[STORY] MY VILLAGE PRINCE AND I (Episode 14)

Episode 14.

Continues..
AMARACHI POV
It has been a week and still no sign of Afamefuna the Prince, I heard he ran away from the palace after the night he came to my house, I felt a little guilty because I totally shut him out when he came to me, but what was I to do, I was confused and scared at that time even now I still feel that fear for the unknown, I missed him so much and it’s just draw on me now that I love him so much, I hope he is fine and doing well and I hope he comes back even if not to me but to his family who are so worried about him, they had sent some guards to my house when they discovered he was not in the palace, well they didn’t give us much trouble and I wonder why.
I took my time to prepare lunch, I served my mother her part of the food, setting it in on the center table, she just came back from the women’s meeting and am so surprise she is asking for food when it is bearly 2pm.
NNEKA: are you not eating with me.
AMARACHI: no mama, it’s still early for me I will eat later.
NNEKA: okey.
I left her and went into my room, I laid on my bed going through a novel tittle Sins of my part by Osamudiamen joy when I heard the call of my mother, I quickly ran out because of the tone in which she called me, I came out to see my mother on her knees holding her stomach in pain, I rush to her side worried.
AMARACHI: mama, mama what is it, mama.
NNEKA: the food, the food is poisoned.
AMARACHI: how can you say that mama, I prepared this food my self, okey let me taste it.
I reached forward to touch the food but my mother grabbed my hand at same time fell to the floor, I was already crying now.
NNEKA: no, don’t
She said within her pain.
AMARACHI: some body help
I shouted trying to get the attention of any body.
NNEKA: Amarachi,listen to me, you need to leave this village right now, please my daughter , you ……need …….go.
AMARACHI: mama please
NNEKA: Amarachi, I will always be with you and don’t forget to be strong ok.
AMARACHI: mama stop saying this let me go and get help.
I ran outside screaming for help, I even ran towards the street and luckily for me I saw three young boys older then me coming to my direction, i ran towards them taking one by the hand.
AMARACHI: please come and help my mother, she is dying.
FIRST BOY: where.
AMARACHI: my house
SECOND BOY: what are we waiting for, let’s go.
We all ran to the house on getting there I saw my mother on the floor motionless and blood coming out from her mouth. I frown at my spot not knowing what to do, I feared for the worst, the second boy went over her to examine her, his face told me the answer I was not ready to hear, I fell on my mother lifeless body shouting and crying in pain, this cannot be happening to me, she can’t leave me like this not when I needed her now.
THIRD BOY: she was poisoned, who prepared this food.
I turned sharply at the boy.
AMARACHI : I prepared the food ooo, I did ooo
SECOND BOY: you killed her.
I was taken back by his words, what was he saying.
AMARACHI: nooooo, I didn’t, I prepared the food and she said she was hungry, I only served her oooo, how can you say I killed my own mother.
FIRST BOY: shut up, you killed her and you must hang for this.
I thought they were properly joking but from their faces I knew they were not, I tried to defend myself but got a slap that silent me.
They called for the attention of the villagers, by this time I have been beaten up and made to sit on the ground outside my house surrounded by angry villagers, only few had pity on me as I saw it clearly on their faces, some elders was inside my house, I was weak from the beaten I had received from the youths, I didn’t know what will happen to me but I knew I was in for something I never bargained for, the elders came out with a sorrowful look followed by some youths carrying my mother’s corpse, I couldn’t stop the tear as I saw her that way, someone that was full of life few hours ago, who would have known that she will leave me so soon and I will be accused of killing her.
I was dragged to the kings palace ordered that was made by the elders, I sat on the floor of the palace compound, some of the villagers mostly the youths were present at the palace, I was already losing a lot of strength as I was trying to stay awake, the elders had gone inside to meet the king, and I know it’s to discuss my fate, I didn’t care more if I die because there was obviously nothing I was living for.
The king, the queen and the elders came out all looking emotionless.
VILLAGERS: igwe
They all greeted him which he reciprocated by waving his hand at them.
EZE NWANYI: my people, I have heard from the chiefs what happened but I want to hear from the three witnesses.
FIRST BOY : igwe may you live long, my name is Uche, and I am the youths leader, I was just made the youth leader three months ago, it was this evening I was walking with my friend here Ogorchukwu and Uzo.
He said pointing at the boys standing at his right and left hand side.
UCHE: when we heard a shout from her house we rush there only to see her carrying her bag properly trying to run away, she was scared when she saw us, and when we asked her if everything was okay she said yes.
I couldn’t believe what my ears was hearing, this isn’t what happened and right there realization draw on me, I have been framed, now I know why my mother told me to leave the village, I shouted in horror not knowing what to say.
MAZI AMADI: will you shut up and let them finish, witch.
I was silent dying in my own pain.
UCHE : out of curiosity Uzo went inside to check only to come out to tell us that there was a dead body in the sitting room, it was later we discovered that the woman was poisoned and by her.
The villagers started wailing and throwing insults on me.
EZE NWANYI: so you kill someone that took you in and treated you as her own daughter to gain what.
AMARACHI: igwe I didn’t kill her.
EZE NWANYI: shut up, right from the day you were born I knew you will bring nothing good with you only death, thank the gods your plans didn’t work towards my son, for this you have done this is my judgment, in Amucha kingdom we all known the laws, who ever that takes a life, his or her life will be taken so I here by condemn her to death this intact., guards take her away.
At the mention of the King’s order, I could see many of the villagers jubilating while some wore a sorrowful look, I was taken by the guards deep down into the forest, the villagers followed us for a while singing jubilating in igbo song, the song was talking about evil doer meeting their end, they were sent back by the guards when they got to the entrance of the forest.
I couldn’t say or explained what I felt that moment, why was life so unfair to me, all my life this people have hatred me for no reason, even when I have tried to be nice and try to stay away from trouble, oh my mother, they took my mother from me, my only strength, What will Afamefuna think of me when he hears I killed my mother, I wasn’t crying because I was going to die but to die in an horrible way for something i didn’t do was the painful part.
When we ( the four guards and I) got to a big tree, one of the biggest tree I have ever seen that its branches spread all over the sky covering everywhere within it reach, red rope was tied surrounding it creating a bondage, the guards stopped taking green leave from one of the guards, they putted it on each of their mouths, I looked at the tree that was just few steps away from us, there was something strange about this place that was when I saw blood shattered all over the root of the tree, that was when I knew I had reach the place I will be kill.

To Be Continued…..

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