Her Father's Wife

Chapter 16

The night of the mgbede dance, the gods visited  Akukalias again and danced like never before. It was as if they prepared their own mgbede dance and the arena was Akukalias house. It started around midnight just like the previous day. They danced non stop until the wee hours of the morning. The lyrics of their song remained unchanged. They kept telling him that he will die if he marries another wife. But if he should stop at two wives, he will live. They input such energy into it that, Akukalias became suspicious. Other members of his family did not sleep a wink either. They were all keeping vigil as they prayed for morning to come fast. He wondered whether Ezinne was behind it. Has she commissioned the gods to come and kill him and his new bride. He shrugged it off, even Ezinne cannot be that wicked. He promised himself once more to go to Afa as soon as it's day break. It will be terrible if Obiageli moves in before the situation is checked. He prayed silently in his mind for it to be something a sacrifice will solve. Please, let the gods not force him to let Obiageli go. Not after he beheld her beauty at mgbede dance yesterday. He cannot wash his hand thoroughly to break palm kennel for fowls. God forbid. The next morning saw Akukalias on his way to Afa. He decided to use one of the local ones. For one, they are nearer, the way he was feeling, he does not trust himself to be able to walk that far. Secondly, he can turn to  them if the home ones fail him. He was ushered in to the native doctor's consultation room as soon as he got there. After the customary greeting, the man told him to drop a shilling before the gods. Akukalia did. The native doctor picked up his cowries and threw them, he observed them for a while, then he bursted into laughter to Akukalias consternation. He laughed so hard that tears poured down his cheeks. He  wiped them off with the back of his hand. You are here because the gods have decided to come and be dancing in your house. Yes, Akukalia answered in excitement. The native doctor went into another bout of laughter. A midst laughter, he ask Akukalia, you have a gun? Akukalia answered 'yes' as he wondered at the correlation between having a gun and  his problem.  ' When you get home, he continued, dry your gun powder and load your gun. In the middle of the night, when you hear the dancing, open your window and shoot the gun. Be sure not to shoot at whatever you see. Just shoot up in the air. Then in the morning come back and tell me what happened. Akukalia left the native doctor in deep thought. Is the man urging him now to start a war with the gods of the land. Who had ever done so and live to tell the story. Nevertheless, this is a boil that has chosen to grow in an embarrassing place. He has no other option. He never begged them to come and hold their dance in his compound. If what it takes to send them away is a gun shot, so be it. After the day's work, Akukalias went into his room and carefully bring down his Dane gun from it's position inside his ceiling. He cleaned it well with oil. Then he loaded it with gun powder and lean it on the wall near his bed post. That night like the others, he did not sleep a wink. His heart was beating with anxiety and fear though he maintained a bold front. Came midnight, the gods did not disappoint. They came dancing.  Ti janja tijanja iluo nwanyi ozo inwuo, inwuo, inwuo, iluo nwanyi nabu idi ndu, idi ndu, idi ndu. The shekere on their leg went wild as they danced with abandon. Tijanja tijanja, tijanja... In the room, Akukalias quietly reached for his gun. He opened the window carefully, pointed the gun upwards and released a shot. I am dead oooooo came a loud shriek,  filled with terror,  from outside his window. Then 'Ichie don't shoot again it's me'. Akukalias was so surprised that the gun flew from his hands, he landed on his buttocks near the gun. Wait, he thought, can that be Ezinnes voice? He shook his head to clear his brain. Is that you Ezinne ? He ask as he rushed outside.  Ezinne was sprawling on the ground shaking like a leaf.  She was clothed in rafia skirt and top, complete with palm frond on her waist and Ichaka on her two legs. She really resembled a being from the under world. Akukalia managed to stifle a laughter as he picked her up and took her into the house. As soon as he sat her on his bed, she started crying. She was afraid, frustrated and angry that she had been caught. Akukalias laughed harder as Ezinne continued to wail. No wonder, the native doctor had dissolved into laughter after consulting his Oracle. Thank God he heeded the man's advise to shoot into the air. He would have killed somebody he will bury. Tufiaaa, he said without spitting out anything. Soon after, Ezinne, over came by tiredness after her ordeal, slept off.

Hehehehe this reminds me of one embarrassing moment when I was caught red handed but I won't tell what I was doing unless you spill yours
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