“ARUSI MBE”

In the village of Aguulu, in the eastern part of Nigeria,lived a people who lived by tradition and culture, governed by the gods and ancestors alone , a community of rich and diverse culture, indigenes blessed with magical and fetish powers, some use there skills positively while some oppress and possess people.

The “Arusi mbe” the most strongest and prestigious god in aguulu, known as a god of peace and harmony , it ruled over other daietes. It required a blood sacrifice every 6months to keep its potency. The “Arusi mbe” was symbolic and it was represented by the animal “CROCODILE”.

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The town was a riverine area and so was surrounded by a large lake simply known as aguulu lake, it’s waters where infested with giant man eating crocodile’s

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, the reptiles where believed to be a live connection with “Arusi mbe “ and the ancestors, they were offered human and blood sacrifices every six months as a price to appease the gods and to maintain peace and harmony.

The worship of this strange god was weird indeed, a chief priest for the diety was selected every 60 years and it was the work of the chief priest to perform sacrifices, make consultations and pass the massage of the gods to the people. It was also compulsory for every family in the village to fetch and bath from the lake every eke market day in other to wash off their sins and impurities, disobedience of this instruction had grievous repercussions.
The ritual was coordinated every morning by the chief priest who stands and observes every family that comes to the lake, he counts and makes sure every family observes this ritual.

The entrance to Aguulu lake and the shrine of “Arusi mbe “ was a magnificent sight to behold. the entrance covered with naturally growing bamboo trees and giant oak trees, The only safe entrance to the shrine was located at the top of a hill, villagers had to construct a mud stairway down to the bottom of the hill, at the bottom of the stairs the visible part of the lake not covered with trees where divided into three sections, the first at the left side was the part where villagers could fetch their drinking water, the middle part, separated from the first by a large oak tree was the section that housed the shrine of “Arusi mbe “ . a dead male crocodile sat at the foot of the large oak tree, the trees wrapped in blood stained white fabric and the skull of victims of the annual blood sacrifice to the gods, it could only be accessed by a small bridge built by the villagers cutting through the waters. The third section was the recreational section, where children could play, swim and have fun. Although the crocodiles came out during the day time to bask under the sunlight, the villagers believed they could not be harmed by them and it was so, as they had never recorded any case of a crocodile attack.

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12 midnight
Aguulu town.
(The day of the selection ritual)

The villagers gathered at the entrance of the lake, both young and old every member of every household as no one was exempted from the selection, all dressed in white , symbolizing peace and purity, they waited for the chief priest who was to lead them down the hill and to the shrine.

He emerged from his hut 30minutes into the hour, in his prestigious ceremonial outfit, looking like a voodoo prince he wore a large red robe that covered his whole body except his legs, a crown made of crocodile skin and a necklace, laced with the teeth’s of a male crocodile he also wielded a white staff which also signifies peace and purity.

He got to the beginning of the staircase, bringing out a white substance from his robe, he wrote some words on the ground, he then mumbled some incantations to himself and gestured for them to follow him down the stairs, the walls around the stairway was lighted up by wooden fire torches.
When they got to the bottom of the hill, the chief priest made his way to the small bridge that led to the big oak tree at the middle of the lake, he lighted a torch and kept it at the foot of the tree.
Then he went on his knees and made loud incantations, praising the gods and calling them glorified names, thunder and lightening struck at the top of the giant oak tree, shaking the ground and causing fear around the villagers who gathered at the mouth of the lake.

The ritual involved all the villagers, the blood of all the villagers where collected by the chief priest in a mud pot, he slashed the hands of all the villagers with a bronze knife, he then stood at the mouth of the lake, with the pot in his hands, he cuts his own hand and adds his own blood to the pot. He then proceeds to push the pot so it floats into the lake.

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There was absolute silence, no one dared to speak, only the voice of the chief priest could be heard as he mumbled incantations to himself,
It almost felt as if nothing was going to happen, then they heard strange sounds coming from the lake, two giant crocs swam out and stood opposite the chief priest, they open and slammed their giant and outrageous jaws making horrifying sounds, accompanied by taunting lightning and thunder , the ritual had just begun!.

The villagers shook in fear, but the chief priest seemed not to be scared at all, he just gave the crocs a bow and crossed the bridge towards the shrine, the villagers knew the drill , each one of them where to walk up to the pair of crocodiles at the mouth of the lake and kneel, if the crocs snap both their jaws at the same time that meant the particular villager had been chosen for the sacrifice, and would be fed to them in a weeks time.
The chief priest returned to the mouth of the lake, standing beside the crocodiles he motioned for the villagers to approach one by one.
The first person, a first son of a prestigious family stepped up and the crocs did not make a sound there was obvious joy among his family among the crowd.

Five families had already stood in front of the crocodiles but no one had been chosen yet. Then a young boy from the seventh and not so prestigious family stepped up, he walked up and stood at the said spot of judgement.
Suddenly they where loud lightening and thunder strikes in the heavens , the environment seemed to be at an unrest , the ground shook and the villagers shouted and screamed in fear, even the chief priest was affected as he also fell to his knees, the crocs immediately swam back into the water without slamming their jaws, seconds later calm returned and their was CONFUSION..

The gods had rejected their sacrifice and had not recognized any one of a pure soul who was worthy to be used for the sacrifice, asking themselves what would have gone wrong and contemplating their new fate they all stood confused and horrified.

Unknown to the villagers,the young boy was the son of the god “amadioha” who was the fierce rival of “Arusi mbe”. The rivalry started a long time ago, long before Aguulu became a place of living.
Amadioha sent his son as a human in order to challenge Arusi mbe, he wanted to establish himself as the most powerful god and in order for that to happen he had to challenge Arusi mbe and the only way that could happen was by stopping the sacrifice through his only son.

The earth trembled, heavy winds strong enough to send a full grown man flying came from nowhere, the night was bitter....... ARUSI MBE IS HERE!!!!!!!!! a woman screamed on top of her voice, all hell was let loose ,mothers abandoned their children, fathers took to their heels everyone ran away from the fear of seeing “Arusi mbe “
From the deep waters, Arusi mbe in all his glory emerged like a dead man that was raised from the dead.

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“HOW DARE AMADIOHA STOP MY SACRIFICE”!!!!!!!!!!! Arusi mbe thundered with a voice that could deafen a man... in the blink of an eye, he struck down amadioha’s son who fell instantly. The earth trembled again, the sky darkened even more making it impossible to see....
The earth opened up and amadioha emerged, eyes red like blood and temper enough to boil a raw yam..... “TODAY, THIS RIVALRY ENDS”!!!!!
Amadioha thundered.

What will be the fate of the world now, will the people of aguulu survive this unexpected battle between two gods, there is a popular saying that ‘when two elephants engage in a battle the grass suffered the consequences ‘ surely the people of aguulu will survive the battle or will there be another unexpected twist to this epic tale.

THE END.

TO BE CONTINUED

OPEN A DOOR IN YOUR IMAGINATION AND I WILL WALK THROUGH IT @ezego