Olanma's || The Ink Well Fiction Prompt #165

Everywhere was dark as Olanma walked through the tiny bush path that led to nowhere in particular. A few steps further, she perceived smoke of burning wood, meaning that someone lived in the dark forest. How she got here was something she could not fathom. In her mind there must be something about this lonely path that destiny was about to reveal to her.
Olanma was such a brave girl. She grew up in Mama Ku-kwu hut. She was just about a year old when Mama Ku-kwu took her from her mother, Eliza who got impregnated by one of those soldiers who came for a peacekeeping mission at Ala-Owerri. As the only daughter of Mama Ku-kwu, Eliza enjoyed the privilege of being relieved of her motherly duties to Olanma.

Everywhere she goes, Mama was right by her side to support her and ensure she was not beaten up by those village rude boys. But one day, when Olanma was sent on an errand to Uzor's hut to ask for some salt, a village notorious boy wallayed her and a fight ensued. Olanma stood her ground and brought the boy down, with his back on the ground, Olanma started using dried grass to wash his mouth. In the twinkling of an eye, the news has spread throughout Ala-Owerri, how a girl child had beaten the notorious Egbeji.

Matheus Bertelli

Since then, Mama retired from following her around. And the boys also steered clear from Olanma's path. Olanma became the champion of all the women in Ala-Owerri and beyond. This feat did not come without a price. She started having scary dreams of men chasing after her. Most of the men in her dreams were masked, so it became difficult to identify who the pursuers were.

One day, she decided to open up to Mama Ku-kwu about her sufferings. This came as a result of her last encounter with the men in her dreams. The men chased her so much that she could no longer run. All she did was to hide under a huge udara tree, at a time when she needed to ease herself. Since she was being chased, she bent and urinated right at the spot, unknowing to her, it was on her sleeping mattress that she urinated on. This led her to open up to her grandma, Mama Ku-kwu.

Mama, it's not my fault that I urinated on the bed last night. Some men have been chasing me all these while in my dreams. Today, it took a new turn. I thought I was urinating where I was hiding, I never knew it was on the bed.

Mama dew closer and asked her:

Since when did you start having such nightmares?

She looked up and said:

It was after the fight I had with Egbeji

Olanma replied.
Quickly, Mama asked her to get dressed and follow her to the shrine of the priestess.

As they entered the shrine, the priestess shouted:

Hold it there? Don't move any further.

Mama Ku-kwu and Olanma halted.

Take off your footwear and wash your hands in that clay pot at the doorpost.

Mama held Olanma's hand towards the pot and both of them washed. As they were doing that, the priestess walked towards them with a red piece of cloth.

Olanma, my daughter. Anytime you mount your bed, tie this red piece of cloth around your wrist.

Mama was amazed. They haven't said anything to the priestess about their mission before she started telling them what to do.

That's the power of the spirit of divinity she exhibited there.

Mama said to Olanma.
They started walking back home. The sun came so hot and brightened under the dark cassava farms along the shrine. Mama Ku-kwu walked steadily from behind Olanma. She sang the old warrior's song who defeated the strong man of Idemili several moons ago.

Ike bu'ikem ooo, ikem. Odum batara e'bem, jiri ofu ukwu a'lawa. (I was endowed with so much power that even the bravest of lions accosted me but left with one foot.

As she sang in a melodious voice, Olanma's ego rose and her shoulders, high. Suddenly, it became cloudy again but the rains never came down.

The gods must be at war.

Mama was heard saying. How could it get so cloudy and never rain? The gods must seriously be at war.

From that day, anytime Olanma lay in bed to sleep, she would tie the red piece of cloth around her left hand. A few weeks later, she had a dream that the men came at her again. This time, it looked more fierce. As she ran for her life, the men kept coming closer. Soon, she discovered that only one of the men could be seen.

Her boldness built up and she stopped to confront the only man in sight.

You think you can catch up with me.

Olanma said as she waited to catch her breath and to engage the masked man in a fight.

I already did.

The masked man replied Olanma, breathing heavily.

Before he knew it, Olanma attacked the masked man and brought him down. She tried so hard to remove his mask and succeeded.

So, it's been you all along, Egbeji?

The fight stopped at once since Olanma had seen who was behind her predicament. She woke up and found that Mama Ku-kwu was just by her side.

Who have you been wrestling with this time?

Mama asked. She was eager to know who had engaged Olanma in the fight.

Mama, it has been Egbeji all this while.

Olanma told Mama all that she had to fight and how she became victorious in the dream. They both got dressed up and walked the lonely path that led to the shrine of the priestess.

This time, they sat on the mat as the priestess told them that Egbeji and Olanma were descendants of the strong warrior lineage of the ancient Ala-Owerri progenitors. They ought not to fight each other in the first place. But since the deed is already done, it would be settled, else the chase will continue and the end may be dangerous for both of them.

Arrangement was made for Egbeji and Olanma to reconcile their differences in the village square. They held hands throughout the ceremonies, a show that indicated that their fight had come to an end and the dream-chasing was over.