OJUJU: THE VILLAGE OF FORBIDDEN LOVE - EPISODE 1
Ojuju a village shrouded in mystery, lay deep within the heart of the forest. It was a place where tradition and superstition reigned supreme, where the villagers lived in fear and reverence of their powerful deity named Ojuju. The village was named after this deity and its people believed that Ojuju's power was both benevolent and terrifying.
At the center of the village stood a grand shrine dedicated to the worship of the village deity Ojuju, where the priestess named Asakwe resided. The priestess was a highly respected and powerful figure, who is always chosen for her purity as a virgin and she was expected to remain a virgin throughout her life, dedicating herself solely to the service of Ojuju.
The current Priestess Asakwe although now old never married neither did she ever have anything to do with anything man all her life. She was feared in the village and had many servants at her beck and call.
Every year, the priestess would make a solemn visit to the king, demanding the s@crifice of seven v*rgins and seven males to appease Ojuju. This ritu@l was believed to ensure the village's prosperity and protection from harm.
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"why are you all running away?" Obiku the hunter asked
"The priestess Asakwe is coming down this way" One of the runners said
Obiku quickly dropped the big antelope he was carrying and took to his heel. Soon the priestess, adorned in her ceremonial attire surface with her multitude of praise singers and servants
"Priestess Asakwe Ajim! priestess Asakwe Zumba! Ojuju Ajim! Ojuju Zumba" The servant of the priestess chanted along the way
Soon they arrived at the king's palace. They met the king and his cabinet of chiefs in a meeting. The presence of the priestess was always a major source of concern to the king. Although he was king, he was less powerful in the scheme of things. His position at best was ceremonial. The real power lies with the priestess of Ojuju.
"Welcome great Asakwe, the great priestess of Ojuju" All the elders said as they went on their knees to greet the priestess
"Welcome to my palace great one. To what do I owe this honour of your visit?" The king asked
"Greetings Your Majesty. I come before you today to fulfill the sacred duty entrusted to me by Ojuju. The time has come for the annual sacrifice." The priestess said
The king looked upon the priestess with a mixture of respect and concern.
"Priestess, we have discussed this ritu@l many times. Is it truly necessary to continue to sacrifice so many innocent lives?" The king asked
"Tah! Abomination! " The priestess shouted to the fear of all
" I am sorry Priestess" The king apologized
" Your Majesty, the demand is clear. Ojuju's power is not to be questioned. You must provide the s@crifice to ensure the village's continued prosperity and protection." Princess Asakwe said
The king knew the implications of rebelling against the priestess of Ojuju. Although he didn't like the ancient tradition of annually sacrificing seven v*rgins and seven males, he knew too well that rebelling against it would cost him the throne and even his life.
"Very well, Priestess. We will prepare the sacrifices as demanded" The king said
"They should be brought to the shrine, where they will be purified and prepared for the ritual. Their s*uls will be offered to Ojuju, ensuring the village's well-being." Priestess Asakwe said
The king nodded, though his heart was heavy with sorrow.
"I will instruct my guards to prepare the s@crifices. May Ojuju's will be done." The king said
The priestess nodded her head in acknowledgment.
"I will return to the shrine and prepare for the ritu@l. The s@crifices will be expected within seven suns." She said
" Priestess Asakwe Ejim! Ojuju Zumba" The servant of the Priestess chanted in worship as the Priestess left the kings palace.
As soon as Priestess Asakwe departed, the king's demeanor changed. He slumped in his throne with his eyes fixed on the floor.
"My lord, we must do as she says, we all know the consequences of disobedience are too great to risk." Elder Osame said
"I know, I know but can't we find another way? Must we continue this barbaric tradition?" The king asked
" Your Majesty we all know the priestess's power is not to be underestimated. If we don't comply, she'll unleash Ojuju's wrath upon us. We've seen it before." Elder Isola said
The king's eyes scanned the room, searching for someone to share his burden. But all he saw were fearful faces.
"Very well. We will prepare the s@crifices but I swear to Ojuju, I will find a way to end this madness one day." The king said making the elders look around in fear
"May Ojuju's will be done," The elders murmured in unison.
