THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

The Nsabroatsi was invoked and the four emperors met inside Nibooman. The emperors sat on comfortable leather seats around a square table. Each Emperor was served a calabash of the finest wine brewed in the west. Quaazi Selasi pulled his chair backwards and rose to his feet. He spoke: “Welcome my lords and thank you for accepting the ancient call. I know you all desire to return to your homes to attend to pressing matters. I will therefore not waste your time. What will we do about Nananompofie?”

There was a brief pause. Southern Emperor elect, Jaazi Sasu Basabasa IV picked up the calabash in front of him with both hands, brought it close to his lips and sipped the wine in the calabash. He placed the calabash on the table and said “I have the best herbalist from the south working on it.”

The southerners believed in the gods. They also believed that the trees are old. The gods created the trees before they created man. And as with old age comes wisdom, the trees were wise. They have knowledge about the physical and spiritual world within their body parts; stem, roots, leaves, flowers and branches. They reveal their secrets to only a selected few; the few who have developed the ability to listen to the voice of the trees. This selected few were given the titles ‘Otiefo’ meaning ‘the one who listens’. Only one such person existed in the south. This person is the one whom heard the voice of ‘kasadua’ the two thousand year old talking tree in ‘Efui kese’ (great ancient forest) in the south. He is the same person whom was sent to investigate Nananompofie’s barrier.

Northern Muaazi Jamel pushed his calabash aside and said, “I too have the wisest of all men doing everything he can to unravel the mysteries of that land.”

The wise men also believed in the gods but unlike the herbalists of the south, they believed that the earth, the sun, moon, stars and skies were created before everything else. The wind, rainfall and other natural phenomena are indicators of what has happened, what is happening and what will happen. The wise men possessed great magic but are forbidden to use it. Magic should be the last resort was the cardinal teachings of the wise men. A wise man must study. He must learn how to foretell and explain events based on the brightness of the sun, moon and stars; their alignment; the wind, etc. Akomapafo (the most receptive of all) was the wisest man. Akomapafo is also the bearer of Kudi’s walking stick. He is the one who opens not only his mind but his heart to the teachings of wisdom. He embraces them completely. He has absolute faith in them and will give up his very life for the teachings of wisdom. 

“It seems we have all been working hard. But I can’t think of anyone more capable than Osomfo,” said the Eastern Maharaazi Vayome. Osomfo meaning the ‘most devoted’ was the most powerful priest in the east. The priests also believed in their gods. The beings closest to the gods were men. Only man can hear the voice of the gods and interpret them. So, the gods choose men who are worthy and these men become the mouthpieces of the gods. The one who loves them the most and devotes most of his time praising and worshipping them bears the title Osomfo. There is only one problem with being a priest and an Osomfo in particular. He must never involve in sexual relationships with a woman.

Quaazi Selasi said, “I understand. Each empire wants to deal with this individually and that is why I invoked the Nsabroatsi. Great ones, I beg of you. Please let us do this together.” The three other Emperors were astounded by this request. Quaazi Selasi like his predecessors did not entertain the belief in the supernatural. “So what happened to make him change his mind?” they wondered.

Osomfo, Akomapafo and Otiefo met in Nyansapofie, capital of Nibooman. The three men were locked in embrace. Akomapafo of the North said, “I am honored to be in the presence of such great men.” Osomfo spoke: “I feel blessed that I met you two in the course of my life.” And Otiefo remarked, “I am overwhelmed with great emotion listening to you two great men speak so humbly.” They hugged again and again. Akomapafo after their forth hug looked around and asked, “Wasn’t there supposed to be a fourth man – someone from the west?”

Quickly climbing a flight of stairs was a young man. He was still in his twenties – mid-twenties I suppose. He was repeating the words, “I am late… I am late!” while he climbed the stairs. He pushed open a door and met some really serious old faces. “You are late young man. Hurry up and take your seat. We were just about to begin,” voiced Osomfo sternly. He took his seat and said “I am…” Akomapafo interrupted “Now that we are all hear, let us begin this meeting.”

“Nomposuro (dark forest; first used by Osomfo) was definitely created by someone powerful. To find a way into the forest, we must possess equal or greater power,” spoke Osomfo (Priest of the east). “I agree with you,” commented Akomapafo (wise man of the north). “I know a ritual that can elevate our powers. But it will require blood and sacrifice,” suggested Otiefo (herbalist of the south). “Are you suggesting what I am thinking?” questioned Akomapafo.

The Gaibaba (power elevation ritual) can bestow great power on an herbalist, wise man or priest. But it requires blood of other powerful herbalists, wise men and priests. “Yes! I am suggesting we use the Gaibaba,” answered Otiefo. Osomfo disagreed. He complained, “That ritual is barbaric and inhumane. There must be another way.”

Otiefo explained: “The Gaibaba is indeed barbaric. But this time, we are not going to sacrifice the living. I am sure you all probably met Kaazi Kiwakaazi II when he lived. He was a very powerful man. The bloods of such men remain powerful for centuries after their death. He was probably the one who created the wall. All we need is his blood.”

