It was then, the whole scenario came fully in sight. Ararughi and some men were trying to revive that same person who had fallen from high altitude. Her heart beat faster as she stretched to see who was the victim, and akin to her fear, it was her own Aneke who was close to death. The men gave her the space as she bent towards him and pulled him to her bosom.
She wept seeing him in pains.
With his right arms and both legs sprained off joints and profuse bleeding from his nose and ear, the injury he'd acquired was an eyesore.
This was too bad to be true! She wished that she didn't even wasted much time talking to Ajuka when she could have reverse this lurid scene. Not to forget the nefarious 'demon' Akwanwa who had made things like that.
She winced her body like she was the one in his condition while Ararughi was making every possible means to revive the young man at the very edge of death. She bit her lips, cursing Akwanwa with every words that came to her mind. An incorrigible blood sucker, an infamous enigma and every bad name on earth. But would that reverse the deed that has been done? There was an incipient irregularity of heartbeat felt in his chest, coupled with the numbness in his metacarpi.
Dim, dimmer and more dimmer his eyes went, Uju quickly knelt beside him, shaking him gently to be sure he was still awake. Everyone was running here and there fetching all species of medicated leaves, to restore him back to normalcy. Uju felt an unconscious dropping of his neck away from her bosoms to the opposite direction.

"Aneke! Aneke! Aneke!" she shook him violently, but there was no response. Ararughi bent himself towards him blowing the leaves he'd put in the smoke at him, he didn't cough.
Tension heightened amongst the men, as more effort was made to revive the young man, but all was futile.
Ararughi stood up moved to one side of the bush, while everyone was so curious about what he wanted to say. He shook his head,

"So this is death!" he said with a rueful smile.
The word "death" sounded like a metal gong in Uju's ears. She didn't want to believe that it had happened.

"No! My husband can't be dead! Aneke is not dead! Don't tell me that." Uju screamed.
Some men had just arrived to witness this scene. Those were the men who had chased after Uju to know where she was heading to. They missed their route, hence the reason for their late arrival.
They'd come and had witnessed this unfortunate incidence, they'd asked many questions but how would it be answered. That someone who'd left the house hale and hearty had met his death on the way? What mystery.
Uju was left alone to her tears, everyone was too shocked to even console a weeping woman.
They surrounded the corpse, examining it one after the other, shaking their head and moving away.
Together, they wrapped the corpse in a cloth, and carried it back home.
Uju didn't go with them, she went straightforward into the village in hunt for the blood sucking demon called Akwanwa.

*****
Her temper boiled like steam, with incipient bad blood towards Akwanwa kept heightening at each step she made to Umudioga. Whoever she met she asked about where the heinous girl resided.
She was going to kill her, she said to herself. This same girl who'd succeeded in taking away Ifenna from her, had successfully, inflicted another big injury in her heart by killing her husband on their wine-carrying ceremony.
Soon, she got into Ararume's compound after a long time not visiting there. Nothing much had really changed there, except for the house which had gotten to a state of dilapidation, as opposed to the newly renovated building she'd left to serve her banishment. She was here looking for Akwanwa. One would wonder what she was going to do to her.

"Akwanwa, come out here and face me," she challenged, "you move like the coward you are, and attack from the back. Shameless witch! Come in any form you like, a grasscutter, an antelope or even a lion." she said with partial tears.
Someone was coming out from the house, Uju posed herself for a fight. She was disappointed that it wasn't Akwanwa but her mother, Nwabiala who'd been sleeping that had come to know who was barking.

"Who is that person that have sworn to disturb my peace in this house," as she came outside and saw Uju she said sardonically, "oh you!"

"Tell Akwanwa to come out from where she is hiding o!"

"Shut up," she snapped in, "do you expect a married woman to be in her father's house, you envious and embittered heart!"

"If I'm the one that is envious as you have said why did she kill my husband behind my back?" when she mentioned this word, it was usually accompanied with tears.

"Go away, witch. You've succeeded in killing your husband, and you want to put it on my daughter," she moved and brought out her tongue before her face, "you failed! Witch!"
Uju was boiling in anger while the older woman kept raining insults on her, she had to leave the ranting woman and go her way. She came for a purpose, and exchanging words with a sick old woman wasn't part of it.
She surmised from the look of events, that Akwanwa would be with Ifenna wherever he was, if she wouldn't be hiding like a coward would do.
She'd already left Nwabiala to her ranting, and had gone making enquiries about Akwanwa's whereabout.

