White Men In Black Skin

By G.K Njue

For God so loved Black People that He gave them Paradise in Africa which they turned into Hell. African politics and governments are nothing but dynasties of organized,foreign supported and sustained metamorphic criminal gangs, masquerading as faceless cartels, parasiting on zombiecally complacent, helpless masses. Less than one percent of Africans illegally own and control the entire wealth of Africa, while more than ninty nine percent of black Africans live in deplorable squalor cannibalizing one another. This is all what happened and happening.

• Language: English
• Publisher: G.K Njue
• Release date: Aug 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9789966804402

Book preview

Reigns

Part I

Origins of Black People

CHAPTER ONE

Legend has it that in the beginning, long, long time ago and somewhere far, far away in the Old Lands, when all human beings were of same colour and spoke same language, there lived a man called Nuhu. He had three very beautiful daughters. The oldest was called Asiana, the second was called Uropa, while the youngest was called Afrikania. His wife together with the entire population had perished in the devastating floods and the ensuing epidemics that struck the land. Nuhu and his three daughters miraculously survived the tempest by escaping to higher grounds with some livestock, which later multiplied into large herds. He grew crops besides grazing his large herds of livestock in the serene rolling plains.

His dedicated young daughters assisted him to till the land. He assigned specific roles to each daughter. To avoid the boredom of monotony, he occasionally rotated duties between them but made sure all were solely responsible and accountable of their respective roles. He had meticulously trained them to effectively and efficiently handle their chores. He was the overall overseer.

Uropa was responsible for all the food crops and flora, while Asiana was in charge of fowls and fauna, including other living creatures in the fields. Afrikania took care of the entire household, the homestead and all other domestic chores.

Nuhu usually woke up before dawn to go round the fields accompanied by a pack of his huge dogs, checking if all was well on the land. He would take some meals with him to eat while in the fields. He usually completed the field rounds after mid‑day and retired back to the homestead. Uropa and Asiana whose responsibilities were in the fields normally left home in the mid‑morning to return late in the evenings. Likewise they carried meals to take them through the day while working in the gardens.

Domestic work was overwhelming for Afrikania. She had to do most of the cooking, tidy up the house and the entire homestead. Her father would occasionally give a hand in the domestic chores whenever she had too much work. He was particularly fond of her because she was the youngest daughter. He spent most of the time with her at home after his routine fieldwork. Life in Nuhu’s household was very vibrant because everyone was busy occupied with various tasks.

The entire family rested after every seven days, to discuss family matters, offered sacrifices to the gods and attended to their personal needs. They were a very closely‑knit and cohesive family who freely and openly exchanged views and ideas on their lives and resolved any issues amicably through consensus.

Although the family was almost self‑sufficient, Nuhu occasionally travelled to distant lands looking for any floods’ survivors to trade his livestock for commodities that could not be produced on his land. In his expeditions, he also hoped to find and woo some prospective suitors for his fast maturing daughters. He also hoped and wished his daughters’ suitors would agree to settle on his prosperous land to carry on and sustain his family line. His daughters were maturing rapidly and he could sense some agitation and anxiety in their temperament. There was not a single man in the vicinity since the entire population, had been wiped out by the great floods with the ensuing epidemics and plagues.

Although Uropa was the second born, she assumed her father’s responsibilities whenever he was away. Nuhu had more confidence and trust in Uropa. She was reliable, dependable and honest. There was no significant age difference between the daughters. Asiana was older than Uropa by a year and three months while Asiana was older than Afrikania by just a year. Physically they looked the same age but had sharply distinctive characteristics, which prompted their father to assign them appropriate responsibilities.

Asiana, the eldest daughter was industrious, shrewd, crafty, sly and at times treacherously hypocritical. Besides being extremely jealous, selfish and mean, she had self‑esteem, drive and a sense of purpose.

She had a foul sense of humor, which made it difficult for others to predict her erratically explosive temperament at any particular moment.

Uropa, the second daughter was the man of the house to her father. She was dynamic, independent minded, dependable, industrious, innovative, forward looking and far‑sighted. She was generous and shared freely with others whatever she had. She displayed the unique ability to make impartial judgments and problem solving. Nuhu relied on her heavily.

