Have you ever wondered what life will be like if you weren't born the way you were? Have you wondered why people judge others for a situation they can't control? If you haven't, then welcome to my life. Welcome to my world, the world of Rabel Ichie Uzoamaka, the shunned maiden of Mabudazou. “Witch”, I hear a villager mutter as I passed her by, “Ekwensu's(is an evil proprietor; he's the god of all things evil) child,” another spat. Without saying anything about that, I continue with my journey. I've grown used to the way they treat me in our small town. It doesn't help that I dyed my white hair black to blend in with others, but despite that, the villagers still single me out every time; every single damn time. I pause at Mama Nneka's house to drop a herb for her; her daughter Nkechi is seriously down with fever. A single dose of my Akwukwo Ede administered to her by me can clear her fever in a few hours. Her mother is willing to take the medicines I drop on her doorposts,
I saunter towards the house of the people that owns them. Four more houses to go to before completed my customary routine A daily routine that ends with me back in the forest collecting more herbs for the ungrateful villagers. You might be wondering why I still help them despite their ill-treatment of me.Well, you can say I help them to prevent a disaster. It won't be right to whatever God must have gifted or cursed me with my healing powers, to ignore the sick when I can be of help to them. God must have gifted me to heal the people by giving me what the people consider a curse. “Murderer,” a girl of almost the same age as I spat as she walks by, “witch”, she continues to spur more evil words. “A person like you is better off in Okumu where your fatter Ekwensu is residing in his pretend Obi (palace),” she says with a glare at me. “Trash like you isn't worthy of living,” she spat as she resumes her journey to wherever she was supposed to be. Touching my dyed hair, I resume w
Walking towards my fifth house of the day, I breathe out a sigh of relief. I'm lucky I didn't encounter any mishaps on the way. It's not every day a girl like me walks the wood *I do everything possible to avoid judging humans* without encountering any wild hungry animals on the way. In my case, I don't worry about the animals; am mostly worried about the humans in wolf clothing. Their deadly words make threading on human paths more dangerous than the woods, which is the abode of all things dangerous. “Ubochi Oma (good day)Mrs. Onog”, I smile at the hundred moon's cycled female. She's the oldest of everyone in Mabudazou. She knows how the werewolf wars started. A war that wipes out most of the towns that made up Mabudazou, a war that ended with them taking their part and us taking ours. Scoffing, the said woman turns towards the forest, muttering under her breath. I won't be surprised if she's muttering an Afa *it's like a protective ward against the evil one* One that's agai
A banging sound alerted me to what Fosy and Chika are currently doing to my room. Walking in there, I was met with a sight that made my furious side rear its ugly head up. Fosy was jumping on my Apa* it's a wooden box-like Oche, but instead of it being a sitting place; it's considered a resting place* which by the looks of things my APA I broke. Chika on the other side of the room is trailing around with my most priced akwa *the material we put on to cover our nakedness.* The akwa is made up of sown-up ede leaves for those who can't afford the animal skin. My entire Akwa is made up of animal skin; a strong material that lasts for a long. The akwa am currently putting on now has lasted for more than twelve moon cycles; Father made it a bit bigger, so I can grow into it and not out of it. His hindsight is what kept me alive for all those moon cycles. Without his penchant for making things that will last for numerous cycles, I won't be as fit as I am. “Fosy! Chika!” I glare at t
How in the god's name will I get another To make a potion for my Ima? Getting herbs are difficult in this season of the moon falling like pulling the teeth of an Aguiyi. Wait until I lay my hands on those insolent brats who thought it funny to chew my Ude. Had I known this will happen, I would have mixed the potion yesterday when I still had the chance to do so. Fosy and Chika should better hide for like thirty complete moon cycles, by then I would have forgotten the stunts they pulled off on me. Destroying my room is far easier to forget about, chewing is the last straw that hits the camel's back" hope that's how to say the expression?* The bubbling of the potion on fire made me startle. I was too lost in thought I forgot all about my surroundings, the boiling potion made me aware of my location. Hurrying to the table, I open the pot with a Ngaji *it's a wooden handler made from the Ikika tree, it's made to help with pot opening to avoid getting a burn on your fingers. I can
and hope not to be implicated. It was a tough decision, but one I had to make*I prepared the poison for him on the condition that he doesn't make mention of my name when caught.I know it was a fruitless talk then because he won't fail to mention my name if caught.Of course, I had a backup plan; I plan I kept helping the poor girl.Preparing the poison, I added a little dose of Agbaramebie * it's like a poison antidote, except it doesn't spotless the poison from your system; it stops the complete flow of the poison. The poison will still be in the person's system, but it won't have as much effect on the person as it would have without the Agbaramebie)* to stop the complete flow of the poison in her system.To cut the long story short, since I'm about to head out for another herb search, he was caught before he can administer the poison to her.Luckily for me, but mostly for him, he escaped before a trial can be made on him, and since then, Ikenga hasn't been seen nor have tales of
Since they blended well with us humans.The only distinct difference between us is their skin colour; theirs is a dark golden to our almost pale skin.People spoke in a hushed tone about the strangers in our mist, not knowing they were spies disguised; a specie come to dominate.They walked among us (the humans) for four moon cycles before their inversion; then they've completely known and studied our ways.Invading a kingdom they knew inside out wasn't that difficult for them; it was mainly a piece of Ude * oh my sweet fruit; how can I get a replacement for the potion I want to make for my Ima?*When they struck, it was too late for the humans to fight back(even if they did, they wouldn't have defeated them since the wolves are known to fight with strange instruments. Fighting gears we've not seen in our entire life), caught unawares, the four kingdoms were utterly destroyed.They didn't wipe out our race completely; they killed the Igwe and high chiefs of Mabudazou, taking control
Not shunned for something you don't have a hand in.Shunned for a gift I never asked nor requested for.A gift I wouldn't have wanted to be had I been given the chance to choose my path of destiny.A gift that benefits them more than it does me *hand on my chin; lost in thoughts*“Have the gift benefited me for once? The answer remains no. If it works only to my benefit, father wouldn't have died before I can get to him. Mother wouldn't have died before she can hold me in her arms. I truly am a cursed child like the villagers call me, not a blessing as my father thought my gift to be.If I'm a blessing, why does misfortune knock on my door every damn time? Why is that people around me always gets hurt because of me?I'm the daughter of Ekwensu.The forest is always devoid of both humans and the occasional sounds that surround Uderide forest * a forest that never sleeps, with wolves parading in it almost every time.*A forest I've only been to twice; forest humans are afraid to thre