At last, she found herself in the territory of her adversary, after walking a distance to get to that point. She looked up, down, left and right, in alert of unexpected terror. The adversary was never to be trusted when it got to do with a fight, she might come from behind, anywhere, but it is an act of cowardice.
The door was slide open, and Uju posed for a duel but was disappointed. It wasn't her but her husband.
Uju's temper fell lukewarm when she saw him, come out.

"Where is she?" she tried maintaining her stern look, but he wouldn't shiver at that. Uju, he know, was harmless and nothing related to her look.

"What troubles the unfortunate lolo of my enemy?" he asked returning her stern look with a wild grim, "Are you not suppose to be carrying your wine to your lord?"

"Do you mean to say, "what troubles the b1tch from burying her beast"? " that was Akwanwa coming out from the room with full ego, leaning on the door. That was just insult added to the injury she'd inflicted on her. Her inciting statement had just proven her suspicion right. Not to ignore the fact that she was proud of her act.

"So its true! You killed him," Uju said in tears.

"He was already doomed and destined to die, you know his father was a heartless murderer, and his death was well deserved, because curse flow in their blood."
What wicked statement to make, which got to show that she had no remorse for what she did.
Uju made a belligerent approach towards her, but she was calmed by the warm touch that drew her back gently. She wasn't defiant, moreover, Ifenna wasn't violent, pulling her towards him. He said nothing, only leaving her to her stares at Akwanwa.
Akwanwa rolled her eyes past her and went for Ifenna's hand, she was going to make more inciting comment, Uju can melt if she wants to.
"You see my dear sister, the father of your husband killed my brothers, as well as your sister, and many people from Umudioga, and gave us the biggest blow by killing our king and sitting on his throne," she got more serious while speaking, and also pointing her fingers to her face, "yet you have the temerity to come here and defend that demon."

"Yes, Akwanwa, Konaso deserved the worst, but Aneke was a good person, very unlike his father. Why did you kill him? Have you not done enough? Taking Ifenna from me, and now you killed Aneke, my husband." she said in tears.

"Cry no more! The gods have just brought justice upon our land, and the rightful king have come to take his place," she said lifting Ifenna's right arm to the air, while he remained supine like a carved object, "and his lolo will be also be at the helm of power, overseeing the entire affairs of the umuada as the queen of the entire Ozalla-Umudioga kingdom."
Ifenna smiled sheepishly as she crossed his arms round her shoulder.

"And don't worry about your well-being," he said with a soothing smile, "we will accomodate you like a sister, and member of our family."

"Where?" Akwanwa cut in, "she can't stay in that house with us. She will go back to her husband's hometown, or rather the forest where she belongs." Ifenna didn't object, while Uju was slightly dazed. It seems Ifenna had been hypnotized to bow in acquiescence to all she says. That is, Ifenna on the throne would also be tantamount to a kingdom ruled by Akwanwa. His soul was tied for life, that he couldn't take decision of his own, she wouldn't let her plans go smoothly.

"Akwanwa, i would rather die than see you sit on that throne. " Uju swore with sand in her palms.

"Then try me!" she retorted with a wild smile.

Come and continue oooo. This suspense is getting intense.

ewo! and u say i shudnt pay ur groom price?

Eze!!! Afta all dis yrs of waitin 4 an update,d best u culd do is leave us wip high b.q??u no try at all

LOL, EZE Caught me. . .but atleast I quoted you before view her pics unlike you.





B2b

Eze why are you rushing this story now? Things are happening so fast. . .please relax and go gente by gente because I can percieve you'r hiding some things from us. . .lol.

Come and continue oh, I can't really predict this story again. You don twist am pass my memory.

Nice Four Boss..

yes ooo... you na.

Nice one

Boss Eze, I'm on my knees oo. Come and Update please, you hiding nothing...

Promoe!!!!!!

Ebe ka I no? Finish this chapter at least before suspense will kill a sister here.

Hope you good though?

