THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Both Kiwakaazi and Deila were exhausted. Even as a rahasi (guardian of hell), Kiwakaazi was out of breath. Whenever Kaki wouldl change her face back to human she too would be seen sweating and panting. They had to find a way to defeat this dwarf before they died from exhaustion.

The battle field was now littered with many tigers and lions; more than twenty of them each. It was a risk the young intruder and his princess had to take. Kun-tun-kunu was proving difficult to kill. They hoped with more of the cats around, their chances of killing him will improve.

Young Zeeta stood before a large castle made of light. He made it. He made it to the afterlife. The gates of the castle were opened and a man shining ever so brightly welcomed him. This same man had pink hair and blue eyes. His skin was like a million particles of light. It was difficult to tell which skin color he wore. He led Zeeta into a room where many people sat in silence. These people also had different appearances. Their bodies were made up of many tiny particles of light. Their hairs were golden and their eyes were blue or green or some other color. Sitting amongst these people was Kaazi Kiwakaazi I; Zeeta’s father.

Kaazi Kiwakaazi I asked his son to join him. Zeeta closed his eyes and opened them after some time. He exclaimed, “Alaami (Eternal Home of Peace) is beautiful, father! I want to return to it!” Kaazi Kiwakaazi I smiled and answered, “Yes, when you are ready you will return. There is someone you must meet first.”

Zeeta met his friend. He hugged him. Zeeta asked, “How are you, Hatata?” Hatata answered, “I am very fine thanks to your parents. Here, I am treated like a prince. Everything belongs to them. Everyone respects them. Even the lord of this entire realm bows before them.” Zeeta was overwhelmed with joy. His parents were right all along. They were keeping Hatata safe in the afterlife. He journeyed many times to the afterlife to meet Hatata. With time, he became more interested in visiting Alaami more than his friend. And when his father died, he not only ascended the throne of Nananompofie (Home of the Ancient Ones) but also succeeded his father as Gyaati (messenger).

According to the Gyaatis, journey to Alaami was not at all easy. It was like travelling to a very, very far away country. One must first leave the mortal world and enter Vuiti (Capital of Gbeleshie). From Vuiti, the Spirit or Soul after many years of discipline enters Duiti (Home of Time) and will only leave Duiti after crossing the fiery valley and passing through the eye of the needle. Crossing these almost impossible barriers will lead the Spirit or Soul into Rusa (Home of Light) and then from Rusa, the Soul can reach Alaami (Eternal Home of Peace).

Zeeta taught many people how to reach Alaami but many of the people he taught died early. They could not reach Alaami before leaving this world. The Gyaati (Messengers of Knowledge) believed that leaving the mortal body before reaching Alaami makes it very difficult for the Soul or Spirit to enter the Eternal Home of Peace because these regions are more beautiful and the temptations are more difficult to overcome. Zeeta knew this. He one day locked himself up in his prayer room. He went on his knees and placed his elbows on a table and prayed. He entered the spirit world, the same castle where he first met his childhood friend, Hatata. Many Souls had come to welcome him. Anambre, Akaawe (Akaani’s sixth son), Kudi (Anambre’s successor), Kaazi Kiwakaazi I and his wife; basically all the great teachers and advocates of Anambre’s teachings were present.

Zeeta stepped forward and bowed before all the sages, priests, seers and the sons of Akaani (The Infinite One) present. He prayed to them all because something troubled him. The life span of the average human being was too short to accomplish the task of acquiring the ultimate knowledge on earth; knowledge about how to gain peace when death finally comes knocking. He has entered the spiritual realm only as a poor servant of Akaani (Nameless One) and his chosen ones to grant him power so that, those who accept the message of knowledge can live longer to accomplish this task.

This proved to be a very grand request indeed. The Gyaatis, the sages, the seers and the sons of Akaani were all silent for a while. Then Akaawe submitted his opinion about this request. He said, “I understand your plight. Akaani suffers from love and all those he touches also suffer from this same disease. But what you are asking for is not possible. The gifts of Akaani do not discriminate between the sinner and the righteous. It is free for men, animal, plants and even the unseen organisms of His universe. Besides if Ishfa (the trickster or time) should find out about this, he could use it to his advantage. The blessing of Akaani may end up becoming a curse upon all His creation.”

Zeeta’s father, Kiwakaazi I said, “I have seen many great men and women trapped in the lower realms struggling to break free from Ishfa’s elaborate web. His traps are difficult to break indeed and that is why the Shosuma (Soul or Life) must succeed while on earth before the final departure. I side with Zeeta on this one.”

A wise man spoke: “Everything is in Akaani’s Will. Trying to alter the life span will only imply that Akaani does not have a plan to deliver his captives from his son, Ishfa (Time).” “But that is wrong. Every thought, word and action of a Gyaati is inspired by Akaani. Perhaps this is His Will,” argued another.

Akaawe shouted, “Enough!” He looked the way of Anambre and asked, “Dzani, you see all things. You know everything. What should we do?” Anambre smiled and answered, “The good father gives whatever the son asks for. This request of Zeeta must be honored.”

Zeeta knelt before Akaawe who rested his right palm on the young Kaazi’s head. Zeeta got up, thanked them all and returned to the living world. Zeeta was a man whom loved plants especially flowers. He had a garden where he collected some rare and beautiful flowers. When he returned from his spiritual journey, he entered his garden. He was accompanied by two bodyguards and a servant; a boy he treated like a son. Kaazi Zeeta bent over beside a plant. This plant was green, slender and had a single bud at the apex. It had grown barely ten centimeters above ground level. The boy asked, “What plant is this?” Kaazi Zeeta answered saying, “This is the guanvibushi (plant of eternal health) the bearer of the guanvi (the flower of life).”

