25 The Blackout 2

From her wide opened door, she observed that the visible crescent of the sun decreased in width until the two disks reached their closest approach. That was the moment of maximum phase and thus it went into eclipse and full shadow. The sun was totally blocked out and all you could see was its corona. There was now a total blackout and she could hardly see a thing. She quickly blew the ashes back to life and light up her torch, and then stood up to observe the environment.

There was now a general catastrophe and cataclysm everywhere in Umudibia; screams of women and children could be heard all over as they ran back to their huts to hid from whatever that is coming. "Aru!" was the word on everyone's lips as they run pass Ego's compound heading for their various huts.

Ego was still uneasy in her hut pacing from one end of the hut to another waiting for the whole lane to be deserted and for the noise to die down; she can't go out with a mortar on her head and pestle on the other hand by this time of such calamity as this will only confirm the suspicions of the villagers that she was a witch. If not, what other reason will she have to be out there when others are returning home? Of course, she can't tell them the truths; that she is going to get a bird that will make her troubles go away. They will just term her a crazy witch and she might end up being thrown into that scary evil forest that she had just escaped from not long ago.

In less than two minutes, the whole village was like a ghost town. The sky was now as thick and dark as the devil's soul. The world became cellar-dark and the buckling; heaving sky looked fit to collapse down upon the people of Umudibia. The flesh and blood of the world were dead; only the skeleton was left. The earth had lost all it splendor. It was totally dead. From her hut, she could feel the fear in the village. In the darkness, you could still hear faint sounds of doors closing, the wailing of infants, the crying of women and the shout of men.

For the people of Umudibia, especially since they have not experienced such; it was like the world was coming to an end. Some prayed for help, others wished for death; others imagined that there were no more gods left and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness. Those who believed that the gods were still alive were inside their huts with the doors tight-locked, praying to their various personal gods, asking them to come sweep away this evil and calamity that is about to befall them.

Some of them went to the extent of killing and offering animal blood to the gods for them to swiftly come to their aid. Ego's neighbour Nze Ndu, a man known to be favoured by the gods with seven wives and over twenty children; with more than a dozen of them, beautiful girls who will someday get married to other men that will also come to pay bride price to him. He was one of the wealthiest men in the whole village. He came out of his hut to pour the blood of the animal he just slaughtered not long ago inside and around his large compound especially around the hut where he slept and his Obiri. It was obvious he was afraid as he was in a rush and didn't pour it to the end and really dark corners of the compound where the reflection of the light from the pinned touch didn't get to before dashing back into his hut.

In some more minutes, there was absolute silence in the whole village. Everyone was inside with their families. If the world was coming to a halt, at least they should be with their families while observing it happen. The only few people outside were some Dibias who had a say in the affairs of the gods. They were still attempting to put an end to the predicaments that currently face them. Ego, on the other hand, knew it was time to move out as no one will see her. She stood behind the door and took a deep breath knowing with certainty that once she steps outside there is no turning back or uttering any word for any reason whatsoever. She took one last look at the hut and all the precious memories she and Nnanna created here came hitting her one at a time. She really wished he was here to walk hand in hand with her through this challenge she is about to encounter but then if wishes were horses even beggars will ride.