Darkness at Niella

By Dare Adetuberu


She laid on the Tantana; eyes shut and an uncanny pain eating deep into her. The witch doctor sprinkled the guza several times, spoke his pagan incantations to some unseen figures, did more gymnastics and then stopped. He faced us. Shemi sank to her knees and began sobbing uncontrollably; her father too was torn apart. I could tell that the gesture of the witch doctor meant a dead end for the woman who was hit by the fever. I thought of her sons; Shemi's brothers, they had gone into the woods to fetch herbs and seeds that might be necessary for this illness. They hoped for the impossible, for a kiss of life, that their mother should at least live more years, that she may see their children; her grandchildren. The joy of having elders in your life when you are newly wedded. As it seemed a flood of vile spirits had swept across the lands and brought blight to all that blossomed. Even the flowers of the Aranka trees had lost their hue. "The gods are silent on this one" the witch doctor said. I really didn't know if that statement was meant to damn the woman who laid on the Tantana or it was meant to break the last thread of hope this family was holding on to. Shemi's father tried to say something, but it came out as a groan, as pain...some mumbling. Just then, three men rushed in from their fruitful quest of harvesting the finest of herbs and seeds. "Is mama dead?" The eldest of the sons spat out. I would have asked that question too if I were in their shoes; coming in from your task and meeting your father and sister in such composure and the healer looking so pale. "I said, is mama dead?" He yelled again. Panting, all three of them must have raced for this cause. They looked from their dad, to Shemi, to the witch doctor, then to me, they rested their eyes on me. Their eyes sought for some answer, they wanted something the witch doctor and their dad couldn't say. "Your mama isn't dead, neither will she die today nor in the near time" I spoke my first words since the first time Shemi called me that her mama had been struck by the fever - that was sometime at dusk yeaterday. I saw my lady run to my hut with abandon, crystal droplets of tears pouring and bringing up the rear. I was writing something when she pulled me to her house. It was the first time I would meet her parents. My first encounter with her brothers wasn't palatable though, they had wanted my neck that night - some weeks back. On arriving at Shemi's house, I had kept the vigil with them and spent this day too. Her brothers had gone on their quest before I arrived, maybe they would have challenged my presence had they been around when I first arrived or not - that's one I really can't tell. "Who is this one who speaks a counsel when the gods are silent?" The witch doctor asked in disdain, irritation and anger. The three boys had their gaze fixed on me; maybe they felt there was truth in my words or they just wanted to find hope somewhere and I happened to be bringing that. Our last (first) encounter which was a brutal one, three strong sons of the clan had brought down heavy blows on me. I wasn't easily fallen though. I had crashed my left heel into the younger one's lower jaw and done more damage with a stick. This second confrontation, I was offering hope to men who had probably sworn to kill me, my sin - their sister loved me. "I said the gods are silent on this one..." The witch doctor yelled out again. Really, the gods had been silent for a while now. A plague ravaged the environs, the news of death came from neighboring villages, and there was a burial every night or every other day. A fever first set in, prostration and then the person convulsed. It is said that when the person convulsed, his or her spirit is finding its way our; either by the will of the gods or the claws of death. "Your mama isn't going to die" I said again "How do you know that, Vagabond?" Shemi spat at me. I really wasn't expecting her to talk or maybe I wasn't expecting her to pour any anger at me. I was stunned; eyes wide and mouth agape, the words for any response hung in my throat. "I brought you here to comfort me, not to lie to my family...be gone from my house and my life Vagabond! You brought this curse. I hate you forever. Go..." She screamed, got up and raced for me, clawing at my face. Only the youngest of her brothers tried to hold her back. "Stop it Shemi! This man is not a curse...and you know he loves you" I saw tears pouring from his eyes too. "No, he bewitched me...he is a curse" she screamed, and I saw a different woman; I saw rejection, my days in this part of the world came to an abrupt end; I heard the roads calling at me again. The screams came to a sob, she went to her knees; her brother brought her down gently. Her eldest brother approached, in an attempt to lead me out. I guess I wasn't done yet. I walked to the side of the woman laid on the Tantana the witch doctor eyed me. "What be this young man?" He asked "I said this woman isn't dead and isn't going to die old man. Tell your silent ones that I said so" He stood astonished. I had done the abominable, I had disrespected the gods. I leaned over, and whispered some words into the ears of the woman laid on the Tantana, and then I turned to leave. "Stop that fool, seize