Urenma episode 39 – 40

URENMA

(journey to the river world)

Chapter 39
ALA UPAH

Ala Upah was filled with pitch darkness and was weakly illuminated by a lame moonlight which hung in the sky like a maltreated house-boy. In an hut, Obiakor and Olachi sat on the floor. Their mother, Urenma, would frequently come into the hut and spit on the ground near them. She burnt with inhuman rage and hatred toward them. The children could hærdly recognize her as their mother. She seemed to have lost her soul.

Whatever took hold of her was eating her up fast. In one of her stomps into the hut where they were held. Olachi notice something like a squirrel on her mother’s back. It looked very much evil and seemed to be s–king the life out of her. As soon as Urenma stormed out of the hut, Olachi told Obiakor what she observed. “Ola, if that be the evil which has taken over her mind and soul, then we should attack. We should at least try to save her”. “How do we do it, Obi?” “You will play dead and I will call for help. When she rushes in and backs me, I will pull out the evil from her back”. The plan seemed good to Olachi and so she asked that they do it immediately.

THE CLASH OF LEGENDS
On the day of the wrestling match Ukeh and its neighbours tropped out. They knew Obinze had a great wrestling bout with an unidentified opponent. Some had claimed that the opponent was Ojadili and many laughed it off. There was no way Ojadili who died long ago would come to life to fight the land death crouched in shadows: waiting for the signal to snatch lives from men. Ojadili and some men who camouflaged as humans made it to the wrestling ground and the crowd cheered him loudly, they still did not know who he was. Minutes later Obinze arrived with Ijele. Ijele camouflaged as a young man and bore Obinze’s machetes. At the sight of Obinze the land of Ukeh went into frenzied excitement. However there were a few chiefs who cursed him under their breaths. They were the chiefs who had been planting charms against him; those chiefs who were swayed by the river world to influence people against him. While Obinze made it to his corner, the crowd waited to see Urenma; she was the reason for the wrestling match as they were told. The river world wanted her back and they sent their champion wrestler to come fight Obinze and bring her back. They did not know yet that all was a lie.

Then the Ikoro began to sound and the two wrestlers were invited to greet the crowd and tell them who they were. Ojadili was the first to speak, the privilege always given to guest wrestlers. “I am the legend you heard about in tales told by moonlight! I am the legend old women wove into many stories! I am the legend your grandfathers spoke of and beat their chests! I am the legend young women spoke of with joyful tears in their eyes! I am………” He paused. “………

Ojadili!!!! And I will destory this fly!” he shouted and pointed at Obinze. Having made known who he was, he returned to his seat.
The crowd did not cheer, though they were meant to. Many shrank from the wrestling ground including the very elders who wanted Obinze dead. There was silence; absolute silence. The crowd could not understand how Ojadili came back to life. Wasn’t he supposed to be dead? As they stared at him unbelievably, they saw evil in his eyes.

Then it occurred to those chiefs and elders who were against Obinze that they had been played by the river world. They hurried to a corner of the wrestling ground and conferred with each other. There was no way they would let Obinze their son fight the dead. Nze Nnamiri stormed into the wrestling ground and raised his hand to speak, “We were told that Obinze would fight a great wrestler from a far land and not the dead.

Ojadili died long ago! This fight has been nullified! When the river world presents a qualified wrestler, then Obinze would fight!” The crowd who thought that they had seen the end of Obinze celebrated wildly. Then Obinze who had a fuller knowledge of what was in play, stood up and entered the wrestling ground. Raising his hand, he calmed the crowd and said, “You may not know what awaits you today the people of Ukeh! If I fight not our land shall be overrun by those who hate us, and if I fight our land shall still be pillaged. I say to you run. Run while you may! Go home, find children and run! The roads out of Ukeh have been blocked. I will not let this fight pass me by; I Obinze shall stand and fight. I shall not disappoint those who went through pains to bring this thing back to life. If it is beast, human or spirit, Obinze shall fight it”.

