THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Jenak, Kaaziba Dedeli, Kiwakaazi II, and Yezar appeared in Vuiti (the capital city of Gbeleshie). This time, they appeared in the court of a ruler. Surprisingly, this ruler was Anambre — the white haired and blue eyed Gyaati (messenger of Akaani). Yezar was furious. He said, “Great ruler and son of Akaani (Nameless One). Is it not a rule that Gyaatis are not to interfere with the choices of men? So why did these two (pointing at Kiwakaazi II and his wife) interfere?”

Anambre was seated on a golden throne. He wore a golden crown and hanging around his neck was a long golden necklace. He rose to his feet and took a few steps forward. He said, “You are right, Yezar. They interfered. But they are beloveds of Akaani and I cannot reverse what has happened. Instead, I will give you three wishes or requests.”

Kiwakaazi was just lying there while Suome moved her arms around his body and kissed him. Suome moved to take off Kiwakaazi’s underpants when he pushed her off him. He rose from the bed and looked at Suome with anger. He said, “You may be beautiful. You may be seductive. You may be sexy and attractive. But I have no desire for you. You simply disgust me and now, all I see is an old, wrinkly and ugly woman. Suome turned to look into a mirror behind her and she saw exactly the woman Kiwakaazi had described as her reflection. She fell and screamed, “No, what have you done? What have you done to me?” Then she screamed, “No…!” before she started changing. She was undergoing kafushii (Stone mummification).

Inside Nananompofie, the kranjus were unhappy about something. They were supposed to raid earth and wreak havoc on it for a few hours. Kaazi Kiwakaazi II, the only man who could stop them was supposed to have been busy elsewhere. So where from this white and yellow streak of light? The streak of light came to save and they suspected it was Kaazi Kiwakaazi II. But that was not all, they were supposed to extend the destruction to the rest of the world but they could not leave the borders of Nanompofie (Central Empire) and worse, they could not leave the human suits they possessed. When they tried to leave the borders of the Central Empire, something forced them back in and the same thing happened when they tried to vacate the bodies they possessed.

Kiwakaazi stormed out of Suome’s room. He pressed his back against her door and whispered, ‘That was close.’ He sat down and wrapped his palms around his head. ‘What am I going to do now?’ he whispered to himself.

“I want you to give me power over the guanvibushi (plant of eternal health). From this day forth, we have all been trapped in human bodies and trapped in Nananompofie. We will live, age and eventually die like humans. If I have dominion over the guanvi (flower of life), I can grant myself and my soldiers’ immortality on earth until the appropriate time comes when we can escape and complete our work,” demanded Yezar. “It is done,” responded Anambre. Kaazi Kiwakaazi II and his wife did not like this agreement. It was too risky to hand the powerful plant over to Yezar (Ishfa’s son whom was proud).

Kiwakaazi entered Deila’s room. She was sleeping but opened her eyes when she felt her door open. She sat up immediately and lowered her head in shame. She lifted her head and with tears flowing down her cheeks and cried, “Kay, I am sorry. Please forgive me.” Kiwakaazi asked, “Why didn’t you just tell me? I would have understood. Why…?” He paused.

“This war we have been fighting since you first appeared in the three realms is to win Shosuma (Soul or Spirit Being). Many men and women died in Nananompofie this morning and many more will come to the forest either to destroy it or steal its treasure. They too will die. If we have not been defeated by the time your barrier is weakened, by the time we are free again, then the Shosuma of all the men and women, including the Gyaati and his wife who have died and will die in Nananompofie, will go to Ishfa (Time),” requested Yezar. Anambre said, “Accepted, you have one final request.”

