Twenty years later, normalcy returned to the land of ikeano with few things changing in their lives,first is the fact that the people where now living not knowing how and where the castle came from, secondly,co-habiting with people who have strange skin color, dressing funny and speaking strange language.
on that faithful early morning when the cocks have not even landed on the ground to begin the day's picking but is performing it's God given duty of announcing the day's break,chukwuma okakwe is already coming back from the bush were he went to check his traps,chukwuma,the only son of mazi ndudi okakwe,a respected man in the village of ikeano for his honesty and sincerity in his dealings with people,mazi okakwe although not wealthy but was comfortable and contented with his four yam bans, married to one wife , living a decent life like one with Western education, because of difficulty in child bearing he succeeded in having only one child,this made him to get a wife for his son at the age of twenty, luckily for for him ,his son's wife wested no time in conceiving and giving birth to a son .
chukwuka stepped into his father's compound as fear of losing him and his grandchildren made his father not to allow him get his own separate household, wearing a moody face,greeted his father from afar who is seated in front of his hit with long chewing stick which he occasionally blows out the dirty particles in his mouth, good morning my son,I hope there is good news today,still frowning,no papa, today is as bad as other days,oh! my son ,is that why your face is frowned ,cheer up, very soon, fortune will surely smile on you,the gods knows best,chukwuka could not agree with that,the gods must be partial as they seem to favour some people while other hardworking once like us toil in vain, you don't say that about the gods, trying to console him,nobody questions or blames the gods,still standing his ground,papa, honestly speaking, I don't believe the story of that building appearing out of the blue without being built by people,now look at how we worship those bekee inside that horrible place and yet they are killing our youths without even letting us see their bodies, opening his mouth in amazement,chukwuka don't you ever say such thing to anybody's hearing in this village,do you want to die...cuts in ,papa I will not die ,in fact i m going in to rest, relieved of his stubbornness,you better do, that's exactly what you need,he looks around to see if anybody heard their discussion before resting back into his back seat.
Not comprehending the reason why the elders of ikeano kept quiet at the mysterious disappearance of able bodied youths of the village bothered chukwuka as he is coming back from the farm carrying his cutlas,he wondered why a father would lose his son and wouldn't do anything to fight for justice knowing the killers of his son, asking himself a question,is that not an act of cawordice? or are they under some sort of oat?,his thoughts were interrupted by two ladies also coming back from the stream with their water pots resting on their heads as they greeted him smiling at him, although chukwuka was married,he still has troubles with the ladies,his good looks was to noticeable for the ladies to ignore but he handles their advances without making them feel bad.
The night seemed perfect and chilling,chukwuka was yet to come to terms that the truth is turned upside down in his village and everybody seemed okey with it,he decided to confront his father again,mazi okakwe seating on his resting chair as the breeze of the night does justice to his bare body, flanked at the far right corner,his wife urediya is pounding yam for the night meal,the compound containing four huts ,built in a semi straight line, Mazi okakwe occupies the hut at the far extreme to the left followed by his wife's hut second to the left,chukwuka's wife followed while chukwuka closes at the right end.nne daalu,he greeted his mother carrying a small stool,sat besides his father,mazi okakwe noticing his disturbed face,what is it this time?,if it's about your trap I have told you that one day fortune will smile on you,papa,who is talking about trap here,are you trying to tell me that you have not heard about my friends death not to mention other youths who have disappeared in this village,his father couldn't help but to sit up seeing the seriousness of his son,my son, it worries me most when you into things that may not concern you,death is death and remember you don't question the gods..,papa,that reply is not acceptable to me ,how can you say that it doesn't concern me, what if I m the next victim tomorrow,how would you feel,I want to know what the elders are doing about it?,God forbid, getting afraid of what his son is up to, bringing down his voice,my son,they say that when a child starts looking for what killed his father,that same thing may likely kill him,you are the only son I have,if I lose you, what will become of me?,there is a lot to this questions you keep asking,it is only you who doesn't know we are slaves in our land,the elders are doing nothing because they don't know what to do, whenever you and my grandson goes to bed and wake up in the morning I always thank God,the words that came out from his father's mouth angered him the more instead of comforting him ,papa,this is not fair,how can we be living at the mercy of an ordinary building something must be done, someone must put a stop to this madness,his anger showing visibly in his high tone,who is going to do it ,his father trying to shout him down,he kept quiet, staring into the sky,his heart pounding faster ,if the snake does not act like the snake,then it should be used to tie woods,since the elders do not know what to d,I think I know what to do,his father felt defeated as he watch him move towards his hut.
The night has gone quiet as most people have gone to bed,mazi okakwe compound has completely gone quiet apart from the frogs that are having rehersals session with the owl and bats lending their voices,chukwuka jumped out of his hut carrying a local lamp on his left hand and his cutlas on his right hand,walked briskly towards the compound's gate,his father rushed out,where do you think you are going by this time of the night young man ,when the spirits are having their day,papa like I said earlier, somebody must put an end to all this madness going on in this village, touched by the insensitivity of his son,why must it be you my only son,do you want me to lose you and go empty handed, papa I don't care,mazi okakwe could not take it anymore,chukwuka,I want you to turn back and go to your hut at once,how can you be this blind,have you forgotten your wife and son?,I will forgive your childish behavior,not moved,ten thousand warriors cannot make me change my mind,mazi okakwe lost control and started calling his wife,his son's wife and neighbors, urediya..,isioma come o,chukwuka has gone mad, people of ikeano please come ..o my son has decided to kill himself.chukwuka continued his journey into the bush, urediya and isioma yelling and rolling themselves on the ground,mazi ikeonwu,one of the neighbors that rushed out ended up smiling and parting mazi okakwe on the back,mazi ,I have always known that your boy will save us,I wish I had a son as brave as your son mazi ibezim added.
Two days after chukwuka went into the bush,mazi okakwe sat all the day on his back sit ,this time not lying down, urediya and her daughter in-law did nothing but crying in front of isioma's hut,mazi okakwe could not hold back himself anymore as his wife and daughter in-law are crying not so far from him and the fact that he knows his only son chukwuka will not be coming back to him alive made him fail to control his emotions,tears rolled down his chicks and turned into a complete whaling.