Olugwu

Walking down the narrow path away from the village cursing myself for waking up so late, i took the left turn towards olugwu and hastened my steps hoping to get clean drinkable water since water from the nearby streams are rather salty...

The walk to olugwu is a 5 miles walk..not something to toy with and if one eventually gets there late the whole water would become brownish from the constant and careless dipping of different clay pots into the stream by those that came earlier.

It was a cold harmattan morning and the day was barely bright I walked faster with the cold sand clinging slightly on my bare feet and the harmattan breeze hitting my face with one aim in mind...to get clean water or enekole would nag me to an early grave.

Unfortunately, of all the people in the house, enekole my uncle's wife was the one to notice I slept late into the morning, she had banged very hard on my door with a stone kept specially for that purpose making me fall off by bamboo bed...

just then something came crashing out of the bush on the left to the one on the right making me almost jump out of my skin

Rabbits!!

About 6 running so fast towards the other side of the bush.. Stupid old rabbits I cursed under my breath

But then my thought caught something else...why were they running, what could be chasing such huge rabbits so early in the morning, with that thought I added speed to my already fast steps...I don't think am in the right state of mind to find out what is chasing them

As I walked further, each step bringing me closer to olugwu something stopped me in my tracks, my eyes darted on its own following a trail of blood. Before i could process my new discovery my eyes caught someone crouched among the trees, whoever it was seemed to be in pains. My first impulse was to run but my thought nagged reminding me how i'd feel if i was in trouble and a possible helper runs away, driven by pity my legs moved on its own towards the pained human

I felt the damp grass under my feet, stepping occasionally on tiny sticks, I gripped my clay pot firmly with my right hand and adjusted the opa around my chest with my left. I walked steadily but cautiously farther into the bush not taking my eyes off my target

On getting to the tree, instead of a crouched human, I met an empty blood stained space. I took a few steps back wondering how the person I saw a while ago disappeared suddenly. Fear enveloped me and I retreated without turning and suddenly I saw something rise from among the bushes... A tall figure with broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes that seemed watery he seemed naked if not for the raffia skirt that covered just from his waist to his mid laps he held a blue staff complimenting his eyes..I froze in my tracks.

The figure stared at me with fury, I blinked repeatedly not sure if looking back at him or looking down would be an offense, even with this mixed feeling  I can't help but notice how perfectly shaped his face was..he was rather handsome

He looked at me for what seemed like eternity and the fury in his eyes got me trapped, my feet shook slightly and I gripped my water pot tightly hoping to use it in defense but then my inner mind taunted me about using a water pot in defense.. Then he spoke 

How dare u!!. He said with a voice that didn't match the fury in his eyes, the voice was rather too soft and feminine, How dare you lay a toe on my servant! He asked

Confusion hit me and I can't help but wonder which servant..I was tongue tied

You stepped on my servant on their way to the stream and injured her tail

Now clearly I had confusion written over my face and I think he sensed it

The rabbit you saw a mile ago was my servant foolish human he barked in a feminine whisper

I looked at him and I don't remember stepping on any of the rabbits I saw..I only rembered throwing a little insult their way

Suddenly he advanced and I tried to run but my feet was rooted to the spot

I shivered inwardly and closed my eyes waiting for my fate

He was close to me now and I could feel his breath fanning my face, his breath smelled like freshly pounded umu(millet pudding) and his manly scent came crashing on my nose like freshly tapped wine...some how the smell combination seemed familiar but I dare not think of anything else but the furious figure standing right on top of me

But then I heard laughter...a one too familiar laughter and my brain concluded...Adah!!

I opened my eyes and in place of the figure was Adah! Laughing uncontrollably! Showing his half broken teeth. He had broken his teeth when we were little, then our mother had warned us not to swing from the huge mango tree in the compound but Adah wouldn't listen, as soon as she left for the market, Adah resumed his swinging activities, he had crashed from the tree onto a little rock in the compound..since then he learnt his lesson the hard way and I don't fail to remind him how he looked like ikor the village drunk

I stared at him in horror and before I could give myself the liberty of thinking he said

Its me ochy...so u can shiver and even sweat when the weather is so cold

I looked at him and amidst laughter he explained to me how he used the opefu trick he has been learning at the shrine on me

Quietly I turned and walked slowly away with him following closely behind still laughing. Telling me I looked like enekole's wayward hen.

I resolved within me that revenge is something I must get on Adah and certainly he must wet his cloth with urine from his loins.

on getting to oluguw, I met the water already brownish and dirty..

I knew right there that enekole would indeed kill me!!