Afrikania, the last‑born was strikingly beautiful. The jealous Asiana detested her. Afrikania was passive, easy going and a malingerer. She had no initiative, self motivation or sense of direction at all. She had to be guided and persuaded to perform her roles. She did not like to work. She just fulfilled her duties, not for results but to impress her father without any commitment or consideration for her sisters. She was self‑centered, callous and loved to be noticed and praised.

While Afrikania could not survive on her own, and despite her selfishness and insatiable greed, she relied on others for direction. Although she so much expected sympathy and help from others, she was never sympathetic but scornful. She attracted sympathy by feigning helplessness. To camouflage her wickedness and get others to perform her chores without asking, she had a natural talent in entertaining others to hilarious jokes and fascinating idle talk. Her high sense of humor and phony good nature was highly enhanced by her hypnotizing beauty, which spellbound and mesmerized her quarry.

In spite of her shortcomings, Nuhu was very fond of Afrikania who was also very fond of him. She would get very jealous and upset if any of her sisters caught Nuhu’s attention and affection. She had the advantage of being closer to her father due to her domestic and housekeeping roles.

Although Asiana and Afrikania tried their best to suppress it, both were indirectly competing fiercely over their father’s attention and affection. Uropa always intervened whenever she sensed her sisters’ competition for their father’s affection would degenerate and erupt into open hostility and confrontation. Uropa had confidence in her work and performance and therefore felt no need to strive for extra attention.

Nuhu could, however, observe some simmering feud between the two daughters. He always stemmed such hostility by switching roles between the two warring sisters. Afrikania detested fieldwork but had no choice but to abide by the family’s spirit of tirelessly working together for their common survival. Their prosperity as their father taught them depended on their personal contribution and dedication in whatever they did. Afrikania however, was not impressed by her sisters’ dynamism. She would at times scheme some mischievous faults to discredit her sisters. She constantly sought her father’s favors by falsely framing up her sisters. Nuhu usually wisely and subtly dismissed and ignored her mischievous maneuvers.

* * *

It was Asiana’s turn to take a break from the field and take up the domestic roles. Although she enjoyed looking after livestock, she welcomed the break with relief and looked forward to it. Afrikania was not excited to take up Asiana’s roles in the fields. She loved housework because she enjoyed the honey brew pilfered from her father’s casks whenever everyone was away in the fields. Nuhu brewed his own mead in wooden casks and flavored it with assortments of wild herbs. He had forbidden his daughters from taking any alcoholic beverages, but Afrikania had clandestinely learnt how to brew very potent honey wine by secretly observing the process from her father. Whenever alone at home, she would brew some and tuck it away in the thickets from where she would draw and consume as she performed her domestic chores. The liqour stimulated her spirits, boosted her energy and morale to perform her laborious house tasks. So, when her turn to work in the fields came she had to brew extra large quantities to smuggle to the fields. She was so dependent on the brew that she could hardly accomplish anything physical without it. No one suspected she consumed alcohol.

As she looked after livestock in the fields, drowsily sipping her mead under a cool tree shade, she wondered why her sisters wouldn’t indulge and partake in the things Nuhu forbade. She doubted if her sisters were as puritan as they pretended. She wished she could share the drink with Uropa, but Uropa won’t have anything to do with the illicit brew or any dishonest activities. If only she could trust Asiana, it would be a lot more fun to share the brew, but Asiana was too treacherous to trust. Life on the land had become socially dull since all the men and women were, wiped out by the floods and the plagues. Afrikania had a clandestine suitor before the floods came, with whom she shared the fun in the fields while looking after livestock. Her best companion now was the sweet aromatic honey wine, which provided romantic hallucinations and excitement. She missed men a lot.

* * *

Nuhu was a tall, muscular, strong and handsome man in his middle ages. He was so industrious that his prosperity multiplied year after year. His numerous stores were always full of food and other essential commodities. His herds of livestock were innumerable. He was a shrewd organizer. Uropa took after him both physically and acumen, and hence her leadership traits. He used to lead trade caravans to far away lands before the floods and the epidemics struck. He was also a fearless warrior.

