Too all those who have been following this story! I'm sorry this is coming so late!

Chapter 8

The first roosters were crowing as I walked downhill towards home. Many thoughts crossed my mind in those transient moments. I thought of my mother and her family, those who would be purged if I did nothing. I could choose not to fight, but that would bring dishonor to my name. My unborn child would grow up in a town that would consider me a coward for running from battle. I couldn't betray my mother's family either. Their blood would be on my hands

I had to be on the battlefields and if by chance Iriju fell, I would have to smuggle my kin out of the city. If I failed to do this, only the goddess knows what fate would befall them.

Unlocking the front door to my house. I saw Ashti waiting down the hall. I was almost certain she hadn’t slept since the mustering. She rushed toward me with worry lines all over her face.

What is the matter?

She asked

Why are we at war? Who are we at war with?

She asked.

Do not worry, let’s go to bed. All will be well in the morning

I replied.

The sun was already past the mid horizon when I woke up. Ashti was not at my side. I sluggishly meandered my way outside toward the huge pot of water at the back of my house. The water was unbelievably cold; but that was just the boost I needed. I was now fully awake.

I turned to admire my home’s impressive backyard. The land had been a gift from my father when I became a man. Suddenly over the sound of the livestock. I heard the distinct sound of sobbing. I sharply turned around trying to figure out where it was coming from.

I walked along the make-shift picket fences that kept our growing herd of goats away from the yam patches which were now ripe for harvest. I turned a corner and there was Ashti. She was carefully hand picking the weed from our tiny green vegetable patch.

She turned around and looked at me. She definitely didn’t seem to have done any crying that morning. I was confused. What is wrong?

She asked with a smile.

Nothing

I replied.

I was just looking for you

I lied with a smile.

In an afterthought she told me that a messenger had come while I was asleep that all men were expected to gather at the old palm grove at the edge of town two hours before noon, but she had decided not to wake me up seeing how deep I was in slumber and that I was expected to take my best fishing spear.

I was a little irritated that I was just hearing this, but I didn't have the time to bare my mind.

I was late! The old palm grove seemed farther than ever. I ran as fast as my lungs would permit. I was very late; and my fishing spear felt heavier with each stride. The old palm grove was on the eastern end of Oride. My home was on the northern most end; it was about an hour’s journey when walking.

The whole town was quiet and seemed dazed by the revelations of earlier that morning. The sun had passed mid-horizon yet the whole town seemed like a graveyard. As I approached the palm grove, I was welcomed by a chorus of thunder, I found myself ducking for cover. Anyone who had heard the old stories about the death of Dino Ajebata would duck too.

The old palm grove was the most popular playground during my childhood. It was large and had many hidden spots. It was perfect for hide and seek and other moonlight games. It seemed like no one really noticed that I had arrived late. The men were very busy. Some were shoving thin sticks down the guns from the night before. Others were shooting them.

Everyone seemed to have a gun. Also, almost everyone seemed to be covered from head to toe in raffia dust and mud; that seemed odd; I soon knew why as suddenly I heard a loud thunder clap nearby

BOOM!

Followed by a loud thud and some ruffling of raffia. I turned to look and I saw Demma, a middle aged distant relative. He was a moaning heap; luckily for him a huge heap of palm raffia had broken his fall. Nobody ran to his aid except me; apparently this was not the first time it had happened that day.

Demma got up on his feet and looked at me. His face didn’t hide his pain. The fire stick had a massive recoil that not everyone could handle; hence people had been falling on their backsides all day. Demma patted me on the shoulder and said with a forced smile.

At least we would only have battle scars, and shattered bones

I nodded with a painful smile.

You have to mind your head, don’t get it blown off.

He continued.

I started walking away when I was noticed by Old man Elim; he was the last surviving member of Oride support force during the Kalari rebellion. I guess he thought that gave him the right to boss people around on the training field. His hair was grey with age but not wisdom.

His wrinkled face contorted in rage and his voice echoed over the repeated thunderclaps.

You’re late; yet you have time to socializing. Do you think that we’re going to Iriju for a feast?

Less than half an hour later, I had changed into the regulation brown battle kaba. Most of the men that swarmed the raffia covered swamps looked tired and broken.

A highly irritable drill inspector thought I was too skinny; so I wasn’t given a fire-stick. Instead I was ordered to report to a special patch of the grove which unlike other parts was well drained.

At my post, men were being trained in close combat and were hurling spears at targets. Most people seemed to be already very good at it and they were hurling their fishing spears with very deadly accuracy. I was dumbfounded; how long was I asleep?

Soon as it was my turn, and as I took aim at one of the stem of one of the palm trees and missed woefully. The training lasted four days, I actually got very good at hand to hand combat and to some extent spear throwing. It was well past noon on the fourth day when out of nowhere, the air split with three shrill blasts of the town horn.

Apparently, that was a signal and all the men picked up their spears and scampered in all directions. I held on to my spear and ducked into an edge.