KING ZIORA.
EPISODE 3
☞Nnenne uju izuanagbara.
SERE DIED. NKAI KNEW HOW HE COULD TRACE SERE’S DEATH BUT SOMETHING IN HIM TELLS HIM SERE DESERVES WHAT HE GOT. HOW COME SERE DIED WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT SWEARING BEFORE THE CREATOR. AS FOR WHO KILLED SERE, THE CREATOR WILL FISH HIM OUT.
THE KINGDOM OF UMA HAD NO BUSINESS, EVENTS OR ANY FORM OF MOVEMENTS FOR 3days in HONOUR of their warrior SERE. THE SEER WAS CONSULTED TO ASK THE HEAVENS WHO WAS BEHIND SERE’S DEATH. THE SEER SAID THE HEAVENS WERE SILENT. SERE MUST HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO WHAT LED TO HIS DEATH. THE HEAVENS DO NOT CONSEAL THE MURDERER OF THE INNOCENT.
NKAI WOULD NOT REVEAL TO THE PEOPLE THAT HE s-en-sE A TRAITOR IN THE MIST OF THE WAR MEN OF UMA. HE WOULDN’T WANT THE KING AND THE PEOPLE OF UMA TO LOOSE FAITH IN HIS ARMY. NKAI SAID TO HIMSELF, “I WILL HANDLE IT.”
ZIORA IS A YEAR OLD ALre-adY. SHE HAS BEEN WITH NKAI’S UNCLE, UTANA. HIS WIFE MAJE HAS BEEN TAKING CARE OF HER. NKAI THOUGHT IT WISE TO BRING ZIORA HOME. HE HAS ALSO DECIDED TO START TRAING TOMANI, HIS WARRIOR SON, PERSONALLY. HE SEES HIMSELF IN THE YOUNG MAN. HE PLEADED WITH THE CREATOR TO SHOW HIM THE WAY. HE SUSPECTS OBORO TO BE EVIL AND CANNOT TRUST HIM WITH SAFETY OF UMA. HE nee-dED TO TRAIN A WATCHMAN. TOMANI IS THE RIGHT PERSON.
THAT MORNING, NKAI WENT WITH KEGS OF PALM WINE, Wra-pPERS, MEAT AND LOTS MORE TO HIS UNCLE’S HOUSE.
-Nkai, haaaa, what’s all these for? MAJE his uncle’s wife asked.
-Aunty, good morning.
-good morning my son.
UTANA c@m£ INTO c@m£ IN.
-arghrgh, the WARRIOR HIMSELF. NKAI, the great.
-uncle (laughter) welcome. you went fishing?
-oh yessss.
-how was it?
-i praise the CREATOR my son. He gave me good proceeds.
-oooh, the creator be praised.
MAJE Brou-ghT OUT ZIORA.
-zimama, (as she fondly calls ZIORA) papa is here.
ZIORA LOOKED AT HIM, t©uçhed HIS FACE AND SAID…
-papa, papa (followed by other baby jagons)
NKAI DROPPED TEARS OF JOY. HE LIFTED ZIORA.
– UNCLE, my child called me PAPA. My daughter is BEAUTIFUL just like her mother UYIRI.
-yes my son.
-(NKAI SAT DOWN, HAVING ZIORA SIT ON HIS l@p.) Uncle, ZIORA is the reason i am here. These little things i have brou-ght is to say thank you for going throu-gh stress and sleepless nights just for my child and for me too. You have really tried uncle. Aunty MAJE, you have tried so much for me. uncle, Aunty, i will like to take ZIORA home with me. Home feels so bored. plea-se.
-My son, i knew that one day, ZIORA will go home. you should’nt have gone this far to bring all these. you also do not have to plead to take your child. it is completely normal. There is nee-d for DAUGHTER, FATHER relationsh!p. Well emmmm, her maid will go with you. UGBONA her maid will go with you. when you are off to war, she can stay with ZIORA.
-ok uncle. thank you very much sir.