URENMA
(Journey to the River world)
Episode 40

Many did not understand what Obinze said, but there were those who ran home. They could not understand how the river world could bring back a dead man to fight Obinze. Others remained on the wrestling ground to see how it would turn out. When Obinze saw that many remained, he cried out, “Send for your machetes, go find your spears. If you have no weapon, go borrow from your neighours; for war is upon us!” They still did not understand Obinze. But they were worried. Seeing his people could not understand him, he turned, made a stand and waited for the fight to begin. Because the elders and chiefs of Ukeh did not approve of the fight, they refused to wave for the match to begin. A spirit which camouflaged as one of the elders who accompanied Ojadili to Ukeh, ran into the wrestling ground and waved for the match to begin. Ojadill lunged foward at the speed of light and lifted Obinze with one arm and slammed him on the ground. Obinze’s excruciating cry sent many running away from the wrestling ground. Ojadili gave him no chance at all; he moved in on him yet again and slammed him on the ground. To the few who remained to watch the fight that was the end of Obinze. Blood gushed from his mouth and he went into spasm. As he lay on the ground writhing and obviously dying slowing. Ojadili gloated and gave a sign to the spirits who swarmed the land to run through it as soon as he finished Obinze off.

Turning, Ojadili ran toward Obinze who lay limp on the ground. As he drew nearer, Ijele began to laugh until his laugh grew very loud. Ojadili stooped and lifted Obinze for all to see. He knew his next attack would be the end of the once legendary wrestler. While he suspended Obinze’s flaccid body in the air, Ijele laughed on. Then Ojadili staggered a bit. Obinze was gaining weight; yet again he staggered. The weight was becoming too much for him to bear and so he dropped him on the ground and moved back to study him. At this point, Ijele stood up and began to praise Obinze. Turning to the young men who were brave enough to stay back and watch the fight, he asked, “Is there no song in this land you sing with Obinze’s name in it?” The young men looked forlorn and showed no courage to sing or have faith in Obinze. As long as they were concerned Obinze was dead. Ijele gyrated around and asked the young men to sing for Obinze. Ijele’s belief was infectious. Lamely the young men picked up the song, “Obinze Ebube dike! Ebube dike! Obinze Ebube dike! Ebube dike! Obinze Ebebu dike!” As they sang, the drummers joined them, and then the gong was heard. Hands claps were heard.

Finally Ukeh begin to sing to their hero and their voice went up. Like a wild beast Ojadili ran to lift Obinze again, alas, he could not. He moved back and stared unbelievably at the spirits whom he came with. He was forced to turn around and look at Oninze’s direction when the crowd began to shout insanely. Obinze was sitting on the bare floor cleaning blood from his mouth with the back of his hands. The celebratory shout from the wrestling ground was so loud that those who had ran home in fear began to run back to the wrestling ground; and as they came back, they bore weapons of warfare.
Painfully Obinze stuttered to his feet, Ojadili ran to him to sweep him off his feet, but Obinze did not bother to attack him, he simply stooped a bit and Ojadili bounced at him. Many people, at that stunt from Obinze, Ukeh went nuts with excitement. Their hero was back; and he was making a dead legend look like his ilk. Ojadili attacked him again and this time Obinze repelled him with his famous punches.

Clearly Ojadili did not know what to do with him anymore, so he resorted to his old wrestling skills and came for Obinze. Smartly Obinze parried his dangerous attacks; he was slowly getting into the groove. To all who watched the fight it was obvious that Ojadili was not only a man who came from the dead, he also had something evil in him. His face was beginning to contort, that was Atari unwinding fully to kill Obinze.

Obinze was no fool, he knew quiet well that he was not in the same class with Ojadili, but somone who watched all Ojadili’s fight and who was Ojadili’s teacher had taught him well- Ijele. With Atari’s full power surging through Ojadili, he came for Obinze. Obinze moved in on him and successfully held his two hands. As Ojadili tried to break free, Obinze shouted, “Brother! This is my time, my generation and my land! Now be gone to where you came from!”

To be continued