Opuji licked his lips seductively to make his rough look appear cool, he made a step closer to her, but each step he made, Uju made two steps backward.
This made Opuji angrier as he drew closer and held her tight to himself, Uju shivered without uttering a word, sweat was flowing like spring. Opuji raised his spear and pointed it towards her neck,

"You either let this in," he said pointing to his manliness, "or I let this in," he pointed to the spear already close to her neck.

Uju shook her head at quick interval, Opuji was already on her föndling her brëasts which she wasn't getting comfortable with, she wanted to let a scream before Opuji noticed,

"Any scream from you, you're going to your grave right now." he said sternly with wicked grin.

"Please I beg you in the name of the gods and my ancestors, don't do this to me." Uju pleaded, but Opuji was now hard on her, almost undressing her.

"Opuji, you're mad o," a voice behind him said, his focus on his pleasure made him thought it was one of the voices in him. But he came to realise it was Nweke, he'd been with him all but excused himself from Opuji to go and defecate. Opuji himself had forgotten so soon that he had a company.
Nweke disengaged Opuji from her with a sharp kick, and Opuji responded to stimuli.

"Opuji, i say you're mad." Uju had already ran some distance away, Opuji took his bow and spear to make a shoot at the running lady, Nweke intercepted.

"Nweke, you're a devil. Look she ran away." Opuji said angrily and almost felt like trusting the spear in his stomach.

"Opuji, how would you want to defile a daughter of Umudioga, are you sane?"

"Did you say she's from Umudioga?"

"That lady you wanted to defile was my cousin."

"Was your cousin?" he asked bewildered,
"and what is she now to you."

"Osu!"

"What? She's an outcast?" Opuji couldn't believe what he just heard, he shook his head, regretting his action, he revulsed.

"And you were almost bitten by a snake before i disengaged you."

"And you let it go alive?"

"It was smart enough to escape my stone." Nweke said as Opuji shrugged.
They proceeded into the villagers settlement, were it was likely that most of their noblemen lived, and laid ambush for their adversaries.
Someone was coming, and looking from afar, the person coming was a royalty looking at her dress, because she was a woman. But coming closer, she was appearing more younger, accompanied by a guard and another lady. It was their lone princess, Konaso's only daughter and her personal guard became prey for the blood thirsty avengers. Opuji grew hörny once again, he had missed the other, no thanks to Nweke, but this NO, he thought to himself. Opuji, Nweke and three others were there, so they hid themselves, waiting for them to get close.
The ready-to-be preys fell into the hands of their assailants, the guard brought out his sword and fought with his might, he must have been a trained one because he fought and wounded two of them, the lone princess, who was Olieze by name, Konaso's daughter and her friend took on their heels, but were overtaken by the ever-hörny Opuji and Nweke, the remaining three had succeeded in killing the guard.
Patience was nowhere to be found anytime Opuji was sexually excited, he did everything hastily as if the victim would disappear anytime. He hurriedly unclothed her waist bead, and buba, she made all effort to break off his grip but to no avail, Opuji forced her legs with open and thumped in and out at close interval, she screamed in pains but Opuji held her mouth open by filling it with cassava stem and tied it, she tried using sharp objects from the ground to stab his back, but he grabbed her hands and held it together with his knees making sure she didn't move her hands. Her friend couldn't watch with her eyes what was been done to her friend. Nweke kept on his grope on her, she fidgeted. He was anticipating to lay with the princess, but Opuji was riding like a power horse.
Ikeagwu and Ifenna heard the scream of what sounded like that of a lady, they traced the voice to one of the ambushes. Ifenna was deeply disgusted by what he saw, he cut a branch of cassava and stoned Opuji who was out of the world, he was startled. Noone has seen when Ifenna and Ikeagwu came in.

"Opuji, why?" Ifenna queried.

"Prince, you should have told me you had a crush on her and we'll respect that." he was panting heavily.

"Will you stop that joke," he said angrily, "you were so careless, i can't believe also that Nweke of all people will stay here and watch why all this is going on".

"I told him but he wouldn't listen," Nweke lied.

