Riches Of The Dead-Ije (The Journey) - Episode 7

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Sege scream in pain, rumbling and crying for help but who are we to help the poor boy, we are also faced with the challenge of deciding between life and death.. ojiji get to Cynthia and started displaying, Cynthia closed her eyes and never make a sound nor breath, ojiji free her and got to kola as she quickly passed the egg to kola, kola also survived ojiji’s threat..

Then ojiji left, we started running till we get out of the scene, on our way going Cynthia step on a reddish stuff, immediate she  fell down and started shaking. 

Me : Cynthia, what’s wrong with you?

Kola : Cynthia talk na

We keep asking her some set of questions but she could not reply us, then my mind asked me to lay the egg on her chest, I did that immediately and she stop shaking.

Cynthia : what happened to me?

Me : you step on a reddish stuff and you fell..

Cynthia : heeee! So na like that I for take die *crying*

Me : calm down, at least you are save now, very soon we will soon be out of this..

Kola : guyz let’s start moving, it’s getting late, I don’t want us to spend another night in this evil forest..

We stood up and started walking, but we don’t know where we are heading to cus we have already missed our way,this continued for several hours, before kola asked us to relax that he would go and check maybe there could be a way closer to us. 

We trust him and we sit, kola left for the search as he said, I and Cynthia were discussing about how we are going to spend our money when finally we are out of the forest, already I don de fall in love with Cynthia ,so I was like telling her I would probably marry her and settle down after the search.. suddenly I heard a strong knock on my head, that’s all.. 

I woke up and saw blood all over me, Cynthia was gone and no sign of the egg and kola also, I tried to think about what happened but my head hurts really bad so I can’t stress myself ,I forced myself to stand up then I fell again and faint ,but this time I opened my eyes and saw some set of lights around me, I could feel the softness of a bed, how come am on a bed when I knew I fell in the middle of the evil forest..
I tried to lift myself up then I heard a soft female voice 

Girl : please relax don’t stress yourself, or the wound will not heal on time

Me : who are you and where am i?‎

Girl : when the time comes, you will surely know 

Me : how do I get here

Girl : when the time comes, you will know everything..

Me : what! Don’t I have the right to know where and how I get here?
 
The I heard a deep voice from the other room

Man : calmdown and use your drugs, we will explain everything to you.

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/riches-of-the-dead-ije-the-journey

. just relax 

Me : no, I want to know now..
I was actually shouting way too loud then suddenly I faint again 

The next time I opened my eyes, was when someone enter the room and opened the window opposite the be I layed on, I saw a shining atmosphere shining towards my face like a huge touch light, it’s already another day, I said to myself..
I lift myself and sit on the bed, that was when I could get the clear picture of how the girl look, she is a tall curvy girl with nice figure eight shape, omo I almost lost my senses when she turned around, omo see bakasi!!!..

Girl : good morning, how are you feeling now?

Me : am fine.. (I touched my injured spot) 

Girl : yesterday, u screamed too much and you lost strength, daddy said it’s because you have not eat anything for day?

Me : *smiled* 

Girl : is daddy right? 

Me : *i stood silent for a while *

Girl : anyways, my name is joke..

Me : ok am Benjamin 

Joke : Benjamin, that’s a nice name

Me : *smile* thanks , so when will you tell me how I get here and how you found me…?

Yet again, the deep voice brakes in again as if he was waiting for me to ask the question..
Man : when you take your drugs and your brakefast 

Me : *smiled* ok sir 
I took my bath and also the tribal herbs given to me by joke, I was in the room dressing up when joke mistakenly enters, actually I was about to put on my shorts..I quickly cover myself with the towel they gave me..

Joke : oh my gush! Am so sorry..I actually came to tell you it’s brakefast time

Me : don’t be, I should be sorry , cus I left the door open when I was naked..tell daddy I will be there in a jiffy
Joke  smiled and walked out of the room,in five minutes time I joined them in the sitting room, with a big bowl of fufu and black soup sitting gorgeously  on the table before joke and his father, I sat beside joke and we started eating.

Me : this food is delicious, it taste like my mum’s food..

Joke : I actually cooked that.
Me : hmmm, you are such a good cook joke..

Joke : thanks, I learned that from daddy..

