the wind that had ceased since 12 noon or midnight depending on how you choose to count started fluttering leaves and mold of sands heaped  beside the grave. Time for the witch doctors to test the girls and see if the gods accepted what was being sent their ways. He had been through with the first and was on the second when suddenly, the first mouth and leg gagged kicked out with all the strength in her at the witch doctor who landed face down into the grave, his two helpers dropped everything and jumped into the grave to assist their master. They were having problem trying to lift him out of the grave when the sky started clearing a bit to the chagrin of the king. The king eyed his cabinet members and the village leaders and to the clearing sky and pin crisp refreshing breeze that was increasing in intensity. He nodded to the elders who nodded in understanding. The king asked the grave diggers to close the grave before their ancestors and gods changed their minds. The gods has spoken he believed. They started shoveling like mad with leaders eyes fixed to the clearing sky and were reciting incantations seeking that what their ancestors started should be permanent. The king, oblivious to the cries, appeals and attempt at escape of the two helpers the grave was fixed within minutes and smoothed as the sky kept getting brighter. Then, the king asked the vigilante to untie the girls and send them to where they came from. Their ancestors and the gods never changed their minds. The elders have intervened well and warded off the gods anger on the town and all went back to their various homes satisfied, town calamity well taken care of.