Super Story: "Adaora" Season 1 Episode 1

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

The Kingdom of Ezeudo lay between two great mountains and from the mountains came a water source, which gave birth to the Ezeudo River. Ezeudo is being ruled by the youngest king in history, Eze Ikemba Aguchi, who has married twenty women, but still doesn’t have an heir to the throne. He is under great pressure, and threat, as his cousin, Chinedum, whom the gods have blessed with two children could take over the throne.

The Kingdom dwellers are mostly farmers and fishermen, only few practice hunting and other sophisticated crafts like iron bending and woodwork. In the day time, they all depart from their little hut clusters and go about their businesses, and at evening, they retire and prepare for the next day.

On this particular night, the usual serenity of the Ezeudo Kingdom was being disturbed by the wailing of a woman. She wasn’t in labor or in trouble. But Oriaku was being subjected to a thorough beating by her husband, Anosike.

Anosike was one of the handsomest men in Ezeudo, aside his friend, Chinedum who was the finest man. He was a great farmer, and his barns boasted of robust and delicious yams. He had been married to Oriaku for many years now, but their union had not produced a child. How could that be-when they were always at loggerheads with one another?

Tears crawled lazily from her eyes; she was too weak to cry. The agony from her husband’s beating had left her dazed and confused. Her broken lips shattered, and her waist beads scattered on the muddy floor. Anosike had done it again. It had become a habit for him to humiliate her like this, and she hated him for it. But like most women in the Kingdom, she was too afraid to divorce him, because no man would want a tainted woman. And one who had failed to give her husband a child.

“What crime did I commit? I only asked you an innocent question and you violated my body with your crooked hands. May the gods judge and punish you accordingly!” Oriaku sobbed and tried to gather her beads.

The dark skinned man gritted his teeth as he stared at the annoying woman. He had gone to the Uriama market, which was the biggest market in the Kingdom. One of his farmer friends, whom he had helped with some yam seedlings, had decided to pay the debt with a bagful of cowries and a slave.

He had come home with both gifts, but he hadn’t unveiled the slave’s face yet. But from her physical features, he knew that the slave was female. Her mud-soaked legs were slender and very attractive. And the flesh on her hips was surplus. The slave had a fine figure.

On arrival, Oriaku had welcomed him with a bowl of Ukwa and shredded cassava, which he had eaten to his delight. When she had noticed the slave girl, she had immediately suggested that her husband present the slave to Chinedum, his best friend, on behalf of Okeke (another friend who was indebted to Chinedum) as payment for his debt.

“Okeke is your best friend. I think you should help him clear his debt with Chinedum, your other friend. Just as this farmer has given you a slave as payment, you should help your friend clear his debt.” Oriaku had advised.

The Kingdom knew that Anosike, Okeke and Chinedum were best of friends. They had been friends right from childhood and nothing could tear them apart. Out of the trio, Anosike and Chinedum excelled at what they did. Anosike was the greatest farmer in Ezeudo, while Chinedum excelled as an ironsmith and a hunter.

Okeke was the odd one out. Although he tapped palm wine for a living, he spent much of his days being drunk. Years back, he had borrowed some money from Chinedum to set up a snail farming business, but he had failed.

“That’s a good idea, but I don’t think Chinedum is in need of a slave girl.” Anosike had replied.
Oriaku shook her head, “I have been hearing gossips about Chinedum and his wife, Obiajulu…”
Anosike’s heart had skipped.

“What secret?”

“I heard that she is sleeping with another man, and she has been abandoning house chores. Perhaps if the slave girl was available, she would now be the one to handle the chores.” Oriaku explained the reason for her suggestion.

Her eyes had been full of mischief and jealousy, even as she had spoken to her husband. It was a truth that Obiajulu, Chinedum’s wife was cheating. And she was cheating with Anosike, her husband.

Without warning, Anosike kicked the gourd of clean water and the twin calabashes before him to the ground. He dragged Oriaku into the bedroom and rammed her face with fiery slaps. The beatings had lasted for many hours, until he was tired. But Anosike was satisfied with the beatings that he’d given Oriaku.

“You have no business with Obiajulu. She is everything in a woman that you will never be.” Anosike fired angrily before rushing out of the bedroom.

His words re-echoed in Oriaku’s brain. How could her husband say such words to her? It was evident that Anosike no longer loved her, but his heart was with another…Obiajulu. And it hurt her to know that her husband was sleeping with his best friend’s wife.

Okeke, the palm wine tapper had exposed them to her. Some days back, he had gone to his palm plantation, only to catch the two lovers in the bush. They had begged him not to say a word, but his disgust wouldn’t let him stay silent. He had no choice, but to alert Obiajulu of her husband’s amorous activities with Obiajulu.

