Born Of Two Worlds 3

Written by

Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

IF YOU MISS ANY EPISODE CLICK HERE

Ekenna went home full of thoughts. It was still afternoon, though the sun wasn’t as hot as it was before.

Going to another realm, to a strange land sounds difficult, where do he locate the girl in question.

He doesn’t want to kill any human being in that realm, he hope and beg the gods of their land that he sees the girl quickly.

He entered the throne room and greeted his brother, the king.

“Greetings Arinze”. Ekenna greeted and sat down on one of the empty chairs around.

“Ekenna, how many times will I tell you to always put ‘King Arinze’ whenever you want to address or greet me? I am your king and you serve me”. Arinze told him proudly.

Ekenna shook his head, it was his fault. If he hasn’t listened to Mmirimma, who had told him to denounced the throne if he truly love her, which he did in front of his people now his brother people. Love could be stupid sometimes. “Arinze, you’re my younger brother, and will be regardless of your position in this village. Anyway, I went to see Okike the great”.

“Okike that you have been going to his shrine for the past 100 years and still yet, he doesn’t have a solution. You had better accept your fate that we’re going to be human eaters, unless the gods show us mercy”. Arinze told him.

“Well Arinze after so many years, Okike has finally revealed our solution”. Ekenna told him ignoring what Arinze told him.

“And what did he say?” Arinze asked without a care.

“He said I have to go to another realm and bring back the look alike of the late Mmirimma, who can stop the curse”. Ekenna replied him.

“A look alike of Mmirimma? Well that is good news, when are you going?” Arinze suddenly asked interested.

“On the full moon brother”. Ekenna responded.

“Why the full moon, why can’t you go tonight or tomorrow?”

“You seem to have forgotten that it is only on the day of the full moon, we don’t transform into a beast and that is when all the whole villagers in Umueze changed into their beasts”. Ekenna explained.

“Okay, you have my permission to go to the other realm and bring the look alike of Mmirimma”. Arinze said to him.

Rolling his eyes Ekenna stood up and left the throne room to his hut stationed almost outside the palace walls, almost.

He was surprised when he saw Queen Ojima at the frontage of his hut. Sitting down on the bench he had always kept outside his hut. If not that the queen has seen him and waved at him, he would have sneaked back to the throne room.

“What is it again?” Ekenna demanded as he stood a few inches away in front of a smiling Ojima.

“Stop pretending as if you don’t know why I am here, come with me to my hut Ekenna and you won’t regret. I will take care of your needs”. Ojima told him in a seductive way. Ojima was a very pretty lady, but she was not as beautiful as Mmirimma.

“And my answers still remain the same, No. Aren’t you shame of what you speak at times? You are my brother’s wife for crying out loud. Please leave my hut before I push you out myself”.

Getting up to feet, she moved towards him in a seductive manner, she stopped in front of him as she regard him. “One day Ekenna, just one day, you will be begging me to have this body all to myself and do with it the way I pleases”. Ojima told him, slowly running her fingers in his chest, “And when that day comes, I will caress all of you, everything in you Ekenna, from your head to your loins”. Ojima added smiling and left him, shaking her buttocks in a seductively way that would have enticed any man but not Ekenna. After Mmirimma had dealt with him, he promised himself never to fall in love ever again.

“Women and their problems”. Ekenna said to himself and entered his hut, shutting it after him.

Umueze was the strongest and most powerful kingdom that other kingdoms are scared to talk about.

The former king and Queen, Emenike and Ujunwa; parents of Ekenna and Arinze, died from an unknown illness even their village chief Priest couldn’t find the cure.

The two Princes were young at that time and so the Onowu became the mouth of the king until Ekenna, who was the first Prince and heir to the throne, has grown to a full man.

In Umueze there has a sacred tradition. A Prince must get married to a Priestess of the gods, the Prince will have to choose among the priestesses for his bride. The priestesses were all beautiful.

Ekenna who didn’t like the tradition at first, fell in love with Mmirimma when he first glance at her.

Mmirimma was a beauty to behold, every man in Umueze desires her. She caught the eyes of Ekenna one early morning when she mistakenly walked into one of his traps for huge animal.

Ekenna treated her wound and during those time he fell in love with her.

“One day Ekenna, I will be so powerful and you will rule next to me”. Mmirimma had always told him.

He would laugh over it and reply her. “And I will gladly rule by your said my queen”.

The love he had for her made him denounced his right as king and his younger brother was made king. But that was his mistake for when he had denounced his birthright, Mmirimma went straight into his brother’s arms, Arinze who has a long crush on her. She betrayed him.

“Why did betrayed me Mmirimma, you should have told me you never loved me instead of telling me to denounced my throne for your sake. You are a backstabber”. Ekenna had told her the evening her engagement with his brother was announced in the whole villages.

“Oh stop crying like a child, even if I told you to put your hands in a fire and roast it, you will? You’re insane Ekenna. Well, I only fall in love with you because of me becoming the queen, and I jokingly asked you to denounced your throne in front of everyone if you truly love me, which you foolishly did, my love for you have dispersed and now I am in love with your brother”. Mmirimma answered him rudely.

“Oh, I get it now. One day, mark my words, the gods shall repay you back”.

“You won’t say something like that if you know who I am. Please Ekenna, don’t spoil my beautiful evening, leave my presence”.

“The gods are watching you”. Ekenna said deeply hurt and started leaving.

“Let them watch for all I care”. Mmirimma hissed.

***

Being the most powerful kingdom, Arinze sent invitations of his traditional marriage to the neighbouring villages, and they dare not disobey him.

Mmirimma carried herself with pride as she instructed every maidens in Umueze and outside Umueze to address her as the queen.

When it was time for Arinze to show the whole villagers his chosen bride, surprisingly, he came out with Ojima the best friend of Mmirimma and also the second priestess of the gods. The village square went quiet throughout the ceremony.

Mmirimma felt angry and embarrassed and left the ceremony in shame.

She was laughed at and scorned everywhere she went too, Mmirimma who couldn’t bear the shame took her own life in front of Ekenna and his brother. She placed a curse on them and the land before she died.

Mmirimma was given a befitting burial and was laid to rest.

Two nights after her burial, Ekenna saw himself and his brother changing into a night creature. The curse made them not to eat anybody from their village but in another village. By morning they will find themselves naked and human once again, by night, the same thing happens.

Once it was full moon, everyone in Umueze would turn into a flesh eating human beings, only the two Princes remain as men during that time. The people tried to end their own lives but was surprised when they didn’t die.

Ekenna traveled everywhere in search of the cure for the curse but none of the chief priests he had met could give him answers.

For more than 100 years Ekenna tried to find a solution as he and his people lived with the curse. He was already giving up when he came across Okike, who revealed Mmirimma identity.

And now he will be going to another realm to bring Mmirimma’s look alike before the evil ones get her.

To Be Continued…