Thursdays for tales!
Tales mama told us!
The evening breeze caressing our skin as we sat down under the mango tree. Our skin shivering to the fright of the unseen or non existent monster that crawled at night named EKA ABASI that kidnapped children. Mother would smile at us, the joy of bearing inquisitive children. The joy of the continuity of a generation and she would commence with the popular platitude,
Ekoñ nke!
In unison, we would respond,
Nkekoñ Abasi!
The unconsidering Sun tendered it's pressurizing wrath on Itoro as she sat on a stone close to the kitchen. Her right hand placed on her cheeks as she traveled down the isle of thoughtfulness. Her physical self unresponsively stimulable to a dangerous bite.
The regretful thought of being born filled her mind with sadness and anger. A life without peaceful living.
The thought of poverty saddled her the more.
Image Source"Itoro! Itoro!" a voice invoked her lost spirit from the land of wonders where she was and that alarm startled her.
She rose up immediately and ran towards the direction of the voice and that led into an old Hut made with mud.
She bowed into the Hut to her Sick mother who was lying on the bed. Her sick mother was able to voice out her name accompanied by coughing to showcase her need for drinking water at that moment.
Itoro turned to the water pot by the corner of the room, scooped a reasonable amount and with her hands supporting, she served her mother who slowly took sips from the cup.
Her mother cleared her throat and sternly spoke out, "my daughter, you are my joy and happiness, you are my breath, you are my strength and weakness, you are my smile and sadness. In you I have found blessings from the gods. Take this necklace."
Itoro received a necklace from her mother and wore it on her neck.
"That is a sign of our ancestralism. Any where you go, wear it, walk with it, dine with it, bathe with it. And when you pray, use it as your tool, call on your ancestors and they shall answer you!"
The final words of her sentence faded off and she passed out..
It was a tragic day for Itoro. Her sadness has found a clear journey to its apex.
First father gone, now mother gone. What on earth was left for her?
A step mother who had three children to cater for.
The Sun rose and set, the moon protruded from its absence to its half nature and to its full embodiment for the world to see, the seasons passed from wet to dry to wet, and Itoro developed into a full grown lady under the malicious protection of her step mother 'Eka Kufre'.
Itoro would have meal once a day while the other children ate satisfyingly and gave the leftovers to fowls and dogs.
Itoro would work at the farm from morning till night while the other children would be at the playground catching fun.
On a fateful day, Itoro fell so sick that she did not attend to all her duties. She skipped fetching water because that involved her moving down to the stream. She managed to do the other chores her body could favour and off she went to bed.
Early in the morning, the shout came up. This voice could not ever be compared to the crow of the cock in waking up the dreaming sleepers because it could raise the dead and bring to freshness the decayed dead.
Itoro woke up to the alarmic call and her temperature was irresistibly high and that affected her normal agility.
Before she knew it, her step mother had banged into the old mud Hut she inherited from her mother.
"You swollen up head! Why is there no water in the drums?"
Itoro stammered her words in," My health is not good mummy"
"Shut up your dirty mouth, who is your mummy? Do I look like that your old bewitched mother?"
"I'm very hot! Please pardon me. I can barely move my legs..." before she concluded, her step mother had landed her a slap.
"You better stand up now and rush to the Big stream or you will not have any food in this house for 3days."
"But today is Ukam market day and visiting the Big stream is forbidden because of the rituals performed by the priest!"
"So you knew today was Ukam market day and you did not fetch water yesterday for drinking at least? You are an evil child. Now listen, I don't care how you will do it, why you will do it from and with who you will do it. All I care is when and where you will do it because that will be done now at the big river." She stormed out of the old Hut grumbling as Itoro flashed back the statement
you will not have any food in this house for three days...
Itoro did not have another option because she was already emaciating due to her sickness and she wouldn't want to develop ulcer.
Ukam market day was a day where villagers do not not go to the big stream that they could get clean water for drinking. It was only at the big stream, you could fetch water that is purified and clean enough for drinking.