As the meeting progresses, one of the king's guard, Okorofor approached him and said
"My lord, may I request your permission to speak?"
"Yes, Okorofor. What is it?" The king asked
"I've been thinking, my lord. Perhaps there's a way to...ah...select the s@crifices differently, perhaps those who have committed crimes or...or are cursed." Okorofor said
" Go on." The king said
"Well, my lord, if we could find those who are already outcasts, it might...might appease Ojuju and spare the innocent lives of our villagers."
"That's not a bad idea, Okoro. See what you can do." The king said
Okoro nodded and departed, leaving the king's presence
"My king I would advise we follow how it has been done. Ojuju wants the best at all times and not outcast" Chief Isolo said
"Shut up your mouth. Are you and your Ojuju not tired of spilling innocent bl**d every year?" Chief Nnamdika who was just entering the palace said
He had overheard the Kings conversation with his guard.
"My king. I am sorry for coming to this meeting late. I sent someone to inform you that my wife was sick and I would be coming late to the meeting" Nnamdika said
" Yes I was told. How is she feeling now?" The king asked
" Not too fine" Nnamdika said
" Why don't you take her to Priestess Asakwe, so she can cure her?" Chief Alabisu said
" You all know how I feel about Ojuju and it priestess " Nnamdika said
" Chief Nnamdika don't allow your mouth land you in trouble " Chief Ogbomuni said."
"Ojuju is powerless" Chief Nnamdika said
"Really?" A voice said
They all looked up and was surprised to see Priestess Asakwe standing in the air just in front of the kings palace. All the elders except Nnamdika knelt down in fear and began to worship her as she descended downwards
"Nnamdika you dare challenge the mighty Ojuju?" Priestess Asakwe asked
"How can a deity keeps drinking the bl**d of it own people. What manner of deity is that?" Nnamdika asked fearlessly
"Now you would taste the full wrath of Ojuju" The priestess said and began some incantation
"Ojuju Mbele, Masamawu! Ojuju you have been challenged, now is the time to show your might" she said and smote Nnamdika with her staff
Instantly Nnamdika although alive began to dec*mpose. His body began to bring out m@ggot and all sorts of worms
"Please Priestess have mercy on me" Nnamdika cried out
"For your rebellion, your body shall be thrown to the vult*re of the evil forest when you pass away in few minutes from now" Priestess Asakwe said
Nnamdika immediately fell down and passed on.
"Take him to the evil forest and feed his body to the v*lture of the forest. After that grab every member of his family and they henceforth becomes Ojuju sl@ves. They and their children unborn will live and d*e as Ojuju sl@ves.
The guards immediately took Nnamdika's dec*mposed body away.
"King Adaz for daring to questioned Ojuju our most powerful god one amongst your two sons, Abba to be precise and your servants Okorofor who suggested giving Ojuju bad sacrifices must be amongst the seven males to be sacrificed to Ojuju. Failure to do this king Adaz, you shall be behe@ded publicly in the village square. This is Ojuju's verdict" Priestess Asakwe said
" Let Ojuju's will be done" The elders who were still on their knees trembling said and Priestess Asakwe disappeared suddenly
Immediately the priestess disappeared, all the elders got up and ran out of the palace in fear
The king sat alone on his throne two days later with his mind heavy with the weight of the priestess's demand. His wife, Queen Aminatu who overheard and saw everything stood before him with her eyes red from crying.
"My lord, how can you even consider it?. Our son, Abba, is innocent. Why must he suffer for the village's traditions?"
"Aminatu, I caused all this for myself. I was only thinking about my people and now it is about to cost me my son. Right now, I have no choice. The priestess's demand is clear. One of our sons and my servant Okorofor must be sacrificed along with five other males and seven v*rgins to Ojuju." The king said
"But why Abba? Why not our younger son, Umak? He's always been more stubborn, more prone to questioning the gods just like you. Perhaps Ojuju would be satisfied with him instead" The queen said
"Aminatu, do not speak of such things. The priestess has chosen Abba. I will not question her judgment again. I have learnt the hard way." The king said
Queen Aminatu fell to her knees, her body shaking with sobs.
