The Bitter Accusation

Once upon a time in a great distant land, there lived three brothers without shame and fame. These brothers were the well known ophans in the village of iyede. These brothers without the aid of any living creature, struggle to get their daily bread. They always looked tattered as a result of hard work. Ewoma! Ewoma! Ewoma! Ome shouted tiredly. Yes.... I'm coming... Replied ewoma.  Where is evi? Asked ome inquisitively. He went to Mama ekenta's place to harvest her cassava, ewoma replied. I hope he will get a good pay because Mama ekenta's farm is very big, ome asked. We hope so.. ewoma answered. Ehen ... That reminds me, what are you doing here? You go to chief oreva's farm to help him plant his cassava at the back of his house and not ask after us, because we are not longer kids. Remember, when mama was still alive before she died mysteriously, she told us a story before her death. Do you remember? Asked ewoma. Why not? Ome answered, while cleaning where he wants to sit on the floor. She said that after she married Papa, few months later she became pregnant. She told us that when she was due, her stomach was very big to the extent the villagers started calling her "mama triplet" but unfortunately, she gave birth to a baby boy only, with a lot of pain and stress and that was you ome. She told us papa threw a great party because he had always planned his first child to be a boy who will inherit all his property and share wisely, among his siblings and also carry his name forward. Remember when mama said, the second child which she expected to be a girl, also came out as a boy. She said she was relieved this time because her stomach was not as big as the first and when the child was due for delivery, she did not feel much pain like the first. After some time, she named him, Evi. She told us that at a tender age, Evi always carry the house broom, intending to sweep but instead give her more work by scattering the broom sticks all over. Hahaha!! Ewoma and ome laughed. You know the remaining part of the story right? Ewoma asked ome. Why not, Who will forget the birth of a talkative boy known as ewoma? Ome asked, jokingly. You are looking for trouble ooooo..... Ewoma said, angrily. Was it lost? Abeg let me go to chief oreva's house now before I will get late. Ome said, while going. I should prepare the little food left in the house, so that me and my brothers will eat early tonight. Ewoma murmured to himself quietly, while going into the house. ************************************************************************************************************** In the evening when the sun was set and the moon was coming out slowly, when the birds chirped away and the lizards, nowhere to be found, there was a heavy knock on the door of these three poor orphans, who were in the house, eating the little food they had. Kpor! Kpor! Kpor! Who dey this house, una don deaf? An angry looking man, asked. Eh wo!!!! It is our wicked and troublesome uncle, ewoma murmured to his brothers, after peeping. What does he want this time, after seizing most of our parents' properties, what will he do this time? Ome asked. The knock was hardened, to the extent the hut almost collapsed, so had to recommend Evi to open the door for their uncle, leaving their food on the spot where they were eating. Uncle, is that you? Asked Evi. How many times have I told you and your foolish brothers, never to call me your uncle, en? Asked ikutegbe. I'm sorry, sir ikutegbe. Evi replied. Let me pass, you wizard! Or do you want to stop me from entering my own house? Ikutegbe asked. Uncle, it is our house, not yours. It is the house our parents left behind. Stammered Evi.  Keep your mouth shut! Or the great uviedjor will strike you. Are you letting me in, or should I break down this hut? Ikutegbe asked, angrily. No No... Come in unc.... Sorry, sir ikutegbe. Evi said hastily. The great uviedjor, has just saved you, Stupid boy!. Let me hear uncle, from that your suck away, you call a mouth again. Ikutegbe said, heartlessly. Ikutegbe, finally entered the house, immediately. Ewoma and ome, stood up to greet him, saying: good eveni...... Shut up your dirty mouths! What is good about the evening? All I came to tell you is that, I have found someone, who will rent this place, so I will give you guys, today and tomorrow to vacate this place. Ikutegbe said, faking a smile. We are sick and tired of all these nonsense! No living soul, will leave or vacate this house. Ome retorted, angrily. Ha ha ha ha! Look at this small boy oo!. So you have now grown wings, to start replying me, abi? Ikutegbe asked. Yes Uncle! nobody is leaving this house. Evi said. Uncle, please leave us alone. Why are you so heartless? We struggle everyday to find our daily bread yet, it is exhausted by a wicked man, who calls himself, our Uncle. Ewoma added.  So you all have ganged up against me, abi? You shall see what will happen, but before I go, what is that on the floor, is that not eba and egusi soup, on the floor? Ikutegbe asked, while he was already carrying the food, out of the house. This man will never change; he always remain wicked. Ewoma said. Only God, can help him ooh My brothers! For now, let's go and sleep, for the night, because today was very stressful indeed. Ome advised. The brothers, went to their room and slept, like never before, because they were very tired that day. