Resumo de Face To Face Encounter With Witchcraft

FACE TO FACE ENCOUNTER WITH WITCHCRAFT
I stared in amazement as the events unfolded before my eyes; a live tortoise, a blood stained jelly-like substance, an old pipe that had stripes on it, a miniature mirror, some kola nuts, alligator pepper, and hen?s feathers were removed from the calabash that had just been dug from the spot which the dying witch ?Nana Mariama Fatai? had pointed. These are besides items found at the cross-roads at Ajanta Square in Miniajuwu district of the town.

Nwanchiaku, the beautiful betrothed gift wife of king Futu had been accused by Esiej Uwim, the renowned witch hunter of being a witch; that she had tied the womb of queen Murrihna, the king?s most senior wife using spiritual means and so had rendered her childless. Queen Murrihna as I confirmed later, had been married to king Futu for seventeen years and had no child to show it. The kind had thirteen children from his two younger wives so her barrenness couldn?t have been his fault.

Eighteen year old Nwachiaku had been living in the place since she was a few months old after having been given to the king as a gift wife at that tender age by her clan (the kinsi clan) in the kingdom. Esiej Uwim had been invited to find a cure to the queen?s childlessness and she on arrival at the palace, sighted Nwachiaku and her eyes which assumed an inexplicable gleam were fixed on Nwachiaku. Then she swayed backwards and forwards, gasping as she muttered inaudible words wit h her gaze still on Nwachiaku. Suddenly she stopped and ordered her to follow her into the king?s court to meet the queen. Nwanchiaku obeyed. While both women exchanged pleasantries, Nwanchiaku dashed out and ran to her room. Esiej called her out and asked her to go back and bring out what she had hidden. Nwanchiaku denied hiding anything. Then Esiej Uwim took the girl and the royal couple into her room and again repeated her order. In response, Nwanchiaku trembled and swayed as if about to fall. Then she started removing the odds and ends on her bed until only the pillow and mattress were left. Then she stopped and then Esiej burst out ?I say bring it out? Nwanchiaku then lifted up the pillow and lo, a huge father python was neatly coiled up with it?s massive head raised as if ready to attack. Queen Murrihna fainted immediately and was taken to her chamber to be attended to. King Futu stared speechless.

Esiej then ordered the young woman to carry the snake out for all to see and to walk to the exact spot where she buried her divination pot so that they would dig it out and free her (Nwanchiaku) from witchcraft. Items removed from the spot under the Ukwa tree standing at the centre of the palace included a dry Okra, a blood-stained object, white chalk, a dead black cat all housed in a huge black pot that was covered with black linen and tied with a black string. Nwanchiaku claimed that the blood-stained object was the queen?s womb which she had removed from her body and buried in the soil so that she wouldn?t have babies.

After Nwanchiaku?s exorcism, Queen didn?t still get pregnant and so Esiej Uwim was called in again. As usual she acted as if possessed and poured some schnapps to the ancestors and good spirits of the land, she then sprinkled holy water as she ran round the palace with her seven female virgin attendants following. We watched as she stopped and started shouting ?it?s here??. It?s here?? it?s gone over there? the thing in the ground was changing position, in fact I felt the ground under my feet vibrating. She indicated another spot and immediately circled it with a line and ordered the virgins to dig.

They tried to dig but they could not, Nana Mariama Fatai the queen?s elder sister living in the palace had unknown to them fastened the soil on the spot using her powers. When they almost succeeded she appeared and started begging them not to remove it. That if they did she would die then she pointed at another spot and they dug it. The items recoveredare as stated at the beginning of this story. After her death, the previous spot was dug and was found to contain an old bottle which Esiej Uwim revealed was the unity and strength of all witches in the town. It was destroyed and they all died.
Before her death, she confessed that she was the local queen of witches, that she initiated Nwanchiaku when she was seven months old and had sent her to snatch the queen?s womb. She also confessed several other atrocities she had sent her subjects and had herself participated in in the land. She admitted that she was a sadist and did not want anybody to prosper.

Queen Murrihna was delivered of a set of male twins nine months later. There was great feasting in the land. In spite of her barrenness, queen Murrihna was no doubt truly loved by king Futu but he had had to marry other women to give him children. The king threw a party and proclaimed a week-long holiday for the kingdom. After their birth, she had five other children. These things I witnessed. I had come face to face with witchcraft.

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