THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Kiwakaazi was slowly gaining consciousness. He opened his eyes and saw dirt through a blurry vision. He closed his again and tried to shake off the irritating long ringing sound in his ears. He shook his head and opened his eyes again. He turned his head left and then right away from dirt. On his right, he finally caught sight of what he was looking for — a stone statue about six or seven steps away from where he laid.

He tried to get up and experienced such intense headaches and weakness in his body that he almost passed out again. With each ache he remembered something. First he was running on the bridge carrying Kaki who was turning into stone on his shoulder. She was getting heavier with every step. He ran as hard as he could but he could not make it in time. The bridge finally collapsed under his feet and he was falling into the boiling black liquid. He thought he had failed and even saw himself surrounded by darkness when he closed his eyes. He knelt looking dejected with his arms in his laps. Then, suddenly he saw a tiny formless particle of light. It danced in front of him. He was just looking at it when the light attacked his forehead. The light struck his forehead and transformed him into a bright human being.

He finally shouted the magical words again, “Oogu jaka tumi…Sore!” His body was very close to the black viscous boiling liquid when he developed light wings. He flapped it just once and landed in Nhutudan (elemental forest) and passed out immediately afterwards. He finally remembered something strange that happened to him in Nomposuro.

His body was still very weak so he crawled on his stomach towards the stone mummy.  He was already in tears; afraid that he had lost her. How long had it been? Will she be released from the stone cocoon soon? He questioned his mind; his ignorant mind that did not have answers. He continued to crawl. He was very close to the stone mummy when the stone around her body cracked. He stopped and watched while it shattered into a million pieces freeing the prisoner Kiwakaazi has come to admire as, Kaki. She lay on her back like a corpse.

When Kiwakaazi got close enough, he placed his index finger across her nostrils. She was still breathing. She was alive. He got up and sat next to her. Somehow his energy was slowly but surely being restored. He lifted her head and placed it gently on his laps. Then, he kept watch over her not wanting to miss her awakening.

Her eye lids began to move after about twenty minutes. She was waking up. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She opened her eyes and appeared to be struggling to keep them opened. Her eyeballs were moving round and round when they caught sight of Kiwakaazi’s beaming and with a happy face looking down on her. She thought, ‘What is he so happy about?’ She turned her head. Perhaps she felt uncomfortable looking into his eyes and muttered, “Wow! This place is really beautiful.”

I hope you remember the life of Kinwa and Ouzie. You remember that this was shown to Kiwakaazi by a strange man. He was dark skinned but had white hair and blue eyes. He played a flute that led Kiwakaazi to him. You have no idea who this man really is. Honestly, the name Kiwakaazi has been over hyped. This story is not about the three men named Kiwakaazi. It is a story about a father and his son. I know you won’t get it now. But if you open all your senses, you will eventually.

“Hello Kiwakaazi, my name is Anambre. We met the last time you needed assistance in controlling the kafunde. I guess I was not really helpful after all. It is time I opened your eyes to the hidden mysteries of this universe. I know you have many questions. But first listen to the story I am about to share with you attentively and if after the story you still have any questions, then you can ask me and I will answer all,” spoke Anambre when he met Kiwakaazi in Gbeleshie (Afterlife).

Back to Nomposuro: Kiwakaazi could not believe his ears, “This place is beautiful?!” Kiwakaazi thought, ‘Was that all she could say? What about I am sorry for almost giving you a heart attack?’ He frowned and seeing that, Kaki asked him, “What…?”

Kiwakaazi got up. He was a man who did not like to argue but he was so pissed he shouted, “What happened to you?! You almost gave me a heart attack back there!” Kaki rose to her feet sluggishly. She simply smiled. His reaction is simply a bold statement of how much he cares for her. She walked past Kiwakaazi and stood right behind him. She touched his face with both of her soft palms and moved his head around. “Tell me this is not beautiful?” she questioned.

Anambre closed his eyes for a while and when he opened them everything around them changed. They were back in the world under an apple tree but a different time line — the past. It was long before any of the Kiwakaazis were born. Anambre picked an apple from the tree. He bit into the apple and said, “Ah! This is much better. Now, shall I begin my story?”

