EPISODE 4 WELCOME TO YESTERDAY (The fallen moon) By Gabriel Ette

January 15, 2018 LIFESTYLE No Comments

EPISODE 4
WELCOME TO YESTERDAY (The fallen moon)
By Gabriel Ette

When his breath stabilized and he regained his strength, Akpan Umogwo stood up from his easy chair and surveyed the vicinity. His five wives were still asleep with their respective children in their mud houses. Of course none of the women have a date with him on Editaha market day night. They knew that was his major business night. On Editaha day, their husband romances the night and embrace danger for them to feed. Rather than expect to be in his strong arms, they look forward to savoring fresh bush meat which he will bring back the following day. The hunter opened the door of the room behind the family sit out Afe. He dropped the mortar containing the great snake moon. Then he thought the better of it and lifted it from the floor to put it in the Ubiom - a construction suspended as a preservative for both dried meat and utensils. This was his private Ubiom. It harbored huge chunks of seasoned and dried meat of rare flavor such as the porcupine meat, the bush pig meat, the Aso meat, Adei meat and other varieties for the entertainment of his guests. Having secured his now prized possession, he went back into the bush to check out his traps. He knew he would be hard put explaining to his family why he came back without game.

As the day kissed the sky good night, the hunter was thinking of how to surprise his family with the moon. But he advised himself not to be rash in displaying his trophy. You can't underrate Echid Itiaba he said to himself. He pitied neighboring community hunters who also hunt in Akai Ibong. He believed that the Anaconda would know no rest until it can trace her missing light and woe betides any man within her line of sight. No man escapes an enraged giant like Echid Itiabe. So, he advised himself against going hunting in that forest for some weeks and also resisted flaunting the snake moon for fear of attracting the original owner who maybe in search of it to the fringes of the forest. By intuition she can track her moon. Snakes are great hunters with their powerful sense of smell and sight. The hunter merely peeped into the mud vessel containing it daily and as he sights the glow, he smiled. The glow of the snake moon was not dependent on her connection to the Snake.

It was on Atim market day. His wives and their children were to gather that night at the village square to prepare for the new yam festival " uduok abire". They had to learn the new songs and perfect old dance steps. The young ones adulate such seasons for it afford them avenue to meet with their friends. The young adult males use the occasion to be a little mischievous with the village maidens who on their part adulate the attention they get. The older women sit around to share old wive's tales while the younger women took to the dancing floor. He watched his compound empty of life and the ray of darkness replaced the last beams of sunlight. He sat for a while before going out to the back yard to fetch his tallest ladder of jointed bamboo stick. He was startled when he heard his last wife ask him what he was doing with the ladder at night. The hunter didn't know that Etok Ero was not part of the wriggling dancers. When she saw his askance stare, she volunteered an answer that her mbaji cut and so she rushed home to change it.

The hunter almost changed his mind about displaying the moon that night as the sensual frame of his last wife flooded his mind with other thoughts. Etok Ero was not only beautiful, she also knew how to drag the man out of him whenever it was her night to share his bed. Though tonight wasn't her night, he thought he could steal a show. His wife saw through his lustful eyes surveying her rich backside. She said, "I know what is on your mind. Sorry, it won't work for you tonight". He asked her why and she whispered into his ears. " That's when you have escaped me" he said as he watched her run back towards the dance arena. As he went into his Afe to bring out the moon, he wondered how a woman could be losing so much blood and still has the strength to dance, for Etok Ero was under her cycle as a fertile woman.

He brought the earthen vessel down gingerly. With tender care, he transported it to the foot of the Mkpafere tree and wondered how to get the clay pot to the towering height of the tree without causing it to crash down and or his losing a footing. A thought struck him and he went back into the hut, he brought down his hanging hunting bag, put the sack containing the snake's moon into it. Strung it on his shoulder and climbed the tree. He constructed a berth by a connection of two of the tree's branches. Upon securing the base, he brought out the bright and glowing object and sat it on the base. He proceeded to secure it by tying it to the branch and swiftly climbed down from the tree. As he stood transfixed at the base to watch the light dispel shades of darkness in his sprawling compound and even the compounds of his close neighbors, the hunter sighed and said, there is always sweetness inside sweat. They will enjoy this light but none will know it was at the risk of life and limb. (To be continued).