Make i join dem ask you to please update

Eze Promoe: I'm back

k so come and roll out the drums-updates i min

Eze Promoe: I'm back

oya na cm update,suspence don finish me here,who ban u sef witout asking me?

[size=14pt]24[/size]

Olieze's days in Aro had been hell. Oppression from her mother's sister was becoming unbearable, and she'd been regretting ever coming there to find succor.
Right from the first day she stepped her feet in that house, the troublesome woman, who was the youngest sister of her mother, hadn't conceal the bad blood which she had for their family. She couldn't bear this anymore, the world seemed to be turning upside down.
This sort of approach she got from her kinsmen wouldn't be unconnected to her father's misanthropic lifestyle, in which he had made himself repulsive to almost all.
Asides been an irritable tyrant, late Konaso was an incorrigible misanthrope. During his lifetime, he always made enemies with other kingdoms, instigating wars even when there was no need for it.
In this case, every villagers had been made to have visceral dislike for anything from Ozalla. People even called them cursed, hence dissociating themselves from any association with anyone from there. There had been mild speculations in Umudioga that Konaso might have regretted his act and was trying to make it up by merging the two kingdoms, to make reparation for his kingdom.
The idea behind Abodioga kingdom, was strongly detested by the people of Umudioga because they wanted to save their reputation, but they had a weak resistant force, as they had most of their strong men consumed by the war.
That brutal war against Umudioga had earned every villager from Ozalla, hate from all the surrounding villages, and here it was affecting Olieze.

She woke up one faithful morning, not talking or greeting anyone, but going straight out of the compound. Noone cared to know where she was going to. It was none of their business wherever she went.
Olieze was really up to something nasty, but they cared less.

Olieze felt her life been shattered. What was the need to be alive, when you are been rejected by everyone. It was just as bad as being an outcast.
Olieze sat under a palm tree by the road size thinking about her life, where and who would she run to, now it seems everything was lost.
When she had ran out of her maternal home, she had an initial motive of ending the miserable thing called life, somewhere. But on a second thought, she decided to eject such thought from her mind. She hated her thoughts for that, it went too far. She had a brother, and an only surviving brother for that matter. Despite being despised by her brother just for the sake of a woman, there was no need seeking death not for anything her brother might have said to her.
Besides the fact that what her brother did to her is forgiveable, it would also be shame on her side to terminate her life.
She found herself walking on a stray path, where she was going to she didn't know. How unconscious deep thought could make someone be. Olieze was just sauntering in a lonely path of a bush, not even bothering to know if it was safe for her to do so.

Update ooooooo! Stop viewing!

She only walked few steps further, and was stopped by a heavy downpour which she saw closer to her. The sight of it was like mystery because where she stood it was a fair weather, but only ten steps could lead her into the land where it rained. She had never seen such mystery in her life before. What had she gotten herself into?
She tried dodging the rain storm by diverging into the other pathway which was more bushy, still she didn't know where she was going.
Could she have been lost? While she was looking around to see if he could spot a person in sight, she felt a sharp piercing pain on her foot. She had stepped on an object, and it was so painful and she was sure that she had incurred injury on the process.
She looked downwards to see what had caused her so much pains, and lo, it was a trap. How come she hadn't seen it at the first glance.
She cried out in pains, that people might hear her from a distance,

"I'm dying, somebody help me!"

"You are not dying," she turned her neck to see who just spoke to her. She was quite a young woman who might be of the same age bracket as her. Not only that also, she was pregnant. Of all people, it was a pregnant woman who came to her rescue. She was actually Ulumma, but Olieze wouldn't know because they've never met before.

"How in this world did you get into this Agumba's troublesome and restless trap?" she said as she got her foot out of the snare. It hurt her so much and she was bleeding profusely. Ulumma took straps from plantain sucker and clothed her wound.

"It is raining towards that direction," she pointed to the particular place she'd seen the rain, "so I left the major route to avoid getting drenched."
Ulumma looked perplexed at her description. If it were raining, she would have seen or heard when she was coming. Where she was pointing was also the direction to Agumba's court.

"Rain? Where?"