Me : wow! Dad is really a great teacher then..

Joke dad : thanks for the complement..

After eating joke, cleared the table, then I asked joke’s dad how he found me and where we are..
Joke dad : that night , I went hunting, for the whole night all my traps did not catch any animal, so I was very annoyed,i decide to start going home since all my traps are empty, on my way going, I saw you laying in pool of blood, at first I thought it was one of dose monsters who could transformed to human, not until I get to you and I discovered its a human, I thought u were dead so I want to leave you there, but I heard you saying help me, that’s why I bought you here.. this place is not too far from a big town called oke-lisa..

After he conclude his statement, joke entered during the process, and she asked me what I was doing in such strange forest and where are my parents..

Me : hmmm! It’s about an ultimate search to igbo irumole, we went there in search of the egg of life under the sponsorship of a foreign based company, and if we could get the egg back to them, they will reward us with 20 million naira, we were actually nine that start the search, but before we could get to the egg, six among us died due to monster attack..

Joke : hmm!! Egg of life..

Me : yes..

Joke dad : egg of life is very powerful, anyone who has it will be wealthy and powerful..

Me : wow!

Joke dad : and did you get the egg?

Me : yes 

Joke dad : where is the egg now?

Me : probably with kola my friend, yes am sure it’s with kola…

We discussed for about 30 more minutes then I stood up and went inside, I sat on the bed trying to recall what really happened, but each time I tried that, the only response I get is an headache, I was busy starring at the birds flying all about ,when joke entered. 
We discussed some irrelevant issue for about 30 more minutes, joke is a sweet girl she is fun to be with, and she has a good ascent, only God knows where she learnt that.

Me : joke you speak good English, where do you learn them from? 

Joke : *laughing* funny guy, I was born and brought up in lagos state so I schooled there..

Me : so how do you get here?

Joke ; it was when I lost my mum and the government demolished my dad’s house in the city,we were forced to leave for this jungle..

Me : dats bad

Joke : forget, it’s bygone jor

Me : ok o

Joke : so what about your parents? 

Me : am an orphan, since av lost my parents, av been staying with my friends before the ultimate search.but bcos of money I lost 6 of my friends .i miss them all..

Joke : am sorry..

Joke!! Get me my hunting tools, it’s time for hunt..joke dad echoed a high tune message to joke..joke ran out of my room immediately, and I quickly stood and went outdoor, I saw joke dad preparing for hunt..

Me : good evening sir

Joke dad : benji, how are you? 

Me : am fine sir

Joke dad : dats good..
Me : sir I want to follow u out for hunting tonight ..

Joke dad : are you sure you are bold enough to go out dere?

Me : *laughed* daddy I spent seven days in igbo-irumole without any spiritual support, av seen and talk to different gods, goddess and monsters, both the good ones and the bad ones…so it nothing new sir..

Joke dad : ok go and prepare ..

I quickly rushed inside to wear my cloth, then joke enters. 

Joke : where do you think you are going? 

Me : *surprised* am going for hunt 

Joke : are you out of your mind? Don’t you know how dangerous it is? 

Me : am sure igbo irumole is more dangerous 

Joke : ben please nah stay with me 

Me : don’t worry daddy won’t stay too long,I will hurry him up..

Joke : *frown* mtcheeeew..

I obviously understand where joke was driving at,but no time to check time, I stood up and join joke’s dad, he hand over his hunting bag to me and we walked down the forest…on our way going joke dad went about to tell me the tricks some animals play when they are being attacked, and he also told me that some animals are monsters, anytime I tried to shoot one and I started feeling dizzy, I should stop immediately..OK sir I said.

We got to his first trap and it was empty, then my mind told me the next trap had caught a big antelope, I quickly inform him about it and he believe me, but I warned him to use arrow instead of gun..

Joke dad left me there with the hope that he will be back in a jiffy, I stood there and he went to check his next trap.. it was about 20 minutes time, I saw a rabbit standing in my opposite direction , I tried to shot but I was feeling dizzy, then I walked closer to the rabbit I could hear her talk..