"Oh, don't tell me that. You guys are so heartless that you couldn't consider a tender damsel and let her go in peace. Your enemies are the warriors whom you're supposed to be fighting not innocent ladies."
Olieze's friend felt a bit relaxed as Ifenna spoke. she was lucky not to have fallen prey before Ifenna arrived. Ifenna was still talking, Opuji felt unconcerned, he moved away from his position leaving Nweke only to be spoken to by Ifenna.

"Nweke, you have a sister and you wouldn't like this to be done to your sister, would you?"

"Please, spare me all this, it seems you've forgotten that we're revenging what they did to our women, of which my step sister was also a victim, stop pretending to please the ladies, no matter how innocent they are, they're still our enemies." Nweke said angrily and walked out of his presence. Ikeagwu was confused on who to side, Ifenna looked at him. They were now alone with the ladies.

"Imagine, what excuse he's giving." he said.

"He may be right." Ikeagwu said and walked out. Ifenna squatted beside Olieze, and watched her intently as she sobbed, her friend also watched out for what he'll say.

"My princess, i'm sorry!"

Sorry? Is that all he could say? Olieze's friend was angry at this word, she shaded him out of her way and made for Olieze's hand.

"Come, let's go, he has nothing to say." Olieze stood up reluctantly as she held her hand to lift her to her feet. Ifenna kept on pleading as they walked out on him. They came out on the pathway luckily they saw three hunters who had just caught a grasscutter and were rushing to the market to sell it before it gets dark.

"What happened to our princess," they asked uniformly with shock, because blood was flowing from somewhere that aroused their suspicion, and right in the bush was a man standing, which could prove their suspicion to be right.
Olieze and her friend were embarrassed seeing this, they had wiped the little that flow after Opuji had finished with her but it stilled gushed out.
Olieke pointed towards Ifenna's direction. Ifenna wondered what they were discussing and why she pointed at him.
Is she now pointing the accusation to him?
He sensed that everything may not be alright when the men were advancing towards him, he retreated gradually, they were still coming closer, he took to his heels.

I can sense Ifenna is in trouble

Eze Promoe: *Dusts cobwebs from thread*
*Chases rats and cockroaches*
*Sprinkles holy water*

So where hav u been?

English classes? Well, maybe u needed it.
Monday?! Dnt give me that! After almost 2 weeks of absence, u come on Fri/sat to tell me Monday again??

Eze Promoe:
My Ingleesh klasis will feenish toomoro. YUZEDO is my tichar

Yuzedo? Ok o. Whortevar you do, dont let him torn you to gateman in his banana iceland manshun.

Eze u dey fall ma hand big time o...........

Eze Promoe:
Oga no vex o, na Satan cause am

dont blame satan for anything o...

Uju ran home without looking back, she had nearly been molested, thanks to Nweke. She left her basket of cocoyam where her assailant was, she didn't bothered what she had lost for that day because she did it to save life and dignity of course. She ran like she wanted to overtake the moon. Reaching home, she panted heavily and breath a sigh of relief. She looked around the surrounding, it was dirty, probably no work have been done to keep it clean. What has Ulumma been doing all day long that she couldn't even pick up a broom to sweep the surrounding, she asked herself. She went into the hut to really get answers to this question. The only excuse she would take is that she was pregnant. Idleness was a rare phenomenon especially now they found themselves in an unfriendly environment.
Uju went inside the hut, and was shocked beyond speech at what she saw. It was Aruma critically ill on her bed, she hadn't shown any sign of illness before she left for the market. The way things were happening was becoming like mystery to her, she looked at Ulumma, worry also written on her face, she wished a medicine man was present to take care of the poor old woman, but that can't happen after her adventure on her way back from market.

"Mama fell on the ground," Ulumma said when she saw that Uju couldn't utter a word, she had to speak to break the silence. Aruma squirted to see who she was talking to. It was Uju. She hadn't expected her so early but she then remember the ordeal at the market place.

"I thank the gods that you're here and you aren't hurt," she managed to say in faint voice.