Although the idea would faintly flicker in his mind, he at times mused with an idea of looking for a wife whenever he traveled to the far away lands looking for survivors. This idea would require very witty consultations with his rapidly maturing daughters, who were the fabric of his family and prosperity. He would dread a stranger to provoke and disturb the cohesion in the family. But the desire to take a wife was at times overwhelming. Just like his daughter Afrikania who suppressed her romantic anxieties with honey wines, Nuhu suppressed these wife obsessions with bouts of his powerful honey brews.

To test his family’s feelings about a foreigner joining them as a family member, Nuhu decided to tease Afrikania one day with the idea and observe her reactions and outbursts, which would to a greater extent represent her sisters’ feelings. Afrikania who was closely attached to her father never held any emotions back. She was naively frank and open towards Nuhu, especially where her interests were vexed. She would honestly speak her mind. Uropa would abide by anything that would please their father and therefore would not comment on such matters at all. The tactful Asiana would offer non‑committal vague comments, which would never represent any true opinion. Uropa and Asiana who had matured to young marriageable women were quite reserved and would not be free with such sensitive matters involving their father, due to their reverence towards him.

CHAPTER TWO

Nuhu was preparing to travel once again in search of survivors to trade his livestock, which had tremendously multiplied. He had to make sure everything was in order before he traveled so that Uropa would run the household without problems.

Afrikania had completed her turn in the fields and was to resume her homestead responsibilities. She was excited and anxious to replenish her brew, which had run out while in the fields. She had to pilfer her father’s brew before her liqour matured.

Her brew would help her overcome the boredom and stress during her father’s long absence.

They were both chatting happily as Nuhu packed for the long trip between swigs of his mead. Afrikania also secretly took sips of the pilfered brew as she cooked, which she had sneaked into the kitchen. They were both warming‑up to the potency of alcohol.

Nuhu jokingly told Afrikania that he would return with a bride to take her late mother’s place. He teasingly told her that he had already identified a lady in the far away lands, where he was going to negotiate the marriage. Afrikania who was getting tipsy pretended not to comprehend what her father had said. She did not respond even when Nuhu dwelt on the subject. He was surprised and disappointed by Afrikania’s indifference at the deliberately provocative discussion. But he knew she was full of surprises. He remembered with embarrassment a day she startled him by fondling his private parts smiling slyly but pretended to be unintentional. For a long time, Afrikania had loathed and dreaded any possibility of her father remarrying. She had jealously assumed her mother’s possessive affection towards her father. She often dreamed of romantic relations with her father and she was ready to grab such an opportunity if it arose. She also wished her father could harbour such romantic ideas. She fiercely admired and loved her father romantically but had no way of expressing it freely.

She stared at her father in disbelief as he spoke. His suggestion to bring a stranger in their midst felt like a treacherous betrayal and a stab at her back. Her mind momentarily went blank but alcohol soothed her fury.

Surprisingly she calmly advised Nuhu to seek Asiana and Uropa’s views before deciding to bring a stranger into their fold. Nuhu was even more surprised because he had never witnessed Afrikania offering such rational suggestions. He however, reassured her that he was just kidding. But her father’s insinuation to remarry had sent such shocking shudder in her mind that she instantly decided to stop her father fast and by any means from going on his trip lest he brought home a strange woman.

One early morning, Afrikania sneaked into the bushes carrying a large empty bag, a calabash and a sharp machete. Her late mother who was a renowned, skilled healer and herbalist had taught Afrikania the effects of all harmful and useful plants, animals, reptiles, insects and other living creatures.

In the bushes, she collected poppy seeds, flowers and leaves of hemp plants, chopped off pieces of bark from a blue‑gum tree and an assortment of roots, leaves, flowers and seeds of many other plants. She killed a toad, a giant chameleon, and a rattlesnake. She managed to cut the throat of a huge rodent for its blood, which she drained into the calabash. It was a hectic day because she did not want anybody to find out what she was up to.

Back at home, she put her collection in a cauldron to boil. She pricked her finger and dripped her blood in the boiling mixture. As the concoction boiled, she chanted and mumbled verses she had learned from her mother, holding a human skull and wore black hood as she performed black magic the way her mother had taught her. Her mother had warned her never to use black magic on relatives and friends. She drained the concoction in a container and buried the murky residue in the backyard where nobody could find it.

She was sure the dark brownish concoction with its pungent, acrid smell was potent. The charm would blend well and taste nice in the sweet honey wine.

