It was virgin land, so versatile and so promising that whosoever had it owned everything. The myths built around this land made it a mecca for neighbors who could only wish to have a permanent hold of it but could not. It was so powerful that it was believed that the spirits walked in it in the daytime, for people who were endowed with exceptional vision to see that far, and they were but a few.
In it, every hill, every valley, every plain land, every water body, and most of its plants were either owned by spirits, or were possessed by them. Almost everything was something great in this virgin land that had defiled all entreaties of man to be owned or be possessed by mere mortals. The sacredness of this land became in itself a wrecking fear in the hearts, and temples of both its admirers and the people who lived in dread of its glories and mysteries.
Who wouldn't live in fear of a land where black whitens the white and mere birds sing in glorious tunes initiated in the mystery of awesomeness to heal body ailments of ones who could hear them from afar?
Yes, at the peak of its virginity, people who were allowed to fetch from her waters after spiritual consultation for rite of passage became more powerful in their healing practices as healers, and for a few of those that succeeded in fetching from Nwanuhie, no barren women leave their shrines without assurance of having their babies in the next ten months. No matter how aged they were, unless their barrenness was from ebibi- a vow or swear word made by one's reincarnated soul.
A land that had no healers and seers in the middle of it, at least, to welcome strangers, was the very land whose trails and tales are being revealed here. The voices of the spirits of this land were heard further off, audibly, than among its immediate neighbors. The immediate neighbors were only gifted with the ability to hear the echoes of the voices, and not the voices. And if there was anyone who wished to hear what the spirits of Eke land were saying, they went as far as Uga to read up the marks on the fallen Abosi leaves in the central market square.
On these journeys, it was always the Uba family, who were from Uga, but residing in Ndi Ikpa as blacksmiths that took them to Uga for divination. Their patriarch, Uba himself, made a vow never to receive money or any gift before and after leading such journeys. To him, people should live to profit others in need. This singular vow of a man became a normal for his children and a tradition among his family's generations. None was a seer, at least, to the best knowledge of others, but they made sure that people that needed help with divination, called afa, or healing, were taken to Ezemmuo Enem Ogwugwu- the priest of Enem Ogwugwu, without a pay, in Uga.
There was a time when immediate neighbors of this dreaded land became so jealous of the of the people of Uga as they thought that they were better in geographical closeness, to be the consultants for the Spirits of Eke Land, but instead, they ended up making long journeys to Uga to get divination on matters of concern to them. Out of jealousy, Ndi Ikpa planted an Abosi tree in their market square with the help of eight diviners, of which four were from Ndieri and the other four diviners were of Aro people. They were great diviners in their own rights.
Abosi started growing so well, but had an astonishing surprise to usher Ndi Ikpa. Unlike what they knew about planted tree branches, this Abosi refused to shed off its dead leaves and still kept them all intact even at maturity. This incident only means one thing. It means that Ndi Ikpa still has a long way to go in their divination. They would still trek across many lands and morning dew, endure rain and scotching sun to make it to Uga to get divination, no matter how urgent the need of the consultation.
Uga was far. It was a journey of seven hours, and coming back took as much, except it was less hilly, traveling back to Ndi Ikpa. The natural push one gets from behind when returning from the hilltop makes the journey less tasking.
Ndi Ikpa people were great men of war and farmers which put them in constant need of the services of the Uba's family, the blacksmithing family, who were tenants in Ndi Ikpa village for almost sixty years. Those days, they were faced with an uncertain future from open incursion into their land from the people of Nkwerre, who had advanced in warfare following their skill in the fabrication of den guns which they were advancing at the time. In fact, Nkwerre people became denizens of troubled spots around their homeland because of this capacity.
They were one village far from Eke Land. That village was Ndi Ikpa village. However, all of them still ended up in Uga during consultation of Eke Spirits.
Ezemmuo, the priest of Enem Ogwugwu, had told Ojiofor, the leader of Ndi Ikpa, last time they visited Ogwugwu shrine that they should prepare for war. According to him, two forces shall rise against them; one shall be peopled by men of war and others shall be coming from forces living above humans who shall come to deliver the person who they shall choose to reward his good with evil.
''Pray rather to fall into the hands of the Nkwerres. For you might meet an in-law, or a friend, on the war front who might remember your face, your honor, your goodwill and choose to respect your weakness of the time and spare your miserable life, rather than falling into the hands of the gods, whose mystery is unknown and dreadful, who shall choose to repay debt you own your strangers'' he said.
These words meant so much to Ojiofor, a man of age, wisdom, and an age-long war general of his village who had washed his hands many times in blood during his heyday. He came out of Ogwugwu shrine with a face so rumbled and gloomy that the sky could drop some tears, to meet his friend, Otika, who was of the third generation of Uba's family. He had stopped at his family house to do some libation and prayer beside the graveyard of His Grandfather Uba and his own Father, Ekena, as it is a cultural practice among the Igbos, in today's Nigeria, to not walk past their houses on journeys within their villages without going in to greet their ancestors.