-aweiiii, (MAJE EXCLAIMED) my princess is leaving me. (she carried her) i will miss you my peaceful jewel. UGBONA, (she called out)
-Mistress (UGBONA ANSWERED as she c@m£ into the SITTING room) i am here mistress.
-This is NKAI. you know NKAI?
-who doesn’t know NKAI my mistress, the GREATEST WARRIOR in UMA.
(LAUGHTER)
-good. he is ZIORA’s FATHER. you shall be going with them. take care of ZIORA as you have always done. plea-se do not keep her hungry. i shall come from time to time to check on you.
-ok mistress. i will do my best.
UGBONA WENT TO NKAI.
-The GREATEST WARRIOR of UMA, i greet you. (she bowed)
-The creator bless you.
AND SO IT WAS ZIORA c@m£ HOME. THAT NIGHT AS NKAI sle-pt, HE HAD A DREAM, SOMEONE STOOD BEFORE HIM. NKAI SAW HIMSELF SO OLD AND WAS RETIRING, HE WAS TO HAND OVER HIS SWORD TO THE PERSON BEFORE HIM. THE ROBE SHOWED IT WAS TOMANI BUT THERE WAS A VEIL ON HIS FACE. FIRST HE HANDED OVER THE SWORD , THEN THE VEIL WAS UNCOVERED. TO HIS SURPRISE, IT WAS ZIORA. NOOOO, HE SHOUTED . YESSSSS, ZIORA REPLIED. I AM MY FATHER’S DAUGHTER.
NKAI WOKE UP.
– CREATOR, WHAT DREAM IS THIS? ZIORA? But the Robe was TOMANI’s. ZIORA can’t take over me. She is a woman. UMA do not make women WARRIORs. OH maybe, i should see TOMANI as my son? OH HEAVENS, MY CREATOR, plea-se help me.
RIGHT THERE, HE DECIDED TO START TRAINING TOMANI. ONE WEEK AFTER, HE WALKED OUT TO THE DOOR ONLY TO FIND UGBONA STANDING HALF n-ked.
-My WARRIOR, i love you. plea-se be mine. make me yours. I will give you a male child. my WARRIOR, i have been doing alot so you can notice me, you are not LOOKING my way. I won’t sit here and watch another woman come and take this position. Am i not BEAUTIFUL enough? i am ENDOWED by the CREATOR. see my b©dy.
NKAI LOOKED AT UGBONA. SHE WAS REALLY ENDOWED, A BEAUTY TO BEHOLD. UGBONA la-id HER HANDS ON NKAI’S EMPTY che-st. HE CLOSED HIS EYES AND TOOK TWO STEPS BACK-WARDS INTO THE ROOM. UGBONA THOUGHT SHE MUST HAVE GOTTEN HIM. NKAI STRETCHED HIS HANDS BACKWARDS, AND WAS UNTO HIS SWORD, HE DREW IT OUT AND POINTED TO UGBONA………
-get properly dressed now!!!! fast, you swine.
-plea-se i’m sorry, plea-se don’t kill me. plea-se my WARRIOR.
-SHUT UP. ON YOUR KNEES. WHO s£nT YOU? SPEAK,
-nob©dy s£nt me. i have eyes for you.
-NKAI CANNOT fall for a cheap se-ductress like you. My UYIRI caught my attention with her homeliness. i am a warrior, i command so much respect. you are no match. now get in, pack your stuff and get out.
UTANA AND MAJE HEARD THAT UGBONA HAS BEEN DISMISSED BY NKAI. THEY WENT TO SEE HIM.
-NKAI, so what happens to my princess? who takes care of her while you go to war? My daughters are married and you know. maje said.
-NKAI, UTANA called, what is wrong with what UGBONA did? she is a real woman. You nee-d a woman in your life . we nee-d a son NKAI. My brother’s linage will not loose the warrior title.
-uncle, Aunty, i am taking my time.
-Nkai, don’t take it anymore. Give my brother a grandson. Give us a successor. let this not end with you NKAI. UTANA. scolded.
