He looked at him and stammered, “You just gave us the answer to why we came.”
Dawayi looked at them and laughed loudly. “You crooks don’t eat where you never sowed. Leave that woman alone, and besides, you can’t have the wealth of your late brother, his wealth belongs to Zus. It is like chasing after a whirlwind. You can go now,” he shouted.
Madone quickly dropped the consultation fee on the bowl built with raffia palm as he hurried out after Jeffon, who had since disappeared.
Dawayi shouted again, “go quickly.” This time, he was almost turning into a huge Owl.
Madone and Jeffon ran the race of their lives breathing heavily. They managed to reach the canoe right on time, and a few minutes later, they were out of Dawayi’s territory.
They believed what they heard about him. That after every consultation he changes into an Owl, Python, and then Leopard. If you are unable to run out of his territory before he turned into a leopard, you will never return home alive.
Madone was frightened. His heart was still beating fast. Dawayi had spoken in parables, and that to him was secrets unrevealed.
They traveled a long distance to get home. It was almost 5 pm. They had started the journey very early to come back before dusk.
They have been silent all through the journey, but as soon as they stepped their feet on Alliya's soil, Madone broke the silence that had almost made them cowards, “I don’t believe Mike was murdered by those strangers on black ropes. He was murdered by his wife, and again, Mike can’t possibly be in the occult, forget that entire make-up story by Doctor Lenser or whatever he is called. They are a bunch of liars.” He flared.
Jeffon looked at Madone angrily with eyes speaking out his mind, “don’t tell me you don’t believe, Dawayi. We have traveled fourteen hours to and fro through the forest paths, and crossed several rivers to consult with him, you heard it all—that woman is innocent.”
Madone held back the right hand of Jeffon, “I believed Dawayi in part, but never in full. I wondered why he was emphasizing the beauty of Mike’s wife. What has that got to do with our consulting him? Sincerely at a point, I became suspicious about whether he was lusting, perhaps I’m wrong. Come on Jeffon, can’t you see we can take possession of Mike’s wealth easily if will push aside all this talk about spirit, and all that? Mike’s wealth is handy and not held by an unseen force as claimed by Dawayi. I have respect for him, but, I’m afraid not in this matter, as far as this Mike’s issue is concerned. He really can’t see beyond his nose.” He frowned.
They could see Suss afar off, who had been eagerly waiting for them. Jeffon was extremely exhausted, “I can see greed eating you up Madone, stay off Mike’s wealth.”
Madone was getting all worked up trying so hard to convince Jeffon, he looked at him angrily and then kept mute.
Suss ran to them, crying out loud, “who did it? Is it Mike’s wife, who? Talk to me quickly! Was she the one, who killed Mike? What did Dawayi the great say?” She kept on staring at Madone and Jeffon as she ran around them anxiously to hear, who did it.
She had been mad all day when she was told how wealthy Mike had been. She was sad Stephnie had completely blinded Mike from rendering any form of assistance towards their miserable condition in Alliya.
This is payback time.
She must pay with her flesh!
“We need a pound weight of her flesh,” she laughed loudly with her mouth bending to her left in anger.
Suss had never loved Stephnie, she felt she was proud and was the one that had stopped Mike from helping them at Alliya. She knew Stephnie could have hand in Mike’s death considering the fact that she always wanted to look glamorous like the movie stars he had seen on TV.
************
The meeting between some elders in the village and the Dickson family ended on a very quiet note. Elder Johnson Madus, who presided over the meeting, could hardly believe what he heard.
Madone, who was the eldest in the Dickson family was asked to speak on behalf of his family, and he successfully concluded by saying, “my brother Mike was murdered in cold blood by his wife, who had always wished him dead to possess his wealth. It appeared her plans worked pretty well, and as we all heard, she killed him. But, I can assure you she wouldn’t certainly get away with it, never. Not in this life, as long as I live, she must confess her atrocities and be made to walk naked on the street of Alliya and thereafter, made to face the full wraths of the gods.”
Elder Johnson concluded by saying, “such a woman's hair must be shaved and she should be made to drink out of the water used in washing her husband's dead body. But first, we must hear from Mike’s wife before we draw up any conclusion.
We must abide by the rule of our tradition by giving fair hearing on any issue so we don’t offend the gods of Alliya.”
Madone stood up shouting, “that woman is not a daughter of Alliya, she deserves no fair hearing, and we shouldn’t treat her like an egg. I mean, she is breakable. Our beloved brother Mike will hunt us all if we allow her to walk away with this. She deserves death and nothing less.” His voice took a high tone now.
Elder Paul Lusus quickly remarked, “It is not like that Madone, we are not killers. Mike is dead, but you must understand two wrongs can’t make a right. If it is true her wife has hand in his death, time will tell. Our ancestors had never failed us and they will certainly not this time. I strongly suggest we hear from Mike’s wife first, before we conclude this matter.” Elder Paul said.