 Deila could not look into Kiwakaazi’s eyes. “For a very long time now I have known how you feel about me, Kay. I see it in your eyes; in the way you look at me. In the way you look worried when I am in danger and how you fight to protect me. What Abra showed you is the truth. I first followed you because I thought you were Jenak. I followed you later because I believed he was Nompotse and I needed to see him again. But we have been through so much together. I don’t know when exactly or how it all happened. All I know is that I no longer follow you because you are Jenak or because I want to meet Jenak. I follow you because I care about you. I care so much that I think I may go insane or lose my life if anything bad should happen to you. You mean everything to me Kay. I feared that if I tell you the truth, you will not look at me the same way again. You will look at me like you are now. I just did not want to lose that look.” Kiwakaazi went close, sat on Deila’s bed and used his fingers to gently wipe away the tears on her cheeks and said, “Silly girl, there is nothing you can do to make me hate you because I love you, Deila.” She looked into his eyes. I don’t know what she saw but she smiled. Kiwakaazi moved his head towards her and she readied her lips for his kiss.

Kiwakaazi II’s eyes continued to glow until suddenly he whispered the words, “it is finished.” The glowing stopped and he died for the second time. Quaazi Selasi ordered for Kaazi Kiwakaazi II’s body to be freed from the rope around its neck. This time, nothing mysterious happened. One soldier held on firmly to the body while the rope was being loosened by another. Kaazi Kiwakaazi II’s body was placed gently on the earth. One of the soldiers who freed the body asked, “What should we do with his body, my lord?”

Ekuela appeared from nowhere and answered, “I will be taking his body back home. Thank you.” All the soldiers of Quaazi Selasi drew their weapons — basically automatic pistols and revolvers of different sizes and color — but before they could gun Ekuela down, he was gone — he disappeared into thin air.

Ekuela was very close to Kaazi Kiwakaazi II. He remembers the Kaazi once telling him to return his body home if he should die outside Nananompofie (Central Empire). All Kiwakaazi II wanted in life was to revive the Central Empire. It was his home and he loved it. He planned on spending the rest of his life in that empire and if he should die, he should be buried there too.

They appeared in Nananompofie. Ekuela said, “It was an honor to have served a great man like you.” Ekuela placed the sikan nufanum (now kafunde) on Kaazi Kiwakaazi II’s chest. He touched the earth and Kiwakaazi II’s body and the weapon slowly submerged. He rose to his feet and disappeared again.

Quaazi Selasi was shocked. He, like his predecessors, was not the spiritual type. He questioned his own beliefs after what he had seen. Maybe they do exist — people with unique powers. He should give it some consideration. Anyway, he was going to wait for a report from Nsatia.

Later in the day when everything was finally over, the brave warriors of Nsatia matched towards the border as instructed. On their way, they noticed a strange barrier around the Central Empire from where they approached. The barrier comprised pointy, oval shaped, convex white rocks. There were spaces between the rocks; dark spaces. Beyond the rocks all they could see were trees of different sizes, heights and shapes. One soldier asked his friend who matched next to him, “Has this wall always been there?” His friend shrugged; not sure if it had.

The chief of Nsatia, Nene Odoi, was leader of a small army totaling just about two hundred men. He led them on horseback. He asked his second in command, Nokofio, “When did this happen?” Nokofio whom also rode on horseback answered, “I have no idea.” “What do we do, now?” asked Nokofio.

“My final and most important request is for you and your kind (referring to Gyatis) not to interfere!” shouted Yezar. Anambre said, “But we do not. It is actually…” Yezar interrupted, “I do not want to hear your excuses!” “Fine, we will not interfere”, accepted Anambre. “But be warned. He will be coming,” added Anambre. Nompotse turned to Jenak and said, “We will be waiting for him.” He disappeared and merged with the guanvibushi. The plant submerged slowly into the soil.

While it submerged, the kranjus that had been killed were revived and Afranto communicated some bad news. The streak of light that came to Nananompofie and saved people was indeed Kaazi Kiwakaazi II and his wife. Not only did they save people but they also erected a barrier so powerful that Ishfa’s soldiers can neither escape their human bodies nor the forest. They will have to make do with life far away from their real homes. The homes they too love and want to return to. They will have to wait for not less than five hundred years and after that time, they will be free. This time, they will crush the world not just to blame Gyaatis but because of five hundred years of being angry.

