PART 36

Eventually I joined in . I intended to do this a while just so that I could get back on time to speak with the new rector.


The village dweller at the other end had finished with the blazing heaps. For this reason we concentrated on our own portion of the acre. When we first started, you know, farming wasn't exactly what we anticipated, we thought it was all sweat, blisters and hard work. But we discovered that it was the love of nature; the way God intended it, that drove certain persons to take, farming seriously. By the word ''we,'' I am speaking for myself, Nadia and a few others. and by the words ''certain persons'' I was referring to the village dwellers.

Part 35

I sat on a tree stump next to her.

''So what happened at the convention?''

''I wasn't around as well, I was supposed to spend this christmas with my Dad but he eventually let go''.

By this time the sun had gone down not in it 's setting but it's intensity: a large cloud was in the way. In the exterior of the field, I could make a village dweller trying to start a fire to destroy the dried up weed gathered in heaps, ten metres apart each.

He had a match stick: one of the items we provide for them when we are out and about on welfare outreach. He struck it twice before it lit up, and in his stooping position leaned forward to light a part of the heap.

He would do this heap after heap until the last one, before I would look away.

PART 34

I was on my way, I was well without the premises of the Academy, on the way to the village nearby. It was the end of the year and it was farming season I saw Nadia not too far from the part of land I too used to till.

She had on a skinny pair of jeans that had been cut at the knees, a white tee shirt and a straw hat. And she was not alone, there were a few others: village dwellers with her.

''Hey Bewin'', she says,'' when did you get back?''

The villagers smiled when they saw me. I was familiar with quite a number of them.

''I arrived only just yesterday,'' I said.

''You are late again'', she said.

''My boss halted payments for a week: revenue return problems.''

She stood up holding the tool she had been using to till the land.

''How did it go, then?'' she asks.

''How did what go?,'' I feigned ignorance.

''Come on Bewin, did you pay back your mum?''

I had little time to discuss it with her, you know her, she would have nothing of it''.

''Look,'' I added ''I don't expect I would be around this weekend and the monday next, when I get back to her, I would convince her to take it.''

PART 33

I did not know Father Pietersen very well. I had only just met him. And though I wasn't about to find out, I asked anyway.

''Where has he gone, sir ?''

''Don't you worry, he has gone on sabbatical somewhere.''

I had my head down, deep in thought as I continued my search for Nadia. The meeting had caused a turn of events such that I did not expect I would be staying at the Academy afterall; this xmas season. Somehow I may be able to return for the rest of the season having informed my boss back in the city of the results of his request.

PART 32

Then I met him. I mean Revrend Pietersen; half way between the administrative building and the gates to the Academy.

''Hello you must be one of us.''

''Yes I school here.''

He introduced himself, I told him my name.

''I am the new rector here,'' he says,'' Father Aiken has gone.


That was about a month ago he added. It occurred to me that he meant that Father Aiken left just at the end of the christian convention, usually held by the Academy mid- november, just before students intending to travel home for the end of year festivities, vacate the premises.

What must have happened here? I question this, because Father Aiken I know was a very popular man even with the international christian community. Because of him, the Unction of the Spirit Christian Academy is known to be a very reputable institution across west Africa.

PART 31

My intentions was, come morning, I would head straight for the rector's office to talk with him. Father Aiken have always been my friend. He took very kindly to me the first time I met him and I have always reciprocated his kindness with rapt attention and similar understanding.

But I decided instead to set out in search of Nadia, recalling that we both had a fall out the last time we were together. On my way to the likely places I knew I could find Nadia I saw a strange Object that seemed half way buried into the ground. When I approached it I discovered it was a ''dried out'' plant that looked like a tree 2 feet high. But it's roots showed that it actually wasn't a plant, ''strange'', I thought, the student in charge must be away already.

PART 30

Bewin Smith narratting:
The following morning, after having collected my wages the previous day I set out on my journey to the academy. I did not arrive at the academy until late in the evening this was soley because the vehicle in which I travelled had some trouble with it's engine.

The taxi which ''ferried'' me directly to the gates of the academy was driven by a young man who was boisterious in the way he handled it. He drove on high speed even though the road wasn't tarred. I eventually got to my room on the hour of 8. The first thing I did was snack on the meal my mum made for me: leaf soup and yam. 8.30pm, I was fast asleep.

Of course I usually dream when I fall asleep out of fatigue. some times I recall my dreams sometimes I don't. This time I forgot.

PART 29

The director had what one could safely call a convenient problem. Convenient one should say, to Bewin and not to him. I mean if any problem could endear anyone to his boss, I guess one can safely call it a convenient one.

At least that was the basics of the philosophy behind Bewin's thought or reckoning.

The director wanted to meet with someone whom he considered a very important person; important not only to issues for which he wanted Bewin's help, but also to those persons who had made the recommendation to him. The recommendation being the person of the rector of the Christian Academy - Father Joshua Aiken.

Bewin was promptly mandated to arrange a meeting between the rector and his boss....the details of the reason for this meeting, he was made unaware of thereof.

But you all should be able to guess what that meant in the very least - someone would be getting paid soon; if only to fare the journey back to the Academy.

And knowing the geniality of the director, paying the fare of the trip to the Academy would be as good as paying one's wages. Or perhaps it simply would be paying one's wages; bonus and all.

PART 28

At exactly 11:46 am the firm's director sent word that he should assemble in his office. What for - one could hazard any guess save for the possibility that the director wanted him paid off. He wasn't about to let his hopes be raised up and then sourly shattered again.

Inside the office of the firm's director he felt the ease and genial attitude of the director as he introduced him to the issues for which he wanted his audience and contribution.