Dee Otika, as he was fondly called by the people of Ndi Ikpa, noticed the sad look on the face of Ojiofor. ''Why are you looking this weak, Ojiofor, I hope all is well?'' he asked. ''It is not that well, but it is only death that has no remedy'' Ojiofor replied, tiredly, almost at the entrance of Ogwugwu shrine. ''Well, you spoke the truth there. I would like to meet Ezemuo. I want to know how our New Yam Festival this year will be celebrated'' Otika cooed, before going in to see Ezemmuo, who was also his relative.
Ojiofor took a seat in the Reception Hut, but he could hear the pleasantries being exchanged between these two kinsmen. He only owned them laughter and smiles while they bathed themselves with those hailing words that could bring down an Iroko tree without a blade cut. Smiling, laughing and coughing must have given him some pressure that made him leave the hut, to urinate.
When he walked further off to urinate, the two kinsmen had time to go deeply into conversation as Ezemmuo beckoned Otika to follow him into the backyard. In the backyard, his aged mother was preparing ogiri- fermented melon seed, for the next day's market.
''Mother, how are you doing?'' Otika asked Ezemmuo's mother. ''I am fine, my son. Welcome home'' she replied, excitedly. Otika was about going further with the pleasantries when Ezemmuo interrupted.
''Please, you can continue with the conversation after giving you this message'' he said, placing his left hand on the shoulder of Otika, and made him move with him closer to the edge of his backyard. ''I have sacrifice to send to the stream before I miss water spirits today'' he continued, looking back to be sure that nobody was paying attention to their tete-a-tete.
''Is it because I accompanied my friend to come to see you that you now remembered how important the message you have for me is?'' Otika asked, jokingly. ''I would have come with dream to inform you to return home for it, unless you are no more living in purity to understand my message'' Ezemmuo quipped. ''Trust me, purity is key'' Otika replied.
''You see, I know you still remember, in our last lives, I was your father, and in our present lives we are cousins, but I am your elder, which still puts me on a higher authority over you in some ways. Again, you see with two eyes. I have four. It means, I owe you debt in certain ways. I may choose to sleep, but I can't choose to be blind in matters that matter. At least, the gods of our ancestors have given me two extra eyes to see more clearly, and two extra ears to hear more clearly than ordinary humans. Others envy me for this, but within me, I know that there is no task greater than being the one who is awake when others are having their sleep. I am always made to keep vigil for this, so that people with ordinary eyes like yourself, can sleep. I did not choose this for myself. My brother, listen to me and listen very carefully. There is something hovering in the sky over, Ndi Ikpa village. It is not a good sign. Come home with your family, or if you choose to be stubborn, send those children back home to me. I can feed them with joy until this sky settles.
''You are a good blacksmith like our forebears. You are very good at making spears, hoes and traps. It is about time you made a brain and live for it. Prepare your family and return home. Stay at least a year, this ruin will pass, and you shall be saved. I don't like the shape of your ears this morning, so I have to be blunt now. There is a calamity at the door of Ndi Ikpa. They may choose to kill their savior in their desperate quest to beat their enemies. War is fought with every sense of insanity. You might be unlucky fighting alongside the most insane, and he will use your innocent life to welcome back his sanity. And before then you are gone. I am telling you as I heard.
''Please, be far away while we watch. A power has risen to dominate, but it will fall faster if others can learn faster. But nothing goes down without another going down with it. You may go now, but while you journey back with Ojiofor, let the topics that will be discussed be his. Spare him yours. Yours came from a brother, and his, from the gods. Everything will profit you, but yours is the most important'' Ezemmuo said.
Otika looked up with a heavy laden heart to fathom something out of all that Ezemmuo had said. He turned and looked around, took a breather, only to lower his head down, inhaling silence, as his face faced the ground as though the red earth was owing him. Alas, with a sudden movement, he raised his face and looked straight into the eyes of Ezemmuo, giving out a sigh as many thoughts clouded his mind.
''My senior brother, Ezemmuo, I have heard everything you have said. Thank you. I will heed your advice. Let's start going now. Half of the day is far spent'' he said.-
Otika left Ezemmuo to meet Ojiofor at the Reception Hut, popularly called Obu, or Obi, among the Igbos. ''Please, don't be annoyed about wasting your time. He was trying to brief me about the last meeting our kinsmen had for funeral preparation for our grandson from Aguata'' he pleaded with Ojiofor.
''You don't have to worry about all that, after all, this is your home, although ours is a long journey. But there is no problem. And please, sorry for the loss of your relative'' Ojiofor said, sympathetically. ''There is no problem, God knows the best'' Otika responded while they stood up to take their leave.
They were very hungry. The only thing in their stomachs since morning was agbarati they bought while going to Orie Uga market square. They had reserved some for their journey back to Ndi Ikpa. It was a sunny day and a good day to have after planting when many farmers prayed to have enough rain to water their farms. Their clay bottled water has become so warm.
Such a long journey demands cold water to tame the body's rising temperature, and the road was such a narrow long road to Ndi Ikpa village. ''Ojiofor, I think we will have to stop over at the stream to take a bath and eat up the remaining agbarati to regain some strength. I didn't meet my Uncle's wife at home. We would have had at least a nice meal before embarking on this journey back'' Otika said. ''I have thought about this at least twice since we started the trek'' Ojiofor replied in acceptance.