LOVE IS DEATH
Kpra kpra kpraaa children clapped as ukandi Akomaye walks to his seat. Thank you children,today's story is caption LOVE IS DEATH. The children looked at each other ,"this most be an interesting story,ukandi we are all ears", one of the bold kid spoke. A neighbor call Akpanke who was just passing interrupted love is death ? He quickly drag a bench and sat.
Other neighbors at seeing Akpanke who never like Ukandi Akomaye Stories because he believed they are just camp fire stories seated in Ushup Itie hurriedly joined him.it was no longer a children night affair of stories.
Ukandi Akomaye a retired civil servant was famously known for fairy tales but tonight attendance was a new record as more people trooped in.
Ukandi Akomaye wife came out of the house with a keg of palmwine and saw a crowd of attentive villagers. She wished this better be a worthwhile story else even the children will be disappointed. She quietly turned back with the palmwine else they will say Ukandi is drunk.
Great sons and daughters of ohong village,tonight am happy you are fascinated by love is death, turn to your neighbor and say i most learn tonight; the response was so loud to draw more people to ushup itie.
The unexpected happened just after the response.gbum gbum gbum it was the sound of gunshots,everyone ran for his dearest life. Ukandi at 70years could barely run fast.the bullet caught up with him at the thigh region. Ukandi fell just at his doorsteps.
His wife confused on what to do started shouting for help,no one could come out. Ukandi still bleeding seriously. Akpanke and four of his neighbors arrived ukandi house with cutlasses and clubs.
Ukandi was already unconscious, one of the boys exclaimed ukandi is death! .Akpanke ordered him to keep quiet,he is still breathing ,whatever it takes we most get him to the hospital.
Akpanke was a taxi driver though a graduate of Guidance & Counseling but due to lack of white collar jobs he was earning little amount from carrying market women and load to udama, lifei ume , kazul, ugidi and atube markets with the vehicle he inherited from his dad late dad. Akpanke quickly drove ukandi Akomaye to the health center that was well equipped by the Cross River State Government in fulfillment of it promised welfare and provision of social amenities.
Ukandi wife got out of the vehicle shouting nurse ! nurse !!, nurse utitiang hurried out of thehospital,"wife of our great stories teller what is it "? My husband is dying ,he was short by unknown gunmen . Bring him in quickly the nurse added.
Fortunately nurse utitiang wife along side their son who studied medicine in the United Kingdom and was home for vacation though rumors has it he came to choose a wife drove in to give him meal. Behold they offered to help. Ukandi Akomaye was carefully attended to,ofcourse the hospital was well equipped by the government with great sons and daughters of the community ensuring it maintenance and protection of properties.
At down the news was every where that it was a clash between rival cults groups over a girl. The elders gathered in utsu ukwapu palace. "I great you all my elders,A toad we say don't run on a broad daylight for nothing what happened in our land is strange and abominable. Cultism in our land! No,we can't condole this end of life menace." The elders cheerfully said No we won't. Utsu Ukwapu was known for his discipline and diligent in dealing with issues in the community.
Just as the chiefs were still deliberating on actions to take,the youths arrived in the palace chanting likpa shi yuoo! Likpa shi yuoo!! (We won't accept it). "My elders, our fathers, we won't accept this,its barbaric, we are here to seek the way forward".The youth leader spoke bitterly onbehalf of others aggrieved youths. Utsu Ukwapu asked them to calm down and work with the elders to fish out the cultists in this society. "Utsu Utsu i know them , we know them",the village drunk known as tear rubber spoke. Elder Unimke commanded him to shut up,this is a matter for sound minds and not drunks. Tear rubber laughed cowardly "i may be crying but i still see clearly ,if you had gathered like this when i started singing No to UCultism ukandi Akomaye won't be in the hospital,no one would have been injured,no one will be running helter skelter panting like a bush meat chase by a dog, we won't be here today with heavy hearts, check your households,the cultists are within,Utsu Ukwapu I have spoken,go inside and bring one bottle of whisky for me,it is becoming scarce in my body."
They were all amazed by tear rubber speech. "Utsu Ukwapu said Elders and my gallants youths, nothing has overcome us, we are ohong, this moment is the test of us, go back to your various homes and feed your ears, we shall reconvene in four hours......... The scream of a young woman who ran to the scene interrupted his speech , "woman what is it speak up ? The youth leader ordered her . Tear Rubber the drunk said "woman you don't run into men like these in this period,my testes almost left my scrotal sac, speak up or i turn you to fresh palm wine". The woman was still quietly breathing heavily. Utsu Ukwapu commanded her "by the power vested on me i command you to speak now".
The woman broke her silence " My husbands the worse has happened, the two sons of Pa Abuh have been short dead at the market square". The youths ran to the scene with Tear Rubber cat running behind. Behold it was true the sons who were graduates of Accounting and Law lied shamefully dead. The elders ordered they should be buried as such corps was a taboo to allow it for more than a day. Pa Abuh sons were buried by the road side in his finely built house.
The Pressure to look for those perpetuating the acts increased ,the Elders reconvened at Utsu Ukwapu's house demanding the matter be taken to police but Utsu Ukwapu Informed them he had called the Divisional Police Officer already and notified him of the situation. Just as they were still deliberating heavy gunshots were heard from outside. The elders had to passed a night in the Utsu Ukwapu's house.
It was down and their countenance don't deserve good morning as it was full of their heavy hearts. Tear Rubber soon came shouting "Utsu Utsu you are still sleeping, who does that when your house is hotter than Oven ,wake up and join the villagers in the temple run. Oh you are thinking what is temple run? Come out and experience it yourself." Tear Rubber was tolerated in the community though he was never afraid to speak up. Utsu Ukwapu and his elders stepped out with a bottle of whisky that got Tear Rubber speaking in tongues. Tear Rubber was invited to sit with them but he went straight and got the whisky "Utsu and elders you can't open my mouth nor kill me with alcohol, check your homes, the problem in this community arises from there but if you fail when the time is very right, we will know."
Just as they were deleberating a group of armed boys storm the palace, Tear Rubber ran like Obudu trained turkey........... To Be Continued
Reviewed by Zedicus Piro
on
June 10, 2017
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