Itoro picked up the native pot and headed to the river. She walked trembling and every little step was placed with the fright of turning back. Before she knew it, she was half way, then she came across an antelope that stared at her with an angry expression.
Image Source
Itoro was so scared and her fear grew higher when the antelope asked,"who are you and why are you here? Don't you know today is the day we clean the stream? Or you want to equate your self with the spirits that guide you?"
In tears Itoro sang out to the antelope,
My name is Itoro.
I am the only child of my mother.
I lost my father then I lost my mother.
My step mother doesn't treat me well.
She has three children, I am very sick.
I couldn't fetch water yesterday and she commanded me to come here today even with my illness.
Please allow me to get at least a pot for drinking!
After singing, the antelope moved towards her roaring and when he sniffed at her neck, he saw the necklace and ran away.
Itoro did not understand the reason for the animal's sudden disappearance but she summoned up courage and kept moving.
As she moved on, she met a colony of bees and they buzzed towards her, in fright she withdrew her footsteps and before she knew it they were all around her.
Image SourceThe Queen bee yelled at her, "You female human, what bringest you to thy holy water on the day of purification? Do you want to equate yourself with thine ancestors and spirit that provide and protect you?"
Itoro in tears rendered her song again to the Bees,
My name is Itoro.
I am the only child of my mother.
I lost my father then I lost my mother.
My step mother doesn't treat me well.
She has three children, I am very sick.
I couldn't fetch water yesterday and she commanded me to come here today even with my illness.
Please allow me to get at least a pot for drinking!
After singing, the bees drew closer to her and withdrew immediately, some flew away not looking back.
The queen bee yelled, "who gave you that precious necklace?"
"It was given to me by mother!" she said trembling.
"Go to the stream! That necklace has saved your life!"
Itoro went in that way, repeating the same process with the tigers, the lions, the elephants and other dangerous animals she came across and she arrived the river.
She walked into the shallow part of the river and immediately a crocodile came out, she rendered her song and then he smiled at her saying, "You are a child of great destiny and this is the truth. You have come to us at a time we needed you and this necklace You have on is a symbol of belongingness by the direct descendants of the ancestral lineage! Drink of this water and be healed of your sickness, I give to you riches, life, happiness, prosperity, and blessings more and more! Go, all is well!"
Immediately Itoro drank the water, she was healed. She filled her calabash and as she walked home, her clothes changed to the best clothing one could have. She was refilled and healed. The animals waved at her as she made her way home.
Image SourceOn entering the village, the villagers looked at her in amazement and she smiled at them greeting them happily.
On getting home, her step mother rushed the water and was amazed at such beauty she displayed. Her waist decorated with the best beads that no-one could afford easily, she was dressed and attired in a worth of thousands of farmlands and Itoro was already enriched by the spirits of the big river.
"How did you get all these?" The step mother asked claiming relationship with her.
"On my way to the river, I met some animals and I sang to them, they blessed me and offered me all these!"
"Kufre! Atim! Ikwo! All of you come out now! Let's go to the big river!" She summoned her children and they all picked up their pots and headed to the big river to receive their own goodies!
As they passed other villagers, they received negative compliments and remarks.
"You greedy woman, where are you going? You think the gods will favour you?"
As they got into the main route, the antelope came out and yelled at them asking for their reason for coming out.
Eka Kufre and her children threw stones at the antelope who fought them and gave them injuries before he finally retired. As they went on, they met the colony of bees, the bees stung them badly and they could barely see their way.
On meeting the lions and tigers, they were attacked seriously and their fleshes torn and the tigers and lions fed on their fleshes.
They were able to crawl down the river and on stepping their feet on the river, the crocodile came out, laughed at them and swallowed them all!
After the Ukam market day, Villagers who went to the stream saw blood all around and came to report to the village authorities. It was confirmed that Eka Kufre and her children had been eaten by the wild animals.
Itoro lived happily ever after and enjoyed her wealth!
This was one of the tales that mama told us.