"My lord, please. Have mercy on our son. I'll do anything, anything at all, to save him. I'll give up my jewels, my clothes, my everything. Just spare Abba's life."
The king's resolve wavered, but he knew he couldn't show weakness. The priestess's power was not to be underestimated. He remembered the stories of what happened to those who dared to disobey Ojuju's demands.
"Aminatu, I understand your pain, but we must comply. The consequences of disobedience are too great to risk. If we don't sacrifice Abba and Okorofor, I will be dethroned, behe@ded and the kingship would go to another family" The king said
Queen Aminatu's tears continued to flow, and the king knew he has to face a difficult road ahead. How could he reconcile his duty as a king with his love for his son?
"My lord, is there no other way?. Can't we appeal to the priestess? Can't we offer her something in exchange for Abba's life?" Queen Aminatu asked
The king shook his head.
"I have tried, Aminatu. I have sent messengers to the priestess, begging her to reconsider. But she refuses to listen. She says Ojuju's demand is clear, and I must comply." The king said
Queen Aminatu's face crumpled, and she buried her face in her hands.
As the days passed, the king struggled to come to terms with the fate that awaited his son. Queen Aminatu's tears continued to flow, and the king's resolve was tested every day.
On the sixth day, Abba stood before his father, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and confusion.
"Father, I heard the rumors. Is it true? Am I to be s@crificed to Ojuju?" He asked
The king's face was that of anguish as he looked at his son. He wanted to hold Abba close and tell him it was all just a rumour but he knew he couldn't.
"Abba my son.. I'm so sorry. It's true. The priestess has demanded your life as part of the s@crifice." The king said with a cracking voice
"Why me, Father? Why not someone else?" Abba asked
"The priestess has chosen you, Abba. It is all my fault but I want you to know that I love you more than life itself. You're my son, my pride and joy." The king said
Abba's fell face down, and he began to cry. The king picked him up, pulled him into a tight embrace, and they wept together.
"Father, I'm scared," Abba whispered
The king held him tighter, trying to find the words to comfort his son.
"I am scared too, Abba. But we must be brave. We must face this with dignity and honor." The King said
The king felt his heart breaking. He had never felt so powerless in his life. He wanted to protect his son, to save him from the priestess's demand, but he knew he couldn't.
"Father, I don't want to d*e," Abba said
"I don't want you to d*e either, Abba. But sometimes, we have to make sacrifices for the greater good. I hope that Ojuju will accept the sacrifice of your life and bless our village." The king said
Abba nodded, though his eyes still held a deep sadness. The king knew that his son was trying to be brave, but he was still just a boy.
As the sun began to set, the king held Abba close, cherishing every moment they had left together. He knew that their time was running out, and soon, Abba would be gone. The thought was almost too much to bear.
The next day, Abba, Okorofor, five other males and seven v*rgins were taken by the guards to Ojuju shrine where they were prepared by the priestess for the ritu@l.
As the sun set in the evening, the whole village gathered in the shrine as was the tradition. The s@crifice has to be done in front of everyone and anyone who misses it is automatically punished by been sacrificed to Ojuju.
Soon the seven males and seven v*rgins were brought out by priestess Asakwe's servants. They had been dressed for the s@crifice already with no shirt on but only white rob on their waist.
Priest Asakwe came forward and began to say some incantation
"Ojuju your food is here. Accept it and bless our land. Give us prosperity and make our kingdom stronger"
After the priestess finished performing the incantation, she ordered they be brought one after the order and made to lay down in the sacred fourteen tables. Although the heart of the villagers were heavy with pain but no one was allowed to cry not even the king. They are all expected to be happy and pray that Ojuju accepts the s@crifice. The s@crifice was done by the priestess and everyone knelt down and said
"Ojuju our god please accept our s@crifices"
After sometime, the priestess smiled and danced and said with a loud voices
"Our sacrifice for this year has been accepted by Ojuju. We would experience a bumper harvest this year" Priestess Asakwe said and everyone cheered pretentiously to make it seem like they were happy except for one person, a young girl of seventeen named Amisha
This story is a very long and interesting story. It has 100 episodes. So sit back, grab a pack of pop corn and cold drink as we journey together
Compress to 2000 words