Amadi then went to the house of the oldest man in their village and informed him about his visit to the Ebem shrine.
He got to the dreaded Ebem shrine. The area was secluded with scantly woven palm fronds which were already drying up.
The huge tree had pieces of red and white cloth tied around it with dark blood stains on the trunk. The floor was littered with dried leaves from the unaging iroko tree. The atmosphere was filled with stench from decaying dead animals on the foot of the tree.
Amadi removed his footwear and brought out the three pieces of kola nuts from his breast pocket. He was holding the co.ck on his left hand. He gently bowed his head and walked into the shrine.
With the items in his hands, he faced the huge iroko tree. In no time, tears started dropping from his eyes.
He introduced himself to the deity and went ahead to state his problem.
"The great Ebem deity, the god of my fathers, have mercy on me. I have suffered too much. Preserve my child. I don't want him to die. I put him under your custody, don't allow him to be taken away from me. I'm dying without a child to call my own."
"I bring you this sacrifice and promise you this day that if you preserve my child I will offer you this sacrifice twice every year."
He kept the kola nuts on the ground, still holding the co.ck, he used his right hand and wrenched its head until it was separated from its body. It crowed until life was sniffed out of it.
Blood gushed from the co.ck's throat, Amadi touched it with his right thumb and smeared it on his forehead. He then picked one piece of kola nut he dropped on the floor and cut a little. He chewed and swallowed it. He threw the other part to the ground.
He then wiped his tears and moved outside the shrine. He put on his footwear and left for his house.
When he got back to his house, his wife came out greeted him and went back to her hut. She only hoped there would be a change after her husband's expedition.
She doesn't like where her husband went to but she had no choice.
They didn't inform any person about the shrine visit.
That day was the third day of the baby's birth. In the evening, the couple were nervous and couldn't sleep throughout the night till morning because they were checking on the child.
But till morning he was still alive.
In the evening of that same day, the child was still hale and hearty. They were still tensed.
The child was still alive after 6 days of birth.
It was obvious that the deity of Ebem shrine had answered their prayers. Amadi was overjoyed. He asked his wife to prepare pounded yam and egusi soup, he went to their market square and bought a keg of palm wine.
He called his neighbours and they all ate, drank and made merry.
He has never been so excited all his life.
TO BE CONTINUED
I am Ayogu Oluchi Eze
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