Her mother had taught her how to make charms out of various concoctions for purposes such as curing diseases, treating snake bites, antidotes, love portions and even for poisoning enemies. Although love portion was not harmful, her mother had cautioned her that if wrongly prepared and administered it could cause severe mental damage turning the victim into an idiot or even a permanent zombie.

The charm she had already prepared was for taming straying and errant husbands. It was safe and suitable for dazing the mind. It also produced love sensations necessary to keep lewd husbands at home. According to her mother the characteristics of effective love portion was drowsiness, drunken behavior, hallucinations and a bit of confusion. Anyone under the spell of such substances could easily be manipulated because the mind worked very slowly. Her mother who used to supply such concoctions to other women had told her that love portions were women’s ultimate weapons of power, which made men stupidly vulnerable. She was proud to have successfully processed what she fondly called afrikania love portion.

Myth had it that poppy seeds produced hallucinatory effects in the mind, while the hemp flowers and leaves made the mind travel in paradise. Chameleon products slowed the mind to a chameleon pace. The rodent’s blood, the toad’s and rattle snake’s organs gave the concoction the necessary spell, while other ingredients of herbs, roots and barks of trees produced the necessary colour, flavour and taste. She smiled triumphantly at her pungent smelling concoction.

Nuhu stored his mead in large ancient casks inherited from his ancestors. Nobody knew the ages of the casks. Not even his late grandfather. Due to their age, the casks made liquour mature very well and fast. Within seven days he would set off on his long journey. He made enough brew to last him the entire return trip.

He was not an irresponsible drinker. He only took his brew after work. While traveling, he usually took swigs at intervals to rejuvenate vitality. Alcohol gave the body great impetus, enabling him to travel great distances without getting exhausted. He could not endure physical work without alcohol. His three camels and five donkeys were in good shape to travel while loaded to capacity with trade merchandise.

In his long absence, Uropa would be in charge, although it was the responsibility of every daughter to take care of her assigned roles. They had completed harvesting and stored away all the crops. They had also prepared the fields for the next planting season. There was not much work in the fields except looking after livestock. Nuhu usually traveled after all the fieldwork was done and to be back before the planting rains set in. He had confidence in his highly dedicated daughters and hoped he could find as highly dedicated suitors for them.

CHAPTER THREE

His liqour brewery and store was an isolated hut further from the main house. Afrikania who spent most of the time at home had furtive access to the liqour barrels in the store. She clandestinely sampled the contents of the barrels and precisely knew which barrels contained the best‑matured brew. The largest cask contained the best brew ever made by her father. It was the beverage Nuhu was to take in several calabashes on his long trip. The honey‑wine was so mature that it bubbled and foamed with gurgling and hissing sound. It emitted such overwhelming aromatic gasses that Afrikania could not resist scooping some in a goblet and took a long swig. Her whole body shuddered with sudden warmth as the alcohol instantly rushed in her veins. Her mind lit up as she drew some more and gobbled it at a go. She sighed with relief as she continued quenching her thirst. As she took the last swallow, she filled a large gourd for her later use. She replenished whatever she had drunk with the contents of other barrels so that Nuhu did not notice any deficiency in his favorite barrel.

As she was about to walk out, she pulled out a small container and emptied its contents into the barrel containing Nuhu’s best brew and stirred it with a long stick that he used to stir the brew as it fermented. She knew her father would sample taste the contents of that barrel first for maturity. She sneaked out of the liqour store unnoticed.

It was Nuhu’s tradition to consult the oracle before embarking on a long trip. It was half a day’s journey up the hills where the divine oracle dwelt. The oracle’s medium was an extremely old woman whose age no one knew, who lived in the dark caves, which were invested with vampires, rattlesnakes, cobras and giant black spiders up in the hills. Generations and generations had been consulting the oracle to tell their fortunes. No one was ever sure whether the obscure old woman was a human being or a ghost since she had been there for ages.

