The trees swayed violently in the strong wind and there was a scent in the air that signalled coming rains. The talisman on Massassi’s staff shook and dirt from the road swirled around her in a perfect circle rendering her motionless until it subsided. “I have to hurry back to the shrine before the rain starts” she thought to herself and she attemped to pick up her pace but her legs failed her. Her body seemed foreign to her these days…slow legs, aching back, tired hands and blurry vision; signs that her age was finally catching up with her. She knew that her failing body could spell disaster for the oracle because she was regarded as the “omnipotent messenger of the gods with unmatched powers”. It was very believable because even though she had witnessed over eighty yam festivals, she moved like she had only been around for half that number. Massassi was always full of energy. She often trekked from one village to another and it took her half the time it would take most young men. There were rumours going around the village that Massassi was visited by the great goddess and was given an elixir that rendered her ageless and powerful. Lately, her body was reminding her that she had been around for too many moons but she knew that she had to continue to appear strong. Her strength was indeed her power and any sign of weakness would make the King and the villagers doubt her messages. As she made her way back to the temple from the Kings Palace, she pondered on the discussion that had taken place. Her summon was not a good one. The King was angry and anxious and rightfully so…there was a bad wind coming towards their direction. This storm had been brewing for decades and its coming was inevitable. It was now only a question of when it will come and who will survive it but it was definitely headed their way…this day of reckoning felt closer than it ever did before and it scared Massassi but she could not show her fear in front of the King. She needed to appear unshakeable especially in these difficult times as the stability of the Kingdom depended on her. She abruptly stopped in her tracks and whispered under her breath “Yes, it is upon us…great goddess, protecting your children”. She could smell danger; just as she could smell the rain. She saw a flash of lightening and roaring thunder with a few raindrops followed shortly. She shivered in fear as if the rain was a confirmation from the gods that inescapable doom was heading their way. She began walking again and this time, she did not attempt to walk faster.
Massassi had a keen sense. She sensed a change in Udo. She seemed very absent minded lately and had gotten a few slaps from her this week to remind her to pay attention. The other day she overcooked the leaves for the medicine rendering the whole pot useless and today she just stared blankly into the air as she broke nuts for the soup and a snail’s pace. “What has gotten into this girl?” she wondered. She looked at her again, this time, examining her body and she realized that the little slave girl that she had taken in has become a full grown woman. She never looked at her this closely, until now…She had little time for the girl and she viewed her as more of an irritant than any help but now, looking at Udo closely, she realized that the young girl that was brought to her a few moons ago as a malnourished child with tattered clothes, was quickly becoming a woman…a very beautiful woman. She would have to speak to the King soon before one of these sex starved village men had their way with her “The time has come. Yes the gods are beckoning…” Massassi thought to herself. She picked up a stick drawing lines in the sand. At the same time, she chanted some words and danced in a cirle to summon the mother goddess.
Monday, February 07, 2011
Friday, February 04, 2011
ALU- Part 2 excerpt
She awoke from her sleep, alarmed by the noise. Her first thought was that one of the goats must have escaped from the pen and made its way into the hut. She picked up a stick from a corner of the room and began to search for the animal but when she looked towards the doorway, she realized that the noisemaker was not a goat but a man! She panicked and raising the hand that held the stick, she proceeded to attack the stranger but then she stopped, studied the man’s face and soon recognized him. Hard jaw line and prominent nose…She had come to know these facial features so well in the past weeks. The man that was left in her care was now standing, watching her. “Standing?” she thought to herself, with an obvious expression of surprise on her face. She had looked after him for 2 weeks now and realized that he was in a very critical state. His condition was so bad; she did not think that he would ever recover from his injuries. The wound on his side was very deep and the sore on his leg became infected soon after he was brought to her mistress by Kaaria and the King’s men. The infection had given him a grave fever; the worst she had ever seen in her experience as Massassi’s apprentice. One minute his body was as hot as a rock in the mid-day sun and the next minute, his body was as cold as water from the village stream. She had to help him regulate his temperature clothing and unclothing him when he showed signs of discomfort and it was during one of those frequent rituals of undressing him that she had seen it…
Negasi had never seen a woman so beautiful. Her bosom bounced about alluringly as she looked around in search of something…He should have made his presence known but he remained silent. He felt frozen. He could neither speak nor move and his stillness was not as a result of pain from his injuries or his weak condition. He stood in silence and studied her beautiful profile; her slender neck like a gazelle’s, her long legs exposed from her full thighs seemed to go on forever… when his gaze finally reached her ankles, he saw that they were adorned with beads, making a sound as she moved around the room and her breasts…naked, in all its glory, firm and perfectly round like champion melon fruits held his gaze for much longer. He had startled her but they soon locked eyes and for a few seconds, neither of them moved and no words were spoken between them. The silence seemed to last for a very long time. Eventually, she relaxed her stiff shoulders and lowering her slender arm that held the stick, she said softly, in a sweet voice he recognized from his dreams “You should not be out of bed, you are not well enough”.
“Who are you…? And where am I?” Negasi asked her sternly, trying not to show any sign of weakness.
“You must lie down…you are not yet strong. You are very sick and your injuries are still healing” she said, walking towards him.
“I am fine, woman. Now, answer me. Who are you and where am I?” he asked again, his growing impatience now became evident in his tone and his well defined, muscular chest heaved deeply showing a sign of distress.
“I am afraid I cannot answer your questions. I am not allowed speak to you. I have said enough as it is…Please come lay down”. Gesturing by pointing at his head and chest, she said “See, you are sweating again…” He had started to perspire profusely and he was feeling dizzy again. She reached out to grab his arm but he grabbed hers instead and pulled her close to him.
