EJIMA

CHAPTER 61

Taking a long deep breath did little to ease the confusion, so he stood and paced the room, with hands folded over his chest. There were a thousand 'what ifs' and a million 'Whys. However, he was happy that the coast was clear. He was no longer mad with his father. With everything that had ensued, his only regret was losing his father in the process. All the man had done was for the betterment of his family and people. All he had ever done was keep them safe.

"Can you explain better?"

"Of course, Jide," Godson said, taking the time to lose the first button of his shirt. But for the torchlight, only the man's bright eyes would have been visible.

"Your father belongs to a tribe of people called Osu. According to legend, during the breaking of the world, about some six hundred years ago, there was a great war that shook the bedrock of the earth itself. It was a cold war between our tribe and a distant enemy tribe. However, the enemy village was more powerful and would have destroyed the land if Kamalu and his two friends had not sought the face of the gods."

"Kamalu?" Jide's eyes widened, "that's my great-great-grandfather. I have heard countless stories about his bravery."

"I was told of his stories too when I was about your age. But there is something the stories did not tell us. Something dark."

Jide bit his lower lips. A gentle wind had veered into the room and instead of mellowing his confusion, it made him shiver. Whatever Goddson wanted to say, he was not sure he was ready to stomach it. He hated horror stories.

"The stories never told us about the blood oath."

"What oath?" Ugomma asked. Like Jide, her pupils had dilated and were dancing slightly. Mary on the other hand was not fazed by the story. She was drinking from the waterskin as if bored of hearing the tale again.

"An oath of success" Godson continued, "To guarantee their success, Kamalu and his two friends were forced to take a blood oath, one which binds them as a sacrifice to the gods. It was a sacred meeting, and should have remained a secret until the end of the war." Godson rubbed his brow as the crease began to form. The glee in his eyes had disappeared, replaced now with sadness. It was as if he was in the battle himself.

"They were warned," he hissed "to keep their meeting a secret. However, the night before they wiped out the last fleet of their enemies, Kamalu became drunk and revealed to his wife what he did with his friends. That broke the blood oath, and even though the war was over, the land was plagued with hunger and disease. It lasted for years and to keep the famine away, blood needed to be shed."

Silence passed for a while until Ugomma said.

"Blood oath requires blood." She nodded "I get it now. So, what did Kamalu do? Killed every livestock in the land?"

Godson shook his head with regret, "there are some sacrifices that the blood of bulls and goats cannot atone for. As the saying goes, 'using a long spoon to dine with the devil is not enough, avoid dining with him at all"

"But blood oath requires blood right?"

"Yes, Jide. But not that of goats or sheep. Since the oath was made with human blood, it needed human blood to keep it alive. To lift the curse from the land, Kamalu and his friends were required to bring their blood. That's how the Osu came about"

"Wait, this does not make any sense. If Kamalu and his friends paid the blood oath with their lives, why was the oath not broken?"

"With their lives?" Godson laughed, "those imps saved their skin and of their household. Instead of breaking the oath with their lives, they reclined to buy and sacrifice slaves to the gods. That way, the oath would not be prolonged and the famine in the land would cease, as long as they keep feeding the gods with human blood, every fifty years."

"Still," Ugomma bit her lips thoughtfully, "it hasn't explained why Jide's father was killed."

"We can only live fifty years twice." Godson breathed in, "so, to keep the circle, Kamalu and his friends bought a large plantation of slaves and dedicated them to the gods, with clear instructions on how these slaves would be sacrificed every fifty years. Those groups of slaves were called Osu. Why did you think your mother was burned naked on a stake?"

Jide shivered and even though he was leaning on a pole for support, his feet wobbled. It made sense now. The ceremony and the procession, they all made sense.

"It's a lot to take in," Mary said for the first time, giving him a weak smile before taking the chair by her right. She sounded tired yet her ageless face was straight and sleek like a baby's, "But I thank God for his grace and I pray he would give you the heart to bear it all."

Jide did not meet her elegant gaze. He tried to tug the loose end of his animal skin but hissed when he realized he was no longer in them. It was five days since they arrived, and Mary had made sure they had a good warm bath. She had perfumed their hair and body and had given them some fresh clothes to wear. The fabrics were almost weightless and better than the animal skin they naturally wear.

"Osu" the words licked from Jide's lips as he turned away from the three people in the room  "All this while, I thought we had a place in the community. I thought we had something great to achieve."

"Yes, you did," Mary said. "And you still do. The standard of the village has nothing to say about you."

Jide held the pole of the tent for support as his strength began to ebb away. It was cruel. The world was harsh. They had lived among the people, eat and drink with them, still, the people had not accepted them into the community. All for what? Because of some stupid tradition and belief?

"Jide" Ugomma whispered as she slid her hands around his waist and pulled him towards herself. There were questions in her eyes too, but Jide did not poke. He was too distracted to. Too sad to lift a muscle.

"Your father was bitter the day he came here." Mary continued. "Like you, he wanted revenge for what the village did to his family and people. He told me about you and begged me to help him with an army I never had. Even if I had such at my disposal, revenge wouldn't be the driving force. Anyway, after receiving Christ, revenge was no longer in his soul. He became a new man and felt pity for those that killed his family."

"Nonsense," Jide screamed and broke away from Ugomma. "What kind of god will allow my entire people to be wiped out? Where was he when my people were ostracized from the community and labeled Osu(outcast)? What kind of god mussels the ox that thrashes the wheat?"

"The kind that sent his son to redeem mankind by dying shamefully on a cross. The kind who bore your burden and mine that we may be free eternally from sin and anger. And revenge too."

"No," Jide shook his head and turned towards the exit. "I believe my father came looking for salvation for his people, yet you failed him by brainwashing him. And you have failed me too" looking at Ugomma he said, "They don't have the answers we seek, gather your things. We leave by dawn" glancing one more time at Mary, Jide stormed out of the room and into the dark.