BESIEGED CHAPTERS 11 – 20
BY CHIKA NDUKA
Mama limped back to the house even even though I tried to dissuade her from taking such a drastic action.
From behind, she struck the medicine Man with her walking stick and he abruptly left Alali and swung around to face her.
The two began to struggle as the medicine man tried to disarm her for she brandished the stick and thre@tened to use it on him again.
I tried to inch a little closer and possibly separate them but the dog began to bark furiously, darting to and fro while daring me to come on if have the gut.
“Ebi” Mama scre@med as her strength gradually began to ebb away.
“Take your brother and run back home. Run to safety if I didn’t make it alive” she continued to scre@m.
I was transfixed to a spot and so was Alali who has stopped weeping probably because of the scene playing before us.
The medicine man forcibly wrenched the stick from her hands and began to beat her with it.
BESIEGED CHAPTERS 11 – 20
Mama rolled on the ground scre@ming and still urging us to run to safety.
I wanted to go to her but the dog barricaded my way and barked harder.
In the speed of a lightning, Alali leapt on the back of his master and sank his teeth on his left ear.
The man cr!ed horribly and shakes him off before barking a command to his dog which turned around and retaliated the @ttack.
Alali was wailing and his leg was bleëding on the spot where the dog bite him.
The medicine man swiftly dragged him inside his house and bolted the door leaving us behind.
From outside, we heard the boy screeching and beckoning us to come and help him.
Apparently, the medicine man was t0rturing him and dog was applauding his act by gyrating everywhere, scowling and daring us to cough out a protest.
Mama lamented all the way home, imploring her late parents, Papa and the rest of her ancestors to come and assist her.
BESIEGED CHAPTERS 11 – 20
It was the most savage cry I’ve ever heard and the people whom we met on the way couldn’t hold their te@rs as she composed everything that have ever happened to her into a dirge.
I wept along as all my thoughts were riveted to Alali and the cruelty he must be enduring in the hand of his master.
Immediately we crossed the border which ushered us into our hamlet, Mama began a house to house tour to every household which make up our hamlet.
She wept to each Man she saw in the homestead, tabling her complaint and vowing to end it all if they did not unite and seek for a means of bringing back her children, especially Alali.
She promised to remain into servitude or better still become a willing sacrifice to the river goddess if it was the only thing it will cost to buy freedom for her children.
By the time we eventually retired to our hut, she lost her voice and her eyes swell up to an alarming rate.
BESIEGED CHAPTERS 11 – 20
Towards dusk, the kinsmen converged in our compound and promised to work towards securing the release of the lad.
Their decision brought a glimmer of hope which helped Mama to quit s0bbing brokenly.
We both lost our appetite and retired to bed in an empty stomach even as we prayed for dawn to come quickly so that our kinsmen will put their promises into action.
I kept vigil all through the night and so was Mama who turned and tossed uncomfortably.
During the witching hour when the first cock has just crowed, I felt a constricting p@in in my heart and Mama suddenly sit up and began to cry anew.
BESIEGED CHAPTERS 11 – 20
“Mama… Mama” we heard Alali urgently call from outside.
“Mama!” The voice came again and was accompanied by a weak rap on the door.
We bolted instantly and made for the door.
When we undid the latch and pushed the door open, a deadly silence @ssaulted us before a gust of wind blew inside feeling us with goosebumps.
“Alali… Alali!” Mama scre@med and fell on the ground.
“Noooo! Alali no… come back here…I say come back” she raved maddeningly and the breeze carried her voice across the nooks and crannies of the hamlet.
I was overwhelmed by a palpable fe@r which rendered me immobile as I watched Mama took off, into the balls of d@rkness which stretches forward.
BESIEGED CHAPTERS 11 – 20
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