"Mama, you won't believe it o, i encountered them on the way and they almost molested me, but someone my cousin saved me." Uju narrated in brief, making Aruma cough roughly, she was coughing again and again, Uju being worried asked Ulumma to get water for her to drink. Ulumma rushed and get water and raised her neck up and gave her water to drink, she did and the cough stopped.

"But why did mama fall, was she running or what?" Uju asked rather the right question at the wrong time.

"Uju, if you have nothing good to say, just keep shut," Ulumma sensed stupidity in her question.

"Ulumma, watch what you say." she returned back at her angrily.
It was unusual for Ulumma and Uju to get at themselves like that especially when they're alone or when they are in distress, but now they had a woman who took care of them, they felt like the kids they used to be under the watch of their mother. This attitude was peculiar to Ulumma, she would not regard her elder sister in high esteem when there was a higher authority, but her contumaciousness was laid to rest whenever she's alone with Uju because had a visceral feeling that Uju would abandon her to her nagging if she dare rebels. Ulumma dreaded staying alone, no matter how bellicose she was, she dreaded the unknown so much. Sometimes at night, she would make a preposterous flinch to Uju's side where she lay, the disturbed Uju would ask what the matter was, only for her to say that something was eating her leg, or something struck her side. That something could be rat or cockroach, anytime Uju finds out. The passive Uju would give a jovial smile and joke at her reverie and insomnia. Ulumma would just make an incomprehensible grunt and retire back to bed. Ulumma was obedient to Uju during the first eight days (2 weeks), but her temerity grew as they got accustomed to the environment.
Aruma played her part in restoring order, Uju never liked her to get involved so she would try to keep their quarrel discreet, but her sister unlike her would make it loud hence attracting the old woman's attention.
Now the woman is sick, they wrapped her in an overlay wrapper to prevent her from getting exposed to the evening cold.
Uju still needed answers to her question concerning how the old woman fell but she didn't have the strenght to enter another session of words exchange with the garrulous young lady. She couldn't endure the silence any longer, so she opened her mouth and asked once again, she was insistent this time around.

"Noone is telling me anything, what happened to mama," Ulumma kept quiet and looked at her in a funny way, in a way that surely annoyed her, but Aruma soon broke the silence.

"Some assailants were throwing spears, so i was running to avoid being hit," she said with a wince of sharp pain.

"Let me go and get a medicine man," Uju wanted to go but she refused.

"Stay my daughter, don't put your beautiful and promising life for my fulfilled life," Uju didn't understand what she actually meant by 'fulfilled', the word scared her, it was obvious that the old woman was now indirectly talking about death.

"Please mama, you're scaring me with your words, please look at us." Uju said in a fading tone, already in tears.

"Don't cry my daughter, the gods are with you and nothing shall happy to you," Aruma assured her.

Ulumma was in a sulk to the unconcealed revulsion of her sister, she had a kind of cold feeling especially that of jealousy. Aruma didn't help the situation, as she on her part, paid more attention and devotion to Uju, she wouldn't mind whether the other was there hence making her feel marginalized. Even as she was sick, she didn't gave her explanation of what happened to her except that she fell to the ground, instead she demanded that Uju must be present to say further, Ulumma rather felt humiliated, even if she was much younger than Uju, she wouldn't like to bear that feeling of inferiorïty in her. She had just crossed her years of adolescence and was growing faster in physique, that she and her elder sister were begining to look like mate. Ulumma took advantage of her fast growth to deride her elder sister in every stance, but Uju would in some case, simply make complaint to the old woman. Ulumma yet wouldn't let her be, she saw her complaints as from one who is playing the underdog with the sole motive to gain sympathy.
Mama had simply seen her as a misanthrope and simply avoided her in some stance, afterall she wasn't her daughter. Since she had no other relation in the world except Echezona her nephew, she chose to open her secrets with the one who won her heart with her good attitude, albeit she was also a relation. Uju was so open-hearted that she wholeheartedly took the woman just as a biological mother unlike her sister who rather saw themselves as visitors to the old woman's abode. Though she call her 'mama', but in a very casual way.