The long and short of it was that the director wanted to conduct certain inquiries about what he believed and what was rumoured about Bewin's ongoing relation with the Christian Academy - in and outside the city.

PART 27

So you could imagine his chagrin when the firm's director, directed that no one person should be paid - just yet. And that was about a week before the aforementioned morning.

On that said morning, Bewin was already in his cubicle in the firm, three hours before noon, swotting over spreadsheets and figures. He had the simple task of cross - checking figures and editing spreadsheets. It was a simple task but he was no near disillusioned: that it wasn't an important task or that it wasn't an arduous one. One wrong turn of the pen could have the firm talking out of the wrong end of it's mouth

PART 26

By any standard, you could say the building, his office was located was a highrise. A skyscraper? Perhaps not, but a highrise of eight floors all the same.

The street on which the building was located was not your every day African venue littered with people, rubbish and that smell that can only be found in most African streets and marketplaces; the smell of perspiration.

The street in question, you could say was in a very highbrow-ish part of the city and not only was it highbrow, it also attracted the sort of fees that only the wealthy, in the beloved and most populous black nation of the world, could afford.

PART 25

The early morning sun on a different morning, was not hot enough to counter fully the effects of the morning dew and the cold morning humid wind that blew as in the north-east trade winds, blowing across the Sahara down the Niger Delta. Like earlier mentioned, it was the dry and hot season of the year. It's just that the time of day was not yet at that temperature and time when the sun blazes on at high noon.

Bewin Smith was at his wit's end, one should quickly say. He was supposed to have returned, some days ago, to the Unction of the Spirit Christian Academy and resume participation in academic activities. But his boss had refused to pay him off. And he was at a loss about what to do for money, especially now that end of year festivities demanded extra expenditure.

PART 24

Seeing that the upperhand in the situation belonged to him, the rector made to gently apply a superior injunction to the effect that though the Academy would not stop organizing church activities on the village grounds, they would not attempt to do the same on days the village may be having it's own festivities. At least to avoid discord of any sort that may arise out of having two different festivities on the same day, and in the same surroundings.

With this the meeting was brought to an abrupt end. The old man called Enowman could not help but feel, he had only succeeded in giving himself away. Now it looked like they were the ones who would need permission before they organize any celebrations or festivities in their own village.

PART 23

Quietly the four emissaries from Igunma village listened to the vote of trust from the rector and did not as much as speak until the head of the Academy seemed not to have anything more to say.

After the uneasy silence that followed the oration by the rector, the man called Enowman stood up to once more address him.

''It is the express desire of the royal kinship of Igunma village that your Academy should seek it's permission before participating in or organizing any crusades on the village's grounds.''

''At least....until the goddess sends word about a new oracle,'' he added.

This injuction about the goddess and a possible new oracle wasn't part of the message from the royal kinship of the village. That addition was an attempt at compromise by the old man from the Igunma village. Revrend Pieterson smiled, or more to the point, grinned. He knew none of the villagers could physically do anything to stop them from organizing any event on the village grounds, provided they had the consent of the state goverment. He could tell that the old man was willing to compromise.

That last response from him was a confirmation of what he had always suspected.

PART 22

Remarkably, as one would have otherwise anticipated, the red old dragon did not as much as cough or sneeze in response to the oracles the bearer had delivered. Instead he offered kola and refreshments as peace offerings. These the emissaries of Igunma village gently declined.

There was an unspoken battleline drawn and it seemed the four representatives of the Igunma village were in no mood for any entertainment or refreshments.

The red old dragon eventually cleared his throat to address them. It was the eldest one among them he chose to address himself to directly. As if he hadn't heard much of the accounts the oracle bearer and the one called Enowman had made, he proceeded to paint a brilliant picture of the relationship the Academy has had with it's neighbouring communities.

PART 21

But it wasn't him who spoke about the last oracle of the goddess of the Amenawon river. That recount was by a shrivelled-skinned short man who looked too fair in complexion to be from this village.


There is a person whom the oracle has pointed her divinity rod at. Who this person is, we do not know. What we know is that this person is from this school and is the full bearer of the catastrophe that is set to befall this village.

There is a season the oracle has pointed her divinity rod at. What season, we do not know. What we do know is that the season is nearer than we think. It may even be now, or it may be much later. We are not certain. What we are certain is that this season is for our own time.

There is a way, the oracle has pointed her divinity rod at. What way, we are not sure. What we can clearly say is that this way is not the way we have always known.

PART 20

The name of this one was Enowman; a highly respected member of one of the senior men's clan-group in the village. He was a titled man; a chief of the first class and a regular emissary of the royal family of Idunma village.

It was he who spoke up, when the secretary eventually ushered them into the rector's office. It was he who narrated some of what had been happening in and out of the village shrine and the village square the last year to date. It was he who recounted the mysterious deaths and omen that have been happening in the village since the Academy had decided to invade the village with it's crusades.

PART 19

What they whispered about, one could not easily tell, but guessing from their apparels which indicated they were from the nearby village, one could say they were talking about their surroundings which I must say is not anything like their own village's surroundings.

The four of them seemed almost reverent in the manner they refered to the things in the room, that they were not used to....as if by some twist of fate they were made witnesses of such holy, or more to the point: such modern surroundings.

The oldest one among them ensured that the others did not show too much ignorance by speaking loud enough to be heard by the discerning secretary at the other end of the room.

PART 18

The four persons were sitted on four of the six chairs available to visitors, huddled together and talking in whispers.

PART 17

The exact room, they were in was quite noiseless save for the clicking away of an old computer and the infrequent opening and shutting of the room's two doors. The air in room was stale and stuffy. The air-conditioner had been switched off to make way for the computer, which tends to glitch when the air-conditioner is on. The windows had been opened but it served little purpose, for such a crowded room.