ESCAPE FROM SHANCI
And I fell again. But
this time, I didn’t fall because of the excruciating pain from my knee. I
stumbled over a log of wood lying across my way. I was running for my dear
life. I was running away from death and fatality. I mustered enough strength
and continued limping away as fast as I could. They were coming. They were
coming right behind me. I could hear the strong stamping sound of their feet. I
couldn’t place how many they were, all I knew was that, I needed to run. I
needed to run away, fast! But the pain from my right knee won’t just let me. I
was given a deep knife cut on my right knee to disenable me from trying to run
away. It's quite swollen from infection. Oily and foul smelling pus came out
every now and then, but then, their greatest mistake was not working on the
left knee too.
“Maybe I should hide” I
thought.
But hiding won’t be the
best idea. They own this forest. The invaders know their way around the woods.
They own the jungle, so I’ll rather have to continue running. I leaped over a
pool of very dirty water and continued lurching forward, hoping to get farther,
farther away from my ensnarers.
**************************
During the strong rainy
period of Wura, raiders from the Shanci tribe invaded our peaceful and tranquil
home town, Fashadzhi. Masked in leopard skin and crocodile hide, armed with
clubs and spears, these devils stormed my land. They took our young men, raped
our young girls and sold our children into distant slavery. Even when we tried
to put up a fight, they clubbed our heads. Achinda, my first son who tried to
fight for the family, was overpowered and killed. His head was clubbed
severally and he eyes were gorged out. My heart shattered into various little
fractions when his manhood was cut off. These evil men didn’t only kill my son,
they cut away his manhood. What an act of insult and dominance!! This singular act
subdued the fighting spirit of the rest of my people. We absolutely gave up. We
let ourselves to be taken. We watched in disgust as our young girls were
brutally raped and our children bundled up. What an eyesore!! I am yet to
recover from this!! Nineteen of us were captured. Nineteen men of vigour and
value, including my humble self, were turned to mare sacrificial “lambs” for
rituals to appease Shancikhulo, their god of childbirth and love. We were moved
and kept in a thatch-fenced area with the fence as high as a whooping 9 feet,
where we stayed in fear mixed with anticipation of death and doom. It was always
terrible watching my kinsmen die and their hearts, pulled out of their chest to
be further grinded for more diabolic practices. We never think of breaking away.
Our knees were sliced at various points to corrupt our mind from venturing
escape. We are severely tortured daily, just to disable us the more. Life in
the hands of these nefarious and heinous men was horror with each passing day. Twenty-three
days we stayed or rather, twenty-three days I stayed. Twenty-three days of
despicable happenings. Twenty-three days of bloodshed and terror. Twenty-three
days of death and horror, then I escaped.
I recall how my friend Gehnki
was killed. A great hunter, gone! What a pity!! Gehnki was honoured in Fashadzhi
town as the first man to kill three crocodiles in one hunting spree. I remember
the joy in our hearts and the happiness showing on our faces in form of
sheepish smiles, as he walked back home in delight with the crocs. Gehnki was
killed; killed like a chicken. When he was first called up from amongst us, I
knew it was his time. I knew at once that Gehnki my good friend was going to
leave me in the most gruesome of ways. He smiled as he was being dragged and
said to me in our native Gbanku language;
“Yewhun, I died an
accomplished man.”
I couldn’t mutter a
word. I found it hard to believe that my bosom friend Gehnki would part ways
with me in such a dreadful way. What about our hunting expeditions? What about
our night tales for our wives and children at moonlight? What about the nights
we took our wives to the stream for sheke
(the ritualistic wife bath)? What about all these? Uncontrolled tears rolled
down my cheeks as I watched him being dragged by these ungodly men. I wondered
where their hearts were. Gehnki was taken and his neck placed on a stake. In
one sharp blow with the cutlass, his shriek was abruptly cut short and his head
was seen rolling down the blood stained stake channel. My dim eyes went shut as
I let more tears flow to ease my heavy heart. The rest of us yelled in anguish
and discontentment as blood fizzled out of Gehnki’s convulsing lifeless-body
before our eyes. When will this end? We were now twelve; seven of us gone, twelve
left to go. My kinsmen, Shemtu and Radwekhuna died from the intense torture we
receive daily, while Kawdhen my brother in-law took his own life from self
pity. When will this truly end? I wasn’t seeing the end being near, until the
day the gods remembered my cry and purported to free my dying soul. My
everlasting day of joy!!
I wondered about my
family; my wife, my two remaining sons and Rizwahne my only daughter. Staying
twenty three days without Ghwane, the love of my life was even more painful to
me than my rotting knee. Where possibly would she be? A pinch of joy hit my
heart on the very day of our capture, when the invaders left my town without
raping her and Rizwahne my daughter. They were among the few that were not
touched.
"Could they have
gone back?" I thought. "Could the raiders from the spiteful Shanci
tribe, have gone back to continue their malicious actions on the rest of the
village dwellers?"