This sounded less frightening. Osomfo asked, “But how do we get his blood?” The young man who came in late and had been silent all the while suddenly cleared his throat. The three elderly and powerful men gazed at him. Otiefo said, “Speak up young man.” The boy stammered when he spoke. “I am Obenfo Akwa. I am sorry that I came late and although I neither believe nor approve of your methods, I think I can help,” were his first words. He went on to explain:

“Technology fascinated the great Emperor, Kaazi Kiwakaazi II, and, his wife, Kaaziba Dedeli. They wanted the west to impart scientific and technological knowledge to their people. They visited the west frequently and during one of those visits, Kaaziba Dedeli fainted. She was rushed to a hospital and a sample of her blood was collected. Because it was uncertain at the time what was really wrong with her, Kaazi Kiwakaazi also donated blood to be tested and used to save his wife if they are compatible. That sample of blood had been sitting in the blood bank of The Central Research Bureau into Herbs and Medicines (CREBIHEM).”

Otiefo said “that is good to hear. But I don’t think that blood will be enough. We will need more. Obenfo Akwa cleared his throat again. Once again, they all turned to him and Akomapafo asked him to speak.

Once again he stuttered. “Initially you said we needed a lot of blood. I am sure there are people in the world whose bloods are similar to Kaazi Kiwakaazi’s blood – blood type. Can’t we just add some of their blood to his and try?” asked Obenfo Akwa. Osomfo, Otiefo and Akomapafo were silent for a very long time. The criteria for choosing blood had always been about power. The blood could be similar but not powerful.

Four or five days later, Otiefo was holding a calabash filled with some ground herbs and obviously some blood in his left hand. The liquid in the calabash was thick and red like blood. He carried a satchel on his right side. Osomfo dipped his right hand into the satchel. He picked an ordinary petiolated green leaf from the satchel and dropped it into the liquid. The leaf caused the liquid to boil and turn green. Osomfo repeated some incarnations. He dipped his right index finger into the calabash and commenced stirring. The liquid boiled and yet his finger was unharmed.

Yes, they decided to try Obenfo Akwa’s suggestion and a few others from the rest of the team. Akomapafo suggested that the ritual be performed at dawn on a night of a full moon and clear sky. Osomfo also suggested that they perform the ritual from the western part of the world and they should all be bare-chested and wear no footwear.

The four great Emperors had previously decided to send a hundred men into the forest. Their mission was a peaceful one. To simply examine the type and kind of organisms that inhabits Nomposuro. They were to use force only when it was required. Lined up about ten meters in front of these hundred explorers were Osomfo, Akomapafo and Otiefo. Obenfo Akwa was also present standing in between the hundred explorers and the three magicians.

“It is working!” exclaimed Otiefo. What was working? The green boiling liquid in the calabash first stopped boiling. The center suddenly changed to white and it spread through the liquid until it appeared white. Otiefo moved the calabash towards his head and took a sip. No, he drank quite a lot. He passed it to Osomfo on his right whom also drank his share before Akomapafo.

Akomapafo was first to go. He stretched his arm to the sky. Suddenly, a red light surrounded him and shot to the sky. He prayed in a strange language. Otiefo was next. He pointed his arm at the white, pointy, convex, oval-shaped rock and his body was surrounded by a yellow light. The yellow light continued to push back the white rock until there was a crack in it. He too mumbled some words. Once Osomfo saw the crack, he also pointed his arm at the soil around the rocks. He too suddenly became surrounded by a green light and started chanting in another foreign language.

Slowly, the sky above was turning red and it extended over Nomposuro. The white rock developed more cracks and was destined to eventually collapse. The soil around and inside the forest turned green.

Obenfo Akwa shouted, “Stop!” but the three men worked harder. He ran towards them. He had noticed blooding oozing out of Akomapafo’s ears. The ritual was killing him. When Obenfo Akwa got close, he noticed the ritual was killing them all. Otiefo was also bleeding through his nose and blood flow down the face of Osomfo like tears. Obenfo Akwa was sad by what he saw. These three old men he just met are giving up their lives. They must have known this would happen and still went ahead to do it.

Akomapafo shouted, “Now!” The hundred men ran past them towards an entrance. It was unique with red, yellow and green lights around it. It appeared after the white rock shattered and broke into a thousand pieces. The area previously occupied by the white oval convex pointy rock was occupied by a dark rectangle with a red boundary. The yellow light surrounded the red light and the green light surrounded both lights.

After the last man passed through this unique door and disappeared, the colored boundaries too disappeared. The green outermost layer disappeared first. The yellow light followed and the red light was last to disappear. The three great men fell flat on their faces.

Obenfo Akwa turned Akomapafo over and noticed he was already dead. He turned Otiefo only for Otiefo to take his last breath and die. Osomfo was, however, still breathing when he turned him over. Osomfo advised, “Don’t waste your time. I am already dead. Before the door was shut I had a vision. It was about you and your destiny. You are Osomafo (the sent one); sent by the gods to find another….” He turned his head to his left and spoke no more. Obenfo Akwa shook him shouting, “Find another… what? Tell me… please tell me!”

It was too late and the three great men; Akomapafo of the North, Otiefo of the South and Osomfo of the East died. They sacrificed their lives for this great cause and the light that burned around them became the predominant African colors; red, yellow and green.

“Each African country interprets these colors differently but I think they represent the qualities of these three men. Red stands for wisdom; yellow stands for knowledge and green represent power. If only Africans will let go of their gross selfishness and greed, then, these powers will shine over the continent and lead us to a new day – A New Africa.” — Njanjan