“Tell…tell me this at least…” he said “Am I in any danger?”
He held on to her arm tighter than before and she winced in pain. His tighter grip was not intended to hurt her but he was fading away quickly and was trying to hold on for support.
“No, you are not in any danger…” she replied “…not yet.”
Negasi had never seen a woman so beautiful. Her bosom bounced about alluringly as she looked around in search of something…He should have made his presence known but he remained silent. He felt frozen. He could neither speak nor move and his stillness was not as a result of pain from his injuries or his weak condition. He stood in silence and studied her beautiful profile; her slender neck like a gazelle’s, her long legs exposed from her full thighs seemed to go on forever… when his gaze finally reached her ankles, he saw that they were adorned with beads, making a sound as she moved around the room and her breasts…naked, in all its glory, firm and perfectly round like champion melon fruits held his gaze for much longer. He had startled her but they soon locked eyes and for a few seconds, neither of them moved and no words were spoken between them. The silence seemed to last for a very long time. Eventually, she relaxed her stiff shoulders and lowering her slender arm that held the stick, she said softly, in a sweet voice he recognized from his dreams “You should not be out of bed, you are not well enough”.
“Who are you…? And where am I?” Negasi asked her sternly, trying not to show any sign of weakness.
“You must lie down…you are not yet strong. You are very sick and your injuries are still healing” she said, walking towards him.
“I am fine, woman. Now, answer me. Who are you and where am I?” he asked again, his growing impatience now became evident in his tone and his well defined, muscular chest heaved deeply showing a sign of distress.
“I am afraid I cannot answer your questions. I am not allowed speak to you. I have said enough as it is…Please come lay down”. Gesturing by pointing at his head and chest, she said “See, you are sweating again…” He had started to perspire profusely and he was feeling dizzy again. She reached out to grab his arm but he grabbed hers instead and pulled her close to him.
“Tell…tell me this at least…” he said “Am I in any danger?”
He held on to her arm tighter than before and she winced in pain. His tighter grip was not intended to hurt her but he was fading away quickly and was trying to hold on for support.
“No, you are not in any danger…” she replied “…not yet.”
ALU- Part 1 excerpt
The sound of the drums grew louder and louder. Negasi knew he had made it. He had escaped sure death at the hands of his rival, and he had lived to fight another day. "The pain will now come to an end" he thought, "The villagers will find me and nurse me back to health..." little did he know that death at the hands of Ajani and his posse would have been a better option than what he was about to face. If he had known, he would have ran the opposite direction and begged Ajani for a quick death but instead, he walked towards the village with the sound of drums; one wobbly foot after another, finding strength from the depth of his being. Suddenly, he saw a light flickering from beyond the trees. Yes! Yes!! He muttered to himself and kept walking as fast as his weary legs could carry him. He soon reached a clearing and as soon as he emerged from the bush, the drumming stopped and masked heads turned to face him. He attempted to wave and smile but felt dizzy and fell to the ground with a big thud...
The heat was deadly, the bugs were unforgiving. If only he had the strength to swat those bloodsucking devils! He was so weak... All he could do was lie still while they sucked him dry and left him even weaker. How long has it been? Three days? He was not really sure since all he remembered was drifting in and out of consciousness; Only staying awake long enough to be fed by a woman. A very mysterious face with large brown eyes that made him feel a chill down his spine despite the scorching heat...or was that a dream too? One of his fever induced illusions? She must have been a figment of his imagination because she looked so ethereal. She was looking down at the concoction she was mixing in a wooden bowl but he had noticed her thick, long curly lashes and when she looked up at him, her almond shaped eyes sparkled like they had stars in them. He had attempted to speak but she stopped him, begging him to eat and lay still because he was not yet strong. Her presence had made him over-excite himself and he indeed felt weak and dizzy and before long, he drifted back to sleep.
A cock crowed and through the thatched roof of the hut, some sunlight drifted in. For the first time in days, Negasi woke up without any assistance. His strength was returning but he still felt pain on his left side. He slowly forced himself to sit up only to realize that he was naked under the covers made from jute cloth. He looked carefully at the cloth pattern and realized that the pattern was foreign to him. He got up from the bed, winced in pain and wrapped the cloth around his waist. The fire was out and there was no other light in the hut so he had not realized that he had company; until he stumbled on a calabash bowl left on the floor...
The heat was deadly, the bugs were unforgiving. If only he had the strength to swat those bloodsucking devils! He was so weak... All he could do was lie still while they sucked him dry and left him even weaker. How long has it been? Three days? He was not really sure since all he remembered was drifting in and out of consciousness; Only staying awake long enough to be fed by a woman. A very mysterious face with large brown eyes that made him feel a chill down his spine despite the scorching heat...or was that a dream too? One of his fever induced illusions? She must have been a figment of his imagination because she looked so ethereal. She was looking down at the concoction she was mixing in a wooden bowl but he had noticed her thick, long curly lashes and when she looked up at him, her almond shaped eyes sparkled like they had stars in them. He had attempted to speak but she stopped him, begging him to eat and lay still because he was not yet strong. Her presence had made him over-excite himself and he indeed felt weak and dizzy and before long, he drifted back to sleep.
A cock crowed and through the thatched roof of the hut, some sunlight drifted in. For the first time in days, Negasi woke up without any assistance. His strength was returning but he still felt pain on his left side. He slowly forced himself to sit up only to realize that he was naked under the covers made from jute cloth. He looked carefully at the cloth pattern and realized that the pattern was foreign to him. He got up from the bed, winced in pain and wrapped the cloth around his waist. The fire was out and there was no other light in the hut so he had not realized that he had company; until he stumbled on a calabash bowl left on the floor...
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