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The
Man Who Cried Wolf, Part 2
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Oliver O. Mbamara
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1
After a few days of incessant attack on the animals, the threat of the wild animals on Umuaturu village was almost eliminated. There were a few injuries on the part of the Umuaturu people resulting from bites and claws of wild animals, but there was no loss of life. Nze Ahunanya and his supporters insisted that the ongoing sacrifice to ‘ala’ ensured that there was no loss of an Umuaturu life through out the crusade against the wild animals. Then there was concern that to continue the crusade might lead to the extinction of certain essential wildlife, which could pose a different problem in the future. Besides, the people of Umuaturu were overwhelmed by the amount of wildlife meat that Dinta and his men brought back to the village after each outing. A fresh meeting was then called to agree on a means of stopping any unnecessary killing of the animals while at the same ensuring that the animals were not given the chance to become a threat again to the people, their cattle, and their trading.
After some deliberation, it was agreed that the crusade would not be called off, but the strategy would be changed. It was reasoned that since the wild animals were no longer a source of great threat, there will no longer be an attack on them, but there would always be a team of fearless men ready to defend and drive back the wolves any time they ventured on a cattle ranch, or attacked a child, a woman, or anyone, anywhere in the village. To ensure effective response by the team and all Umuaturu people who could be in a position to help, the entire people of Umuaturu village were advised of a specific cry-call that would signify an attack by wolves. That cry-call, when made by a person attacked by wolves, would convince the team or anybody available to come to the rescue of the attacked person.
With that mechanism in place, the people of Umuaturu went about their life and business, and
eke-Umuaturu flourished once more. However, Nze Ahunanya was not too happy about the fact that Dinta Nwokeike and his supporters were vindicated by the outcome of the attack on the animals rather than wait on ‘ala.’ The decision to continue giving some sacrifice to ‘ala’ while Dinta and his men swooped on the animals, was a face saving one for Nze Ahunanya and ‘ala.’ Many people either insisted or honestly believed that it was ‘ala’ that gave Dinta and his men the strength to overcame the wolves.
The seeming no victor no vanquish situation was not satisfactory to Nze
Ahunanya. He wanted the respect and fear of the people for ‘ala’ to remain the highest. That way, he was assured of his revered position and benefits as the keeper of the shrine for ‘ala’ the great spirit of the land. Nze Ahunanya continued to think of a means to sabotage or ridicule the efforts and opinions of Dinta’ and those who supported him.
One night, as the people of Umuaturu were about settling down to bed, Nze Ahunanya made the cry-call for rescue. It was the first time anyone ever made the cry-call since it was set up. On hearing the cry, Dinta and almost all the people in the village arrived in Nze Ahunanya’s house in the fastest manner and time possible. However, there was no wolf or any wild animal of any sort neither in Nze Ahunanya’s house nor in the shrine, which was located to the side of the house. “I just wanted to see, if the people of Umuaturu still cared for ‘ala’ or the keeper of ‘ala,’” Nze Ahunanya said. I wanted to be sure that you still have some respect for your Keeper of the shrine. The people were disappointed. An elder who managed to drag himself to the scene, then told Nze Ahunanya to desist from such behavior. “That was childish and irresponsible,” the elder admonished. “Nze
Ahunanya, I am disappointed in you because I expected you to know better. What has gone into you?” The elder paused and then continued. “An elder like you should have known that one must learn to trust his fellow men, unless there is a good reason not to do so. It is not a good idea to cry wolf when there is no wolf.” With that, the people dispersed to their various homes.
After the incident, Nze Ahunanya kept wondering if Dinta would actually come to his rescue, or if he was just pretending to come to his help. He did not trust Dinta as the head of the rescue team. A few days later, Nze Ahunanya repeated the cry-call, but this time, it was very early in the morning. Nevertheless, the people of Umuaturu heard the cry-call and responded. When they got to Nze Ahunanya’s house, he again told them that he was only making sure that the people of Umuaturu trusted him, especially since he had called them last time when there was no danger. Nze Ahunanya was glad that he was making a mockery of the security system and the cry-call arrangement.
