The local champion 2
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Kevwe continued sweeping until the owners of the compound came home in the mid afternoon. They were an old couple living by themselves. Their children had all grown and left the village. The charm was their means of safeguarding their compound and properties.
When they saw Kevwe sweeping, they were not surprised. They already knew why the charm captured him. The black magic was designed to hypnotize people who came into the compound in their absence with evil intentions. They left him sweeping until they were ready to deal with him.
By then, Kevwe had become extremely tired, tired to the marrow. But he couldn’t stop sweeping. The charm made sure of that. From where he bent over sweeping, he called out to the couple asking for help. But they were not in a haste to offer him that.
Instead, the old man went and gathered some youth and members of the village vigilante. Kevwe’s parents were also sent for. Before long, a huge crowd had gathered in and around the compound. They watched in delight as the person inflicting terror on the community was being punished. Many jeered at him while others encouraged the couple not to release him.
Moments later, Kevwe’s parents arrived at the scene. Seeing their son in that shameful position, they were ashamed themselves. It is said that he whose relative is dancing awfully in the square scratches his eyebrows. Kevwe’s father was angered by the shame his son brought upon his family. He wanted to abandon him to face the consequences of his crimes alone, but his wife knelt and begged him. The love of a mother. When his anger subsided, he joined his wife in begging the couple for the release of their son.
After a long time of begging, by then, Kevwe could barely stand, the old man gave the condition for his release. He gave a list of items to be provided. He also demanded that Kevwe must confess to all the crimes he had committed in the village. Ultimately, he demanded that upon his release, Kevwe must leave the village within the next three days and would only return once in a while to visit his parents.
He stressed that failing to adhere to that could mean more danger for him. Kevwe’s parents hastily agreed to the demands and ran around to provide the items demanded. While they were at it, Kevwe confessed his sins.
He confessed to how he stole and sold people’s livestock and farm products. He confessed to how he sexually harassed young girls and how he groped them. He confessed to how he peeped at women taking their baths and many more. Ultimately, he confessed to what brought him into the compound.
While he confessed his crimes, the crowd booed and threatened. Some of them begged the couple to allow him die while others suggested he should be banished from the village forever. By the time he finished confessing, he was already lying helplessly on the ground. But he never stopped sweeping. From where he laid on the ground, he held the broom and moved his hand in a sweeping manner.
Minutes later, his parents came with the demanded items. When the old man had confirmed that the items were complete, he set to release the thief. He went to where Kevwe laid on the ground, picked a broomstick from the broom he was sweeping with and started making an inaudible incantation. After incantating, he struck Kevwe with the broomstick.
Whatever that was holding him left him immediately. The broom fell off his hand and he started begging for water. “Please give me water. I’m dying of thirst”, he pleaded. His mother rushed to his side and offered him some water. The crowd that gathered gradually dispersed while Kevwe’s parents carried their half dead son home.
At home, his mother continued nursing and revitalising him while his father kept shouting and fuming in anger. He swore to disown Kevwe if he ever brought shame to his family again. From where he laid, Kevwe moped and moaned in pains. It took a day and half for him to recover fully from exhaustion.
Then, the issue of him leaving the community as he swore to the couple came up. Kevwe swore again never to leave. His mother begged him to go to his brother’s place in Warri to avoid incurring the wrath of the deity that hypnotized him, but he refused. He swore to stay back and revenge on the couple and those who mocked him. He was determined to do that.
All his mother’s pleas to convince him to leave the village fell on deaf ears. He chose to stay. On the morning of the third day, Kevwe’s family woke up and noticed his absence. None of them knew where he went to. His belongings were intact and nothing suggested that he traveled. But he couldn’t be found. They concluded that he sneaked out.
But that was not the case. The last thing Kevwe remembered was going to bed in his village home. But the next time he realized himself, he was in the city of Asaba and that was two days after. How he got there and what brought him there were mysteries to him.
What happened next?
Find out!!!
TOCHUKWU ANOZIE
