This is a story of how Enwe proved to be a god who can defend itself… or is it?
It was said that before the people came to the land, it was inhabited by monkeys, and so the settlers named the land Ama-enwe, the land of monkeys.
They also took the monkeys to be gods of some sort, and so it was a taboo to eat monkeys. Anyone caught eating a monkey would be banished.
Realizing that they were not under attack, the monkeys came out from their hiding which started as a result of the settlers. Soon, the monkeys were seen to roam all around again, mixing up with the people of Ama-enwe.
Monkeys and humans lived in peace until the famine began.
The land refused to yield her fruits, the animals refused to be hunted, the traps refused to catch any prey, and the people got sick from hunger. The rains refused to fall and the sun refused to shine, adding gloom to the already sad village, and Nduka could take it no more.
Nduka was among the first people to embrace the idea of moving from the clan when Okosisi had brought it up. It would give them freedom, and they would have more space for their growing families. It looked like a good idea at the time, and the past months have been great, but the famine had gone longer than normal, and there was his wife to consider.
Azuka, his wife would not allow him rest, as she reminded him that her village had plenty to eat , and that she refused to be married into hunger.
It was barely nine months into their marriage, and Nduka was ashamed of himself, as he had moved her two months after their marriage. He was the kind of man who always looked for a way to solve issues, but he was void of ideas to solve the famine and keep his young wife happy.
It didn’t help that she had begun vomiting early in the mornings, suggesting pregnancy, and he needed to feed his unborn son. Night and day saw him raiding the forests, and ignoring the jeering monkeys, looking for an animal, any other animal to feed his wife.
Each day he dreaded going back home empty handed, and each day his wife’s silence hurt him more than her words would have.
Coming home one evening, Nduka went straight to bed, wondering how to survive, his wife’s silent tears, killing him. Maybe it was time he went back to the clan. He was still thinking on how to begin the journey back when he slept off, his body tired from the fruitless exertion.
When the incessant tapping of his wife woke him up, it was dark, and even before she spoke, he knew there was a problem.
“I want to eat Enwe,” she said without preamble, the moment she was sure that she had his full attention.
“I don’t understand,” Nduka said, stalling for time, and hoping against hope that he heard wrong.
“The baby needs to eat Enwe,” Azuka rephrased. “I have not been able to sleep, he has been disturbing.”
Nduka wanted to ask how the baby knew that what he needed was Enwe, but he refrained from speaking. He knew his wife would burst into tears, and he was already tired as the hunger was making him weaker.
“You know it is a taboo to eat Enwe,” Nduka said slowly, hoping Azuka would see reason. Her craving was one of the many puzzles which accompanied Nduka’s marriage to her. “Maybe our son wants something else, maybe …”
“I said I want to eat Enwe!” Azuka interrupted with a retort. “How do you know our son wants something else? Are you the one carrying him?”
Nduka reminded himself to remain calm, even as his stomach growled for food.
“Azuka,” he began, trying again to make his wife see sense in what he was saying. “You know…”
Heart wrenching sobs interrupted his explanation. Azuka was shaking with the intensity of her unexplained grief, and Nduka was confused.
He knew he had to do something before she hurt herself.
That was when he began to reason.
"He was here when they came to this land, and they had seen no magnificence in Enwe. But for the fact that Enwe occupied the land before they settled here, there was no reason for the divinity attributed to Enwe.
He also remembered how they jeered at him each time he went out to hunt, as if mocking his manliness or the lack thereof. There was nothing divine about Enwe. Gods don’t joke around as Enwe does, gods are regal and dignified, and there was nothing remotely regal or dignified about Enwe."
So with this reasoning, Nduka went out to hunt, this time he was hunting Enwe.
Nduka headed back home with a mixture of anticipation and fear; anticipation for the food, and fear of the outcome of his action. Despite his reasoned out decision, Nduka knew a taboo was a taboo.
He had been there when the case was decided, and he had agreed. He had gone against the law. Once again, reason spoke: there was no reason why they couldn’t or shouldn’t survive. There was nothing divine about Enwe.
Killing Enwe had needed no careful measure, as they were used to been left alone, and so Nduka didn’t need to use his spear. He simply slit the throat of one of the closest jeerers and the rest watched in apparent wonder as their comrade struggled as life left it.
The moment Azuka saw Nduka with the dead monkey she regained her strength and set the fire. Soon the aroma of roasted monkey filled the mud kitchen and Nduka could swear it was the most delicious thing he had ever smelt.
As they ate greedily, Nduka forgot about the possible consequences of eating Enwe, and Azuka didn’t care as she was satisfied. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this full with food.
The wafting aroma of food had drawn some of the villagers and they made their presence known. They wanted to know what Nduka had killed and if they could share.
As they stepped into the kitchen, the unmistakable roasted carcass of Enwe was there for all to see, and the gasp was unianimous.
“What have you done?” one of them asked Nduka with fear filled eyes.
“You have placed a curse on us!” another exclaimed.
Nduka shook his head at their ignorance and reminded them that they were still alive, and nothing would happen. He repeated that there was nothing divine about Enwe.
The hungry crowd slowly dispersed, now filled with both hunger and fear.
The roasted monkey lasted for three days, and for three days, the villagers watched to see what would become of Nduka and his wife.
Nothing happened. Within the three days the meat remained, nothing happened.
Early on the fourth day, Azuka woke up with a funny feeling that all was not well.
She was right.
By her side, Nduka lay dead, with all his fingers and toes eaten off, and a slit to his throat.
There was no drop of blood. Not one.
Her scream woke many of the villagers, but since she and her husband had been excommunicated, no one came to see what was happening, even though many felt curious so strongly it almost killed them.
After the initial shock, Azuka quickly took some of her things, and began the journey to her own village. There was no reason she should remain here.
Covering the body of what was left of her husband, she closed the entrance of the hut as tight as possible, because she knew it would serve as his grave.
She got to her clan two days later, and by then she was in labor pains.
She gave birth to a boy, and life left her body the same instant the child left her body.
Her death was not noticed for a while because all eyes of the birthing women were on the baby.
The baby came out bloodless.
He had no fingers or toes.
There was a slit to his throat.
Visiting the iniquities of the fathers…
Enwe visited… or did he?
Believe what you will.
Djoi Writes
