Akeem ask Joseph which of the day is the sacred day? Joseph answered
him every Second and last Saturday of every month. Akeem ask Joseph can we
visit the stream? Joseph: why not.
They made plans to visit the stream by 12:00 noon which is the exact
time the goddess consumes the sacrifice and in two days time was the last
Saturday of the month. When
they got to the stream they did as usual.
But that day truly was not usual. Getting to the stream Akeem ran
forcefully into the water and Joseph who didn’t followed him immediately,
slowly took off his clothes and dived into the water once and came out of the
water and sat on the palm stem washing his singlet and shorts.
While he was washing, Akeem was bathing and disturbing the peace of
the sacred stream; a soft whirl wind started blowing. A little while, the wind
stopped and a big Cobra snake coming out from the rushing part of the stream
behind Akeem and Joseph quickly saw the sneak and shouted sneak behind you
Akeem, come out now!
Before he could take two steps away, he got stuck by the water and
the snake coiled around him and they both vanished.
Suddenly with a great fear, Joseph ran away to his house not telling
anybody what has happened to his friend. And throughout that day, no one sees
Akeem. The following morning the parents started looking for Akeem since they
didn’t see him all day. His father refused to go for his business. He staid
back to look for his only son, Akeem. He decided to visit the king to tell him
that his son is missing.
When he got to the palace, he narrated the story to the king that he
has not seen his son Akeem since yesterday. That he only heard he went to the
stream and he has not return since then. The king felt so sorry for him because
he is a good man. So the king sent one of his guards to call the chief priest.
When the chief priest came to the palace, the king asks him: chief
priest are we still safe in this village? Yes my king, he responded. The king
asked the chief priest again: How come that the only son of our honourable
Elder, Akpengsa is now missing? That ever since he was crowned as a king, this
is the first time he heard a child is missing in this village. Chief priest
what is happening, he asked?
The chief priest answered the king by rendering praises to the king.
He said Igwe! We are still safe. The chief priest say to the king and Akeem’s father
that he is sorry he made a mistake that he should have reported directly to the
king and his father when they started.
The king and Mr. Akpengsa asked the chief priest, they? The chief
priest said yes! They! That Mr. Akpengsa son, Akeem is a friend to the wayward son
of Nkike, Joseph whom they go together every day to visit the sacred stream and
even on the sacred days they suppose not to visit the stream. And not only
visited it in peace but they don’t obey the rules that governed the sacred
stream.
All the elders shouted! Abomination!!
That some market days ago, that the goddess of the land appeared to
him in his shrine sending him to warned Akeem and his friend especially Akeem.
That she is only mercifully because of Mr. Akpengsa’s son, Akeem. That she
sensed that Akeem has never visited the sacred stream before not until some
months ago. She started seeing him with is friend, Joseph, Nkike’s son. And
that Joseph didn’t inform him about the stream.
The king asked the chief priest: what are we going to do to have
Akpengsa’s only son back? “the chief priest made some enchantments and said to
Igwe (king) and the elders that the goddess of this land says she is still
merciful to return Mr. Akpengsa’s only son; if and only her demands could be
made.
The king now asked what are the demands? The chief priest answered
the king saying: two cocks, five tubers of yam, two bottles of palm oil, two
male goats, hot drinks, bitter kola and kola nuts and that these items should
be brought to the sacred stream by five virgin damsels carrying a pot of fire accompanied
by the elders and parents the following morning or else he’ll be gone forever.
And that no one should test her patience again.
The king thanked the chief priest and ordered half of the items
while the remaining was given to the father. Since his father was rich, he
didn’t have any problem with that so far he sees his son. The following
morning, the sacrifice was made and soon after the soft whirl wind blew again
and the goddess appear with Akeem and he was unconscious.
The chief priest stepped into the water and received Akeem from her.
He demanded the virgins to pour the fire on the stream to purify the stream, and
the virgins should take their pots and fetched him water immediately when the
fire goes off. When virgins brought the water, the chief priest use his own pot
to receive the water from each of the damsels and he made some enchantments and
sprinkled it on Akeem and Akeem woke up shouting “leave me alone”!
When he opens his eyes, he saw his parents he cried out begging his
parents to forgive him. Out of anger his father gave him a dirty hot slap and
said to him: son I have forgiven you but remember this day. The elders, Mr.
Akpengsa and his wife return to the palace to thank the king for his support.
Immediately the king ordered the youth president to organize other
youths to capture Joseph. When Joseph was captured, he was brought to the king.
The king wanted to banish him, but his father pleaded with the king and other
elders. Because they were both in support of the king’s decision.
When Joseph heard the king talking about banishing him, he started
crying begging the king that he is sorry. That they should forgive him, he confessed
that he was with Akeem at the stream when the water swallowed him.
That he was scared for the first time in his life. That he didn’t
know how to tell anyone. When he has finished confessing the elders saw how
remorseful he was, they pleaded with the king and believing that he has seen
what he has done that would have claimed a life.
The king order one of his
guards to flock him twenty four strokes of cane and put him inside the royal
dungeon. And Joseph remains in the king’s dungeon serving other prisoners.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<The End.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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