A Retelling Story Of Igodo episode 10 – 11
The Retelling Story of IGODO
Chapter 10
Nneoma headed straight to the river, on getting there, she dropped her udu (water pot) and after making sure she was alone she started singing a strange song:
do ri ma ma do ri ma do
ike nke biara na m n’ime ụwa a
do ri ma ma do ri ma do
bụ mmụọ nke mụ na ya nọ n’ụwa a
Abịara m inye ahụ ike
Abiara m inye ihe ọma
Abịara m ka m mee ihe ọma
do ri ma ma do ri ma do
Abụ m ada nke chi nwanyị mmiri ahụ
Achọrọ m enyemaka gị
English version
do ri ma ma do ri ma do
the power that came with me in this world
the spirit that came with me in this world
I came to give health
I came to give good things
I came to pave way for the good
I am the daughter of the river goddess
I need your help.
Nneoma finished singing her song
No sooner had she finished singing, Nwagebe river rose up and the river goddess, Idemmili emerged from the depth of the river, hovering above the river. She was a beautiful sight to behold, her neck was embedded with ornaments made of pure gold. She was fair and her long hair was braided in cornrows extending to her w–st, she was truly a sight to behold, an epitome of beauty. Her face was the only thing that held sadness, her eyes tells her pains.
“Nneoma my child, you never summon me out here in the realm of the humans. I hope there is no problem?”, Idemmili asked.
“No mother, everything is okay. Please I need a favour from you”, Nneoma said.
“A favour? What kind of favour my daughter?”, Idemmili asked.
“There is someone who had been buried alive in the forest of the living dead, if it is not too much to ask, I want the ground to vomit him out”. Nneoma requested.
“It shall be done. You know I chose you for a day like this, my past hunt me now, but I have realized my mistakes. The children of Amadioha and Ala would have lived in peace and harmony a long time ago if not for me. I drifted the lovers apart, away from each other. I stole away the love they had for one another, and now I have greatly see my wrongs. I cannot undo my mistakes I did in the past, but I must bring back the lovers. That is why I chose you to come to the realm of the human in disguise, my daughter”. Idemmili explained.
“I know that mother, but I wonder why you didn’t you allowed me to go with the children of Amadioha. You know very well that I am the seventh one and not that imposter”.
“Yes I know. You the know the story between Ala, Amadioha and Me. It was my selfishness that made me do what I did a long time ago, but now I have come to realize my wrongs. You must not let anything happen to the real children of Amadioha. I have to go back to my realm now”.
Nneoma nodded her head, Idemmili disappear but not without adding.
“Remember Nneoma, you must not tell any one who you truly are”.
Nneoma fetched her water and left for her home.
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Forest Of The Living Dead
The pit that swallowed Odum started shaking in apoplexy, immediately, it opened and fling out Odum together with his staff as if he weighted nothing and closed immediately.
Odum fell down with a thud and immediately felt throes all over him due to his fall.
He stood up from the floor and stare around him, he did not know where to go neither did he know the path where the others took.
Suddenly a bright ball of light appeared to him and a female voice said to him immediately.
“I have been sent here to save you and show you the short cut to where Amadioha knife is. You must get there before they do”.
“Thank you. So where am I going follow?”, Odum questioned aplomb, he wasn’t afraid of the light.
“Do you trust me?” The voice asked
“Yes I do”, Odum responded immediately.
“Then touch me”, the female voice from the ball of light said and Odum, without any atom of fear walked towards the ball of light and touched it. Immediately the light swallowed him and vanished.
The Retelling Story of IGODO
Chapter 11
Forest of the Living Dead
Uzodinma had quickly drafted out a plan to execute Ebuka, she had this vacillate that killing Ikemefuna won’t be very easy, hence, her deciding to go for the one she can easily eliminate.
The duo soon arrived at the bank of a river, the river were purely made of gold, shining in all it’s glory. Two old empty canoes were beside the river.
They stopped and look at one another in confusion and wonder as they stare at shinning river.
“What are we going to do? That canoe looks too old and can capsized at any moment, drowning us to our deaths”, Prince Ebuka spoke out as they were still in awe of what their eyes were showing them. In all their lives, they haven’t seen a river purely made of gold, so they were left speechless as they saw it, except for Uzodinma, this was her chance to delete some of them.
“Well, beyond the river is the cave where the knife of Amadioha is kept, so let us divide ourselves into three and enter the canoe. We don’t have much time anymore”, trivialize, Uzodinma told them and started heading towards the canoes. They had no other options than to follow Uzodinma. After all she is the seer.
Without any further argument, they divided themselves equally and went into the canoe, Ikemefuna, Uzodinma and Ebuka were in one while Ojadike, Ikenga and his twin brother, Ikenna were in the second canoe.
They started out and started paddling, Uzodinma canoe leading.
When they had gotten to the middle of the river, Uzodinma came up with a plan to wipe out the other three in the second canoe.