These questions never ceased
crossing my mind every now and then. Ghwane, where could you be? My mind is
always at peace at the thoughts of you; a good sign that reassures me of your
safety and wellbeing but still, where could you be? Would you have left
Fashadzhi? What of Bebehnlo and Sanshan, my two younger sons. They had already
killed Achinda. The malevolent men had killed Achinda, held me captive and
displaced my male children. The end of famous lineage!! If only I would ever
see you again Ghwane. If only I could see you again my love.
**************************
The first time we
attempted breaking out didn’t work out. It rather increased our dose of daily
torture. We had stayed twelve days already when the witty and clever ones
amongst us developed a plan. We wanted to work with one of the elements of
life; fire!! Breaking free would be less complicated if we could raze the
thatch fence with fire. Such a perfect idea!! The only issue surrounding the
plan then was, making the fire. We were determined! We strongly believed that
this ripe boil present at the scrotum would definitely be squashed no matter
the time it takes. We devised a plan. At night, we would cut some rafter from
the fence and then, with some fire stones, we could create fire. Fire stones!!
Another problem!! We then resolved that every night, while our captors are fast
asleep, we would all search for these stones within our camp even with our entanglements.
We were tied in threes. Two groups were created, the stone searchers and the stone
testers. Three older men from our remaining fifteen were made to sit and test
the stones. It was in the course of our test that we were caught. By then, we
had spent two nights in our search. Dimshe, the most foolish man amongst us
sold us all out, cheaply!! Don’t be too quick to judge me. I called him foolish
because, he actually is stupid. A man that gives his wife out to his creditors
for debt pardon is not just foolish but really stupid. Foolish Dimshe sold us
out!!
On the second day of our
search, we found suitable stones that could make fire. What a joy that filled
our hearts!! One of the major hurdles had been overturned. We had to
immediately start plans on setting the thatch fence ablaze. I took time to
gather enough rafters from the fence so that we could make the fire at one end
and then share the fire around quickly around the fence, making it possible for
us to fLee from various angles. We tried not to make a sound. We all co-operated
well to bring our plans to fruition. Then all of a sudden we heard shouts……
“It’s a snake! It’s a
snake!! It’s a mamba!!!”
And it was Dimshe!! By
then, we had already lit the first mould of rafter. Our keepers from the Shanci
tribe waiting at the closed entrance to the fenced area were alerted. They
awoke to the shouts from our thoughtless Dimshe. We were exposed!! Our freedom
plans were laid bare before their prying eyes. What got me the most annoyed was
when we latter found out that the snake Dimshe saw was actually a tree branch. So
infuriating!! Two of our kinsmen were later killed in the morning, to celebrate
our failed plans. We all also received lashes on our bare backs and buttocks. I
broke a rib in the process. All as a result of the woes of Dimshe! I have
forgiven him anyways. Why shouldn't I?
**************************
I jumped over this pool,
looking back to check for my captors. I could hear their chants. I had left
them hours before they noticed one of us was gone. But right now, they are
about catching up with me. I won’t let this happen!! For me to run fast, I will
have to take my mind away from the pains from my knee, which is more difficult
than strangulating oneself.
“Maybe I should apply
some herbs from the bush to help ease out some of the congealed pus in my wound,
so I could hasten up a bit” I thought
That would rather keep
me stagnant for sometime, which will definitely not help my situation. I had to
continue running. I kept on limping. There was no other alternative. I hopped,
I limped, I leaped, I ran. All to keep moving! I was losing strength, but I was
not ready to lose myself again to these marauders. Not now! Not anymore! I
could perceive smoke from afar. I could perceive the smell of burning wood. I
was close. I was close to the village. I was close to my breakthrough. I tried
to look further to see if I could catch a glimpse of a live fire in front
without noticing a slight depression on the earth surface in front of me. As I
limped even further, my right leg lowered into the impression and in one crash,
I hit the ground, dashing my knee on the ground in a thud. My right knee!! I let a loud cry as I writhed in pain on the
floor.
“Ah!!….my ankle, my
ankle” I moaned very loudly.
I had also dislocated my
ankle. The pains were severe. It felt like death. I groaned in pain. A mixture
of blood and pus seeped out of my bad looking knee. My ankle looked even worse.
I couldn’t contain the pains. I lay on the floor. Could this be it? Could this
be the end of my walk for freedom? My eyes began to go dim. I heard foot
stamps, louder as they came closer. And from afar, I heard...
“there he is!! we have
found him, Shancikhulo would not let her prisoner go away untouched.”
I lost my last hope. They
are here. I have been caught. I let my eyes close. I was fainting. I heard more
footsteps. I wished I could die at that moment. I felt an arm gripping my
shoulder. I felt another. And I was lifted!! I let myself go!! And I was
taken!!
-----------To
Be Continued Next Week-----------
------
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Very good story. Hoping that the next one comes soon.
ReplyDeletethank you. our next post will come sunday, 28th Dec. keep your fingers crossed
DeletePlease did you mean 28th Dec, 2014 or 28th Dec, 2015? I hope you haven't run out of ideas?
DeleteJesus!!!! Did dis rily hapen????
ReplyDeletethis is mere fiction. thank you for following our blog.
DeleteGod of mercy
ReplyDeletenice story. keep it up. waiting for the post.
ReplyDelete