"Mama, you'll stay alive and healty for our sake," Uju said pleadingly, the woman gave a feeble smile and stretch her hands towards her, Uju drew closer to get to her reach.

"I have something for you."
Uju cheered up, with eyes wide open in anticipation, the woman signaled her to get closer for her to whisper into her ears.

"Go to the door of my barn at the right end and take the box you'll see there." she was panting heavily like she was struggling to keep up. On Ulumma's side, she watched as they whispered to themselves, even if it may not concern her, yet she felt isolated. Stream of tears gushed down her eyes, but she tried hard to hide it from being noticed. She couldn't believe that even her blood sister could be keeping secret away from her hearing.
Maybe she would tell her later, she tried to comfort herself. Uju noticed her sister's tears but ignored her, she was bent on catching every glimpse of what the old woman had to say. She brought a wooden box that was up to a feet in all sides, that is it was cube in shape, of which its content was unknown. Aruma coughed vehemently, Uju rushed and got her drinking water. She was watching Ulumma with one eye and the sick old woman with the other. Ulumma seemed to be absent-minded, she almost didn't know what was going on. The last thing she could recollect if she were called back to reality would be Aruma whispering to Uju, she probably didn't see Uju coming with a box.

"This box contain the beads and jewelries bought by my mother during my youthful days, but i didn't wear them because i didn't felt good on them. Take it and wear and remember me for this. But first, you'll swear to me with that, that you'll take me out of this cursed land and bury me in my father's compound. I wish in my reincarnation, i'd be at your royal table to dine with you and your king." Aruma said finally and bowed in death.

"But how............" Uju spoke but was cut short by her instinct when she came to realise that she was talking to a lifeless woman. Astounded she was from the ball of her eyes to the sole of her feet, she collapse inadvertently to her knees, and raved aggressive on the bare floor.
Her weeping for the old woman did not lasted long, and she didn't shave her hair to mourn her. She opened the box and like the woman told her, she saw an exquisite embroider of beads, and glittering jewelries that was more than enough to adorn a princess. Many questions began running cross her mind, one of how the woman came across all these and how come she hadn't worn it all through her lifetime like she had said, and yet didn't sell it to take care of herself. Definitely she valued it, Uju made a solemn vow not to sell it, but to kept them to herself.
She remembered her sister, Ulumma, she heard her sobs, she wondered if she wept for Aruma or for someone else. She squatted close to her and placed her right arm across her shoulder, with the motive of consoling her if she was actually weeping for the dead. But far from it, she was amazed as Ulumma threw back her arm at her. She was definitely mourning for something else. Something unknown.

"What is it, Ulumma." Uju inquired but Ulumma ignored her like there was noone there. Uju was embarrassed even if it was nothing worse than the other sulky mood she had put up in the past.

Uju didn't make any further move to comfort her, or say some encouraging words to her soul, like she would had done if it were then. Uju counted her fury as sheer jealousy, and was ready to do anything to rekindle it. Ulumma had pushed her sister to the wall enough for her to take a decision to give her a harder blow in turn. Ulumma had seen a different Uju within this few moment. When she ignored her sister, she had, at the same time, anticipated a certain kind of warm approach from her like she'd always done. She saw her sister going back in like she never saw anyone. She was indeed surprised. She had called her back, not because there was anything she wanted to say, but just to get Uju's attention.

"Uju, what were you and that woman hiding from me." Uju revulsed as she winced to her sister's diffidence.

"Its a secret."

"So i'm not qualified to share in your secrets, right?" Ulumma said bitterly.

"No cause for alarm we didn't discuss you," she gave her sister a heart-wounding mischievous grin. Ulumma couldn't swallow this again, she had had enough of this. She had thought Uju to be dwelling on the strata of their rivalry under Aruma's roof, but whatever it was she was ready to prove to her that she would have the upper hand in any case of rivalry or misanthropism. She stood up and dusted her sandy butt and gave her a look that bore so much hatred.

"I can see the true reason why that woman was banished from her land, and she finally succeeded in poisoning your brains against your own sister, but i assure you that you and that woman have finally lost it as far as I, Ulumma is involved." she beat her chest in emphasis.

