THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

A hundred entered Nomposuro and only one person made it out. He suddenly appeared in his own home. He was found by his twin sister and uttered just a single word: ‘kranju’ meaning immortal guardians. The Emperors were angered. Whatever was dwelling in Nomposuro has waged war and war is what it/they will get. A thousand warriors were assembled and this time, it took three wise men, three priests and three herbalists to open the door. Obenfo Akwa was present when these nine also died.

Obenfo Akwa knelt before Akomapafo, Osomfo and Otiefo. He begged and cried, “Please, please do not harm me.” Osomfo asked, “Why are you trying to avoid your destiny?” He answered, “What destiny are you talking about? I do not understand.” Otiefo shouted, “But you do! You only pretend otherwise!” Akomapafo raised the walking stick he uses as a staff and lowered it quickly towards Obenfo Akwa. He shouted, “Please!”

Obenfo Akwa woke up from his bed. It was only a dream. He was sweating and breathless. He threw his bed sheets aside. He only wore something short around his waist. He sat on the edge of his bed and buried his face in his palms. He thought, “I don’t want to do this but it seems I don’t have a choice.”

Obenfo Akwa after the death of the three spiritual men he worked with had been having one dream frequently. In this dream, Akomapafo, Osomfo and Otiefo have been threatening him and demanding he follows his destiny. They were right about him knowing what his destiny was. He did not want to pursue it because he was too afraid. He was afraid he may dive too deep into it and never find his way out. However, after this very last dream. He could no longer ignore his destiny.

Osomafo was in Askabar (Home of the wise men) in Islamani (Peaceful Empire or Northern Empire). Askabar was a small village where many huts totaling about thirty have been dispersed over a wide piece of land to house and train wise men. The wise men were crop farmers. They were vegetarians and ate only plant materials. They also consumed very little food. There was one huge brick structure were the history about the path of wisdom was being preserved known as the Ukbharami. Askabar was his first stop in a series of trips he plans on making around the world.

“Welcome Osomafo. We have been expecting you,” said wise man Omar of the North. Obenfo Akwa was surprised. No one heard Osomfo (the priest of the east) call him that. “What did you just call me?” questioned Obenfo Akwa. “Osomafo” answered Omar. “How did you know that?” inquired Obenfo Akwa. Omar closed his eyes, spread his arms and took in a deep breath. He smiled and asked while his eyes were still closed, “Can you not hear it? The wind is echoing that name.” He opened his eyes, looked up and said, “It is written boldly in the sky.” He looked at Obenfor Akwa’s feet and said, “Even your footsteps write this name. You are Osomafo of the west; the one destined to find the pathway to Nomposuro.” 

Obenfo Akwa was more confused now than ever. But he was not ready to have a dream about old acquaintances giving him a beating. It was afternoon. Wise man Omar guided him to meet three other wise men in one hut. Omar asked, “What brings you hear Osomafo?” He answered, “I have come to learn the ways of the wise men in order to fulfill my destiny.” The wise men nodded in agreement. “Life becomes easier when we accept our destinies no matter how difficult it might be. We will all help you,” remarked one white bearded wise old man. He was served some food for lunch and water to drink. It was very little food and yet more satisfying than Obenfo Akwa expected. After lunch, he asked to be given a tour around Askabar.

Two young wise men took him around the village until they arrived at Ukbharami. On the ceiling of this magnificent structure, there was a painting of the sun with a man’s face drawn in it; a beautiful female face had been drawn on the moon and children faces on the stars. He gazed at it for a while and stopped to examine the walls. Directly in front from the entrance were paintings of the founding fathers of the path of wisdom. These were Kudi the cripple (His walking stick is a symbol of wisdom and only an Akomapafo can touch it) and Zimfatu. Paintings of various gods have been drawn on his right. There were paintings of the creator, god of the wind, god of the sea, goddess of the earth, and the god of rain. On the left wall were paintings of Akomapafos and other wise men who served honorably. The paintings of all the wise men that passed away for the honorable course of creating a door that led to Nomposuro had also been hanged. Obenfo Akwa stopped and gazed at the painting of the first Akomapafo he ever came into contact with. He smiled and turned his head left towards the entrance and noticed a statue.

He walked towards the statue and his escorts followed briskly. He stopped and stared. He used his index finger to poke the statue. He exclaimed, “Amazing, it looks very real!” The wise man on his right commented, “That is because it is.” Obenfo Akwa turned to face this wise man and asked, “What do you mean?” The wise man on his left replied, “This statue was once a living, breathing man – a powerful wise man called Mahmoud.”  “Mahmoud…? What happened to him?” asked Obenfo Osomafo Akwa.

Unlike the priests, the wise men are forbidden to use magic. They believed magic corrupts the soul and feels the user with pride. Mahmoud was an excellent wise man – a potential Akomapafo. He was trained by Akomapafo Razak himself. He was sent to Ishlalabad (City of Islamani) on an errand. During his stay, he observed many people suffering. They were hungry, they were poor, they were sick, they were dirty and they were beggars. He was overwhelmed with sadness and when he returned, begged Akomapafo Razak to help the needy. Askabar sent food to the poor and hungry beggars, and, treated the sick of Ishlalabad but it was never enough. Mahmoud was the one in charge of this mission and he spent most of his days in Ishlalabad. He heard whispers of the Muaazi (Ruler of Islamani) having a secret store house were food was being secretly stored for his enjoyment only.