At first, Oriaku didn’t believe Okeke. But everything about her husband’s hatred and neglect of her was beginning to make sense. And Okeke wasn’t the type of man that lied, or said something to divide a group of people.

Oriaku sniffed in and wiped her face with the edge of her wrapper. Her angular face was strong and determined.

“I will teach Obiajulu a lesson. I will make her unhappy, just as she has made me.” Oriaku ignored the aches in her joints. All she wanted was to check on the slave girl, whose face hadn’t been opened yet.

She licked her sore lips and grabbed her lantern, stepping into the uncertainty that lay in the darkness.

To be continued…

Source: Davina Diaries

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

"Adaora" Season 1 Episode 2

Two naked bodies clung together in the dimly lit room. Chinedum had just finished making love to his beloved wife, Obiajulu. But he wasn’t satisfied. He loved this woman with everything in him. From the first day that he had set eyes on her at the stream, he’d known at once that they belonged together.

“You’re so beautiful,” he pulled her closer and dropped a kiss on her lips.

Obiajulu smiled and stared into his eyes. She parted her lips and allowed his sweet tasting tongue to find its way into her mouth. Their lips mated for a while, until his hands strolled towards her back. Only then, did she stop him.

“You need to sleep my darling. You have to hunt tomorrow.” Obiajulu rolled out of the bamboo bed. It wasn’t the matter of his hunting that disturbed her, but her mind was with another. She missed Anosike and couldn’t wait to set eyes on him again. Anosike was the only man who understood and had mastered her desires. He was more handsome than her husband, and she cared deeply about him.

Chinedum wasn’t blind. Though the room wasn’t bright enough, he could sense unhappiness from his wife. He hated to see her this way. He always did everything to please her, including the house chores which she hated to do. He watched as she opened her metallic box, and pulled out a fresh wrapper that she clothed her body with.

“Are you alright?” Chinedum straightened on the bed as he watched her.
Obiajulu closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath. She quickly reminded herself of the need to act her part. She couldn’t let Chinedum sense her distraction. He could never know that her love was for another man.

“Um, something has been bothering me,” she returned to the bed.
“What has been bothering you my love?” He ran his hands over her smooth skin.
Days back, Okeke had stumbled upon her and Anosike in the bush. They’d been making love without a care in the world. She hated the palm wine tapper, knowing that he could expose them both.

“Has Okeke repaid the debt that he owes you?” Obiajulu leaned against her husband’s chest. She knew that the palm wine tapper was poor and wouldn’t be able to repay the debt. Obiajulu wanted to oppress him, until he realized that she was in charge and couldn’t be dealt with.
Chinedum was surprised, as his wife never cared about his financial business.
“We both know the truth,” he moved his fingers from her body to her hair.
“And what is that?” Her eyes glowed in the dark.

“When I gave Okeke that money, I didn’t give it to him as a loan. Okeke isn’t as wealthy as me or my friend Anosike. I don’t expect him to pay back. But if he does, I have no problem with that. I just want him to take his time.” He replied.

Chinedum valued his friendship with the palm wine tapper. Although Okeke wasn’t a rich man, he was cheerful and full of spirit. And he offered the best advice in the whole kingdom. He couldn’t do anything to jeopardize his friendship with the man.

Obiajulu was annoyed that she couldn’t manipulate her husband to collect payment for the loan. Chinedum was weak and small minded. He loved to take things easily and calculated. Anosike was his opposite. His fiery approach towards matters attracted her to him.
“I hear that the king has just sent his twentieth wife out of the palace…” she quickly changed the topic, so he wouldn’t sense her annoyance.

The King was her husband’s cousin, and her husband was next in line to the throne because the King didn’t have children. She had married into a royal family, and soon she would become Queen of Ezeudo.

“I always pray for the gods to bless Ikemba with a son or a daughter. The King is a good man. I don’t know why the gods wouldn’t grant him a child.” Chinedum replied softly.
Obiajulu peeled herself from his chest when he had said this.

“Why would you say such a prayer? Don’t you know that his inability to have children will make it faster for you to become king? We know the laws in Ezeudo. The King has been given an ultimatum of five years. If he cannot come up with seed, then the throne will become yours for the taking!” She snapped at him.

Chinedum chuckled softly. He knew how much Obiajulu wanted to be King. But he wasn’t eager to sit on the throne.

“I am not the kind of man who wishes to succeed on the pain of others. If the gods have destined me for the throne, they will have to take the King away first. They will have to strike him dead. I will not become king while my cousin is still alive. I will not be the subject of his humiliation.”

“Very well then, goodnight,” Obiajulu scowled. She rose to her feet and rushed out of the bedroom. Chinedum had angered her, so she decided to sleep with her two children.
Once morning came, she would find Anosike and make passionate love to him. Getting married to Chinedum was the greatest mistake of her life.

