CHAPTER 24: THE BATTLE WITH THE VILLAGE SORCERERS.
Few days after visiting his parents to tell them about the two Strange beings that visited him, Orkumaga and his parents were now set to travel to the village in Benue state. Although the awful beings had told him already about the sorcerers but without being scared, Orkumaga and his parents embarked on the trip to his grandfather's and also his mother's parents. As they arrived village, Mr. Martins' father and every one in the house were already deep in their sleep as the time they arrived was already late.
They saw that all the people in the house had already entered so Mr. Martins, not wanting to call out loud his father's attention, horned his car to wake them up and immediately they heard the horn, Mr. Martins' father knew it was his son's car so he woke up and again woke his wife and told her that their son had arrived and they all went out and welcomed them. Seeing that they had arrived late, Mr. Martins told his step mother who was making moves to enter the kitchen to prepare food for them not to bother about it and said it was already late for them to eat and from there, all of them entered to sleep.
Early in the morning the following day, All of them woke up and Mr. Martins father being happy and anxious to see his grandson as he was already grown up after not seeing him for so many years since they last visited home when he was a baby. He went and knocked at the door to see if they were awake and they all answered him and opened the door.
When he saw how his grandson had grown to be a matured man, he jokingly said to him that he's now matured enough to get himself a wife and again said he was not saying he should marry but was astounded how fast he has matured. His step mother after greeting them, ran to the kitchen to prepare break fast for them without wasting time since they arrived late in the night and slept without eating. Mr. Martins, discussing with his father, narrated that all the things that were foretold by the old man who his wife saw by the river were just occurring as he had foretold. His father having heard that, marveled how the old man was able to foretell how his family's future or happiness will be restored but Dooter said to him that it seemed to her that the man was not just an ordinary being. As they were discussing, Mr. Martins' step mother brought out rice she prepared for them to eat and they immediately ate the food.
After they all finished eating, Mr. Martins then told his father that his son was a lecturer from the university he graduated from for graduating with first class. Mr. Martins' father hearing that, began to dance and sing. In celebrating his grand son, he commanded his wife to look for a very big Turkey from his Turkeys and slaughtered for his grandson. Still in his felicitation, he said his grandson deserved more than just a Turkey but due to their traditionn, it was not right to kill a goat without having to hold an occasion but it was acceptable to slaughter a turkey. Orkumaga, reveling in the show of love from his grandfather, thanked him and said to him that the turkey was more than enough. Mr. Martins' Step mother then killed the turkey immediately to prepare soup and pounded yam.
While cooking in the kitchen, Dooter joined her in the kitchen to help her prepare the food and after one hour, they were able to cook a very delicious soup and brought it out for every one to eat.
They ate the food and then Mr. Martins thanked his stepmother and his father and again, told his father that, they would like to travel to his wife's family to see her parents and his father immediately encouraged them to do as they had planned. Mr. Martins, after his father had told them to do as they planned, called his step mother and again thanked her for the wonderful food and gave her money to take care of his father. He told her again of their plans to visit his wife's family and his step mother now called one of her sister's daughter that was in the village with her to give them water to bathe and immediately she fetched water for them to bathe. After bathing, Mr. Martins, his wife and Orkumaga entered their car and drove off to the village. On reaching there, Mrs. Mzamber and Ayaaga who were seated in the hut saw the car but couldn't recognize it due to the fact that they used a different car and also for the fact that it was quite an age they last visited the village with both of them coming. Ayaaga peeped to see who were the people in the car and as Mr. Martins and Dooter came out of the car, both Mrs. Mzamber and Ayaaga started celebrating immediately they saw that it was them but none of them recognized Orkumaga as he was now grown up. When they all settled down after greetings, Ayaaga now asked his daughter Dooter the person they had come with but Dooter couldn't hold herself from chuckling as her parent couldn't recognized their grand son but still didn't say a word expecting her parents to recognize him by themselves but none was able to recognize Orkumaga as they kept on asking.
Dooter knowing that her parents couldn't recognize their grand son, laughed and asked her parents a question that if Jesus Christ had just visit them, would they not recognize him. Still confused, Dooter's parents again asked her to explain what she meant by the question but she delayed telling them.
Mr. Martins who was not finding it easy with her keeping her parents in suspense told his in-laws that the grown up child they are looking is their little grandson.
On hearing that, Ayaaga and Mrs. Mzamber were shocked to see that their only grand child was now matured. They immediately started dancing and singing, calling all who cared and all who once mocked them to come and see their grand child.
As they were singing and washing their grandson's body with their hands, breeze began to blow but Orkumaga without wasting time, sensed that it was not just ordinary breeze that was blowing as he was signaled by the ring. He immediately cut the celebration short and told his parents that something bad was about to happen. He told them not to ask him questions but ran inside their room fast but his grand parents Ayaaga and Mrs. Mzamber thinking it was because he was not used to village kind of celebration, told him not to be scared and again assured him that, nothing was going to happen but still, he insisted that they must go inside.
While they were refusing to go in, a heavy storm was seen coming from afar facing the house but Orkumaga, again pleaded with his parents to run inside but still, they were not understanding.
As he was begging them to go inside with seriousness, his grand mother (Mrs. Mzamber) saw the storm coming and then turned to see it but when she saw that it was serious, she told Ayaaga to follow her inside as Mr. Martins and Dooter had ran in already, calling Orkumaga their to also leave the hut but he assured them that, he was going to be fine.
Seen that the storm was something else, Mrs. Mzamber gave up insisting on Ayaaga and Orkumaga to go inside and ran into the house without looking back and immediately locked room, leaving Orkumaga and his father outside.