The kranjus were creations of Ishfa (time). They loved their father and would do anything for him. They knew that without Shosuma (Spirit being), Ishfa’s realm will be empty. That is why they fought as hard as they could to win the war Dzani waged. But because of Kiwakaazi II they have failed their mission. And not only have they failed but have been imprisoned and will live and die like mortals. That name became the most hated name in Nomposuro. They hated the name that snatched victory from their grasps and imprisoned them in human bodies. If they should meet anybody bearing that name they will tear him up into shreds. “Kiwakaazi” became the most hated name in Nomposuro.

So when they heard another Kiwakaazi had come to Nomposuro they were angry. They were enraged. That name reminds them of failure — gargantuan failure and imprisonment. They wanted this new bearer of the name dead. Initially, he looked like the least threat Nomposuro will have to deal with. But he grew in strength, in power and in skill and now he has only two and a half gods standing in his way. Maybe it is three and a half but can they stop him?

Nene Odoi shouted “stop…!” His soldiers suddenly stopped. They were about a hundred meters in front of white evenly spaced convex and oval rock-like wall around Nananompofie. He turned his horse to face his soldiers. He rode from one side to the next and stopped in the middle. He shouted “Brave Nsatia!” His soldiers responded “for the love of our village!” He shouted again “brave Nsatia!” “For the love of our empire!” was the response this time. And for a third time he shouted “brave Nsatia!” His soldiers shouted “we are always prepared to die!” He dismounted his horse and said “which five of you are…?” before he could finish the question, five men have already stepped forward. Nene Odoi pointed to Nananompofie and said “show me just how brave you are?”

His five men carrying their guns initially in their arms like babies wrapped it behind them and started a race. They run as fast as they could. Two immediately took the lead and three tried to catch up with them. They were approaching it — approaching the mysterious barrier. Suddenly, the man in third place spread out his arms to stop two who were running behind him. They were all very close to the space between the oval, convex, rock-like wall around Nananompofie.

Nene Odoi strained his eyes and asked Nokofio, “What just happened?” Nokofio shook his head and replied, “The most mysterious thing I have ever witnessed. My lord Odoi, I suggest we retreat and report this to the Quaazi at once.” So the brave men of Nsatia returned to their homes while Nene Odoi and Nokofio alone journeyed to report what they had seen to Quaazi Selasi.

Kobie later reported that people believed to be from the Central Empire were in the West. He wanted to know how the Quaazi would want them handled. He also reported about the sudden return of Sakora. The Quaazi instructed that their guests from the Central Empire be welcomed. Homes should be prepared for them in villages close to the North and to the South. As for Sakora, he was to be debriefed. Unfortunately, Sakora remembered his plane crashing in Nananompofie. The rest was a blur. Western medicine could not restore his memory. Southern herbalists, Northern wise men and eastern priests could all not help any of the survivors on the day Nomposuro happened. So no one knew exactly what happened. All they could do was speculate.

Quaazi Selasi finally accepted the supernatural — it exists. His desire to understand the concept led to the discovery of a powerful relic, the Vuduwadu (Vudu’s cube), known elsewhere as the Wadunzifa (cube of time).

The forest started undergoing a few changes. The souls of the men and women who died in the forest entered a cave. They were crying. Their tears created a blanket of sparkling water at the entrance of the cave. Three circles appeared; one inside Dun-da (caves of darkness and home of the Shinkos); the second appeared in Nhutudan and the third appeared in Nomposomu. The three rivers and bridges formed and the budus swam in the rivers. Jenak’s head was last to disappear and before it did he spoke the words, “My plan eventually worked. I am bringing them all to you father. I promise.”

Anambre looked at Kaaziba Dedeli and said, “You have done well. But more work must be done. You know what to do.” She bowed before Anambre and disappeared. Her Shosuma (Soul or Spirit being) entered a lake inside Nomposuro and it became the Walanuntso. Finally, the forest we call Nomposuro has been formed.

Back to the present — or past while Kiwakaazi III was in Nomposuro: The gods met. Mayale asked, “Did it work?” Abra answered, “No, she is gone — Suome is gone.” Mayale shook her head. ‘This boy…’ she thought. Shutu asked, “How many more attempts do we have?” “Not many,” answered Mayale. Abra said, “I have one last card to play. Mayale remarked, “Let’s go all out, then.”