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Great one! Great one! The great one, the eye of the great uviedjor, the eye of the gods! May your praises never end! Ikutegbe, continously praised oseredjor, until oseredjor, interrupted. The fish does not leave the water, unless there is trouble in the water, so what brings you here, ikutegbe? Oseredjor, the great one, I came to visit you today to run business, with you. Ikutegbe replied. What kind of business, would you want to run with a chief priest? Oseredjor asked, rhetorically. Shall I come  in, let's discuss it? Because, it is a very dangerous business with awesome reward. Ikutegbe concluded.  Come in,  but remember to put out your shoes, said oseredjor. Oseredjor, I want you to falsely accuse my nephews of witchcrafty and after they deny it, ask them to swear before the gods and after they have sworn, make them faint and then, tell ovie, that they are really guilty. Then hey will face the penalty, which is for them to be banished.  Ikutegbe, do you know that what you are asking for is very dangerous, indeed, and will require lots of money? It's because you are my friend and you are the only one who has been visiting me, that is the reason, I will agree to this business. If not, I will never agree. Oseredjor, concluded. That is the spirit talking!! Ikutegbe said, continously praising oseredjor again. It's okay ikutegbe, but what are you going to gain, if they are banished? Asked oseredjor. I will not say you are blind, to ask such a question. Have you not seen that land that belongs to my late brother, at the back of his house, or the house itself, when my nephews are banished, who will all these properties, go to? Of course! They will be mine. Eh! Ikutegbe, you are so wise. Said oseredjor, being supportive. Oseredjor, I should be going, it's getting late, but before I go, take this: it's just ten thousand naira (N10,000). I will balance you the remaining ten thousand naira (N10,000) when the work is done. Ikutegbe, said in a low tune. Okay, I promise you, it will surely work out! Ovie will surely believe me. Ikutegbe went out of the shrine and went to his house. He lay down on the mat, in his bedroom, while murmuring to himself; those little brats will now realize who they are messing with, or do they think, they can go Scot free? No.... They are wrong! I will teach them a lesson, they will never forget! Oh no... I should not bother myself about this. I should be thinking of my Soon coming land, house and other properties that my poor late brother left behind. I should be thinking of how I would manage the wealth with my family. Eh! Ikutegbe, you are so wise! Ikutegbe, sat there praising himself, until he finally fell asleep. On the other hand, oseredjor was calculating and experimenting how he would implicate the poor orphans. Oseredjor, never feared the gods, he always say to himself: these things cannot talk, they have ears; they do not hear, mouth; they do not speak nor eat. When he was young he always laughed at his father, secretly. When the villagers place all sorts of food and sweet palm wine, in his father's shrine for sacrifice, at night, he usually sneak out of bed and then eat all the food in the shrine, and then go back to bed.  His father, will then come out in the morning dancing and rejoicing with the villagers, saying: the gods accepted our sacrifice. Therefore, everyday, they place food and drinks at the shrine, and the more they kept putting them, the more oseredjor, kept eating them up. Up till now, nobody knows it is him, who eats up the sacrifice, they bring. Every market day, the women always bring foodstuffs and the men Palm wine, to oseredjor's shrine for sacrifice and oseredjor will be so happy, because he is the one, eating them up.  Hence, oseredjor enjoys both his monthly keep up foodstuffs as a chief priest as in the custom of the land, and the sacrifices, brought to the gods. Although, oseredjor is facing some challenges, because his wife is yet to give birth. But he is still bdoing his job well, without losing concerntration.  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ajuwe! Ajuwe! Ajuwe! Wo suton......(king's acknowledgement in isoko language) said oseredjor. What brings you to my palace, this early morning, great one? king kome asked. Ovie... All is not well. The gods of our land are very angry with the entire village. The moon is dark,the sun is dull, the stars are not sparkling anymore, the land is wallowing in sin. Hence, the great uviedjor sent me to you to warn you.  In order to avoid his wrath, you must banish those wicked, wizard ophans, out of this village immediately. Oseredjor concluded, looking very serious. Which wicked, wizard ophans are you talking about? King kome asked, in a confused state. The sons of late chief umukoro, the brother of ikutegbe. Said oseredjor.  Yes! Yes! I know them, they are really hardworking, I am even thinking of appointing one of them as my palace guard. King kome replied. Ovie, these boys are evil; they killed their parents and you are their next target, they would have eventually kill you; you are lucky the gods intervened in this case. Therefore these boys should face due punishment, before they kill everybody in this village, said oseredjor.  Guards! Guards! Guards! The king shouted.  Ajuwe.... They answered. Go to late chief umukoro