The slave had been asleep for some hours now. Her legs itched. Her body ached. Her face was covered with a black cloth which made it difficult for her to see anything. All she heard were sounds of wailing, it seems a woman was in trouble. But the slave couldn’t do anything about it.

She had struggled and fought with her captors; she had cried and wailed bitterly after she was being taken from her village. But they had no pity on her. A group of foreign warriors had invaded her village and they had killed the older population, while taking the younger and agile ones as slaves.

Tears splashed on Adaora’s cheeks as she recalled her last moments with her mother. The warriors had placed a knife on her mother’s neck. They ignored her pleas for mercy. Adaora had rushed forward to kiss her mother, and hug her one last time, but she hadn’t been quick enough. Before her eyes, her mother’s head rolled on the muddy earth.

“No, no, no…” her shoulders began to tremble. And her teeth began to rattle. The fear of being killed like her mother overtook her like a flood and she found herself helpless and screaming for help.

She was lost to the world of reality, and trapped in another one, made by fear. A river of tears glided down her cheeks. And she failed to sense the entrance of a stranger. Adaora only quieted when she felt a soft and friendly touch.

“It is okay, you’re having a bad dream.” The wielder of the kind touch spoke. It was a woman.
Slowly, the black cloth came off her face, and her dark green eyes struggled to adjust to the light of the lamp. Adaora shifted away from the dark skinned woman. She would’ve run out of the room where she was being kept, but her legs and arms were chained together.
Oriaku’s eyes softened as she stared at the innocent girl.

“You’re so beautiful,” she dropped the lamp and ran her fingers over the slave’s hairy body.
The slave was extremely light skinned. She was as yellow as the sun and as bright as the moon at night. Golden hairs sprouted all over her arms and legs. She was almost an albino.
Adaora said nothing. Her lips continued to shiver as she glued her eyes to the woman.
“I am not going to hurt you. And I promise not to let anyone hurt you.” Oriaku settled next to the slave on the muddy floor.

Adaora cried silently. She didn’t ask for this. Days ago, she had been a happy girl living with her mother in the village. Now, she was an orphan slave who didn’t know where she was and where she would be headed. The stories she had heard about slavery terrified her. Sometimes slaves were turned into concubines and raped at will, by their masters and other male members of the family. Other times, they were sacrificed to the gods of the land.
Her heart ached. Which would be her fate?

Oriaku smiled as she stared at the slave’s beautiful face. No man in Ezeudo would stare at her twice without turning back. She was perfect for the plan!
“What is your name?” Oriaku asked.

At first, Adaora didn’t want to say a word. She was filled with hatred and bitterness for all strangers. But she realized that these people weren’t the ones that killed her mother. They had only bought a slave from the market without knowing her history. She couldn’t blame them much.

“Adaora…” she stuttered.
“Adaora is a fine name. Where do you come from?” Oriaku asked.
“Anyanwa,” Adaora replied.

Oriaku was startled. The land of Anyanwa was very popular in myths and legends. The people that hailed from Anyanwa were known for their spiritual powers. They had special gifts in soothsaying and healing, as they were blessed by the sun god, Anyanwu.

To be continued…

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

"Adaora" Season 1 Episode 3

“The land of the golden sun…” Oriaku gasped.
Adaora’s eyes glowed in surprise. Not many knew of the existence of her little village.
“Yes,” she nodded.

Oriaku rose to her feet and tapped the slave’s head.

“When morning comes, you will be delivered to your master and mistress. I promise that they will not harm you in any way. I must get you some food and water.”

Adaora said nothing. She simply watched Oriaku, as she walked out of the dark room. One thing was certain; Adaora had sensed Oriaku’s unhappiness. She now knew where the wailing had come from. Her husband was hitting her.

“May the gods protect me,” Adaora whispered.

It was time to accept her reality. In slavery, there was no turning back. Her village was completely destroyed. She had to accept her new land. She had to accept her new name.
She was no longer the priestess’ daughter. She was now a slave in a foreign land.

“Where are you coming from?” Anosike fired Oriaku a suspicious glare as she walked into the room.
At first, she’d wanted to ignore him but she wasn’t in the mood to receive another round of beating.
“I went to see the slave,” Oriaku murmured.

“How is she?” Anosike asked.
He had made up his mind to listen to Oriaku. He had a feeling that Oriaku knew about his affair with Obiajulu. Okeke must have told her something. If not, why was she so interested in giving off the slave girl in repayment of Okeke’s debt?

He would allow Oriaku to do what she wished. But Anosike’s mind was made up. He no longer loved Oriaku. He would send her away when the time was ripe.
“Fine,” her voice was cold and unwelcoming.
Anosike cleared his throat.

