Act Of Faith - Episode 5

Act Of Faith.
Episode: Episode 5.
Title: Shocking

” So I was coming back from the local joint where I and my friends had gone to drink as usual, we drink virtually all night. Njoku was also with me that night and we were heading home together In our drunken state. It was when we got to the lonely path heading to the village market that I felt this urge to urinate, I diverted into the bush immediately while Njoku waited for me on the lonely path. I was still in the act of urinating when I heard Njoku begging for mercy. He was begging someone who I couldn’t see nor hear his voice, before i could come out from the bush, I met Njoku dead body, he had been murdered” Alvana said while I listened carefully so as to pick out any important detail. ” Did you see anyone?” I asked him after he completed his story which to me did not indicate if the killer was a human. ” No I didn’t” Alvana answered. ” Did you hear the voice of the killer?” I asked again while Alvana shook his head the Negative. ” Then what gave you the impression that it was a killer and not the gods?” I asked him. ” Although I haven’t had any encountered with the gods, but I dont think you have the chance to beg for mercy from them before being killed, I heard Njoku begging that night” Alvana said while I placed my hand on my jaw and looked at him critically. “Hmm, that is deep, but you see, he was drunk that night and maybe that was why he could see them or something like that” I whispered to myself. ” what is this mark on your hand?” He suddenly asked me taking a look at the small drawing on my left hand, precisely around my wrist, it was actually given to us in our training camp, with the Mark , you can identify any trained spy from our institute, note that the mark is only given to those who had completed their trainings successfully, the mark also help you identify the institute, it is drawn boldly on the big center building of our camp, anyone from the camp will recognize that mark, it is called the mark of Newriton” This is a birth mark” I lied while he stared suspiciously at me. ” I am an indigene of Atata, this birth mark doesn’t look like ours” he said again while I smiled. ” I am not an indigene of Atata ” I simply replied while he nodded. ” oh I thought you were” he said and got up from the bench. ” I will like to take my leave now, it had been a nice time with you” he said to me and I stood up to see him off as he carried his tubers of harvested Yam. ” Thanks again for this morning, its nice knowing you Alvana” I said as I patted his shoulder, I escorted him to the entrance of my compound before turning back. I went back to the bench as I reflected over what Alvana had said about Njoku’s death. ” Maybe had the chance to see the gods before dying” I said to myself as I stood up and went in. That was how I met Alvana and we got to become good friends.
• “The lord is good and his ways are good” I said a short prayer as I woke up the next morning, it had been a nice night and I had woken up hale and healthy this morning. I stood up from my thick iron bed and made to go out, the beeping of my phone stopped me. ” Hello, Gabi” The caller said, it was Morgana, my fellow spy, she is one of the few female spies who made it till the end. ” Hey Morgana, how is port Harcourt? ” I asked her happily, she stays in port Harcourt with her fiance. ” port Harcourt is fine o my boy , so you are enjoying at home now bah?” She asked . ” Yeah, I am. Morgana, I have warned you to stop calling me your boy” I said as I located my tooth brush. ” Oh , I forgot my boy, how is Atata, any news about that place?” She asked again. ” Atata is fine only that, dont worry, Atata is fine” I replied as I walked out to get a cup of water. ” Only that what? Gabi training days are over, you shouldn’t be hididng things from me” she said laughing. ” The problem is just that they are facing some kind of problems, like their gods are kind of punishing them” I said also laughing, I turned back to my room, I went to get a wrapper, the morning was cold. ” hmm all this gods of a thing, they just take pleasure in harming their people ” Morgana said while i smiled. ” Its just so terrible here, almost everyday now …” I noticed the call had been disconnected. ” poor girl, she doesn’t have airtime” I said to myself as I threw the phone to the bed and went out finally after tying my wrapper like the way most Men of Atata tie theirs.I met Morgana in Newriton( That’s the name of our institute) she was there before I came, like I came a Month after she was already in Newriton. Due to that singular fact of her being there before me, she placed herself over me, she do call herself my boss in the institute though there wasn’t any position or claim of seniority in Newriton, she just use it as a joke. I was just rounding up with brushing of my teeth when I sighted Alvana coming into the compound. ” Gabriel, good morning” He greeted me, he was holding a hoe and a cutlass, he was obviously heading to the farm. “Alvana my new friend, you must be so hardworking, so you have woken up this early to farm?” I asked laughing as I tied my wrapper well and fetched a cutlass. ” That’s how men are to be, little sleep and much work” he said as we headed out of the compound, he was going to the farm and I was heading to the stream to check my palm wine. ” I heard you lived in the village before heading to the city and coming back now, how true is that ?” He asked me as we walked a bit out of my father’s compound. ” You heard from who?” I asked him. ” News spreads like wild fire in the village bro” he simply said. ” Yes that’s true, i went to complete my studies in the city” I replied him. ” Oh, was that where you got this mark?” He asked me again bringing out my hands to reveal the small mark on my hand, the mark of Newriton.” Nope, I told you this is a birth mark” I said again confidently. ” Am just surprise what kind of birth mark comes to view after you went to the city, because the last time I checked, you weren’t having this mark when you left the village” he said smiling, I dropped my cutlass in shock as I stared again at Alvana.
A story by Gabriel Akilozi.