As the storm was directed facing the but, Ayaaga now took his staff and stood still waiting as it was coming.
No one in the village was able to stand the wind apart from Ayaaga and his grandson Orkumaga.
Immediately the storm entered the hut, it strangled Ayaaga down, leaving Orkumaga who was heavily fighting with the old woman and her members in the coven alone.
It took like one hour for the storm to disappear from the other villagers houses who were already inside their houses as they saw that it was not just a storm but a spiritual battle.
All the villagers ran inside their houses but immediately they saw that the heavy storm had already left their houses, some of them came out to see where the heavy storm was heading to and saw that it was in Ayaaga's house spinning in their hut.
All of them marveled as it was the first time in their to witness such a thing in their village and also they heard voices of people singing and declaring war but Orkumaga, without panicking, continued fighting.
Dooter, Mr. Martins and Mrs. Mzamber while inside, felled on their knees praying for their son Orkumaga and his grandfather as they were battling with the sorcerers in the storm.
After fighting for more than an hour, the hut's roof opened as the storm blew it away and also while the fight was becoming deadly, some of the trees in the compound started falling.
On seeing that through the tiny space from the windows, Dooter, began to cry as she imagined the strength of the tress and that of her son.
She doubted if the son was still alive but her mother and husband Mrs. Mzamber and Mr. Martins calmed her down.
She tried opening the door to go out but they held her back.
Few minutes after they held Dooter back, voices were heard crying and pleading for mercy but no one saw the people that were crying. Not even Orkumaga was seen by the people who were at this time standing far away watching as they continued to cry.
Minutes after the voices were heard crying, the storm stopped and from there, many people who were standing far rushed to the house before Mr. Martins, his wife and Mrs. Mzamber all heard the villagers talking and opened their door and came out of the room to meet their child and Ayaaga but at that time the old witch, Ayaaga, and Orkumaga were all seen on the ground powerless.
The whole villagers started coming including the elders but by then, Ayaaga was already dead while Orkumaga and the witch were still breathing but unconscious.
When the elders arrived, they asked the villagers were already there what happened and they were told of what happened but as they saw that the storm was over, they ordered the witch and Orkumaga to be brought out of the hut as the whole village were out to witness what happened in their village.
Few minutes after they were brought out, Orkumaga began to regain his consciousness. His family who were crying uncontrollably stopped immediately they heard villagers saying Orkumaga was alive... They rushed to where he was still on the ground, hugged him and began to celebrate. Shouting that their son was still alive and also begging him not to leave them.
When Orkumaga opened his eyes, he called his mother Dooter and his father Mr. Martin's before closing it back but as they heard his voice, one of the elders suggested a leaf should be squeezed to give to him so that he would have enough strength to stand up and it was done immediately.
After putting the leaf's juice in Orkumaga's mouth, he opened his eyes wide and clear.
His mother and father who were till on their knees crying and begging their son not to die and leave them alone when he closed his eyes back, helped him up as he was now given water to take his bath.
While he was taking his bath, the old woman began to confess.
She confessed all she did and then explained the same things that were said by the old man Dooter once met by the river. She said it was because Dooter had discovered she was into a secret coven and explained that she wanted to initiate her into the coven but she refused. She again said it was because of that she cursed her.
While she was confessing, Orkumaga finished bathing and came out to where she was laying down as Ayaaga was already taken inside the room with others trying to see if he was also alive. The old witch now opened her eyes and asked Dooter to forgive her but the whole villagers that were started shouting at her, telling her that she deserves to die. Immediately she set her eyes on Orkumaga she died.
After she died, all the elders said that they were ashamed to even bury such a woman in their village.
Some said she didn't deserve to be buried in their land and from there, they all agreed to throw her into the river in the night. After they all agreed to throw the witch in the river, they called the people that were in the room where Ayaaga was laid and inquired about him if he was alive but they all confirmed him dead. The whole village moaned his death and then the elders told Dooter to take her father to the village mortuary and right there, they set a date to come back and fix date for his burial. After telling Dooter to take her father to the mortuary, the elders again chose some of the youth and few elders to take the old witch to the river in the night as they all left to their house, leaving some villagers both women and youth in the house who were there to sympathize with the family.
At exactly 11PM, The villagers that were chosen to take the old witch to the river covered her with clothes and took her to the river and threw her into the water and turned their back.
Few days after the elders had asked Dooter to take her father to the Mortuary, they all gathered back in the house again to fix date for Ayaaga's burial but by that time she had already travelled back to Lagos. They called her and asked when she thought would be convenient for her to bury her father and she told them to fix the date within 2 weeks and assured them again that she was ready and immediately, they all agreed for the burial to be fixed within the 2 weeks she said and from there, all the youths were shown a place to dig Ayaaga's grave and they immediately digged.
After building a befitting grave for her father, Ayaaga was buried with all the people in the attendance crying and consoling his wife Mrs. Mzamber and his daughter Dooter.
Subsequently the burial, the elders called all the women in the village and warned them of joining any secret societies that would bring shame to the community and they all agreed and again told Orkumaga that, he is the hero in the village as all the villagers in the gathering started clapping and hailing him.
Few days after the burial, Dooter who was still resting with her mother ( Mrs. Mzamber) in the village told her that, she would to take her to the city as she was now left alone without any one to take care of her but she refused and said that she will not leave her husband's grave alone to go and stay in the city but Dooter, still insisted that she must follow her to the city at least to rest before coming back and she was convinced.
Early in the morning the following day, they took off to the city.