My small village occupy 200sqmtrs north of the river Sambasa. We’re a individuals of warriors and comparatively farmers.

Lots of my individuals raised pigs,cows and rams.

Others simply produce grains and cocoa to sale to the white foreigners.

The yr was October of 1943.

This was the yr our individuals have been hit by locusts and nice famine had struck us so arduous that meals and water grew to become scares.

Each man grew to become his personal shadow and belief was misplaced among the many individuals.

The previous have been getting sicke and the kids died of malnutrition.

Those that may afford meals did not enable a cup of grain depart their properties or fall within the soil.

The neighbouring villages did not need to assist both. It was all man for himself.

As naive because the individuals have been,they gave lots of such native gadgets which was their id to the foreigners for petty glasses.

The promise for higher life in distant Europe was within the offing.

Some gave out their kids and slaves to the foreigners hoping for a stake on their desk.

THE ISOKA TUSK

The ‘ISOKA’, an elephant Tusk handed over to the individuals a few years in the past by the best warrior, Agumba.

Agumba had retrieved the Tusk from the enemy territory after the combat that ensued on the border of the 2 villages a few years in the past.

The Tusk, an historical deity created by Takam, the goddess of AIR and LIFE.

Nobody dare to make a caricature of ISOKA with out dealing with the wrath of Takem.

She was lethal and her sting, nobody survived.

The Tusk had grow to be the recourse of the individuals towards intruders and the awakening of a foul omen.

It was solely the Sorceress Gandum,who blew the Tuks when the time arose.

She, like her grasp, did not bluff for the enjoyable of it.Their curse was generational and it got here to go.

Gandum had curse a person to die within the arms of mad swines for the person had known as her ‘an previous hag.’

Three days after,the person died within the arms of mad swines earlier than his spouse and Three kids. Gandum will go to the hill prime in the course of the full moon and sound the Tusk till it will get to the ears of each the residing and the lifeless.

In her little hut lay the Tusk guarded by two pythons whose eyes have been shot with Blood.

Their Venom is alleged to have been poisoned by the seven witches of the seven rivers throughout the seven partitions of the lifeless lands.

It’s stated the Tusk had the blood of the seven witches that rule the seven continents of the world. No man born of girl or the spirit dare pay money for it,if the goddess doesn’t allow it.

Famine had ended and the locusts have been gone.

The return of peace and stability gave the individuals overwhelming pleasure.

The locals went again to residing their regular and peaceable lives.

Those that produced grains had an exquisite harvest that yr.

Meals was in extra.Nobody lacked and nobody begged both.

The individuals believed the sound of the ISOKA had introduced solace to them, little did they know that the worst was but to come back.

 THE LOST HERITAGE.

Panic had set sail and the pregnant cloud had manifested itself on the face of the earth.

Darkness stood amongst the residing.

The widespread man dare not communicate of the carnage that may stumble upon the individuals.

The spirits of the lifeless have been awaken.

The seven spirits had risen from the good past.

The ISOKA was gone. The babes ear should not hear of this.

Historical past should not elude the individuals.

At night time the Spirits rounded the villages making incantations as they beckon the ISOKA to point out its face.

Three days after,the primary born of every residence started to die .

Tears and wailing continued.

No man was let free.

The Sorceress had pronounced extra calamity upon the individuals.

If sanity should come again,The Isoka should return.

No man got here out to assert accountability for the misplaced Heritage.

Extra calamity descended upon the individuals and anarchy was let unfastened.

Extra deaths and anguish fell on the village.

Information of the Isoka within the arms of the Foreigners acquired to the individuals and the extra concern had grip everyman.

All grew to become suspicious of one other.

 ” In ten days time,nice ache will go to this land like has by no means occurred earlier than.The Tusk should return”. Gandum in her thunderous voice had warned.

 The individuals lived in concern because the watch for the return of the Tusk and the wrath that awaited them was shut.

Three days have handed and no information of the Tusk.

At night time the frogs and creeping issues have been awake to torment the individuals with their grotesque noise. Sleep grew to become a no good friend to anybody.

The day of the Annual ritual of the individuals towards dangerous luck and dangerous harvest was prepared. This ritual doesn’t maintain with out the Tusk. The blood of an toddler little one is sprinkled on the tip of the Tusk for the ritual to be efficient.

The seven witches of the seven river will drink from the blood of an toddler little one whose throat is slit in a calabash set on hearth to finish the ritual.

This ritual was carried out at night time when all issues born of a lady has gone to sleep.

That night time was totally different.

The faces of the seven witches regarded pale.

Their eyes have been pink as blood.

Gandum the sorceress was stressed.

Because the custodian of the traditional Tusk,she knew she has failed.

” If the bats fly at night time,it does so not for the enjoyable darkness brings it. It’s for the supremacy on her wings. She just like the Eagle,should not simply birds,they’re totally different from different birds.”

It was Soree the one known as the ‘evil eyes’ that spoke.

She is blind however sees even the ideas of man.

She causes the dying of the younger and the unlucky ones.

The unlucky ones have been these Born with deformity, both by beginning or after beginning.

She was the fearsome and oldest of the seven. Many consider she does not sleep just like the others,however flies at night time attempting to find recent blood.

She ate up blood to increase her life span.

“Sanctity of the traditional coven has been breached by a bit creature born of a lady.The sins of the daddy shall wipe away the era that fashioned him.

The atrocity performed by him shall proceed within the after life.His family shall by no means reside greater than twenty years.”

She thrust the small dagger in her hand into the soil and spat on it.

The six witches with the six lit black candles,started to hum in unusual tone.

In circles they continued to stroll and cease momentarily to whisper in unison.

The raven started to collect in massive numbers.

White smoke had engulfed the place of formality. Atemkulu the ‘owl’ was seated on the Iroko three just like the king of birds.

Then they knelt and commenced to chop their palms with knife.As blood gushed out of their flesh,the ravens made louder sounds.

Then darkness coated the land.