Oja mmiri
Oja Mmiri (A short story)
Written By
Ifeoma Isabella
The concluding Part;
“Nneka!! Nneka oo!!” Ngozi’s mother, Ujunwa, was seen running towards the hut of Nganga, shouting the name of Nganga’s daughter at the top of her lungs.
Ujunwa was a stout woman, and fair in complexion. Her skin was like the sun.
Nneka came out of her hut with her mother right behind her to see who was shouting her name like a mad person.
“Bia (come) Ujunwa, is this how I use to shout the name of your daughter, eh? Ọ bụ otú a? (Is this how?)” Nganga, a tall dark pretty lady, asked angrily.
“I am so sorry, ezigbo ezigbo enyi m (my very good friend). I am looking for my daughter, Ngozi. Biko (please) Nneka, both of you went to the stream to fetch water this morning, did you see her following another part home? Eh?” Ujunwa asked. “It’s almost midday and my daughter hasn’t come back from the stream, I have searched for her everywhere, please do you know where she is?”
“Mama, ntụzi aka (point of correction), I and Ngozi did not go to fetch water in the stream together oo.” Nneka said.
“Ma ọ gwara m na ya na-abịa ebe gị (But she told me she was coming to your place).”
“Mama, biko listen attentively to what i just said sekọnd ole na ole gara aga (few seconds ago), I did not say Ngozi did not come here, I only said we did not go together to the stream. I and Ngozi had an argument this morning, a very serious one on our way to the stream, so I left her in anger and went to the stream, when I turn to look back, ahụghị m ya ọzọ (I did not see her again).”
“Did she tell you where she was going?”
“Ujunwa, I am sure my daughter did not carry water in her mouth when she told you she and Ngozi quarreled and she left your daughter out of anger.” Nganga replied instead. “Ma ọ bụrụ na ị ga-anụ ndụmọdụ nke m (But if you will hear my own advice) go and check in her numerous boyfriend’s hut, who knows, she might be in one. Everyone in this village knows your daughter as someone who always follows boys.” Nganga suggested.
“Nganga, I know you want me to exchange word with you, but I will not. My daughter is not that kind of maiden, and even if she is, she is learning it from your own daughter who has befriended all the whole boys in this village, that they even nicknamed her, mepee ma mechie (open and close), keep your advice to yourself.” Ujunwa said, hissed, and left their hut.
“If not that I am in a good mood today, I would have shown you why I am called Nganga, stupt woman. Let me see your stupid legs here again.” Nganga shouted but Ujunwa ignored her.
“And you Nneka, what were you and Ngozi discussing that would warrant you to walk out on her?”
“I told her that Oja loves me and she started insulting me.”
“Chere (Wait), did you just say Oja told you he loves you with his own mouth?”
“Yes mama, he told me yesterday and when I told Ngozi, instead for her to be happy for me, she started getting jealous and began to insult me.”
“Don’t mind her, but next time, try to keep your mouth shut. Is not everyone you will tell. You know how every maiden is dying to have Oja, and also you should be careful, he is a stranger from an unknown village, tomorrow will mark two moons (two months) he has been living in this village.” Nganga advised her daughter.
“I understand you mama.”
______
It was late at night and Nneka sneaked out of her room, took the oil lamp in her room and with it, headed for Oja’s hut.
She saw Oja outside his hut.
“My beloved, I am here.”
“I thought you are not coming again like we discussed.”
“Don’t be angry my beloved, I had to make sure my mother was sleeping before sneaking out to meet you.”
“Did your mother know you were coming here?” Oja demanded.
“No o, she did not.”
“And you did not meet anyone when you were coming?”
“No my love.”
“You know I love you so much.” Oja told her. He knows how to get them. “In fact you are the only maiden who has captured my heart.”
Nneka falls for it.
“Really?” She asked shyly.
“Yes.” Oja replied. “Let’s go in,side before someone will see you.”
Oja led the way and opened the door of the room by the left and asked her to enter first since she was holding her lamp.
Nneka did and Oja quickly closed the door, and what befallen on Ngozi, happened to Nneka.