As soon as he stopped talking Elder Maxwell stood up and then looked around for a while and cleared his throat, “good talk Paul, and by our tradition, both parties should be given a fair hearing.” He turned his gaze at Madone, “Madone please be patient when Mike’s wife comes to our next meeting. We will finalize this issue. It is quite a difficult one, I must confess, may the gods give us the wisdom to handle it. I know it is your brother we are talking about here, but you must also acknowledge Mike was also her husband. Have you not heard of women accusing their extended families of death issues? Madone, we will get to the root of this.” Now looking more disturbed, he continued, “If I may add very quickly. The whole story is strange. I am almost seventy-five years of age now! Never have I heard of a woman cutting off her husband’s sex organ. I mean, we are talking of double incidence here, first, a murder case, and the second, a missing, sex organ. The sex organ of any man is highly treasured by his wife. We call it the family organ. The whole story beats my imagination. We need Mike’s wife to complete the story. As it is now, it is in pieces, and that to me makes no tangible conclusion.”
They all departed the meeting venue, sad. Nodding their heads in unbelief with their hands folded backward.
Jeffon was not impressed by Madone's testimony. He had walked up to him at the end of the meeting in anger, “Madone what are you doing, you are messing things up. We both visited Mike’s house in the City, we saw the security guards, Mike’s wife, and the Doctor. I can’t remember his name now. They all told us what they saw and heard. She alerted Felix our cousin to inform us of Mike’s death immediately. A bad woman wouldn’t do that; she would have perfected her evil scheme before letting us know. This woman's hands are clean! She loved Mike and you know it.” He began walking around like a drunkard but he hadn’t tasted or drunk out of the meeting wine. “Now listen, no woman in her right sense will allow an extended family to wreck her home.” He licked his dried lips and continued, this time more emotionally. “She had done her part well by keeping the family intact until this ugly incident which was quite unfortunate. You and I know what Dawayi said that Mike was a cultist. His death and the missing organ were at the handworks of his fellow cult members. You heard they ate it raw with some strange leaves. Come on Madone, we are adults that have heard other stories, and please don’t pretend to be ignorant here. Mike’s untimely death wasn’t natural, I must tell you. He was aware of it, and he never told his wife, of course, he won’t, and now you want to involve her in Mike’s death? Please let her be, and stop this insatiable search for riches—”
Madone lifted his hands and for the first time, he knew Jeffon was taking sides with Stephnie, how could he?
He narrowed his eyes at him and wondered what had gone wrong with Jeffon’s blockhead. It seems to be going contrary to his plans.
He can’t possibly imagine a woman Mike took from the gutters and washed the dirt from her skin with a sponge and soap is now the center of attraction as wealth acquisition is concerned. He hissed loudly and glared at Jeffon, “shut up Jeffon, if you don’t have anything better to say. I see you are becoming senseless and weak. Forget Dawayi and other formulated stories about Mike’s death. Mike’s properties belong to us. We have as much right as that woman and if you are not interested in helping Mike recover his wealth from that villain of a woman quit now, you idiot.” He walked out on Jeffon, who stood motionless for a while, and then ran after him seconds later. Calling after him with a loud voice even when he knew it was falling on deaf ears.
************
Mike’s home was very quiet. Things aren’t the way they should and Stephnie knew it. She only wished she gets used to the happenings around her.
Donnie Lemard couldn’t believe her ears. She walked around the sitting room calmly. It was obvious her chair couldn’t contain her anymore—the tension, the nervousness, and the old memories were too much for her to handle in her seat.
She walked up to where Stephnie was sitting, and touched her gently, “and you mean they want you in the Village?”
Stephnie nodded her head quietly.
A few seconds later, she lifted her head, “Yes Donnie, they succeeded in taking the corpse home, it wouldn’t have happened if Terry had grown up at least to have a say in this, the women are always the underdogs. Our tradition has no prestigious place for women. They are oftentimes ignored. I thought it wise to stay at home. Mike had no house in the Alliya, where will he be buried? The eldest son called Madone with his three wives had forcefully possessed his father’s house. And he seems to be the wizard in this whole issue, never yielding, and always the author of confusion!”
Stephnie started shedding tears again with her already swollen eyes. She was still pale looking and her hair rough. She wasn’t looking so well either and everything now looks so confusing.
She knew a lot of thoughts in our mind was almost driving her crazy last night, but Donnie coming around had helped. Otherwise, she would have driven herself insane by dawn.
She stared at Donnie again, this time her lips were shaking, but managed to whisper. “They never wanted us to invite his friends. They are doing everything in isolation, and I don’t feel like going—”