"You better watch what you say or I'll command her spirit to strike that your stinky mouth."

This wasn't getting funny any longer, Uju had amazingly changed in character, her voice that was once cool and assuring to the soul was now hostile. This Uju she unlike the former was ready to beat stars outta her eyes at any provocation. Ulumma feared a possible possession by evil spirits in her sister. Ulumma had a phobia for spirits, hence she hallucinates in some circumstances especially now they were in the inn with the dead body of an old woman, supposedly a witch.

"It's dark and I want to luck the door." Uju called from inside, that almost startled her. She shrugged and stood up, staggering a bit because she had prolly spent much time sitting. She went in with her hands folded and she walked sluggishly and collapse on the bed like a woman who had been jogging all day long with heavy load on her head. She felt a moment of insomnia, she faced the roof staring at nothing but going deep in thought. First, she thought of her sister's new behaviour, and her greatest fear was the possibility of her sister abandoning her in that hut. She felt that the spirit of the old woman would harm her for saying evil against her in her death. She began to fidget, and goose bumps broke out in her skin, and she was sweating profusely despite the cold night.

"Ulumma, you aren't sleeping?" Uju's sudden call startled her.
How had she seen her unclosed eyes in the dark.

"You are going to accompany me to Agbu-Ukwu tomorrow morning so I can inform Mazi Eche on the latest development." Uju's word made Ulumma wonder why she humbled her voice just to ask for favour from her. The same Uju that was like set for fight few moments ago, and now she comes with her tortoise approach. The whole drama displayed by Uju was begining to look like something done voluntarily. If not, how come the sudden change of attitude.
What hypocrisy!

"If its all about that woman, count me out!"
Uju smiled to herself, she didn't persuaded her further to succumb, she just shut her eyes hoping that in no time, she'd be in dreamworld.
She saw Aruma walked down to her while she sat on the bed, she looked really different, she didn't smile as she passed by her and Uju watched her as she took the box of jewelries and was walking away, Uju looked depressed on seeing this.

"Where are you taking that to, please give it to me." Uju cried. She watched the woman as she turned towards her, all her body moved uniformly without one lapsing the other. She looked at her as if she was a corpse invoked to move to where the invoker chooses. Uju shivered at her fearful looks, and finally she said,

"Sorry my gifts were not meant for strangers, it was mean't for my twin daughters. If the girl you are with is of the same mother with you, then its not yours. It belongs to someone else." the old lady was out of sight.
Uju woke up in shock. In just few minutes she closed her eyes, she had this trance that appeared so real. She thought about the trance, it was so plain and clear, she was indeed the wrong person for the gift. But Aruma she'd known was childless all her life and here she was talking about twins.
Maybe there could be another meaning to it, definitely not as pointed out in the trance. She simply waved it aside and went back to sleep. Ulumma was already sleeping peacefully.

Her sleep was suddenly terminated by a loud bang on the door, like as if a log of wood fell on the door. The two ladies jumped to their feet having been startled by the noise, they scrambled in the dark looking for lantern but it was out of their reach. The sound was more than as the figure creeped in towards the door of the kitchen, it hit part of its body on the door to Aruma's yam barn which guided the giant pestle which Aruma used occasionally to prepare akpu (cassava meal) in large quantity and oil palm kernel. What they thought to be either a wild animal or apparition was actually a man, as the assumed creature groaned in a human voice after the giant pestle had hit him on his arm. Ulumma felt a bit relieved, since it wasn't an apparition, but the case was different on Uju's side. She feared it could be one of those ruthless archers she encountered on her way the day before.

"Who are you?" she gasped. The man thought it was also very unsafe to give them an information about himself. He had thought that the house he entered was a farm boot. He didn't expect anyone to live in that kind of secluded area. He actually felt a bit unsafe, but from the voice that just spoke, that of a young lady, he could be safe. But who was the other?