Her oil lamp disappeared and reappeared on the floor, beside her bamboo bed where she normally keeps it.
“Mama, now it’s my turn to eat.”
******
River World:
“Do you see the way Oja mother eats those maidens, mother? First it was in Isseke village and when they started to suspect him, he left and came to Edeke village and now Umudike village, are we going to sit and watch him lure those maidens for his mother to feed? Why can’t we kill her” Olammiri asked her mother, who is the Queen. They were half human and half fish.
“What am I going to do Olammiri? She is my sister and I cannot kill her.” The river goddess responded.
Unlike them who were half human and half fish, Ozodinmma and her son, Oja, were crocodile and Ozodinmma always carves for the body and blood of a human, female humans. She was always hungry.
“Mother, since you refuse to do something about your sister and her son, I will do the needful.” Olammiri told her.
*****
Umudike Village:
Nganga was seen the next morning going to the hut of her daughter’s friends in search of Nneka.
_______
Oja, who was seated outside his hut doing nothing, watches his next victim approaching his hut, carrying a well covered clay plate with her hands.
She greeted him sweetly and dropped the plate beside him, smiling.
“Ada.” He calls out her name. “How are you doing?” He asked.
“I am fine Oja.” Ada replied. “I brought roasted yam with fried palm oil, you will like it.”
“Really?”
“Yes Oja.”
Oja opened the plate and licked his l-ips in pretence as he saw the roasted yam and oil.
“This looks delicious. I know you are a wonderful cook that is why I love you.” Oja said and stood up to his feet. “I want to eat this delicacy in,side.” He added and made to move then pause and return his gaze to Ada. “Won’t you come in,side with me, Ada?”
Ada nodded her head vigorously and followed Oja in,side.
Oja halted when he saw Olammiri.
“What are you doing here?” He demanded angrily.
Ada seeing how beautiful the maiden she saw in Oja hut is, she became jealous.
“Oja, it is enough.”
“Olammiri, go back to where you came from or else something bad will happen to you.”
“Oja, who is this maiden?” Ada demanded eyeing Olammiri badly.
“Someone who needs to get out of here quickly. Get out Olammiri.”
“I won’t leave here Ojammiri, I am here to put a stop to what you and your mother is doing.”
“Point of correction, Oja is an orphan.” Ada ch¡ps in.
“Is that what he told you? Oja is not your kind of man Ada, he is dangerous. He and his mother eat humans, and you maidens tastes better.” Olammiri told her. “You don’t believe me? I will show you.” She said and water came out of her hand which was thrown at Oja.
Ada s¢ræmed out in fear when she saw Oja’s handsome face transforming into an ugly gray crocodile, from his w–st and down below remained human.
Ada ran out of the hut s¢ræming at the top of her lungs.
“Oja is not a human, Oja is a crocodile!!”
The other door opened and a larger black crocodile stepped out.
“Olammiri, you have stepped on the tail of I and my son and you won’t leave here alive.” Oja’s mother, Ozodinmma, said and opened her mouth wide which expanded and everything in the hut started to enter her mouth.
Olammiri who was already prepared stretch out her hand towards Ozodinmma and two cage made of water formed around Oja and his mother, caging them.
Ozodinmma and Oja laughed as her mouth went to it’s normal size. “You have forgotten that I am from water.” She said and touched the cage, nothing happened. “Oja, touch the water to see if yours will dissolve.”
Oja did but nothing happened.
“From now henceforth, you and Oja will be in this cage.” Olammiri said as she watched both mother and son struggling to get out of their cage.
They can’t, her father, Amadioha, had given her enough power to cage them.
Olammiri clapped her hands once and their cage disappeared.
“Mmiri-iyi kwuru na ọ bụ n’ihi na o nweghi onye ga-eduzi ya ọ bụ ya mere o ji aga awara-awara. (Stream said that it is because it has nobody to direct it that is why it goes in a zigzag way.)” Olammiri said. “Ọtụtụ mgbe, ndị mmadụ amaghị ọdịiche dị na mmiri na mmiri siri ike. (Most times, people doesn’t know the difference between water and strong water.)
The End