“I will take her to Chinedum’s house, first thing in the morning. I don’t ever want to hear you mention Obiajulu’s name in this house. Is that clear?”

A wave of excitement washed over her when she heard him say this. But she was careful not to show it. No one could know of her plan to destroy Obiajulu’s marriage. Oriaku was more pleased with the fact that the slave girl was more beautiful than Chinedum’s wife.

“I have heard you.” She nodded.

Morning had swept the night skies swiftly, ushering in a bright and golden day in Ezeudo. Chinedum had been the first to wake up, and with a song on his lips. It was the song of a happy man. He fetched a gourd of palm wine and prayed to the ancestors and the goddess of the earth, Idemiri whom they worshipped.

“May my day be bright and peaceful, just like today’s weather.” He prayed, after which he emptied the milky colored drink on the ground.

When he was done with his prayers, he decided to check on Obiajulu and the children. A devious smile danced on his lips as he marched towards the next hut. Obiajulu could be very dramatic at times. He knew that she had left their bedroom because he didn’t buy the idea of becoming King. That was enough to upset his darling.

He tapped the wooden door that protected the children’s hut twice, but there was no response. He pushed the door open, and found Obiajulu sleeping peacefully on the bed, with the children next to her. His eyes glided over her chubby frame, her silky ebony skin and the swell of her massive hips which rested on a pair of slender legs.

“You’re so lovely, even in your sleep…” he walked towards her and brushed her sleeping face with his palm.

Once his hands were on her face, Obiajulu’s lips parted into a smile. He could tell that she was dreaming as she muffled some words that he couldn’t understand. But the second word sounded like a name which he was very familiar with. He wasn’t too sure.

“I am proud to have you as a wife,” he continued with his morning musing.
He was about to say more when he heard some clapping outside. The clap startled him as he wasn’t expecting any visitor. The loud sound roused Obiajulu from sleep.
“My husband…” she yawned and stared into his eyes.

“It seems that we have a morning visitor. I must check who it is.” Chinedum was about to rise when the visitor announced himself.
“Good morning my dear friend, it is I, Anosike. I come bearing good news.”

Obiajulu’s heart raced and she straightened on the bed immediately. The voice of her lover had a soothing effect on her. Her heart spiraled on a wave of unending happiness. She missed Anosike. She had not felt his touch for many days; neither had she set eyes on him.
“You must go and check it out,” Obiajulu quickly whispered to her husband.

“You should come and greet him as well.” Chinedum rose to his feet and moved out of the hut.
He was surprised to see Anosike this early in the morning.

“My good friend, how do you do today?” Chinedum scratched his chin as he observed his friend. Anosike rarely visited him, so this particular visitation baffled him. Another thing that baffled Chinedum was the human behind Anosike. He could tell that it was a woman, but he didn’t understand why her face was veiled with a black cloth.

Anosike smiled, “I am very fine.”
“Let me bring you a seat.” Chinedum advanced towards his hut, but Anosike stopped him.
“I do not want to sit as I have some farm business to attend. This matter is an important one.”
Chinedum’s brows were elevated in surprise.

“Is there a problem?”
Anosike shook his head and pushed the slave forward. Though Adaora listened in on the conversation, she couldn’t see the faces of the men. But this she could sense; one man was harsh and stern, while the other seemed more relaxed.

The man who’d just pushed her had been the one that beat his wife all night. Adaora decided that she didn’t like him immediately.

Another person that listened to the conversation was Obiajulu. At first her lover’s voice thrilled her and moistened her thighs. But when she realized he had come with a slave, it confused her.
“Okeke is our friend, and he took some money from you. We both know that Okeke isn’t capable of paying back. I have come to pay his loan with this slave girl. She is very beautiful and hard working and she would be a good slave.” Anosike had taken Oriaku’s word for the slave. Not that he cared; he just wanted to prevent his secret relationship from spreading all over the kingdom.

Chinedum was a bit shocked.
“I and my wife had been discussing Okeke’s loan.” He chuckled.
Anosike responded with a dry laughter, “The time for repayment is ripe then.”
Chinedum shook his head.

“I don’t want repayment. Besides, I don’t like holding people against their will. I will never involve myself in slavery.”
At this point, Obiajulu was furious. How could Anosike repay that bastard’s loan without telling her? When did he start taking decisions without her approval? She hopped out of her hiding place and stood between the two men.

“Good morning my husband,” she bowed her head as she greeted Anosike.
“May you live long,” Anosike smiled and bowed as well.
Obiajulu then turned to her husband, “You are right to reject the slave. We do not need her.” She ran her eyes despicably over the cloaked figure.