"Don't come nearer because i'm with a sharp object and i will use it on you if you do anything funny." Ulumma threatened in order to keep the young man from coming closer. The man was actually scared by her threat that he drew step by step back to leave the hut where he had thought noone occupied having been out of human settlement. He was now having double mind whether to leave the hut or remain, but the later was prevailing. The ladies seemed to be harmless, even if they were spirits, his amulets would neutralise all diabolic influences. But all they just required him to do is not to do something stupid. He could see. Maybe he could try a more friendly approach, instead of that of a little boy in danger. But he still felt it was unsafe letting out his identity. He voiced out for the first time.

"Please, i've come to do no harm. I just want to lay my head here until dawn then i'll go back to where i'm coming from." his voice was reassuring, it sounded harmless.
"But who are you?" Uju insisted.
"I'm from Umudioga." Uju was shaken at this word. He definitely must be among those nefarious warriors who derived pleasure wasting human life, as they were seen in the market place. He better not be among those wicked crime perpetrators.

"And you're one of those archers, right?" he could feel some sort of bitterness in her voice especially when she mentioned "the archers." May be she had lost a loved one as a result of their strike. It would be safe for him to deny it at the moment.

"No, i'm not"

"I don't believe you."

"Please put on the light so that we can see each other, maybe you would know me after then." he pleaded. Uju groped in the dark for the lost lamp and the igniter, she was still leery of the strange man in the room. She slowly lit the lamp with the igniter.
What a surprise!

"UJU!" the man exclaimed. Uju was too slow to mention a word out of amazement. He lifted her by her arms why she still squatted to put on the lamp. He gave her a warm embrace that Uju lost her words and clove to him like she wasn't in control of her movement. The lamp she fell of her hands and got broken because it was made of clay, and gross darkness returned.
No more worries even if they stayed in the dark, since they were sure of whom each other was.

"Ifenna, this is you?" Uju said in her usual soft tone, that sounded to softer to him, especially as he had known her.

"It's I and...." he was cut short by Ulumma's snoring that grew louder. He was amazed how someone who was awake few moments ago had gone into a deep and untroubled sleep. He chuckled at the thought of it.

"Please forgive my little naughty sister, that's what i encounter everyday and I manage to live with it." she giggled.

"I like the way her chi created her, I wish I could sleep like her at night."

"You mean you would want to be as good as dead in the name of sleep." the two of them laughed hysterically.

"I told you she's dead until morning, she wouldn't shake out our wild laughter."

"Please leave the little maiden alone and don't be jealous of her special gift."

The two of them chatted and laughed all through the night concerning many issues, including their ordeals living apart in a secluded area, being part of the war against own wish and so on. Their discussion took another dimension when it get Akwanwa's name had to get into the topic of discussion.

"How's she?"

"She's doing well, just like you are."
Uju gave a cool smile. Maybe he thought she was actually in a house just like any other person.

"I like your flattery, it's reassuring." she giggled.

"Flattery? I'm not flattering you. Is just the plain truth that you look unchanged after all these days gone by."

"But Akwanwa still looks better than I am." Uju pointed out sadly.

"Don't say such again," he rebuked her, "you're better in your own ways."

"Funny it sounds but true, that you'll quite turn the tables when you speak with Akwanwa. I wonder how you're going to address both of us in a coincidental clash." she smiled. Ifenna was lost of words, what she said wasn't far from the truth either. He found it more difficult to choose one and let the other go, but he wasn't going to remain undecided forever. Ifenna took the excuse of feeling sleepy in order to avoid more shot from Uju about Akwanwa. He hated discussing such. Not that he hated Akwanwa, but that barrier to Uju's heart. He felt like a loser going to bed, he begged to share the bed they lie on. Uju accepted wholeheartedly and did her best to keep him at arms length.

More pls. Dnt make Ulumma b bad pls

oya give us handkerchiefs.......some typos o. try and correct it

Eze Promoe: Meanwhile, i want to congratulate Super Eagles on their 6-1 win over Tahiti!

congratulate ?? Naa, they need to be flogged for wasting chances

oyestephen:
congratulate ?? Naa, they need to be flogged for wasting chances

Yeah u can say dat again............now dat d Boss is back, I guess we should be expecting more updates