NNEKA
Verse 1:
Of all that came into this Universe, none was as phenomenal as Ojadili, the son of the Thunderer. He was the most magnificent of all mortal gods. Born by a mortal, he came in a corrigible nature.
Verse 2:
Nneka, for that was the name of his mother, was a vain woman who did not want to marry a mortal. She flirted with other gods but when she met the Thunderer, she thought her dreams had come true. Unknown to her, the gods are bitter lovers. The wind of their affection never blew steadily for long.
Verse 3:
Her affair with the Thunderer ended as sudden as it started, leaving the young lady heartbroken, and a baby was also inside her. All her lover, the Thunderer, could give her was this promise: The baby you have inside you shares equality with the gods, He will bring to mortals a mysterious blessing
Until the end of time, generation would talk about him.
No other human would be like him.
Verse 4:
The Thunderer returned to the sky and Nneka, to her people. But humans did not believe Nneka. They attacked and beat her up, the wayward girl. She expected the Thunderer to come to her rescue, but no lightning nor thunderbolt came from above. An outcast, she became, and was chased into the wild.
Verse 5:
But animals proved to be kinder than humans. The python did not leave the woman’s side. With the python as her company, she walked deeper into the wild. The evil ancestor spirits plotted to destroy the unborn and sent a river.
Verse 6:
The python spread itself across the river and Nneka stayed on its body. This lasted for days. From that day, she gave the python a new name. She called her ‘Idemili m’ – the pillar that protected me on waters. The python cared for the pregnant woman and the unborn child until the day a son was born. Nneka named the place Idemili, after the kind python. (The place is still known as Idemili till this day).
Verse 7:
The day the boy was born, the Sun lost its heat and the stars appeared in the middle of the day. A lot of strange things happened and even the hen crowed. But the little boy did not cry.
Verse 8:
His skin was as brown as the bark of a tree, his eyes were widely opened and he gnashed his gums as if he came into the world with a full set of dentition. He continued until Dibia – a traditional priest – walked into the place he was born.
Verse 9:
In those days, Dibia, being the messenger of the gods, do not leave their shrines no matter what. But that day was not ordinary. The gods sent the python to inform him (Dibia) of the birth of the half immortal.
Verse 10:
Dibia left all he was doing and followed the python to the place the baby was born. With him was a multitude that believed that the child was evil.
Verse 11:
Sighting the Dibia, Nneka, the mother, did not move an inch. She stood face to face with the Dibia and said to him: The only way to my son is through me. And while I live, no hand – be it mortal or god – will touch him.
Verse 12:
That was the first time a woman has ever spoken harshly to Dibia and people that heard her marvelled.
Verse 13:
‘Woman, do you know who you are talking to,’ Dibia barked. But Nneka did not move, she stood her ground. Facing the intruders, she spread her hands and was ready to die for her little boy.
Verse 14:
When the Dibia found out that the woman was willing to give her life for her son’s, he said to her: ‘You are a strong woman and I have a message from the gods. This son of yours is special. He was sent by the gods to protect the Universe. No god of the Universe, or man on earth, or beast in the waters, or the spirits in the air will ever win him in a fight. He is the begotten of the Thunderer. Raise him well, and know that he is a gift from the gods.’
Verse 15:
Eze Dibia turned to go but Nneka called him back. ‘The holy one,’ she said. ‘The Child has not cried since he joined us on earth, and he gnashes his gum. Please, do you have a solution?’
Verse 16:
Dibia brought out a wooden Oja – the local flute from his bag. He blew a song and the baby, with a wide grin on his face, started moving his body to the sound of the music. ‘This is his talisman,’ Eze Dibia announced. ‘You shall call his name Ojadili.’
Nneka kept all these in her heart.
shared by @archangelhero