Anosike sighed, “You cannot reject my gift. For our friendship to continue, you must take Okeke’s repayment. His honor will be regained before you and all men, as well.”
Chinedum ran his fingers through his thick hair. Anosike had a point.
“You are a good friend and you are a wise man. I will accept the slave, but I will not treat her like one.”

Anosike nodded, “You are free to do with her whatever you wish.”
Obiajulu eyed him in annoyance. How could he betray her like that? She couldn’t wait for their next meeting.
“You cannot leave without some kola. Let me get you some.” Chinedum thanked his friend for paying Okeke’s debt. He retreated into his hut to fetch some kola-nuts.

In that moment, Anosike’s eyes met with Obiajulu. His desire for her supple body was reawakened. He couldn’t wait to taste of her lips and her bosoms again. They continued to stare at each other, sending messages quietly.

They only broke their gaze when Chinedum had returned.

TO BE CONTINUED…

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

"Adaora" Season 1 Episode 4

The King’s palace was the largest hut in the Kingdom. The King’s court, the place where he received tributes and met with his elders in-council was a conglomeration of fifty little huts, all joined together. While the rest of the palace was about five hundred huts.

The walls of the meeting room was adorned with paintings and inscriptions made from charcoal and white clay, nzu. The floors were adorned with periwinkle and oyster shells. A portion where the king’s throne was located was well polished with golden clay and charcoal. Upon the mighty throne were a skin of a python and the skull of a leopard. Both animals were totems of the Ezeudo Kingdom.

The King was three years older than his cousin, Chinedum, and they shared a powerful resemblance. The King wasn’t as tall as his cousin, but his hair was thick and dark. He had a light brown skin with a strong muscle build. His chest was covered with sprouts of black hair. And his dark eyes were hawk-like, penetrating and commanding. He had a straight nose and an angular face. The King was a very handsome man.

Sitting in the throne room were the elders and his mother, Ezinne, whom he had all summoned for an important meeting. You see, Ikemba was one of the best kings that Ezeudo would ever have. In his reign, the people paid less tax and the land flourished. The gods had blessed his reign, but had cursed his loins.

“I do not want to be King any longer. I shall pass the crown to Chinedum. He has royal blood flowing through his veins. He is an upright man with morals and values. And he has children, a son and a daughter…” The King said.

Ikemba backed the throne and his subjects. His heart was heavy. His spirit was grieving. In his thirty three years on earth, he had married twenty one women, but none could get pregnant for him. He couldn’t father a child and it distressed him greatly.

“You cannot give up so easily my King. We will find you a fertile maiden and your seed will grow in her.” The first chief spoke.

“My son, please do not say this. I know that you are hurt. But it took your father and I many years before we could have you. All you need is patience and perseverance. You must continue to offer to the gods and worship them.
In due season, they will bless your loins.” Ezinne, the Queen mother spoke.
Ikemba swirled round angrily.

“You still speak of the gods?” He scoffed.

“The gods are alive and will do their work when the time is ripe.” Ichie Izu spoke; he was the second chief in-council.

The King didn’t agree with them.

“The gods bless whom they wish to. They hate me for no reason. I do not want the crown anymore and my mind is made up. I will send word through the seven villages that make up this kingdom. In two market weeks, I will step down for Chinedum to ascend the throne.”
The King was about to reveal more of his plans, when the oracle walked in with a staff and a large calabash. The priestess was the messenger of the gods. She staggered in with a shrill cry from her nostrils and broke into a dance.

“What brings you here wise one?” Ikemba faced her. Perhaps, the gods had accepted his plans to abandon the crown.

The priestess stopped dancing at once, and raised the calabash into the air. Everywhere became quiet. All their eyes were fixed on her, for she had a message from the gods.
“You cannot step down from the throne. The crown is your beginning. It is your end. It is your destiny.” The priestess bellowed.

But the king doubted her words.

“The crown is my destiny yet I cannot father a child. The gods had created the laws themselves. Any King that failed to produce an heir was to step down. I cannot be exempted from this tradition.”

The priestess shook her head and spoke a prophecy.
“Until the midnight meets the goddess of the sun; only then can a prince of the morning be born.”

The King and everyone else in the throne room were about to ask the oracle for an explanation of the prophecy when she swirled round and staggered out of his presence.
The chiefs began to murmur among themselves. The Queen mother exchanged glares with her son.

“Until the midnight meets the goddess of the sun; only then can a prince of the morning be born…” Ikemba repeated the word, but they made no meaning to him.
Ichie Okwute, the oldest chief in-council rose to his feet.

“We only worship Idemiri, Ala and Amadioha. Perhaps the prophecy is about a maiden from the land of the golden sun. We all know how powerful and strong their magic is.”
The King said nothing. He would wait on the gods and watch them unfold their promises to him.

“The land of the golden sun is Anyanwa. It is mythical and does not exist.” He muttered before walking out of the throne room.