"Over there, I can still see it from afar," she was still pointing to that direction. Ulumma's was more bewildered that she almost doubted if she was really sane, or could it be one of Agumba's tricks.
Seems like that, Ulumma remembered she'd gone through same experience before coming to encounter Agumba. Could it be Agumba's way of welcoming visitors? She kept on asking herself questions which only her would give the answer to it.
Well if that is the case, then she is welcomed. Even without that, it was in her discretion to help someone whom had gotten into trouble since she was the only one around. But she still wondered why Agumba hadn't come to the rescue himself as he had done when she and Inene had experienced such.

"Please would you come with me to the house, so that I can take good care of your wound,." she said with a jovial smile.

"You are really taking me to your house?" Olieze said incredulously. This request Ulumma had made was very unusual, especially now that people discriminated people from Ozalla. She managed to leap on one foot and go with her new host.

Her hostess' room wasn't bad, just that it looked more like a shrine than a house.

"Is your husband a spiritualist?" that was the question that came from her. She didn't know how sad she had made Ulumma to be with this question, though she meant no harm.
What do she answer the inquisitor? That she didn't have a husband while she had a protruded stomach? What will that say about her? That she was a harlot, at her young age? There was no need pondering over which answer to give her. Afterall, she was just a stranger and she would just have to accept whatever she is told.

"This place belongs to Agumba, the spiritualist."

"You mean you live here with Agumba alone?" she asked with perplexity. Could Agumba be the husband she found so hard to mention? If it were, then she already understand. Now her suspicion grew bigger but she needed more unanswered question to ask to buttress her suspicion.
Ulumma was getting bored and uncomfortable with her questions, not only that but also for the fact that she asked it in a puerile manner.

"No, not alone," Ulumma almost shouted at her, making her startled, "Would you allow me treat your wound?"
She shook her head aghastly like she saw a lioness before her.

"I want to go!" she said with childish sulk. Ulumma wondered if she'd been so harsh to make her feel insecure with her. What kind of girl was that? Just a mere hoarse voice could make her shiver like a pneumoniac child. She saw Olieze standing up to leave, but drew her back to seat.

"I'm sorry for been harsh," she apologised after a pause. Olieze found her nerves calming, looking at Ulumma intently at what she was up to. Of course, it was to cure her wound.
Ulumma deeped a piece of rag in a warm water, touching round the wound.

"Its good to know that you now want to take my place in this house," it was Agumba who had just came in, that was speaking jokingly. His eyes soon clashed with that of Olieze, and the injury on her foot, Ulumma noticed some exchange of glance between them. Like they knew each other somewhere.

"Is it not that your mischievous trap that is the cause of all these? Remove that trap, afterall it hadn't caught any animal, only human beings," Ulumma said with no trace of smile on her face to show that she might be joking, yet Agumba laughed hysterically like she had made a big joke.

"When did I became a hunter that I'll start setting trap for animals, or do I say human beings." he said sardonically before heading directing his gaze back to Olieze.

"Eeyaa! Poor girl. You have really suffered a lot." Olieze had pity for herself, now that someone had acknowledged her suffering.
Why she still had her words in her mouth, the wooden door squeaked open and someone whom she knew very well, not mistaken, was the one behind the door. It was Inene.
She dilated her eyes in amazement, more confused of what was going on. She didn't hide her feeling to herself any longer as she voiced her surprise.

"Inene!"

"My princess!" she still accorded her that respect even though they were very far from the palace. There have never been any feud between them, most likely they were casual friends.
Apart from Inene once being their cook, she'd once also been her personal maid, of which she was responsible of attending to few of her private matters.
Ulumma was surprised at the way her friend bowed before the stranger. She herself wouldn't have done that even though it was a king, as long as they weren't in his kingdom.
But there was one thing Ulumma was yet to come in term with. Did Inene actually said she was a princess? Of which kingdom?

"Are you a princess?" she asked her with a perplexed wince. Olieze was too focus on Inene that she didn't heard when Ulumma asked her that.

