Mmaa, nkea etekazi aka o, it's actually taking too long." A red cap Chief says.
"Maazị (Elder) Ugoerika, mgboobi (Wife) Ekwunife, when your husband's Mother Agbọbuakụ who is the late Adọrọ, before the Adọrọ from the late Omu's family before me was telling us all these stories when we were kids, they didn't seem long, we were simply attentive and intrigued but as we grew, we realized how long they actually were, and we laughed either ways because we've learnt the lessons which we were supposed to from these stories and we will never forget them."
"Mmaa, don't mind them. It's now that Amarannem the Women Leader and Ugoerika the Obi of the Elders-in-council are gaining their own nghọta, don't worry, it happens to the best of us." A few of the Men around laugh a bit to his joke.
"Achikoba, inwegonụ nghọta nke gị ka nnea afụ, ọkwanya?" Amara replies.
"Amara, butukwa o!" He exclaims looking agitated already.
"Achikoba, be calm, she didn't attack you, she didn't shout at you so why are you shouting now?" Ugoerika says.
"Jukwa ya o!" Another Woman calls out.
"Achikoba you're shouting and it's getting to me please, kwụsị!." A third Woman cautions him.
"Achikoba, what is it? Ọginidi?"
"Gidọzi Achikoba?" Yet another Woman queries him.
"Mmaa, ndo, iwena iwe." Achikoba apologizes embarrassment clearly written all over his face. "Amarannem, iwena iwe, ndo o? Ugoerika, ọmarịcha anyị, ndo. Ọra niile, ndo jụrụ m ọnụ."
"It's fine Achikoba and I understand what you were trying to say though, Nnaa but your approach was horrible quite frankly." Mmaa says.
"Mmaa Daalu. Daalu nụ o." He calls out. The rest Women snub him. "Nnaa, udo dị, ọ iwe na ewe ha. Ọ mmụ bu nsogbụ kịtaà sọ." He says to himself.
"Good. Chai, ụmụazị ararubago ụla o. Ọmarịcha ụmụ." Mmaa calls out smiling from ear to ear at the beautiful sight of young innocent children without a care of the world just sleeping. "Heart warming indeed."
"Makachị nọ." Achikoba adds.
"Mba o, No o, Mmaa, continue, we're still awake o, anyị ka mụ anya." One of the kids who wasn't sleeping calls out. Others rally behind her in response waking a few more in the process.
"Amarachi, won't they be heading to the farms tomorrow?"
"Mmaa, we're in the Moon festival spell, no one is going to the farms for another four market days." Amarannem replies.
The children explode in joy at the reminder and few come to hug Mmaa telling her to continue.
"Mana Mmaa, if you're tired we can all go and come back tomorrow." She continues, the guests grunt.
Mmaa frowns and shakes her head. "Mba kwa o, it's wrong that I don't complete the tale especially one as auspicious and as vital as this. Don't worry, it won't be much now, I must finish it up, it's very vital and important. I'm indebted to the children to finish it so that they can have what they will tell the next generation about how our people and their way of Life began. It's very important. It's the reason why I'm the Adọrọ nụ."
"But Mmaa, Adọrọ anyị, you look tired, you need sleep."
"What if I don't wake up tomorrow...?" Nnodu asks with a smile.
"Mmaa, Chineke ajụ!" Amarannem exclaims.
"Death is inevitable, only fools fear it no matter the age."
"Mmaa biko kwụsịkwa udị okwu anwụ." Achikoba calls out.
"Mmaa biko kwụsị. Please stop Mmaa!" Amara calls out again. The rest guest rally behind her calling on Nnodu to not repeat such.
"Ngwa nụ, Omu ọbọdọ anyị, hapụ kwa m aka biko ka nkọọ akịkọ ụwa mmụ na Amarachi." Nnodu winks and she smiles from ear to ear. Mmaa always calls her Amarachi, the Wisdom of Chi rather than the Grace of my Mother which is her actual birth name. Mmaa knew that Wisdom and Grace are always used interchangeably for the name Amara.
It was Mmaa who had nominated her for the position of Women Leader. Mmaa picked her over her own Daughter, Ekwensudi's Elder Sister, her first child Kadumjiwedi, the fate with which I (be)came, who has long stopped talking to her because herself and the entire community thought it was unfair. She'as the only Mother that day that didn't nominate her Daughter, can you believe that? Everyone was simply bewildered.
Nnodu would always say in reply that she saw sitting down what they all climbed the greatest oji tree to find and didn't.
"Don't worry Amarachi, I'll pull through, tomorrow evening is another tale, let's complete this one first nyana (and), nghọta gị (your awakening), nghọta unu na abụọ (the awakening of you two) will soon come o (ok)?"