Just like before, her face was left covered while she had been dragged to a horrible smelling hut by unseen hands. Whenever the urge to cry came, as she thought of her past life in Anyanwa and the treasured moments that she shared with her mother, Adaora quickly forced them out of her mind. And quickly reminded herself of the need to let go of the past and move on. A new life had been forced upon her, and she had to take it, live it.

She had not taken food or water since her arrival and from the crowing of cocks, Adaora could tell that evening had come. She leaned her fragile back against the wall, and settled her legs on stagnant water, which she didn’t know was goat’s urine. It was Obiajulu, her mistress that had insisted that she be kept in the goat house.

Surprisingly, the slave wasn’t hungry. She was lost and trapped in a sea of despair. Her shoulders were weak from too much burden. Adaora realized that she hadn’t slept properly in many days since her capture; perhaps it was time to catch some sleep.

A wave of fresh air rushed into the animal house. At once, the stench of decaying animal dung and stale urine were resurrected and Adaora knew that she had been kept in a goat house for the first time. Instead of sadness, she felt amused. How could one treat another human so cruelly? Maybe she had offended the gods in some way. Maybe they had brought her to this strange land for her penance.

Her pink lips parted into a yawn. Soon she surrendered to the wave of dizziness and fell asleep. Adaora’s mind was swept by the power of dreams and her spirit transcended to a place that was once her home. This dream that she was having now would become consistent. It would plague her until she sought for the meaning.

She found herself on a little hill back in her village. She recognized the hill at once, for it was the sacred hill of the moon goddess and the place where she and her mother usually offered sacrifices on behalf of the village. The hill of the moon goddess was surrounded by yellow weeds and strange smelling flowers. It was a lonely place except for the squirrels and vultures that hung around; waiting to ravage the sacrifices of fruits and flesh that were being offered.

Adaora’s eyes ran over the field of grass and flowers as she found her feet on the hill. Why was she standing on the hill? It was an abomination for anyone, other than the priestess of the village to do so.

Adaora had not been consecrated to become a priestess as her mother, she had not been called by the gods. Fear gripped her as she stared upon the hill. But she couldn’t move. She noticed something strange; like in the physical, her legs were chained in the dream world. This hindered her motion and escape from the anger of the moon hill goddess.

While still pondering on the next action to take, Adaora heard a gentle song coming from a direction opposite hers. The song was rendered by a deep and rich masculine voice. And it was accompanied by the wind and the dancing of trees. She held her breath and focused her eyes keenly. Never in her life had she heard such a beautiful song.

It took away the pain that she felt. It lightened her burdens. It calmed her fears and made her forget that the hill which she stood upon was a Holy ground.

“My love…” A soft voice called to her. It was the voice that had rendered the beautiful song earlier.

Adaora’s heart melted at the amorous salute. Her eyes took in a tall and handsome stranger. His eyes were sharp and aggressive, but kind at the same time. The aura around him was that of hope, forgiveness, peace and love. Who was this man? Although he was a total stranger, she felt like she had seen him before. And what intrigued her most, was that he was dressed like a King.

TO BE CONTINUED

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

"Adaora" Season 1 Episode 5

He wore a white garment which covered his ankles. Seven reddish beads hung around his neck and his head was adorned with a crown.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Adaora asked.

The stranger didn’t answer. He continued to march confidently towards her. When he reached the hill, he stretched his hands and asked her to jump in. He had come to rescue her.
“I have to take you down from the hill. It is the only way that the curse can be broken.” He answered.

Adaora’s thick and bushy brows narrowed, “What curse? What are you talking about?”
The man smiled, “It is the curse of the golden sun and the curse of the silvery moon…”
“But I don’t understand…” Adaora wouldn’t move. She needed to be clear on what he was talking about.

The stranger was about saying more, when she felt a sharp pain on her face. Suddenly, her dream came to an end and she found herself back in the goat house where she had been kept by her new owners.

Adaora cringed as the pain of the hot slap stung her cheeks. Her face grew pale as she realized that the black veil had been taken off her face after so many hours. She bit her lip and tried to rise to her feet, but then she stopped as she remembered that her legs were being chained.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the chubby and dark skinned woman with fierce looking eyes. Adaora didn’t need anyone to tell her that the mean looking woman was her new mistress. She feared for her life. She feared for her sanity. How would she live with someone this aggressive for so long?

“Get up!” Obiajulu fired at the light skinned slave girl.

She was still appalled that her lover, Anosike, had failed to discuss this with her. What irked her most was the immense beauty that he gods had bestowed upon the slave girl. A feeling of jealousy eroded Obiajulu’s sense of reasoning as she stared at the girl. Adaora was far more beautiful than she was or would ever be…

And she sensed that many men would be drawn to her exquisiteness, including Chinedum…
“No, he cannot love another woman beside me.” Obiajulu shook her head. She had to find a way to get rid of the slave before it was too late.