Me : hey who are you *I was a bit scared but not much *

Rabbit : am a friend 

Me : sorry I don’t have monster friends ,show yourself

Rabbit : calmdown

Immediately a huge light shinned from where rabbit the rabbit was, I quickly cover my face, till it went deem..jezz it’s moremi!

Me : moremi, what are you doing here?

Moremi : I came to say hi

Me : that’s nice of you 

Moremi : what happened to your head.

Me : it’s a long story 

Moremi : I understand..but I have a gift for you, when you get to kola, he will surely fight back, use this..

She stretched fort a ring towards me, I quickly collect it and say thanks to her.. moremi : just take good care of yourself, from now on I will be visiting you. I have to go

Me : bye!

She transformed back to rabbit and ran away, I wait for another five minutes yet joke’s dad is not yet back, then I decided to go check him out, I just follow my mind till I gets to were he was, I saw him rumbling with a big antelope, I quickly joined him in the battle, but so unfortunate for me, the antelope turned and faced me, he gave me a hard hit on my head and I fell immediate, as he tried to jump on me, I quickly pick up my machete and insert it straight into his heart.. 

Joke’s dad quickly stood up and help me up, ” you are truly a god” ,he keep praising me by calling me a god, but yet I still don’t understand why he keep sounding that.. he carried the antelope on his back and we walk our way down home.. we got to a certain junction, I was so exhausted and tired, I feel down and hit my head against a stone..

When next I woke up, I saw myself on the bed..‎

Joke : shebi I told u not to go the other time but u refused to listen to my words

Me : hmmm! No vex madam joke

I stood up and tried to walk out, then again I hit my head against the door ‎,it hurts really hard and It was then that I could think of Cynthia, cus right from the time I was attacked, I totally lost the memory of Cynthia, that very moment was when I could recall everything about her..and what scares me more about her wellbeing is kola. Kola  might have attacked her after he had done all he wants with me..i quickly stood up and tell them I have to get the egg before they submit it to the whites. 

Joke : no you can’t  go, your wound are still fresh 

Me : don’t worry I will take care of myself 

Joke dad : joke calmdown, he is a brave guy, am sure he will sort himself out..

Me : thank you sir, I will have to take my leave now sir

Joke dad : feel free to come back here anytime you like..

Me : ok sir..

I stood up and move out of the sitting room, on my way going I overheard someone following me, I knew it was joke but I pretend as If I don’t, then she called me. Before I could spell nut, she planted a wet kiss on my lips. I was very surprised but not that much sha, I responded accordingly, she hold me tight for about 5 minutes before she let go of me..

Joke : ben! Sorry I can no longer control my feelings towards you, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you..pls stay alive and come back for me

Me : joke, don’t worry I will be back..bye 

She held my hand a insert something there, then she turn and walk away, I held that for about 5 minutes before I opened it .. it was a beautiful golden chain, I looked at it an smile, then I walked towards the direction given to me by joke’s dad…
I walked for several hours then finally I found my way out of the jungle..

Now am back to claim what rightly belongs to me.. I head straight to the white mens camp, I saw tk and others busy celebrating and dinning, I walked into the crowd, when tochuwku saw me he almost fell from his chair..

Tochuwku : ben, please don’t kill me please (he was actually crying)

Me : stand up am not dead, am alive 

Tochuwku : no I don’t believe 

Me : ok how do you want me to prove it? …me ok 
I picked a glass of wine and turn in some liquor into it, I gulped them and smiled

Me ; see now? Am not dead

Immediately he jumped up and hug me..

Tochuwku : ben, what really happen, kola and Cynthia arrived this morning with the report that you were attacked by a hungry lion that tore u apart..

Me : hahahaha, funny.. anyways that’s a story for another day, where is Cynthia and kola 

Tochuwku : they are inside 

Me : ok..

Before I entered ,i inserted the ring moremi gave me on my finger. Immediately I start feeling like a god, cus what ever I think of ,will automatically happen..i looked at one of the baron bottle besides me, and it disappeared, then I thought of it appearing again and it works…

With full confidence  I entered and I saw Cynthia sitting on kola’s lap, at first they didn’t see me, not until when I move a bit closer to them.. Cynthia was the first to saw me, she jumped off kola’s lap and she called kola, pointing her fingers towards me..before kola could raise his eyes towards my direction, I quickly disappear, he looked for a while but he couldn’t see me,  kola thought she was drunk and he didn’t believe her..

