DEATH IN BETWEEN
My world of discovery led me into travelling across the world.
One day I said to myself: let me go round the world; maybe I can see God to ask questions about life difficulties.
Little did I know that the journey was between life and death.
Then, I wash my ship and the journey began.
In between the waves of the sea and the waters; lies my life and the fear of death encompassed my heart.
Travelling across the sea, hearing nothing but terrible deadly voices of the sea wave.
Each time I relief myself of fear, suddenly, Shark from the deep sea hit tail on the water harder;
and my head got swollen and more fearful I became.
The journey continue anyway. I sailed all days and nights.
Hay : the Eagle bird whispered
Looking at the sky from the window of my ship to wave hand at the eagle bird, my ship changed direction.
I shouted oh! what do I do now?
Suddenly, I saw raffia palm and coconut trees
The Eagle bird whispered harder again; hay! Hay!! Hay!!!
I replied in braveness voice but with fearful eyes, what did you say?
Then the Eagle bird flew towards the coconut trees.
I shouted, Yes!
Quickly I remembered
My father once told me in one of his new moon stories that voice of birds in the forest shows hunters their way
As I followed the Eagle, suddenly my ship sail to the land where the coconut trees are.
It seems getting dark no sign of light , I pick up my touch light from the ship and put one foot on the ground like a dove; watching and turning my neck around to see through the dark.
As I approach the coconut trees, I saw a face of man, hiding behind ant hill spying at me.
I shouted ; anybody here?
Then, a man start moving towards me, my feet skip steps, my eyes pretending to close, my heart shaking as if is boiling.
The man asked me with monster voice; what is my name?
My name is Abbey,
I ask him back with scaring voice; what is your name sir ?
Duda, he shouted in an unfriendly manner
Duda sir, what are you doing here alone?
Duda: I guide the entrance gate of our primitive planet.
Did I hear you say primitive planet?
Duda yes, a planet where only nude people lives
Then, I turned and said to my ship goodbye.
The journey with Duda takes hours to enter the town.
I lost completely everything about where am coming from.
Natives of the town were completely nude,
short in seizes, with long hairs and serpent kind of eyes.
Communication is by body signs, everyone look at me and smiling with nose
Fear of death increased in me and my breath was between my head and legs.
Duda came and said to me today make it seven days your visit to our planet
Get ready for welcome dance of nude natives.
Behold, three nude women were presented to me as kola nut offering, this is temptation I said to myself, because I like women.
I pray silently with my heart, Oh God let this temptation pass over me.
I was like a dead man in the midst of the living.
Duda palmed my back and said get set for the nude dance; you must dace naked.
The market square was set for my naked dance..
I looked in between my legs, my manhood is longer than everyone my eyes could see around.
Shame slaps my face but, I just have to cooperate anyway.
As days and years went by, I started to treat the sick among the natives with little drugs I travelled with.
I was highly celebrated, yet my thoughts of returning home was kept focused.
I became like a god in their midst. Everyone want to stay with me all days and all night
Looking at my age, everyone around me looks younger, then,
I asked Duda, why there is no old people?
Duda replied, people don’t get older more than 30 years here. I am already in my 50s
I said to him.
Duda: it’s a taboo to live longer, it has been like that for ages.
I say to myself, I had better return, one year with them is like a thousand years
One day in their midst is like one year, I wanted to sneak out but my heart said, don’t.
The fear of been killed by unknown forces resonance rapidly in me.
Day and night the voice of returning kept talking to me.
The natives never travel out of the place,
I noticed that I was the only stranger in the town for the years I have stayed
The Natives wanted me to stay permanently and become a king over them.
My height and body muscles skin, was to them as security and symbol of god only.
But to live nude like them for the rest of my life is hard decision to make
One day, I said to the people it’s important that I travel for more drugs from my world.
I am running out of drugs to treat the sick, having spent seven years.
Surprise! I was granted permission to travel and return to be crown as king of nude planet.
Hmmm, new hope of life came back to me and the journey to return get set.
Screaming and stretching my body, I shouted aloud: Life in the primitive planet was between life and death.
My eyes opened.
It was dream.
Written by Omojevwe Emmanuel.