"Inene, what are you doing here?"
Inene's heart fluttered as she tried to regain courage to speak with the princess. When she couldn't she would divert her attention towards Ulumma to answer the question she had since asked,

"Ulu, this is our princess," Inene said stammering and wobbling in timidity, "the princess of Ozalla," she made sure she avoided saying "the daughter of Konaso" so that it wouldn't spoil her mood. How was she sure that she wouldn't know that a princess of Ozalla is akin to a daughter of Konaso, or does Ozalla a double kingdom?
Ulumma actually felt bad coming to know the truth about Olieze's identity. Her approach towards her guest turned cold, leaving her with the boiled water and running outside the compound to weep her eyes out.
Inene also looked depressed also because she had a news to break that was likely to put the princess in like situation with her friend. Whatever it may be, she never wanted that to happen else how would she be able to console two weeping women at the same time. It would be one before the other.
She went out to meet Ulumma, but reaching out there, she saw that she wasn't really weeping, just sobs. She came subtly in a way she didn't notice her so soon,

"Ulumma!" the call of her name startled her, as if a shock was sent through her spines.

"Inene," she replied almost absent-mindedly in a befuddled state of mind. She wasn't actually expecting her at that moment.

"Why did your mood changed instantly as you saw Olieze? Is there anything you had against her?"

"No, Inene, you know about me and her brother," she said with deep sorrow, covering her face with her palms.

"You also know about me and her father." Ulumma looked up at her like she regained courage at the instance. Inene always had her way of bringing up life stories which tend to be a soothing word.

"Akunyeli, you don't understand what I go through right now."

"I do, Ulumma. Olieze will really need us beside her now, she has just lost her only surviving brother," her voice became lower as she tried to be discreet from Olieze's hearing.
Ulumma had shock inscripted all over her face. Could she be refering to Aneke? That is what it could be all about.

"Akunyeli, don't tell me that it's Aneke you are talking about!" she bursted out.

"That's the problem I wish could be reversible," she made a very long agonizing hum sound. Ulumma screamed loudly like she was actually weeping for a deceased husband.
Olieze was quick to overhear them screaming the name of her brother. Why should that be?
She leaped to where they were, but was surprised to see them halted. They were actually pretending like nothing happened, but Olieze was not dumb to not notice that all wasn't well.

"What's happening here!" she asked, panting heavily like she'd battled a lion. Inene was very much down in the dumps, breaking such news. She felt totally embattled within her, she couldn't summon that discretion to tell her what she needed to know, hence putting the poor princess in suspense. But she wouldn't do this forever.

"Princess Olieze!" she regurgitated, "I'm very depressed to say this, but but," there was a slur coming from Inene there which made Olieze more furious.

"See, Inene if you have nothing to tell me, why not keep it to yourself," she said grimly as she wanted to move back to the hut. This was where Ulumma had to come in, since Inene didn't have the grit to break the news.

"Your brother is dead!" she cringed why she let out the heart glitching news. Olieze looked back at her with a scowl, as if she was going to do something bad to her.

"You have to stop that play," she retorted, "I've seen a lot of death already, and I don't joke with it. Besides weren't you the one asking me few moments ago, who I am?"

"It's true, princess!" Inene confirmed as she patted her back to mollify her.

"Even if I should give in to this staged up story of yours, why should it be coming from someone who don't know me anywhere." she spoke with distraught.

"No, I told her," Inene would just have stopped at here if she knew what would be the consequence of what she was about to do, "notwithstanding, you would know better when I tell you about her." she said with a faint smile. After a pause, she held Ulumma's hand to introduce her to the befuddled princess.
"This is your sister in-law," she managed a wink.
Olieze pulled away from them, because she was already angry with them for playing tricks on her as she still felt within her, now they want to come up with another.

"Even you the tricksters are confused!" Olieze said coldly.

"No, its not trick. You should know better that she, Ulumma, is the only sister of Uju, your brother's wife!" she said alightedly.

"What? Is that true?" she asked, anticipating a reply from Ulumma herself.

"Yes!" she answered with a smile and then back to the mood of the moment.
Olieze cringed back in disgust as she spat on the floor,

"Why didn't you tell me this before giving me the food and water you gave to me," Inene felt embarrassed with Olieze's act towards her friend.

"Princess, how could you be so mean to a lady, who is also carrying your...." Ulumma rushed, almost stumbling on her feet, and held grip Inene's lips tightly together.

Me, I don't take craps ooo. I'd have woozed Olieze two years ago, if I was in Ulumna's shoes. Take your princesshood back to abyss. . .

Nice four Eze

Stil waiting