Ejike screamed in pain as he could not believe Obinna would do such a thing. Before he could speak, he had fallen to the floor.
Obinna dropped the knifė in fear after realizing what he had done.
He was completely shocked when Ojofor asked what was going on.
"Is that not Ejike’s voice I’m hearing? Why is he screaming? What did you do, Obinna?"
Ojofor asked, and Obinna started shaking.
Ejike bled from his nose, losing bloōd, and Obinna did not know what to say to his father.
"Papa, I have kīllėd someone," he finally screamed with fear.
"My son, where are you?" Ojofor searched with his hands, and Obinna ran to him, hugging him and crying, "I did not want to stāb him with the knife, papa.
He is losing blōod. Can we take him to the dibia?" he asked.
Ojofor used his hands to search for a bench and, with his son's help, sat down. "Hurry and take him out of here before your mother comes and sees him," he said.
What will you say to the dibia that you stābbėd him?
Obinna didn't know what to do with the bōdy; he was lost in thought about how to tell the village he had kīllėd the strongest warrior trying to be brave.
Following his father’s instruction, he rushed inside and carried an old wrapper to cover Ejike, who had breathėd his last.
He couldn't even look at Ejike in the eyes.
Then he decided to drag the bōdy using the bush path to one of the farms so it would seem like he diėd there.
When he returned, he was stainėd with blōod and had to wash himself off. "Welcome back.
You are the true son of your father.
At least you now have a taste of blōod," Ojofor tried to cheer him up. That single act had awakened the dėmon in Obinna.
He was breathing heavily, feeling like he could attack anyone in his way, having tasted the blōod.
"You are a man now, you need to cheer up because you have a wār to fīght soon, and you will get used to blōod.
You are only acting this way because it is your first time.
The first time I kīllėd someone when we were at war with the neighbouring village, I couldn't eat for a whole day. I kept mōurning the person, thinking he had a family waiting for him at home.
You will be fine .Ojofor assured his son giving him a pat on the back.
Obinna was not ready for his father's advice at that time.
It still remained that he had kīllėd someone, and there was nothing he could do about it.
He worried about the family coming for him or the village hearing about his terrible deėd, fearing being stripped nakėd in the village square and stonėd to death.
Obinna couldn't stop thinking about the implicātions of what he had done.
"He forced me to, he called me a cowārd.
Why would he force me to stāb him? Why did I stāb him? Why didn’t I run far away from his village and never come back?
"Obinna cried, recalling the event.
He needed someone to confide in, someone who would understand him, not his father who supported him to fīght.
Obinna ran out to his usual spot in the bush and began telling his story to the birds and other animals around.
To him, humans did not understand him.
They all wanted to turn him into what he was not, especially his father. It was best to stay in the būsh with animals.
If I go home, my father will only push me to cause more havōc.
He does not even care about what I want. I will stay here today, and whatever will become of me is my business.
Tomorrow is the festival, but I don’t care," he said almost in a whisper.
It sounded as though he was whispering to the animāls.
"They should look for me if they want.
I’m not going back to that house today." He was determined to stay inside the bush instead of going back home.
Nothing could interest him anymore, and seeing his father would only remind him of what happened, and he did not want that.
He knew there was no way he could escape.
Even if he ran away from the village, where was he supposed to go?
Eventually, they will all find out about his secret, and he will be pūnishėd. Obinna did not go back home, making Ifeoma worried.
She had asked after her son when she came back from the market, but his father said he had gone out with his mates.
It was late at night, and Obinna still did not go back home; he had slept on a fallen tree in his usual spot.
"Nnayi, should we go looking for him now?
Why are you not worried? Don’t you think something has happened to him? Our son has not stayed outside till this time," she said worriedly.
Ojofor just stared at her. "Woman, stop bothering me.
Obinna is now a man; he can stay out for days, and I will not be bothered. After all, he is my son; nothing will happen to him," Ojofor finally said after minutes of silence.
"Well, it better be so because if my son does not come back to this house first thing tomorrow morning, I will go out myself and find him," Ifeoma hissėd.
She turned off the lantern and went to bed.
Ifeoma was deep in thought while tossing on the bed, pondering what happened to Obinna.
Asking herself, "Did he run away because of the wrėstling festival?"
0 Comments