NKAI HAS STARTED TRAINING TOMANI. IT WASN’T EASY. TOMANI SUSTAINED ALOT OF INJURY UNTIL HE STARTED GETTING STRONGER. ON THIS VERY DAY, HE WAS TO TEST HIS SKILLS WITH OBORO, NKAI’S SECOND IN COMMAND. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. SLIT FOR SLIT, CLASH FOR CLASH, NOT ONE WAS MISSED BY TOMANI. TO TEST HIS ABILITY TO MAINTAIN POSTURE AND SUSTAIN DISTRACTION, AS HE GAVE IT SLIT TO SLIT, NKAI TOLD TOMANI’S MOTHER TO CRY OUT CALLING HIS NAME. TOMANII’S MOTHER DID. TOMANI HEARD HIS MOTHER’S VOICE, HE quic-kLY REMEMBERED WHAT NKAI TOLD HIM, HE DID NOT TURN. OBORO SAID TO HIM….
-TOMANI, your motherrrrrrrrrr.
-I AM A WARRIORRRRR,
ONE MORE SLIT, OBORO ACTUALLY MISSED IT. TOMANI WON.
THERE AND THEN, OBORO HATED TOMANI.
-This c0ckroach can’t stand on my way, i will kill him.
The conciousness of who we are in christ helps us concentrate. In this fight with the devil, we must not let him use our weaknesses to distract us. STAY FOCUSED IN GOD.
EPISODE 4
(N.B. This piece is more spiritual than physical. i pray God opens the eyes of our un-derstanding.)
OBORO WAS MEAN. HE COULDN’T SLEEP. TOMANI WAS TALK OF TOWN. HOW HE FACED OBORO SLIT FOR SLIT, CLASH FOR CLASH,IT SEEMED LIKE TOMANI SAT TO STUDY OBORO.PEOPLE WENT AHEAD TO SAY TOMANI WILL TAKE OVER OBORO’s POSITION IN NO DISTANT TIME. THAT GOT OBORO MAD WITH RAGE.
-just when i thought NKAI was my only headache, one c0ckroach crawls up to add to my pain? Never. TOMANI is too small. I WILL KILL HIM, BUT HE WON’T DIE BY MY HANDS. TOMANI, you staying alive is poison to my soul. I MUST!!! (he shouted) I MUST KILL HIM.
ONE MORNING, EVERYONE RESUMED NORMAL MORNING DUTIES. YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS WENT TO THE STREAM TO FETCH WATER, SOME WENT TO FETCH FIRE WOOD, SOME TO THEIR FARMS,ALL OF A SUDDEN, HORSEMEN ENTERED UMA. THEY WERE WITH ARROWS. THAT WAS SIGN OF WAR. PEOPLE STARTED RUNNING TO THEIR HOMES. NKAI GOT THE SIGNAL IMMEDIATELY AND as-sEMBLED HIS MEN. THE HORSE MEN WERE HEADED TO THE PALACE. NKAI AND HIS MEN WERE ALre-adY STANDING AT THE KING’S PALACE. NKAI STOOD IN FRONT. HE WAS PERPLEXED WHEN HE SAW THAT THEY WERE FROM “NOOMA”. UMA IS AT PEACE WITH NOOMA. THEY ARE CALLED TWIN SISTERS OF THE MOUNTAINS. WHY THE STAMPEDE? THEIR CAPTAIN “IKANDA” IS NKAI’S VERY GOOD FRIEND.
-IKANDA, NKAI called.
-NKAI. greetings.
-why? why this? we are at peace.
-Not any more NKAI, not anymore.
NKAI WAS SHOCKED, SO WERE THE WAR MAN OF UMA.
-why? what has gone wrong?
IKANDA GAVE HIS MEN A SIGN. THEY Brou-ghT FORTH SOMETHING Wra-pPED WITH WITH SACKCLOTHES IN THREE PLACES.