Nuhu woke up earlier than usual. He took with him a spotlessly white fat he‑goat, a cockerel, a calabash of his best wine and foodstuffs. He reached the caves in the mid‑ morning. He sat under the shrine tree and slaughtered the white cockerel. The shrieks of the dying cockerel brought the old woman out of the caves. She peered and grinned with glee. She rushed swiftly towards the smoldering sacrifice and without a word to Nuhu grabbed the goat and other offerings, then skulked back into the caves. Nuhu waited patiently. He was confident and satisfied that the offerings and libation had been accepted. He knew that the more acceptable the sacrifice the more accurate and reliable would be the soothsaying. The oracle had neither misled his ancestors nor himself. The oracle had accurately foretold the coming of the floods and the scorching plagues, which wiped out the entire population together with his parents and other relatives.

Sparsely dressed in animal skins, she glided out of the caves, sat on her ritual stone and listened intently, screened by some fog. It was impossible to discern her clearly. However, after intoning the spirits of his ancestors, the gods of the hills, and the gods of bounty, Nuhu explained that he was about to set out on a long mission and was beseeching the advice, wisdom, guidance and the blessings of the divine ones. The ageless soothsayer listened drowsily as Nuhu spoke in monotone as if in prayer. She rose with surprising agility and retreated into the caves as soon as Nuhu ceased talking.

She emerged once more from the foggy caves with disheartening tidings. She warned Nuhu of impending sinister happening and some disaster in his household. She implored him to return after seven days, by which time she would have traveled into the future to consult with the gods the cause of the impending disaster in Nuhu’s household. He was only to bring a large calabash of the strongest honey brew, a brown fat he‑goat without horns, two huge cockerels, one white and the other black.

For the first time, Nuhu doubted the soothsayer and was ready to defy her. It seemed she was just interested in eating his goats and poultry. He had no wish to consult the oracle again. He had to travel with or without the blessings of the gods, so as to be back before the planting rains set in. He could not wait for a week. He shook his head with disappointment and frustrations. He felt exhausted and stressed as he descended the hills. He was anxious to get home and relax with bouts of his best brew for consolation. He had never had such a depressing and disheartening visit to the oracle. His mind which was as foggy as the mist shrouding the oracle caves could only be cleared with long bouts of his most potent brew.

He did not wish his daughters to notice his sulky moods when he got home after midday. He therefore, headed straight for his liqour store. He badly needed a drink to quench his parching thirst, relax and clear his tense mind. He pulled a long wooden rod and stirred the bubbling contents of the largest barrel. The warm stinging smell of alcohol was so soothing and reassuring that his face beamed. He relaxed on his wooden stool and took a deep breath as he gulped the liqour. He wiped dregs of the brew from his mouth with the back of his hand between long swallows.

Nuhu usually drank his liqour from a large bull’s horn. The long and frequent use of the horn had made it develop qualities that made alcoholic drinks taste and smell rich.

Although he never drank irresponsibly, the frustrations caused by the old cave‑woman accelerated his intake of alcohol. He drank so fast that he got drunk very rapidly. He missed his father with whom he used to share the brew, chatting and singing folklores. He burst into one of such familiar folk songs as the alcohol took control of his mind. He laughed mirthlessly as he belched the song at the top of his voice. Uropa and Asiana were taken aback because they had never known their father singing and laughing at the same time so loudly. Nuhu felt the urge to invite his daughters for the drink. He felt unusually high and exuberant. After some more horn‑fulls of the brew, he lost track of where he was or what he was doing. His mind was blazing and swirling with wild hallucinations. The world was turning round and round and the ground shifted under his feet. He felt terrified. He was not in control of his faculties anymore. Suddenly he was enveloped in pitch darkness.

Before he blacked out, he felt a great urge to go to sleep. He therefore stripped naked ready to go to bed but vaguely realized he was still in the liqour store. Forgetting to put on his garments, he staggered out of the liqour store headed for his main house, stark naked.

Uropa and Asiana were busy in the house preparing meals, since Afrikania who was supposed to be cooking had cunningly malingered, to spy on her father. She was the first to notice her father staggering and wobbling towards the house naked. The sight of her nude father swaying helplessly, waving his hands like a clown struggling to walk, obsessed her with wild amusement. She burst into some delirious mirth and ran out gesturing at her naked father. She screamed with crazy amusement when her father stopped momentarily as if electrified and started pissing staring and grinning at her. She felt a mischievous desire to hug and fondle her nude father surge through her body.

She wished her sisters had not yet returned home from the fields. This would have been a good opportunity to seduce her confused father. She had also consumed so much alcohol that she was totally intoxicated. She screamed wildly as she laughed.