Disappointed again, the people dispersed to their various homes. However, Nze Ahunanya was not really sure whether he trusted the people or if they trusted him. That same night, when most of the people have settled for bed, a pack of vicious wolves attacked Nze Ahunanya’s house. It happened that the wolves had planned a massive attack on the house in view of the fact that there were more cattle in Nze Ahunanya’s house than in any other house in the village. While the attack was on, Nze Ahunanya made the cry-call. The people of Umuaturu heard the cry-call quite aright and many of them got ready to answer the call. However, when they realized that it was coming from Nze Ahunanya’s house, they all went back to bed, believing that he was simply crying wolf for nothing as he had always done in the past.
EPILOGUE
The next morning, a man who had gone to submit a sheep to Nze Ahunanya for sacrifice to ‘ala,’ saw the carnage of partially devoured cattle around the house. He quickly called on the people of Umuaturu who all came to witness the horrid scene. Nze Ahunanya was nowhere to be found but the cries of numerous cattle could be heard from inside the house. After calling on Nze Ahunanya for some time without getting any response, the elders thought it wise to enter the rooms and chambers. Nze Ahunanya may have been injured and in need of quick help. However, since Nze Ahunanya was a shrine keeper, the leadership and guidance of a medicine man was required before his rooms and chambers could be entered, even though the front door was wide open. A medicine man was quickly sent for. After he arrived, the medicine man quickly performed some rites, and then placed the fresh bud of a dwarf palm tree leaf in between his lips.
Ready and protected, the medicine man stepped around the scattered pieces of flesh that littered the compound, and entered into the barn beside the house. A few elders followed him but kept a respectable distance. Like most other barns in
Umuaturu, the barn contained fresh tubers of yam, cocoa-yam, and cassava, neatly stacked in shelves of lined bamboo tied against fresh frames of the ‘ogirishi’ tree which had fresh green ‘ogirishi’ leaves sprouting at the top. It was about the largest barn in
Umuaturu, and further inside, a small shade-room was built in to protect some crops that would decay if exposed to hot sun or rainfall. Nze Ahunanya never farmed. These were items that were supposed to have gone to ‘ala’ for sacrifice. The medicine man searched through the heap of cocoa-yam tubers until he found one that was three-pronged. He picked it up and headed back to the front door.
At the front door, which was already ajar, the medicine man placed the cocoa-yam by the doorway to distract any evil spirit that may have blocked Nze Ahunanya’s doorway. Then he turned his back in the direction of the room as if he was coming out of the room, but slowly, he entered Nze Ahunanya’s living room. After a brief moment inside the living room, the medicine man returned to the front door and waved at the others to enter. He still had the palm tree leaf between his lips. Only a few elders were bold enough to enter the room. One of them was
Dinta.
Reaching out to the door of the room from which the cattle noise was coming, the medicine man lifted the lever from the wooden clip-bar. As soon as the door flung open, a throng of cattle trooped out through the doorway, almost trampling the people who were standing around. It was obvious that they were still scared from the attack of the wolves the night before. Patiently, the men waited for the cattle to all troop out of the room. “I always had my doubts. ‘Ala’ never asked for, or saw our sacrifices. They went to Nze Ahunanya’s stomach,” Dinta Nwokeike said, shaking his head more out of sympathy than disappointment.
When some peace and quiet returned to the room, the medicine man took a quick scan of the room and his eyes settled at the entry of Nze Ahunanya’s ‘ihuo,’ the inner chamber. Slowly he approached it and then entered, this time, with the side of his body. Dinta and the elders followed into the inner chamber, but they all quickly raised their hands to their nose. The odor was eerie and sickening. The inner chamber was dark except that it was dimly lit by dots of sunray that penetrated through holes between the rafters. When their eyes got accustomed to the darkness, they could see an outlay of some carcass. It was beyond recognition, but the men knew that it was the body of Nze
Ahunanya.
©Oliver
O. Mbamara, 2003
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Oliver Mbamara is an Administrative Law Judge
with the State of New York. He is also a filmmaker and a Published Poet
and playwright. For more on Oliver, please visit www.olivermbamara.com
For
background/research reference on this piece, click on this link
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