-This. IKANDA replied. (he ordered his men to open it)
NKAI WAS SHOCKED WITH WHAT HE SAW. THREE DEAD LIONS AND THE LIONS HAD ROYAL ARROWS ON THEM. IKANDA CONTINUED.
-and NOOMA Said, ”MY SISTER? MY OWN TWIN SISTER? SHE KNOWS THAT THESE ARE WORSh!pPED IN MY LAND. THEY ARE SACRED. SHE KNOWS I’M A LIONESS. I AM FROM THE DECENDANTS OF THE LIONS AND YET, SHE DEFILED MY SACREDNESS AND TAMPERED WITH MY PRIDE”.
NKAI WAS SPEECHLESS. SO WHERE HIS MEN.
NKAI TOOK OFF THE FRESH PALM LEAF ON HIS ARM AND PLACED IN BETWEEN HISl-ipS. IKANDA re-moved IT, DROPPED IT AT HIS FEET AND STEPPED ON IT.
-WE GO TO WAR. SHOULD WE CONQUER, UMA SHALL BE MADE OUR DEN OF LIONS, BUT IF YOU CONQUER, EVERY WARRIOR OF UMA SHALL BE ENTITLED TO OUR HORSES. WE GO TO WAR.
IKANDA’S MEN WERE SHOUTING……..
-we go to war! we go to war.!!!
-you shall hear from us. IKANDA said as they rode off.
KING OHUMA c@m£ OUT WITH HIS CABINET MEN. HE SAW THE LIONS AND THE ROYAL ARROWS ON THE LIONS, HE ALMOST FAINTED.
-Who? he shouted, who did this? who stole my ROYAL ARROW and used it for this? to kill lions of NOOMA. MY forefathers never fought with the people of NOOMA, for she is sister to UMA. who did this? oh my people, when shall we quit being TRAITORs. NOOMA’s war men are horsemen. The great WARRIORs of UMA are foot men.
NKAI INTERRUPTED.
-your Majesty, the CREATOR knows, your intentions are pure. you are a good king. TRAITORs are only trying to paint you black. we seek peace but they chose war instead. We might not be their match, but VICTORY is not MEASURED by the STRENGHT of the fighter but the HELP of the CREATOR. We shall go to war. The CREATOR forbid that UMA be made a lion’s den. I, NKAI, by the HELP of the CREATOR,shall bring back VICTORY.
THERE WAS A SHOUT.
-who (Nkai CONTINUED) amongst us, war men of UMA is AFRAID?
OBORO RAISED HIS HAND. NKAI WAS SHOCKED. THE MEN ON OBORO’S SIDE RAISED THEIR HANDS TOO.
-OBORO!!!! YOU????
-my CAPTAIN, my leader, yes, i am ashamed of my self neither will i allow pride make me bring disgrace upon my people. i am very scared. NOOMA, has never lost a battle. IKANDA is three CAPTAINs in one. His swiftness with slits is incomparable. HE fights with a double EDGEd sword. He even fights with two swords. he……….
NKAI INTERRUPTED.
-Enough OBORO. how dare you? how dare you try inflicting fear in the hearts of the WAR MEN OF UMA. Step aside. you and your fellow WEAKLINGs, STEP ASIDE. (he shouted. OBORO was filled with rage in his heart with the words of NKAI.) IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? (he shouted) IS THERE ANYONE ELSE?
NO ONE RAISED THEIR HANDS.
-good. OBORO, you and your men shall be locked up in the king’s cell, till we return.
-What? why? NKAI, i am the SECOND in COMMAND of the UMA ARMY.
-then let’s go to war.
-i can’t, i am AFRAID.
-Then stay in the cell. We are up against swift, crafty, and very wise people. If they find out we are not all our men, that some are home? THEY WILL WIN.
-and how is that?
-Chicken hearted people are bought over very easy. IT WILL BE MORE FIRECE WHEN THE TRAITOR HANDLES THE SWORD.
OBORO WAS SPEECHLESS. HE WAS BOILING IN ANGER.