him..." The witch doctor finally said. He had been too dumbfounded to speak earlier. However as he spoke, a woman sat up; Shemi's mother...she had awoken. "Who called me? Who touched me?" The witch doctor spun and jumbed back. Shemi and her brothers looked bewildered, their papa crashed to his knees. "Shemi, Neyo..." She called at each one of her children, then she looked at her husband, "...what happened? Did I die". The witch doctor looked at me. Words seemed to had eloped him. I made for the door, I let the tears flow again; I must leave this land for some distant place again. I walked the long road to my hut, entered to pick my lyre and bag. The roads called me, for I could not find such love that would keep me in the domain of this realm. The night was near when I called my wings; I spoke the words in that tongue. They burst open from my back and spread out, my beautiful wings: all white and unstained. I smelled them, the fragrance - such as one that intoxicates like the Jeblish rum. I leapt into the air, spread my wings and gathered air under my feet. I climbed a hundred feet into the air and then I looked around. I looked at the village and its environs; I saw the darkness that plagued the land; legions of demons and foul spirit littered the lands. Should I leave now, or should I deliver some? I needed a word, a voice or something to make me sing. Then I saw a bunch running for me; no...on the ground, Shemi and her mother were heading for my hut, her brothers were right behind. And in the air; some demons were charging at me. She looked up and saw me. They saw me. Her mother screamed... "That is the one who called me..." Shemi's mother was hysterical. She recognized this form. For when I had whispered earlier into her ears, I had travelled yonder to pull her out of darkness. She saw me in that realm and the memory was not hidden from her. Now she just wanted to say her thanks. "Thank you great one" I looked into Shemi's face, I could hear her heart: "is that you...?" She whispered. I looked at her brothers. Then I looked up and around me into the realm that remained unseen by these mortals, the demons charging at me were getting close. I needed to be done with the mortals before I engaged the darkness. I had decided to pour some light. "Take your mother and sister home. There will be a heavy downfall tonight. Spread the word to everyone in the village and its environs. The waters that will pour tonight and will heal all that have the fever. Live blessed and prosper!" I spoke as gentle as I could, but indeed every word was like a roar and a thunder clad. I struck a chord on my lyre, and then I played one short one, to the tune of grace and a dance. The demons that charged at me were very near now, about twenty of them and they brought some very dark cloud... I could tell that by now the ones on the ground could not see me again, my piece ended. "How dare you?" One of the demons spoke. "You are heavily surrounded son of Light and tonight your wings will be broken" They charged...swords clashed. Men on the ground heard thunder, lightning flashed. A rumbling ensued throughout the skies. Three brothers raced across their village to spread the information. They split to also spread the news to its environs. One grateful woman sang and danced, one dame; Shemi of Niella cried alone. At midnight, the rains poured, it poured on and on. The thunders and lightening didn't cease. Every once in a while, a feather dropped (mine), and was washed away in the waters to a place where no one will find them, save me. Sometime in the forth watch of the night when dawn was approaching, I took a strong blow. This time, I went down. Seventy of them followed as I fell from the skies. One of them wanted to have a final blow. I had indeed wreaked havoc in their ranks. I had torn them, slashed them. Every legion was touched. I had sent more than a third of them into utter darkness, more had been maimed. This is the story of one chasing tens of thousands. Sometimes, I can tell they wonder where we find our strength; their eyes are darkened already that they can't see and their memories cannot remember the taste of grace. I smiled as I fell from the heights. I had strength for one last roar; I could use it now. This night had been won. Darkness had been torn at its heart. I had crashed an agenda. Whatever coronation was to be done in this region would definitely have to be postponed. The demons knew it too. That was why they wanted to at least take me down; it would console them. They had lost on their agenda of the harvest of souls in this region. I gathered air into my lungs and gave the last roar, this time I gave grace to my feet... I landed on the ground amidst that roar...the grounds shook, waters rose, seventy of them that charged after me were momentarily deafened and disoriented by the roar. Some would never regain that ability again. When they regained consciousness, I was gone.

They swore, they cursed...
A village and others rejoiced,
A witch doctor had no explanations
Three sons became famous
A dame; Shemi cried long
A woman and her husband smiled again

Legions of demons (or what was left of them) hissed and cursed; light had prevailed. "We will find him." The prince demon said



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