AMAMÌHE

Our world was coming to an end. The gods have forsaken us. All we felt was pain, hunger and death. No one could save us. Our people died every minute. Soon, our world wouldn't exist. The only world we've ever known was our village. Dikeopara. Which was divided into four smaller communities. Nzeka, which is where I hail from and luckily for us, the pandemic hadn't attacked us yet as much as it has done in the other communities. Our rivers were drying up already and the gods haven't sent rain in almost a year. We had no food nor livestock. People now depended on leaves, herbs, and insects for food. Most people died feeding on the poisonous ones. Lizards and rats were the common types of meat anyone could find for food which were even hard to find these days. Umuopara, the second village had lost half it's population due to the lack of food. Children died daily and those alive were better off dead. Mothers had to travel with their young ones to Nzeka to find the littlest amount of food and water for survival. Some never made it to Nzeka but died on the way and those who made it, refused to go back to Umuopara where feeding on excreta and mud was as normal as normal could be. All their trees were dead. All their grasses, withered away. Nothing could grow on their soil or anyone's soil for that matter. In Umuopara, prayers for instant death was constant. Agwondu, the third community was where the pandemic had spread from. They had accepted the whites every other community had rejected. The Whites had promised to help them refine their oil and make their village a better place. Every soul in Agwondu rejoiced for the gods had answered their prayers. A few days later, people started dieing. The elders, fathers, mothers and their young ones. The disease wasn't communicable so there were no precautions or preventions. You could wake up one morning and find yourself bearing this disease. It was characterized by a triangular darkened mark on the chest. Every one waking up every morning checked their chests to ensure they were still safe. Mothers checked their children many times as they could in a day. It was the scariest thing ever. People having this disease never lasted for two hours before death visited. The gods were out to punish them. Some villagers blamed the Whites saying that they had put a curse upon them but deeply they definitely knew they had wronged their gods and unfortunately, they couldn't tell where they went wrong. The pandemic was already spreading to other communities. Only twenty percent of Agwondu's initial population remained. The fourth community, Nwadike no longer existed. The pandemic and hunger had been the death of them. Not to mention the men that visited constantly on moving houses. Every time they visited, they took at least twenty people with them. They had no mercy on women nor children. They took whomever they could find. Long knives and harmful objects were always strapped to them and no one could fight back. Whenever the villagers heard the awful sounds that came from their machine, announcing their arrival, everyone ran into their huts for safety. Able bodied men, hunters and warriors included. It was nothing short of shameful. The people they took with them never came back. Nwadike, once a village was now nothing. I, Amamihe which meant wisdom lay on my bamboo bed deep in thoughts as Olanna, my bethrothed walked into my room. The second she had been born, her father promised her to me. I was only eight years old then. I've been her best friend, an elder brother and a caring lover whenever she needed me to. We were closer than stars in a galaxy. We were yet to be married hence, never did anything unmarried people were supposed not to do but I tell you, we were closer than married people could ever be. She sat at the edge of my bamboo bed and glared at me. " Nwoke oma( good man), you promised to visit me today, what happened? I had even prepared some food for you"Olanna feigned annoyance at her last line. I smiled softly at her. The smile I was always sure made her forget everything. She bent her head to hide the wide smile playing on her lips. " I was thinking" " About?" she reached out and shoved at me playfully and I caught her hand in mine which made her smile even wider. " Everything" I replied, playing with her fingers. " How we'll all die soon" " Don't say that" she snatched her hand away from me and gave me a stern look. " Obi m ( my heart), we will survive. They gods are not dead. We will be answered one day. Our sacrifices had not been accepted but our prayers will be answered. Even though our king doesn't act like a king anymore, we will still survive. Feeding on insects and leaves isn't the worst thing that could happen to us. Look at Nwadike, we are better off than them. Don't say things like that. Biko (please)" " I'm sorry" he took her hand again in his and the smile she gave him gave him hope the gods could never give." Where's my food?" I asked which got her laughing. I was awake but I wasn't. I knew I couldn't feel my body. I knew my destination but I didn't know where I was headed. I moved in the night like a ghost that had come to collect souls. I was Amamihe but I didn't know who I was. I didn't know where I was at but I knew I had to be somewhere. I felt like my spirit had left my body before I began this journey but I kept on moving to a place I knew nothing about. To a place I felt would change me forever. The scorching sun made me feel more uncomfortable than ever and I could tell I wasn't on my bamboo bed as leaves and stones disturbed my back. I cracked an eye open and the sunlight made me shut them again. Slowly, ever slowly I opened up my eyes and took in my surroundings. What was I doing in the f*******n shrine of Odogwuokataka? I felt so exposed and looked down at myself. Why was I n***d? I felt this wierd thing zing through me and I could swear to the gods, I felt different.