Urenma (The River Goddess) - Episode 27
THE CHALLENGE
In Ukeh the emissaries of the gods had begun to sound out men who would support their cause. The rumour mill was rife with a man coming from afar with the help of strange gods to challenge Obinze in a wrestling match for the right to take back Urenma to the gods. To Obinze and his household, the man was no other than Ojadili. Ukeh land would not hear that Ojadili was back to life . Such a claim would make them choke to death while laughing. Ojadili for all they knew was dead centuries ago. With the match drawing near, the wrestling square in Ukeh found its glamour yet again. Young men began to wrestle in the evening to entertain the elders and damsels tropped out of their numbers to watch the broad-chested wrestlers. Every Evening the Ikoro would be sounded briefly and in farms, old women would try out their Igede dance steps. Ukeh in every way was filled fanfare, but beneath all that, death was coming to the land, and it was coming with hell at its heel.
Daily the army of the river world and the damned spirits filled out into the evil forest to Ukeh land and their neighbours. Obinze and his family were certainly the only family in Ukeh who were not happy, they knew Ojadili was coming and the gods were with him. Urenma had for weeks waited to hear from Ntani to know if she had convinced some elder gods to shift to their side
All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/urenma-the-river-goddess
. With no word from Ntani Urenma grew restless and threatened to match on the river world; however, Obinze prevailed upon her and asked for her patience.
Obiakor and Olachi sharpened their machetes possibly ten times each day in readiness for battle. The two children held no fear for anyone or thing. Their stars will shine brightly in the battle. They will taste blood and will forever not be the same again. The gods must have something to fear at least.
Day after day the spirits which had made it to Ukeh land began to corrupt some of the chiefs and the elders of the land and turned a good number of them against Obinze.
Read " Forbidden Love " by the same author ( Ifeoma Isabella Okeke )
. Instead of the help which he was to get from them, they began to project charms against him and buried amulets in his farms. They wanted him weak and confused before the wrestler from after was to arrive. There were also some young men whom the spirits overtook to desecrate the sacred shrines of the gods on the day of the wrestling match between Ojadili and Obinze. On account of the desecration, Nshaa planned to order for the destruction of Ukeh and every life in it. In every way, Nshaa was steps ahead of Obinze and the people of Ukeh and sadly, Obinze and his god-wife remained in the dark. Some days before Ojadili was to arrive the chief priest of the land announced that the date of the wrestling match had been shifted. This got Obinze and Urenma wondering what might have been going on in the river world. On many occasions in the night, Urenma had secretly sought to slip into the river world, but was forced back by Nshaa and some elder gods. She knew something was going on which they did not want her to know about.
While they wondered what to do, one night, long after the people of Ukeh had retired to their huts, Urenma heard the call of OBOJORO, the big-eyed fish who helped her break of out of incarceration when Obinze came to fight in the river world for her return. Without delay she bloted out of her hut and ran down to Nwangele River. Behind her Obinze and her two children followed……..
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Good Work, Ifeoma
really interesting