After about a month, the plant grew taller and matured. It had a slender and long green stem. Sitting on top of the stem were three leaves with three distinct colors; green, orange and pink. And sitting on top of the leaves were five white petals, the stamen and pistil of the flower. The plant’s effect was felt all over the world. If the average life span of human beings at the time was between sixty to seventy years, the presence of the guanvibushi increased it to about between a hundred and a hundred and twenty years. However, the people living inside the Central Empire lived longer and healthier lives. They could live for as long as two hundred years. You ask why? Well, imagine you open a bottle of strong perfume. Those closest to the perfume enjoy its fragrance more than those further away from it. This was exactly how the guanvibushi and the guanvi worked. It produced fragrance that was life itself.

With this plant around, many of those who wholeheartedly accepted the teachings brought into the world by Anambre were able to reach Alaami. Rumors of a plant that makes people live longer reached every corner of the world. This attracted many more people to Nananompofie. Emperors, Kings, chiefs, rich men, wise men, knowledgeable men, priests and priestesses from the world over came to gain power to live long and healthy lives. Zeeta welcomed everyone; Zeeta shared the truth with all. The condition he gave them for acquiring the knowledge too long, healthy lives was to spend some time learning how to awaken the Shosuma (Spirit or Soul) within under his tutelage. Some who were eager to live healthy lives did exactly as instructed only to later abandon the quest for long life on earth. The Shosuma is immortal and immortality can only be enjoyed in Alaami. These people abandoned their desire for long life on earth. They were ready for death when and how ever it will come.

The Western Empire since its inception had been trying to find the formula for long life on earth. What is the use of having many beautiful things if you will enjoy it only for a fleeting moment? One of their Quaazi’s, Quaazi Rolala assembled his best researchers and tasked them with finding a cure to death. This was a high and top secret research they called “Project White sparrow” and this happened some years after Kaazi Zeeta had died.

Project white sparrow failed and the Quaazi was furious. He was going to execute all the researchers for being incompetent. One of the researchers stepped forward and suggested to the Quaazi that he had heard rumors of a plant in the Central Empire that possessed the power to guarantee long healthy life. These rumors had reached the Quaazi too. But he, like the Quaazi’s before him was a man of science. He had no time to entertain unreliable religious beliefs.

Sitting on his throne, he sighed and decided to give them a second chance. “But failure will surely spell doom,” he warned. A team of a few scientists and best soldiers were assembled. Their mission if they were to accept and of course they accepted, was to infiltrate the Central Empire; confirm the presence of a mysterious plant and ascertain the efficacy of this plant. A full report was submitted to Quaazi Rolala. He read a few lines and opened his eyes wide. He appeared shocked. He flipped to the next page and to the next, and, read a few more lines. “Impossible!” exclaimed the Quaazi.

Kiwakaazi and Deila were panting. Their bodies were covered in sweat. They both lay on the ground looking up at the sky. Their heads touched and they positioned their bodies such that, their legs faced opposite directions.  Not far away from them was the dwarf turned into a statue. Deila turned and lied on her stomach. She looked at Kiwakaazi’s forehead. Then she asked, “How did you know?”

Kiwakaazi explained: “Remember that before we killed one of the two dwarfs, you hurled a tiger at the dwarf. The dwarf could have killed the tiger but opted to leap over its pet. Initially, I thought his plan was to avoid being killed by the large cat. However, I saw the second and surviving dwarf pull out of killing two tigers at the eleventh hour. He contorted his body during one of these attacks and sustained minimum injuries. That was when I formed a second theory.

“This theory says that, the second way to kill the dwarf is to force him to kill his creations.” Deila was nodding excitedly at his explanation. She did not notice this but he did. She just admires this man’s keen sense of perception and level of thinking.

So first, Deila using her shinko form attacked the defense of the dwarf. She scattered the lions and tigers. Kiwakaazi quickly appeared and whisked the dwarf away separating him from his defense. He cut the dwarf strategically around his feet to immobilize him. The fourth dwarf was on his knees. Kiwakaazi stood right behind him. The lions and tigers only circled Kiwakaazi and their master. They never attacked. The dwarf shouted, “You are wasting your time. They will not attack. They know what you are planning.” Kiwakaazi remained silent. Then, he grabbed the dwarf and disappeared with him.

Before Kiwakaazi disappeared, Kaki was busy fighting three lions and three tigers off. She was standing on two feet and was surrounded. The six large cats paced around her until suddenly, they all pounced on her at the same time. She swung her right arm and then her left arm in quick succession. She was able to punch four of the large cats; three lions and a tiger but two tigers got her. One bit her right and the second bit her left shoulder. They scratched her back and tried to push her to the ground.

She grabbed the one on her left with her right hand and threw it away before grabbing and throwing the one on her right. Kiwakaazi appeared and drove the sharp claws of the dwarf through the back of one of the flying tigers and let go of the dwarf. The dwarf wore a genuinely surprised expression. He did not count on Kiwakaazi figuring that out. Yes, Kiwakaazi had figured out the second way to kill Kuntunkunu — by forcing the dwarf to kill his pets.

All the lions and tigers turned to dust instantly and the right time, too, if I may add. Kaki had been bitten and the other four cats she punched were already on their feet and were attacking her. They disintegrated before they could harm her and they would have harmed her. The fourth dwarf, another short creature, turned into a stone mummy in very short time.