IKENGA
Ikenga- Episode 9
Theme: (The Demon I Saw)
By Praise Chidera Obiora
With my sword I turned and pierced one eye of the lion. It roared in pain and let go of my already
wounded leg. The giant goat and rabbit did not slow down. The giant rabbit flew above my head
with its giant dragon wings, and let out a ball of fire from above.
I rolled over to the right as I watched the giant ball of fire land to the green grass. On impulse I turned behind me to find the giant goat galloping towards me. I stretched out my sword and dived
towards it. I pierced through its chest and twisted my sword in its heart.
The giant goat and dragon made a loud noise at the same time. They growled in pain and came
crashing to the floor. Just like a mosquito that had inhaled the local Igbara insecticide, the giant
rabbit with the dragon tale fell to the floor. It was without strength and it kept breathing like a man
who was locked in a room full of smoke.
I stood up quickly and watched as the giant lion which was the fifth demon, nurse its wounded eye.
When it had noticed that the third and fourth demon had fallen to the floor, it shook its head, letting
the acid on its hair sprinkle to the green tall grass.
It charged in my direction, carrying fury in its eyes. I lifted my sword up above the sky and held my
shield firmly. The lion flew with its three legs, knocking me down to the floor with a heavy punch.
My shield fell out of my hand and out of reach. The Creature quickly took advantage and the
second head, which was the longest, landed a painful bite on my neck. I shouted in pains, and in
the struggle, managed to Pierce the second eye. But this creature was determined to finish me off.
It was determined not to let go. It knew my death was close and it had captured me. It hanged on
to my neck with its giant teeth, sucking my blood out like a thirsty baby who feeds from its mothers
breast.
I felt my feet grow cold. I shook vigorously like one being strangled. I was like a captured prey
struggling for its own life. I was struggling for breath.
I lifted my sword up, and with the last strength in me, I pierced the lion from the side. slowly and
stealthily I pushed my sword through its body. i could feel my sharp sword pierce through its heart.
The firm grip it had on my neck loosened. It finally let go of my neck and collapsed right beside
me.
I turned my neck in the direction of the Sixth demon with ten eyes and found nothing. It had turned
into black ash and was blown away by the wind. At that moment, I realised that the death of a
demon, meant a quick death for its partner. I had just pierced the heart of the fourth demon and
the giant rabbit fell to the floor just like that. Now I had killed the fifth demon and the sixth demon
with ten eyes disappeared too.
What baffled me was that the sixth demon didn’t make an attempt to attack me. It stood there in
the distance, watching the fight with its ten eyes.
I laid on the floor wounded, tired and broken. I was bleeding from my wounded legs and my bitten
neck. I felt enormous pains all over me. I turned my neck and stared at the lion creature with my
weak eyes.
The creature looked back at me. Its look was soft – almost like a dying dog’s look. I watched as the
creature’s eyes slowly closed. It took in a deep breath and slowly metamorphosed into an old
naked woman with two legs and two hands.
I shuddered in fear and push my body away from the strange woman. She turned her neck in my
direction and my eyes met hers. I realised it was grand mother.
My heart skipped. A fresh pound of fear took over me. I was stunned, yet a part of me was hurt.
Very hurt. I could not believe that all this while I fought tirelessly, I was fighting my grand mother all
along. She was the one who had wounded my legs and had bitten my neck with her giant teeth.
She was the one who had tried to kill me. She had come in form of the demon with the lion head
and showed me no pity.
“Grandma!” I exclaimed bitterly.
My throat hurt as I spoke. I felt a bone pierce me from inside. I choked and coughed.
“Ikenga….” Grandma muttered my name in a whisper.
“Grandma what are you doing here? How did you turn into this creature? Why did you try to kill
me? Why?” I spoke with tears cascading down my eyes.
“Ikenga, it was not me. It was the demon in me. I could not fight it off. You know I would never hurt
you. You know I would never do anything to harm you.”
I looked into her eyes and saw her sober. When I realised that the creature I had just fought was
my grandmother, I broke down in tears. My heart bled. I had killed my own grand mother with a
sword and a shield. I had fought her and pierced her heart with my knife. The only woman who
had watched over me since Papa and mama died. The only woman who stood by me and loved
me with all her heart, now lay beside me in her own blood.
“Amara why did you cause me so much pain? Why did you let me fight my grandmother? Why
have you chosen to make me cry a painful cry? Why didn’t you tell me all this while?” I cried out
bitterly.
“Ikenga, it is not my duty to tell you who you are to fight or not. You are simply paying for your own
disobedience Ikenga. You are paying for disobeying the advice of your grandmother.
“Your disobedience is what led you to this point. You have now killed your own grand mother with
a sword. You have pierced her in her heart. You have done what no child will do.”
“But she tried to harm me. I did not know it was her. I did not know. Grandma I did not know it was
you. Please forgive me.” I pleaded.
Grandma stared at me without saying a word. She was still breathing but gasping for breath.
When I saw my dying grand mother, anger filled my heart. I took up my shield and sword. I was
angry with the gods. I was angry with Agundaobi for sending my grandmother in form a demon. He
had made me pierce the heart of the woman I love. The only woman that meant the world to me.
I managed to lift myself up from the floor. With my sword, I supported myself. I lifted my hurt legs
up. And held unto my bitten neck with my right hand.
“Let the gods bear me witness. They have taken my own grandmother from me. They have made
me pierce her with my sword. Now she lay down on the floor fighting for her own life. I do not fear
death any longer. I have nothing else keep fighting for if she dies.
“Let the gods bear me witness. They have stolen my joy from me, now I shall steal theirs too. They
have pierced my heart, now I shall pierce theirs too. They have decided not to show me mercy for
a sin I committed, neither shall I show them mercy.”
“Let the last demon emerge and let me get my vengeance. Amara show forth your face. Fight me.
Come out. Come and face me.”
A great wind blew. It was so strong that it caused me to stagger like a drunkard and I came
crashing back to the floor. A loud thunder struck and Amara voice thundered loudly. This time, I
knew it was not only me who heard the voice, but the whole village.
The sun disappeared suddenly and darkness came upon the village. Everywhere turned bluish. I
saw the white moon emerge from the clouds. I turned left and right, but I could see no demon,
neither did I see Amara.
At that moment, I realised I had no more Igbuala mangoes to enable me see Amara the last
demon. I was left with nothing. How then do I fight a demon I could not see? I pondered in fear.
To be continued…….