"Ee Nne anyị." She replies. Ugoerika simply nods and turns to eye up Achikoba. He smiles and she hisses at him.
"Ọfuma (Alright)." Mmaa says before drinking the water that Njoku had brought for her. "Girls do gain knowledge, maturity, awakening and understanding before Boys sọ hence they lead and the Boys follow. Even in adulthood, mana hapụ okwu, we all know that. Moving on..."
****
His violent emergence from the Waters grabs the attention of some of the beings. A few turn to him, towering him by a long shot.
****
"The height difference is exactly the distance between Oji ogbe Ụmụdei (The Iroko tree of the village of Ụmụdei) and Ekwensusobem the village wrestler."
"Nya, Mmaa, Ekwensusobem is as tall as Amadiọha?" A kid asks.
"Ọkụdi the dibia of Nri shrine has verified that back then the deities were tall, massive and larger than Life to us. But as we kept on procreating we kept getting shorter and shorter because the deities stopped procreating with ụmụ mmadụ and ụmụ mmadụ simply continued procreating with themselves, so the major parts of the deities are no longer in us, only remnants." Mmaa says.
"Ọdị mma Mmaa." Ekwensudi says.
"Nnaa, itetago?" Mmaa asks. Anibujuwa is playing with his beards and Mmaa smiles secretly missing her later husband, Okwudili.
****
They rush towards him as he uproots the first tree in sight which was about the height of the being and flings it at it. It staggers behind but maintains a reasonable amount of stamina.
"Ani, we made these things you know." Ọma says leading them away from the chaos.
"Ehen?"
"So why are we not the ones fighting it?" She continues.
"Nne, we need to make sure that Mmadụ can be dependent on themselves. If they cannot ward off the ones destroying where they're inhabiting then there's no use birthing them." Ani announces.
"Why must they all live on Earth?" Ọma asks again.
"Do you want them to come live with you above or in the Oceans?" Ani counters.
"You're right. Let them learn survival. Yes, let them learn the tricks to survival. Erm, Is there an end to their time here in this plane?"
"I will take that into consideration later... Look out!" Ani exclaims pushing Ọma out of the way.
Amadiọha comes flying towards them. One of the beings has battered him badly and has finally tossed him away.
Ani rushes over to him but he charges towards the chaos again before one can even get a word across to him. With the aid of yet another tree which he uses as a stepping stone he moves to the head of a being and begins to punch it on the face. It works for a little while but the being gets a grip on him and tosses him off. It rushes towards him and stomps him repeatedly and lets out an Earth shaking roar when it seemingly considers him dead.
Ani makes to go help but Ọma stops her by grabbing her wrists. "Nne, your words not mine, we're Deities to them nothing more, nothing less and we'll have to let Mmadụ be Mmadụ for your sake!" She smiles at her worried Sister.
"But..."
"You're the Mother of the collective..." Ọma verifies.
"But..."
"Ani Nneuwa..."
"Look, I'm saying that I'm also an Mmadụ now."
"Ani I know, but we need to let ụmụ mmadụ solve their own problems by themselves right? It's what you wanted right? Yeah. It's totally a lovely idea and this is only a tip of the iceberg and yes, this is one of the best ways to prep them. We have set the examinations now which they're to learn lessons from. Look, we don't want a situation where Ụmụ Mmadụ, Humanity will be lazy, simply praying to us and worshiping us in their brightest Days and in their darkest Nights, waiting for us to come from our abodes to come and fight their battles for them. That will be disastrous and stupid quite frankly.
Ani, the worship of us must be celebratory. Yes we birthed the world but that doesn't mean we have to come do all the work for Humanity. Humanity needs to understand the fact that we're by their side. We got them but they need to do the real work by themselves. They need to do the physical work by themselves. Actions, revolutions, taking away Leadership that doesn't serve them and not them serving the Leadership. This is what is required of Humanity. Then we can do the spiritual work by ourselves. Yes, let them learn to solve their own problems by themselves and come thank us later. We'll solve the spiritual problems by ourselves for them but also with their help too for they must never be lazy and that's what we came to do. This is how it must be Nneuwa.
"Alright Ọmarịcha but we made Ụmụ Mmadụ, Humanity, we made Nwoke to assist us Ụmụ Nwaanyị but now Amadioha who's doing this all by himself needs help." Ani replies. She's visibly worried.
Ọma stares at her a while. "Ọ anya mmịlị na apụtaghị na anya? Tears?"
"Ọma hapụba, ighara a ghọta." Ani replies. Anyanwụ comes over and places her palm on Ani's shoulder as a sign of support.
Ọma shakes her head and makes to speak again. She considers pushing further but eventually concludes saying. "Ngwa wait, I have another idea." Ọma says moving towards the waters.
