Miri Ezioku

Ego didn't respond as she was deep in thoughts about what they are going to do to her. She was afraid they were going to kill her. This all started when she helped the dog, she should have just let the animal be. Or maybe she should have just helped the old woman lift her firewood without trying to carry it for her. Maybe these desperate looking men wouldn't have seen her on her way home. Moreover, who told them her location, was it the old lady, how was she able to do that? She had been with her all along and there had been no other means of outside communication. Her mother had always told her that her kindness will be the death of her; maybe this was it. It has been ages since Nnanna died, so why are they bringing up this case now? She just could not fathom anything.

One of the men standing beside her used his shoulders to slightly nudge her back to reality; with a roaring voice he asked

"Bia! Are you not the one the priest is talking to?"

"Nnayi, I don't know," she said thinking that he would provide her with the answer; instead he asked, "Where is your husband?"

"He is dead, he died some years back" she added wondering why she is being asked that like it was not already obvious.

"How did he die?" the dibia asked with a harsh tone.

Ego began crying; she has been holding back her tears, trying to be stolid. How can he be asking her that kind of question?

"Young woman don't make me repeat myself". The dibia yelled at her.

In broken words, she managed to reply him saying "He went for hunting and did not return. When a search party went in search of him, he was discovered dead and no one knew the cause of his death".

"And you don't have a hand in his death?" He asked

"No, the gods forbid; I don't have anything to do with the death of Obim. I loved that man with all my heart". She said with her hands on her chest, you can feel the pain in every word.

The dibia turned back and looked at her with one eye opened and asked: "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. I had nothing to do with his death". Ego said now wiping tears off her cheeks with her right hand, her eyes red and swollen.

Her in-laws began whispering among themselves. Chielo stood up and began yelling on top her voice "That's a lie, she is lying, she killed my sweet boy…; she killed my son Nnanna with her witchcraft after eating all her children. She also used a love potion on him that's why he refused to take another wife even when this witch couldn't give him children for years. She killed him oh… she did" She broke down crying.

"Bia! Chielo it is ok, you are disturbing the peace of the gods and distracting my connection with them in the process; embrace yourself or I will send you out" He said stolidly.

Her son held her and began consoling her saying "Nne, it is alright, she is going to pay for sending Nnanna to join his ancestors; stop crying we are here and we shall see how this plays out", he said patting her softly on the back.

"My ancestors you heard her, she said she knows nothing regarding the death of her late husband. How can we ascertain the truth from her? Talk to me my fathers; your son is all ears". He closed his eyes, raised his both hands, after a few seconds he began nodding his head slowly showing he understood what the gods are saying. He also said words like

"Hmm…, ok…, I can hear you my fathers, and it is entering" at intervals. He did this for about three minutes before he opened his eyes, took another kola nut, chewed it and spat it over the chi, and then said more incantations concluding with

"Thank you, my fathers, it is all crystal clear".

He ordered one of the men to get Miri Ezioku for her; this is what the gods have commanded he added. He turned to Ego and said

"You will be given Miri Ezioku to drink; it will compel you to tell us the truth, and if it turns out that you are in any way involved in the death of your husband; you will be dead in minutes after your confession".

The guests were now whispering among themselves when Nnadozie stood up and said,

"You are still free to just confess now and save yourself from this shameful death".

Chielo who has stopped crying and was seated said

"Let her drink the water, so she can tell us how she killed my son and join him this night in the afterlife".

Ego without paying any attention to any of them said to the dibia that she is going to drink it because she knows she has nothing to do with Nnanna's death.