He broke into the store house using magic and stole from the Muaazi. It was supposed to be a onetime thing but for some reason Mahmoud could not stop stealing from the Muaazi. Stealing now became his hobby and with magic, he was never caught. Every time the store house was hit, they will find a heap of sand left behind. A trap was set for him. Guards hid inside one of the store houses. Sand filled the store house from a small crevice in the floor and after a while, Mahmoud appeared. He was immediately surrounded. Swords, spears and arrows were aimed at him. The chief guard stepped forward. He pointed at Mahmoud and said, “This is the end, you thief!” Mahmoud shouted, “Fools!”

The guards could not believe their eyes. He disappeared and left behind sand. The leader of the guards thought Mahmoud had turned into sand and ordered the rest to gather it. They did but he was long gone. He appeared outside the Muaazi’s palace. He looked back at the store house and said to himself, “Poor fools. They do not know the ways of wisdom.” He turned and faced Akomapafo Razak. Akomapafo said, “You are right. They don’t, but I do.” Mahmoud shouted, “Wait!” but it was too late. Akomapafo Razak repeated the words “Haluu-kaar” meaning ‘be still’. Mahmoud froze and had remained frozen ever since.

Obenfo Akwa smiled and shouted, “Mahmoud was a genius!” He laughed and laughed and laughed. The wise men wondered what was wrong with him. He stopped laughing and shouted, “I have found it… I have found it!”

What had he found? Let’s find out at the meeting he held with herbalists, wise men and priests. Obenfo Akwa addressed them: “Thank you all for meeting me. I think I have found it; I have found a way to enter Nomposuro without the blood ritual, Gaibaba. I am not sure but can people travel from one place to another as sand?” It was an intriguing question – one that required some thinking.

A priest was first to answer: “I don’t know about sand but I know of a priest who can move from one place to another through the air/wind.” An herbalist was next to speak: “I also know of an herbalist who can turn his body into water and appear as water at a different location.” Then a second herbalist asked, “Why this question, Osomafo of the west?”

“This name again. It seems they all know it,” thought Obenfo Akwa. He replied, “I think if it is possible then perhaps we can send people into the forest by changing them into sand, air or water and reassembling them inside the forest.” “You are right! That is possible!” exclaimed Omar of the North. “The elements are everywhere. They are slightly more energetic in and around Nomposuro but I believe it is really possible. You have really done it Osomafo,” added Omar. The others agreed. This will require a different kind of ritual but it should work. The herbalists decided to put their heads together and design a special ritual.

They created four separate rituals to represent four pathways and named it the Nompogbeto (Pathway to Nomposuro). These rituals transform the bodies of the traveller to Nomposuro into air, water, fire or soil. The Shosuma (Life) will be bound and released during the ritual to find and occupy its body inside Nomposuro.

 However, the first two trials failed. The first man used the La-Nompogbeto (fire pathway). His body had been smeared and he looked dirty. A priest pointed at him and his feet caught fire. He was burning but he did not feel the heat associated with burning, on the contrary, he felt cool. The fire climbed up his body. While it climbed, his body disappeared until he was gone. Seconds later, he reappeared and had been burnt. He looked black like charcoal.

The second person used the Nu-Nompogbeto (water pathway). He too stood in a large earthen pot. His entire body was reduced to water and all the water in the pot disappeared. Seconds later, the pot was filled with water again. The water overflowed and his body reassembled. He coughed out water and died. The trials were stopped. The herbalists, priests and wise men were disappointed. Osomafo’s theory sounded feasible. Osomafo himself was disappointed but he was a scientist and will not give up.

He thought day and night about it. “Why… why did it not work?” he wondered. He liked art and spent his free time drawing. He drew three men. One man stood on top of sand, the second stood on water and the third was floating in the air. He was staring at his drawings when it hit him. He immediately sent word to meet the herbalist, priests and wise men again.

Obenfo Akwa posed this question to the gathering, “Why did Mahmoud always change to sand and never water or air?” One priest understood the question and answered immediately, “Because he had a strong affinity for the earth than the other elements!” “Exactly what I guessed!” shouted Osomafo Akwa. “We need to find out the affinity of the people to the elements first,” suggested Osomafo. “But how do we do that?” questioned a wise man.

Obenfo Kayode, a top psychologist was consulted. Osomafo, probably the smartest person at the time, thought that the elements must be connected to the psyche of a person. A person with a strong affinity for fire will not behave the same way a person with strong affinity for water or air. Obenfo Kayode was to prepare a psychological evaluation test that will help Obenfo Akwa decide on the kind of pathway to use for a person. It was advertised on television, radio and in newspapers across the world.

A prize of a thousand gold coins for the successfully candidate attracted all kinds of people. Some of the responses will blow your mind away.