‘Now is my chance’ she thought wickedly.
The sky suddenly darkened and a heavy storm started.
At first it started little before it increases.
“Didn’t I say that venturing into the river with this old canoe is like walking into the den of a roaring lion, the storm is getting more worse. What are we going to do now?” Prince Ebuka asked uzodinma in dispel.
No sooner had he asked her, the canoe that carried Ikenga, Ikenna and Ojadike broke into pieces, a lightening from the sky had struck the canoe breaking it into pieces.
Ikenga, Ikenna and Ojadike, fell into the river and started sinking, they realize to their dismay that the water was thick, like mucus. And they started stinking.
Their shout for help drew Uzodinma, Ikemefuna and Prince Ebuka to them, they tried to paddle the canoe to where they were, but the winds has its own thought and rather push them the other way.
Their cries for help were the last thing they heard before the river drown them.
“Oh no, not again, don’t tell me we just lost them”, Prince Ebuka said as he broke down in tears.
“Hmm, this is strange, so strange, how can a storm out of nowhere appeared and callously take Ikenga, Ikenna and Ojadike down. Something is not aberrant here”, Ikemefuna wonder to himself and turned to face Uzodinma, “I thought as a seer you would have seen what was coming so that we could have prevent it, are you sure you still have your powers?” Ikemefuna questioned Uzodinma.
“Ikemefuna, don’t dare me. I mean, how could you ask me such questions. Was I the one who had made the storm appeared?” Uzodinma responded apoplexy.
“Uzodinma he never asked you that. He was only trying to know, as the seer you claimed to be, why you never saw the storm in the first place before we ventured into the river. I see no harm in what Ikemefuna asked you. Look, how can three of our comrades just perish like that when we have a seer in our midst” Prince Ebuka explained.
“That was how Odum strangely died in that pit and now three of us are gone at the same time”, Ikemefuna added.
“Well I don’t know, I wasn’t given a sign that something like this would happen. There is nothing we can do except to continue our journey, Amadioha knows why we are experiencing this”, Uzodinma concluded.
Ikemefuna and Prince Ebuka stare at one another in silence as Uzodinma paddle the canoe.
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Ikenga, Ikenna and Ojadike landed on someone, they quickly stood up to their feet getting ready to fight off the said person. But to their astound they saw that the person they had landed on was no other person than Odum.
“Are we in the land of the spirit? Oh Amadioha we are truly dead”, Ojadike was the first to speak, seeing Odum made him realize that they are truly dead
Meanwhile Odum was elated to see them and was surprised when he heard what Ojadike said.
“You are mistaken Ojadike, it was true that the pit swallowed me. But something came and saved me, I am not dead. Rather I should be the one asking you how you had find your way in here and where are the rest of you?”
“Odum, is that really you?” Ikenga asked still not believing
“Yes it is me in flesh” Odum replied.
“But, if it is truly you, then why are we here With you?” Ojadike asked.
Ikenna gasped out as he looked upward “Ikenga, Ojadike and Odum, look up” Ikenna said pointing up.
The duo looked up and gasp out in surprise. Above them was the shinning river they had been sailing upon. They were below it.
“What is the meaning of this, whose magic is this?” Ojadike asked no one in particular, they were all overwhelmed by what they just saw.
The ball of light that had appeared before Odum appeared in front of them.
“I was sent to save you from the one who want you all dead”, the ball of light said answering Ojadike question.
“Someone who wants us dead? Who can it be?” Ikenna asked.
“It will be revealed in time but for now, this is the short cut to where Amadioha knife is, the cave is not far from here. Go now before the knife fall into the hands of the wrong one”,
Nodding their thanks, they left the ball of light. The ball of light stopped Odum and told him what he must do in an ancient secret tongue, Odum nodded, fully knowing what the ball of light had said. As Odum left the presences of the light, something appeared and he hid it in his lion skin he worn, concealing it.
They soon reached the cave where Amadioha knife is and was surprised to see the warriors of the dead in front of the cave, all armed to teeth.
Ikenga smiled as he gave his staff to his twin and started cracking his bones.
“I have been looking forward to this, my bones have been resting, yearning for a day like this”. Ikenga said mostly to himself as he smiled like an idiot.
“Ojadike my brother, please play me a beautiful tune while I go to wrestle with them”.
Ojadike nodded and without wasting time started playing a tune as Ikenga ran to meet the warriors of the dead.
Earlier on
News had reached the fiery one that four of Amdioha children had almost reached the cave.
“What? That is impossible. Send the warriors of the dead to block the entrance. The five of you should get prepared, I don’t think they are the types who will give up easily”, he said to the five ancient spirits. “Summon all the warriors of the Ancient, we must not let them enter the cave”.
They quickly carried out the order, placing the warriors of the dead in front of the cave to kill/ buy them time as they summon on warriors of the Ancient.
To Be Continued…
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