Kiwakaazi could not believe it. Nhutudan (elemental forest) was brighter and more beautiful than Dun-da (caves of darkness). Of course there was no sun in the sky but somehow, Nhutudan was brighter. It was like a well-planned forest. Tall trees grew in neat rows and underneath the tall trees were some shrubs that bear small pear-shaped purple-colored fruits. The paths to take were all well-defined. Some flowers grew amongst the tall trees in Nhutudan. Kiwakaazi touched his cheeks and questioned, “Was there not something soft and soothing caressing my cheeks not long ago?”  

He realized Kaki was neither by his side nor behind him. He turned left and then right and then left again and saw her carefully picking some of the purple fruits. “She is human now. If she is picking them, then it must be safe for consumption,” he concluded. So he too went fruit picking. He picked one of the pear-shaped fruits and realized it was squishy. He was squeezing to release the yellowish liquid inside when Kaki slapped and knocked the fruit from his hand. The small fruit fell and made a big deep hole in the ground. It also destroyed many of the plants around it. They just died. Kiwakaazi was surprised. He had been saved by the bell or by Kaki. He raised his head and met her angry look. He asked, “Why…?” She answered saying, “Are you crazy? Can’t you tell that fruit was poisonous?” “Poisonous…?” What did she mean? They all looked the same to him. “How are you distinguishing between poisonous and non-poisonous fruits?” he questioned.

She sighed and shook her head. She moved behind him once again and grabbed his face and told him to observe carefully. All the fruits were small and pear-shaped. The outer coat had a certain light purple color. But careful examination reveals that some fruits had pink and yellow light dancing around them and others had green and blue colors dancing around them. She said, “Those with green and blue colors are poisonous. Eat them and you will die.” “How did you know that?” he questioned.

She grabbed hold of his hand and told him to follow her. She turned and gave him a few of the fruits she had picked. He ate them and could not believe just how delicious and energizing they were. After eating just about three of these fruits, he felt he could go on the rest of his life without eating any more food.

The Nhutus possessed power over the elements and the elements are combined to form the human body. Actually, the elements combine to form the bodies of all living things. How strong the body will eventually become is determined by them. By combining the elements in a special way, they are able to make a fruit that can influence the elements in the body giving it a boost or destroying it completely. So, they had two fruits. You could call them the fruit of life and the fruit of death. Eat the one with green and blue light dancing around it and you are dead but eat the one with pink and yellow light and you will have life. But their mission was not to enjoy the fruit of life in Nhutudan. So they continued their journey.

After a short walk, they came across a valley; a very beautiful valley indeed. At the center of this valley was its largest pool. Surrounding this largest pool were a number of small pools that collected water from larger pools. About fifteen tunnels had been made high enough in the walls of the valley. Water flowed gently from the tunnels along the walls of the valley and collected in the larger pools. Small trenches linked the large pools to the small ones and passed on water from one pool to the next until it all ended up in the largest and centrally placed pool which amazingly never overflows. Surrounding each pool was a small fire comparable to the fire from a lighted candle except the large pool in the middle. After seeing this, Kaki ran towards her left. She returned with some large leaves and dashed quickly down the windy stairs that led to base of the valley. On her way she shouted, “Don’t watch. I am going to have a good swim… naked!” And she was serious. She dropped the leaves and started taking off her clothes once she descended the stair. Kiwakaazi immediately turned his back to her. ‘Naughty girl,’ he thought.

Kiwakaazi heard the splashing sounds of water. He turned and begun his slow decline into the valley. Some parts of the valley were simply dry land. He smiled hearing the sounds she made. She was very happy splashing away in the largest pool. She was giggling and shouting with joy. Something about her being relaxed and happy made him happy. Anyway, Kiwakaazi did not watch. He wanted to but he did not. Maybe he peeked a little but he did not watch. He surveyed the inside of the valley and spotted an entrance on the right side of the valley.

He walked slowly towards the entrance and entered it. It led him straight to the forest outside the valley. He wanted to follow the path and survey what was on the other side of the forest but stopped to think carefully first. This is Nhutudan — a part of Nomposuro he knows nothing about. The last thing he wanted was to be separated from Kaki. He turned and looked at her. She was still having the best time of her life. He thought, ‘She is really a girl after all.’

He walked back into the valley. She was still skinny dipping and showing her swimming skills; butterfly stroking, back stroking and breast stroking. She appeared ecstatic. Kiwakaazi had not seen her like that before. He sat to face this entrance. He will be on guard while she had fun. She needed it and he was not going to spoil it for her.

“So, from where should I start?” asked Anambre. “I know. I will tell you the story about a father and his rebellious son. I will take you to the very beginning of time,” said Anambre.