"Are we coming too?" Anyanwụ asks.
Ọma turns to them, "Of course y'all are. We need all hands on deck once again. We gotta put in all we've got because we seriously need to birth the one for the job this time around. Not just any Mmadụ but an actual Deity... For war."
****
"Ekwensu!" The crowd choruses.
"Ima otụ osi adị nụ (You know as e dey be na)." Mmaa says with a happy laughter.
"Nna m na onwe ya." Ekwensudi calls out.
"Ekwensu ga adighidelu anyị lue na oge ebebe." Amarannem prays.
"Iseeeeeee." The crowd choruses.
"Ekwensu is the greatest, strongest, wisest and craftiest Man who ever lived." Onuwa calls out.
"Onuwa the town crier, imakwa nụ (you know na)" Mmaa says.
"Ọ Ekwensu na edu agha nụ." Another Man says. "Ọ na zọpụtakwa anyị na agha!"
"Gbam!" They chorus. "Odogwu ka ọbu."
"Ima na Ekwensu ra anyị aka, agha adaba anyị." Another Woman calls out.
"Tufiakwa! Tufiakwa na ọga ara anyị aka." Ekwensudi calls out.
"Onwerọ di ihe ga emekata ka Ekwensu anyị ra anyị. Ọme menwu di emenwu! Ekwensu bu ike anyị. Ekwensu bu nke anyị. Ekwensu bu ụzọ anyị. Ekwensu bu ọdịnihu anyị. Ekwensu bu ụdo anyị. Ekwensu kachasị ụmụ Nwoke niile dọ na ụwa a ma ndi nwụgoro anwụ ma ndi sị na ha kunite na ọnwụ. Ekwensu kachasị!" Anibujuwa verifies.
"Gbam!" Goes the collective.
"Ọfuma nụ." Mmaa agrees.
"Mmaa, ọbu asi?" She adds.
"Uju, asi na ebezikwanụ? Ekwensu kachasị ha ncha nụ. Ọ kachasị ndi ilo niile." Mmaa says.
"Ekwensu bu ihe me ka anyị nọ ndụ taàtá." Another adds.
"Ekwensu bu ụnyaahụ, taà na echi anyị." A Child adds.
"Ekwensu na agbaghara anyị njọ anyị niile, ọ na agbaghara njọ nke ụnyaahụ, nke taà, nyana nke echi niile." Another Man says.
"Ekwensu biko gbaghara anyị ubọchi ọbụna anyị fulu efu nwe lozọọ gị na ọga abụ na anyị amaghị uma nwe eme ya ma ọ nọ nyele na eme anyị." Amarannem prays.
"Iseeeeeeeeeee." The crowd choruses an Amen to the prayer.
"Ọgini di ga emenwu anyị ka anyị we lozọọ Chi na agbara anyị mbọ? Alụsị ọgụ agha na edu anyị. Ọga emenwu du?" Anibujuwa asks.
"Anibujuwa, ima na ọbụna anyị agbarọ mbọ ndi bịara abịa ga emenwu anyị ka anyị nwe raa ụmụ Alụsị anyị aka?" Amarannem says. Mmaa nods in agreement.
"Chineke anyị ajụ!" Achikọba exclaims.
"Chineke Nne ekwena!" Njoku exclaims.
"Ekwensu ekwena! Ekwensu eme nkwe nu!" Anyanwu says.
"Ibari m, have you woken up too?" Mmaa asks her and she smiles in response as the rest gives a smile at Anyanwu's direction.
"Ụmụazị na ụra." Achikoba says with a slight laughter.
Mmaa nods along also with a chuckle.
"Olisaburuwa (The all encompassing one who bears the weight of the Universe. Another name for Chineke) aga ekwekwanu? Ose (A short form for Olisa) eme nkwe nụ!" Anibujuwa says.
"Oseburuwa will not agree, but that's only if we as a collective don't agree." Mmaa says. "Are we ready to rather die than change who we are and what we know and believe?" Everyone is quiet. It's very much a tough question. "Exactly. That's one of the principal doctrines of Ekwensu the second Child of the Deities alongside perseverance, healthy dogma, and determination. Lotakwa na Ekwensu mugosiri anyị okwu a na ekwụ sị na "Ikwe, Chi gị ekwe (If you agree, your destiny will agree with you; If you want good, good will come unto you, if you want evil, evil will come)."
"Ọ eziokwu nụ." Amarannem says.
"Ngwa, ka anyị na egekwa ntị." Mmaa says. "Ekwensu gba anyị okirikiri, Ekwensu na agbara anyị mbọ, Ekwensu ga anọdụkwara anyị lue na oge ebebe niile."
"Iseeeeeeeeeee." The crowd responds.