Cynthia stood up and went to the rest room, I quickly followed her. But she couldn’t see me cus am yet to appear back to my shape.. she entered but before she could close the door I followed her, she locked the door.  then I decided to move a bit closer to her and I appear back to my normal self. She almost faint when She saw me..

Me : Cynthia, I trust you, but you betrayed me.why? 

Cynthia : please forgive me benji, I truly love you, but when kola hit you, he threatened to kill me if I don’t support him, that’s why..am sorry please don’t kill me

Me : give me one reason why I should spare your life?

Cynthia : cus I was forced to betray you. It’s all kola’s fault 

As she was speaking, I could read her mind, though she was saying the truth ‎.I looked at her for a while and out of pity I forgive her,i asked her about the egg, she confirmed that the whites had went away with it.. I asked also about the money and she say it’s with kola. . I turned and walk out of the room, then I heard   her foot steps following me, she tried to stab me with a knife, then I disappeared, with the full force of stabbing me, she was unable to control her speed,..she hit her head on the mirror stamped on the wall,and she fell and died..

I cried for a while and head straight to kola, but before I could get there he was no where to be found ,i asked the person he was sitting beside, and he told me kola went upstairs, I quickly trailed him, then I caught him trying to run away with the money..

Me : where do you think you are going? 

Kola : ben! So you no gree die abi? As I take hit you hard reach you still survive am, no worry na your last time be dis..
He pull out a pistol and tried to shoot me, but the pistol did not work..i smiled and look at the pistol, the pistol disappeared and appears in my hands..kola fell down on his kneel and started begging me..why should I forgive you for all you have done?..

Out of pity I forgive kola I carry the money and walked out of the room..

Read " The Quest " by the same author ( Ifeoma Isabella Okeke )

. on my way going I removed the ring and insert it into my pocket, not knowing the pocket is bad. 
Then the ring fell out of my awareness, I keep walking till I received a strong  hit on my head, I fell down and looked back but I see no one..

I dropped the bag and tried to look for the ring but it was gone. I received another hit on my left leg and I screamed out of pain, I fell down and cried. 

Me : who are you? What do you want from me?
Then the person appeared, it’s kola! He had been trailing me from the moment I left his room..

Kola : you think say na only you wise abi? I don de watch you since but you no know..i hate you from onset, right from the day jahrul and others let you in, I know you are such a fool, and na that your stupidity go kill you today..
Kola hit my right leg again, this time I was laying helplessly on the ground crying out of pain..

But if I could trick the wisest being on earth, if I could steal from the most powerful being on earth, if I could face the goddess of beauty, without the help of any magic. Then I should be able to handle a human being even with both eyes closed .. I laye on the ground as kola was approaching me with a knife on his hands.. I close my eyes ,i threw sands towards his face,I rolled out of the spot, and aim for the hand with the ring, I quickly chopped it off with my knife..

Kola screamed in pain, and I quickly insert the ring to my finger ,immediately all my pains are gone, I move closer to kola and gave him a huge punch. I don’t want to have anyone’s blood on my hands so I walked away. Kola tried to attack me but he slump and hit his head on his standing knife! He died instantly ..i looked at him out of pity and walked away..

Two weeks later after enough treatment, I travelled back to visit joke and her dad. I proposed to joke and she agreed to marry me. In few days time we got married..
The next night was our h---y moon, we actually travelled to Ghana for it,.. joke entered my hotel room on a skimpy skirt, she move closer and dragged me to herself, immediately I left up her skirt and I discovered  there was no undies there, as I was about to plant a wet kiss on her lips, I received a strong slap.. where could this come from? ..i tried  to kiss her again and I received another one, but this time it was stronger, immediately I opened my eyes, I saw my hands under blanny’s trouser and my lips closer to his own!

Jezz so na dream! 
‎
Blanny : ben! Wetin de worry u? Which time you turn gay?abi God wan punish u ni?‎

I don’t even bother to answer him, I stood up and look around, everyone was actually there starring at me…omo mehn! Dream na mumu thing o…LOL..

Hahahahahahaha

Bye

The End

TO BE CONTINUED...