-guards, lock them up, SEPERATELY ,IN CHAINS.
OBORO GOT EVEN MORE ANGRY HEARING IN CHAINS. THE GUARDS TOOK OBORO AND HIS MEN AWAY.
-i just hope, a coup has not just been formed.
THE WAR MEN HAD ALOT OF QUESTIONS WRITTEN ALL OVER THEM. NKAI ADDRESSED THEM.
-WAR MEN, THE PALMS ARE MANY BUT HAS NO FRUITS.
(he just told them venue for their training.) Before the sun rise, the c0ckmust crow. ( he just told them the time to meet). Henceforth place the dry leaves in BETWEEN yourl-ips. (they shall speak to no one and no one can speak to them seeing the dry leaves in BETWEEN theirl-ips) DISMISS.
THE WAR MEN LEFT. NKAI WENT IN WITH THE KING.
-my WARRIOR, my GREATEST WARRIOR, the king called. A man with one arm, is not fit for battle.
-I do not have one arm your Majesty.
-OBORO. how can you fight without your second in COMMAND. You helps you out at the forefront? NKAI, for once, i FEAR. Who did this in UMA. My royal arrows!!!! I FEAR NKAI, that UMA might end in my reign. I FEAR NKAI, that MY LAND, shall be turned into den of LIONS. I FEAR, NKAI, I FEAR.
-Your majesty, FEAR IS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO KINGS. i belive in the CREATOR. The HEAVENS won’t put UMA to shame. THE SEER SHOULD BE CONSULTED. FEAR NOT MY KING.
-hmmmm, NKAI, you won’t lead the battle alone. UKOMI my son, will go with you.
-No your majesty. The HEAVENS forbid i put the future of the throne of UMA at risk. THE CREATOR will s£nd me help.
NKAI GOT HOME. ZIORA WASN’T HOME. HE RUSHED TO HIS UNCLE’S AND FOUND HER THERE. HE THANKED THE HEAVENS AND RUSHED BACK HOME. HE IS NOT PERMITTED TO SPEAK TO ANYONE AS HE HAD THE DRY LEAVES IN BETWEEN HISl-ipS.
NKAI GOT HOME. HE TOOK HIS SWORDS AND STARTED TRAINING.
-No time to wail. (as he threw double slits into the air) i got this. (more slits) i am not a WEAKLING. i am not alone. i will fight, i will bring VICTORY home. (he kept throwing slits into the air)
AS HE TRAINED, TOMANI c@m£ IN.
-i will join you my WARRIOR. let’s do this . (he drew two swords from the sheets behind him) yaaaaaah. i am re-ady my CAPTAIN. Bring it on.
NKAI AND HIS WARRIOR SON TOMANI STARTED. TOMANI GOT IT SLIT TO SLIT WITH TWO SWORDS. EVEN WHEN NKAI pu-ll-ed STUNTS BY SUMERSULTING, TOMANI WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN STABILITY AND RETURN SLITS CORRECTLY.NKAI WAS IMPRESSED.
-This is good , son, this is good.
-my WARRIOR,(he went on his knees) grant me the HONOUR of being your second in COMMAND for the battle against NOOMA.
-on your feet son. NOOMA is not child’s pla-y. You can’t stand theheat of the forefront of war. Do not let this one man’s CHALLENGE you pas-sed
to make you feel, you can win 10,000 horse men CHALLENGE. Son, you are still not fit. Nevertheless, i shall set up battle between you and ten war men Tomorrow. UNTIL YOU ARE FIT, YOU CAN’T FIGHT.
-MY WARRIOR, do not look at my size, IT IS NOT THE SIZE OF MY ABILITY. I HAVE THE BACKING OF THE CREATOR. I TOMANI SHALL as-sIST YOU. WE SHALL SAVE UMA FROM DOOM AND RETURN IN GLORY.
our size is not the size of our ABILITY. GRACE is!!!!!!
TO BE CONTINUED.