Throwing Stones

Kolawole whistled as he wandered through the bush. He was far from home, but it didn’t feel so. He was thankful that Segun had brought up the option of him going back home with him as they prepared for his elder sister’s marriage ceremony. He had one more semester to go. His parents thought he was in school, but he needed a time off, as he knew that once he was done with school and went back home, the pressure to achieve everything will be on him. He sometimes wished he was not an only son.

His father had planned his whole life for him, choosing his school, choosing his course of study, choosing everything. He needed a break, and it didn’t help that his father was a popular wealthy man, his surname alone opened doors for him. He had to break away and chart his own way through life.

He heard a sound behind him, and turned with a smile on his, expecting to see Segun. The blow to his head was the last thing he expected. The force of the blow, coupled with the shock, took him to the ground where the root of a big tree added to the pain he felt. As he slipped into darkness, he knew he was not going to survive the ordeal, and he could only wonder how his parents will learn about his death as he was far from home. The incantations of the executioner lulled him into unconsciousness.

Source

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Chief Badmus ended the call from Mbachu and smiled, another successful year laid ahead, and he could now relax. He placed a call to his eldest daughter, confirming his journey into the United States. Just as he was ending the call, his wife came in.

‘I don’t know why I can’t get through to Kola. I have been trying his number since yesterday. It rang all through the day and he refused to pick up’

‘I’m sure he is. This is his final year in the university and you know how he gets when he is busy. Every other thing becomes a distraction’ Chief said, trying to calm her down, she suffered from high blood pressure and he avoided her getting worried as much as possible.

‘You are right, he obviously took your determination to succeed. Was that Atinuke you were talking to just now?’
‘Yes. I was confirming my journey. You know she has been asking me to come over for medical checkup. I kept refusing, but I think it’s time I went.’

‘I thought you always claimed you are as strong as a horse. Well, when do you plan to go?’

“After the ritual is completed” he said to himself, and to his wife he said ‘Maybe in three weeks’ time’

‘Okay. I will need to prepare some things you will give to her’

‘Yes Madam’ Chief Badmus joked.

Chief travelled for “business” and went for the seven day cleansing, where his life span was extended by 12 months. He felt more confident and went back home. But something kept bothering him, his son Kola has been quiet for too long, and he was beginning to become uneasy.

He travelled to America, returned and still there was no word from Kola. He decided to go to his school. The day before he travelled, he got a call from Kola. He was so surprised, he didn’t pick immediately and by the time he moved to pick, it ended. It rang again, and he quickly picked

‘Hello Kola, what happened to your phone? You made me and your mother worried. Hello!’
‘Hello Sir, good afternoon Sir. This is not Kola, this is his friend Segun…’

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Chief had never questioned about the heads used for the sacrifices, but he knew he had to know where they got the most recent sacrificial head. The story about Kola’s death and the event of his cleansing were too close together not to cause him to question what he was thinking. He had to make the call and for the first time asked Mbachu ‘Where did you get the head from?’

‘Chief that is our job. We make sure it is done secretly, and far away from here’ Mbachu answered, sounding proud.

‘Where did you get it?’ Chief almost shouted

As a surprised Mbachu explained, Chief Badmus felt himself die within. He has used his son’s life to prolong his. He had killed a bright future for 12 months of a dying life. He felt himself grow numb. It was the beginning of the end of his life.

He spent the next 12 months in a pain worse than the poverty that drove him to join the cult.
How could he have known his son was not in school? He had always told Mbachu to go far away and get the heads for him. He never thought his son will be a victim. All he ever worked for was for him, so he wouldn’t be poor, as he had been.

Looking at him cry, people thought he wept for his dead son, but he wept for many reasons, the guilt, the loss, the secrets, and the lesson he learnt the hard way, never to throw stones, because it might just hit one of your own, in his own case, his only son. He couldn’t forgive himself; the knowledge haunted him until his dying day.

He never renewed his life span. He was done throwing stones.