“Did you think that you were brought here for leisure?” Obiajulu fired at her.
Adaora blinked away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. She didn’t have any words to say. She sensed that the woman hated her and for no reason.

“Answer me!” Obiajulu folded her fingers and readied herself for another punch.
Adaora cracked lips began to shiver, “I…I am sorry, I didn’t mean to get you angry.” Adaora was forced to speak.

Her gentle voice and the manner which they dripped like honey angered Obiajulu more.
“Oh, you think you can bewitch my husband and all the men in Ezeudo with your soft voice? Do you think that you are too good to be a slave?” Obiajulu changed her mind.

She was going to be cruel to this slave. She would break her bones and shatter her spirit and nobody would stand in her way.

Adaora saw the woman’s fist approaching her face, but her hands were bound. There was nothing that she could do to stop her now. Obiajulu’s fist jammed the bridge of her tender nose, and she felt her blood spilling to her upper lips. At first, she had wanted to endure the pain, but it only grew stronger as Obiajulu wouldn’t stop hitting her.

“Please, no…” Adaora squirmed and tried to get away, but she staggered and fell into the stagnant urine that had been for days.

Satisfied that she had put the slave in the right place, Obiajulu smacked her chubby palms together and made ready to leave.

“That is only the beginning of your suffering. When you are ready to be my slave, your chains will be taken from you.”

She was about leaving the goat house when she heard Chinedum’s footsteps. Obiajulu frowned. Her husband had left for the forest. Why was he back so early?
“I will be back for you!” She waved a finger over Adaora’s face.

She was about leaving the goat house when Chinedum walked in. Obiajulu’s husband had gone to the forest to set his traps for the day, he had felt s slight headache and had decided to return home. Before reaching the house, he’d stopped by the palace to greet the King. And there, he had learned of the oracle’s prophecy concerning the King. The words from the gods confirmed that he was not destined to be the ruler of Ezeudo, and that sat well with him. He was happy that Ikemba had been chosen to rule till his death.

As he approached his compound with some of the gifts that the King and his mother had offered to him, Chinedum had heard loud wailing and crying. Without waste of time, he had discarded the gifts of calabashes, bush meat and fresh fruits on the floor. His first thought was that Obiajulu, his wife was in trouble. Or perhaps, something had happened to one of the children, especially his son, Ikenna who suffered a lot of childhood diseases.

He ran as quickly as his feet could carry him. Sweat glided from the openings of his face as he followed the direction of the wail. He only slowed down when he reached the goat house, and realized that the person crying wasn’t his wife. It had to be the slave girl.

“What is going on here?” Chinedum brushed past Obiajulu as he stepped into the goat house.
Obiajulu was shocked to see her husband.

“Nothing, let’s leave her to her fake tears.” Obiajulu quickly grabbed his wrist and made to leave, but Chinedum wouldn’t move. For the first time, he saw Adaora’s face without the veil.

She was the most comely woman that he had ever seen. Her eyes reminded him of the bright coloring of the skies on a sunny day. Even as she cried, he couldn’t miss the beauty of her plump and bleeding lips.

Chinedum snapped out of his admiration as he quickly reminded himself that he was a married man and would never do anything to hurt his wife. But he had a little problem with Obiajulu, for she had been the one to take the slave away at morning when Anosike had brought her.
“Why is she in the goat house?” Chinedum asked in a very calm but dangerous voice.

He noticed that the slave was lying down in stale urine and her milky white skin was decorated by black pellets of dung. Anger shot through him that his wife would show another human being such cruelty.

TO BE CONTINUED

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

"Adaora" Season 1 Episode 6

Obiajulu hadn’t expected this question. How could her husband undermine her in front of a slave? She scoffed and continued o her way out, but Chinedum dragged her wrist roughly.
“Answer me!” He thundered.

The sharpness of his voice, and the sternness of his grip made her realize that he was angry. Chinedum wasn’t a man of swift anger, but when he was annoyed, it always ended up in a fit of rage. Obiajulu couldn’t believe that her husband would show his displeasure in front of the slave. She had said it! She had known it! The whore was going to enchant all the men in Ezeudo including her husband.

“I have no answer for you. She is my slave and not yours. I will treat her the way I like.” Obiajulu pulled her fingers away from him and hissed loudly.

Her response infuriated him the more, and he was tempted to pull her hair and destroy the golden beads that she wore around her neck. The beads had cost him a fortune and she greatly adored them. Obiajulu was a very materialistic woman.

“You insult me by not answering my question. What kind of evil spirits would posses you to keep her in the goat house? There are many huts in my compound, but you chose to keep her here? How cruel can you be Obiajulu? What crime did this innocent girl commit against you?” Chinedum couldn’t believe that his wife could be this mean.

