VISIONS FROM THE DARK WORLD
by
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Chapter Four — UNEXPECTED WEALTH
In the palace, Chief Idi’s physical body was in total anguish, completely conscious of what was taking place by the river. Absent of its life force, which was in the prawn, it could barely cope.
Owoetie placed the prawn and the fish inside the basin filled with water and took it to the shrine of Uwarawa in the forest also called Uwarawa.
Uwarawa already knew that Owoetie had caught the prawn, which contained Chief Idi’s soul.
As the fisherman arrived at the shrine, Uwarawa came outside. He was a short, elderly man with long gray hair.
He said to Owoetie, "I know that you caught Chief Idi. He was fully aware of the consequences of hiding his soul, and fate led him to select the prawn. Once the transfer was made, he was stuck. Ever since then, he has lived with the probability of being caught or eaten. Luckily for him, he was caught by you."
"I threatened to kill him but he made various promises regarding what he would do if I spared his life. I brought him here to undertake an oath confirming those promises."
"What are these promises?" Uwarawa asked.
"First, that he will decree that fishermen and farmers shall no longer be regarded as second rate citizens. Second, that they would no longer work without wages. Third, that I will take possession of all his cattle, sheep, goats, and palace and that I will become the Paramount Chief. And finally, that these promises are irreversible."
Looking directly at the prawn in the basin, Uwarawa asked, "Are these the promises you made? Do you agree to these terms?"
"Yes, I do."
"Because you have made these promises and agree to these terms, I will now administer an oath to seal these promises."
Uwarawa walked inside the shrine and within a minute came out with a knife and a live hen. With the knife in his right hand, he held up the hen by the neck with his left hand and declared, "Muki-amuga, during daytime you see through the sun. At night, you see through the moon. You are in the sea, land and sky. This oath is taken before you. It must be kept. Owoetie has promised not to kill Chief Idi. In return, Chief Idi shall decree that the fishermen and farmers shall no longer be regarded as second-rate citizens and shall no longer work without wages. Also, Owoetie shall take possession of all his cattle, sheep, goats and palace and become the Paramount Chief. This agreement is irreversible. It is now sealed with the blood of this hen."
Uwarawa slit the throat of the hen and blood splashed to the ground. He dropped the hen, which jerked for a few minutes then stopped.
"The oath is sealed with the blood and life of this hen. Take the prawn back to the river and set it free."
Owoetie took the basin containing the prawn and the fish back to the river.
"By my promise and our agreement, I set you free and exonerate myself from the wrath of Muki-amuga," Owoetie said as he poured the water with the prawn and fish into the river. He quickly walked home and narrated what had happened to his wife and two children. The news spread like a wild fire.
Everyone that heard was shocked. No one believed that the Paramount Chief would for any reason transfer his soul into a prawn. The general consensus was that chiefs transferred their souls into fierce animals. Most villagers believed that a chief would be transferred into a tiger or a lion though some thought an eagle because of its sharp vision, the ability to fly high in the sky and its habit of coming out at night. In the case of Chief Idi, they were wrong.
That evening, Chief Idi sent for Owoetie, and he came to the palace to visit with him.
"Thank you for saving my life. As we agreed in the presence of Uwarawa, all my cattle, sheep, goats and this palace now belong to you. Tomorrow, before I leave this place, I will issue a decree abolishing the caste system in our society. Fishermen and farmers shall no longer be treated with disdain. Anyone who works will be paid just wages. My life is what I desire."
Owoetie was pleased and expressed his acceptance, "Nine days ago, no one would have believed that such a big change would or could ever occur in our society. It is amazing to see one event bring about such change in one day. Today a man is poor and tomorrow he is rich. The rich become poor and the poor become rich in a twinkle of an eye."
"That is a fact of life, whether we want to believe it or not."
"We all learn from our mistakes."
"Oh yes, we learn from our mistakes. If I had to do it all over, I would definitely not choose a prawn— an eagle maybe."
They sat together, drinking palm wine and talking while Queen Agagga supervised three servants who were packing their personal effects into a cart outside so that Owoetie could move into the palace. Agreeably, Chief Idi and Queen Agagga did not show any sign of animosity toward Owoetie.
"I will now go home and come back in the morning," Owoetie said as he walked out of the palace, "Good night, Chief Idi."
"Good night."
Late into the night, the servants completed packing their personal items into the cart, except the wrappers they used for sleeping. They left behind all the furnishings of the palace— tables, chairs, ornaments, wooden beds and animal skins. This would be the last night in the palace for Chief Idi and his queen. They lay on the bed and thought about good times, and how he would no longer be the Paramount Chief and how he would now be ridiculed. He had lost his chieftaincy and would now become a laughing stock. It would be difficult for him to cope.
In the morning, Owoetie returned to take possession of the palace. Chief Idi and Queen Agagga waited for him. Several villagers also came along but waited outside while he entered the palace. Having heard that Owoetie would take possession of the palace, they did not believe it so they followed Owoetie to see for themselves. Chief Idi could hear the crowd outside.
"Welcome my friend. I knew that the people would come along with you. Let us go outside and address them."
They walked outside together. The villagers had all gathered in front of the palace.
Chief Idi began, "Today is a new day in our village. It is also a new day for me. From this day, fishermen and farmers shall no longer be treated with disdain. They will no longer work without being paid wages. All other chiefs have already been notified of my decision. This palace now belongs to Owoetie and he has become your Paramount Chief. Listen to him. All my cattle, sheep and goats also belong to him. An error in judgment placed me in this position. Through humility, I have learned."
Immediately after his speech, Chief Idi, Queen Agagga and their three servants walked to the cart and were carried away by four horses. The villagers had now heard the facts directly from Idi, and Owoetie took possession of the palace without dispute.
It soon followed that Owoet
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About the Book
Visions from the Dark World, is an illuminating excursion into the mysterious realms of spiritualism and voodoo.
This collection of related tales will transport you not only to another dimension, but to other dimensions, to witness the powers and behaviors of entities which inhabit these planes of existence not often spoken of outside the most guarded cabals of esoteric knowledge.
Follow Koko-Eyen as he searches for wisdom and justice beyond the material world. Find enlightenment as he witnesses how quickly knowledge of the dark side can lead to evil, and that power rarely results in good fortune. Reminiscent of certain fables and tales of ogres and goblins, this narrative ranges from the fantastic to the utterly gruesome. But there is always a lesson to be learned.
Inspired by the author’s own coming-of-age experiences in and around his home village of Ikot-Ana, Nigeria, this book will leave you eager to learn more about the cultural and spiritual rationalizations that have emerged from the fusion of modern-day Christianity with traditional African animism, and the persistent practice of voodoo.
About the Author
Phillip Koko Ijoma is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and CDI College of Business and Technology in British Columbia.
He is a Prince in the Ekpenyong-Ana family of Ikot-Ana, Umon clan in Cross River State, Nigeria and was formally an initiate of various African cultural/fraternal and secret organizations including Obon, Aka-ta and Abia-bu. He writes knowledgeably of the supernatural from his own experience and perception. He is currently living in New Westminster, British Columbia with his wife Anietie and sons: James and Michael.