Again, Obiajulu paid no mind to his complaints. She ran her eyes over him, knowing that Chinedum couldn’t do anything to hurt her. He was in love with her. And she had him eating from her palms.

“What are you going to do about it?” She eyed him disdainfully. She was angry that he had insulted her before the slave. He was going to pay for it later. She would starve him of his conjugal rights, until he begged for forgiveness.

As she stepped out of the animal house, her eyes met with the evening sun. Soon, night will fall upon Ezeudo and she would have the opportunity of meeting with her lover. A new desire started within her body. Anosike would never insult her before a slave, but Chinedum had done it.

“I’d rather spend the night in the arms of the man who respects me above all things.” She murmured and walked away.

Right from the moment that she had heard the man’s voice, Adaora had stopped crying. She didn’t want to be the fire that burned two lovers apart. She didn’t want to be the reason that the master would beat her mistress. She hadn’t deliberately cried out loud, the pain of a broken nose was too much for her to bear.

Normally, his anger would have escalated after Obiajulu hissed and walked out on him. But he felt lighter after she had gone. It seemed that a calabash of cold water had been poured on his head to calm him. He couldn’t explain this.

Chinedum pulled in a deep breath and focused on the beauty again. He regretted what his wife had done to her. He was different from Obiajulu in many ways. He hated to see people suffer or cry, and this was the reason that he was loved by many people. From each hunt, he usually gave to the poorer members of the community. And at first, Obiajulu had tried to stop him, but when she realized that her husband was meant on giving, she had no choice but to let him be.
He walked towards the slave girl and knelt in the stale urine, right next to her.

“I am sorry that my wife did this to you. But I promise that you will never go through this humiliation as long as you are under my roof.” He didn’t wait for her response. Chinedum quickly pulled a short knife from the little pouch that he always carried around. He destroyed the chains that bound her feet.

Adaora stared at him in surprise and wonder. Her lips were still shaking as she watched him cutting through the chains that bound her. Only two people had shown her kindness since she arrived.

Oriaku was one, and now her master. But the stories of slaves being raped by their masters replayed in her mind and she quickly moved away from him. If Chinedum was being nice because he wanted a piece of her flesh in return, he was not going to have any of it.
“Stay away!” Adaora shifted.

He raised a brow as he glared at her. One minute she had been wailing like a woman in travail, now that he had come to help, she was running away from him. Chinedum sighed as he sensed the reason for her reaction. He wasn’t the kind of man that would take a woman without her consent either.

He rose to his feet and stopped at her new position.

“Why do you think that I will hurt you?” He knelt next to her. With the knife in one hand, he found her soft cheeks with the other. The urge to touch her soft skin was too powerful and he couldn’t resist it. How could anyone even think of harming such a beautiful creature?
Adaora stilled as his warm hands found a side of her face. Was he going to hurt her? Would he keep to his promise?

“You are cold. You will need a change of clothes and some wrappers.” Chinedum quickly pulled his hand away from her, and proceeded in cutting the other chains that tied her hands.
When he was done with everything, he helped Adaora to her feet. His eyes scrutinized her bloodied face as he concluded that his wife was possessed.

“I will never allow anyone to hit you again. Is that clear?” He stared into Adaora’s sapphire eyes.

Adaora nodded. There was something about this man that made her trust him. She hadn’t met a man like Chinedum before, but something stirred within her as their eyes met. It wasn’t anything amorous. It was trust. She trusted her master.

“Good,” Chinedum flashed a smile and led her out of the goat house.
As they stepped outside, Adaora’s blue eyes narrowed as they tried to adapt to the sunlight and the turbulence of the evening wind. She couldn’t believe that the veil was taken off her face. She allowed the scent of clay to dance into her nostrils. Though she wasn’t free, this was the closest she would ever get to freedom.

Chinedum spotted the delight in her eyes as she stared at her new environment. He noticed that her eyes rested on a certain tree in the compound. Her gaze had lingered on the Udara tree, but she sensed that he’d been watching, so she had taken her eyes off it.

“What is your name?” He asked calmly.
“Adaora,” she replied instantly, now feeling comfortable with him.
He smiled and took one of her hands.

“You have a beautiful name and I can feel that you have a beautiful heart.”
For the first time since the men raided her little village, Adaora welcomed a smile. This man was too good for the kind of beastly wife that he had. She prayed that he had no ulterior motives for helping her.

“I am called Chinedum Aguchi and my wife is Obiajulu. I have two lovely children…” Chinedum was about telling them her names when they both rushed towards him.
Their faces were covered with sand as they had been playing. And it seemed that they were fighting about something as well.

TO BE CONTINUED