Uropa and Asiana wondered what made Afrikania so hilarious. They ran out to find out what was going on. They were horror ‑stricken when they saw their naked father staggering towards the deliriously laughing Afrikania. They were momentarily gripped in a trance. The nude Nuhu collapsed into Afrikania’s outstretched arms, but they both crushed down with Nuhu falling on top of Afrikania, due to his massive weight and size. Afrikania was thrilled as she pushed away his body to slither from his weight. Asiana was impulsively amused by the unusual drama and chuckled. She felt guilty of some sort of incest taboo and sacrilege to have witnessed her father’s nudity.

As if freed from some hypnotic trance, Uropa realized her father was not well and needed help. She rushed into the house, took some cloak, put it on her shoulder, walked backward with her face turned the other way to avoid seeing her father’s nakedness. She covered his writhing body with the cloak without looking at him.

She called Asiana who was hiding in the house ashamed of laughing at their helpless father’s nudity. Both weeping, they carried their father to his bed. Afrikania, panting and exhausted with laughter, was visibly disappointed at the disruption of the fun.

Asiana and Uropa nursed their foaming father who was groaning and writhing with convulsions and concussions. They gave him cold milk and a lot of water to induce vomiting. They were sure it was not ordinary liqour that had put him in that state. They suspected he might have accidentally swallowed some poison. They did not sleep that night trying to calm him down and keep vigil. They prayed for daylight to come without his condition deteriorating. He did not regain full consciousness that night. He incoherently mumbled urging his daughters to take him to the oracle.

After two days of seizures, convulsion and confusion, he asked Asiana to fetch some wine to relieve his blinding headache and dizziness. Uropa almost restrained Asiana fearing the liqour might make his improving condition worse. Asiana rushed to the liqour store and filled a calabash with the adulterated brew. Nuhu slid into a coma soon after swallowing the brew. The effect of the liquor was so devastating that even Afrikania regretted adulterating the liquor.

CHAPTER FOUR

The whole family congregated at the oracle’s caves after he fully recuperated under his daughters’ tender nursing. Nuhu brought the biggest of his bulls and a large calabash of wine. Asiana brought a fat lamb that had a very fat tail. Uropa brought a fat ram, foodstuffs and some fragrance. Afrikania brought very huge white cockerel, some eggs and a big he‑goat. The family had to offer a lot of sacrifices to appease the divine ones. A bad omen had befallen the family. Nuhu had almost died from his own liquor. His mind was not working normally anymore. He suffered bouts and spells of mental blackouts. He could not coherently coordinate his thoughts. He spoke with slurred stammer like a drunken person. His body had lost strength. He felt impotent with fatigue. He was not the same strong Nuhu anymore. He felt life would not be the same again. He was sure the oracles had some explanations.

He could not understand how he stripped naked and walked towards his daughters. He was sure some demon had laced his liquor with some deadly substance. But he could not imagine how that could have happened. Nevertheless, one thing was certain: there was something ominous in the brew.

Nuhu had brought samples of the liquor to the oracle for foretelling. The whole family presented itself to the oracle for cleansing, and repentance of any wrongdoings. They were all intoning facing the caves awaiting the ageless woman to appear. They had slaughtered the fattest ram and put the meat on fire. They had to feast on the meat and let the remnants burn into ashes. The whole hilltop was engulfed in smoke and the appetizing smell of the roasting mutton. It was a day of feasting, sacrifice and offerings.

The old woman peered through the thickets at the cave entrance. She grinned at the offerings. She said to herself This is a great day! I must get down to some serious business. She had not tasted meat for some time. Good offerings were rare since the population perished in the floods. She brought out all her regalia and other articles of her trade to instill awe and fear. She sat on her ceremonial stone and listened intently, looking piercingly at the drawn faces before her. Nuhu’s daughters had traditionally hooded their heads and faces in black veils. Afrikania felt some cold shiver of guilt. She had caused all this commotion by lacing Nuhu’s liquor with concoctions.

She felt that although her intentions were good, the results were devastating and disastrous. She was extremely apprehensive. Nuhu stood up and faced the soothsayer.

Oh soothsayer, the prophetess of our creator, the divine one, we summon you to help us! We have come before you with a lot of problems. The evil spirits have struck our family. When I came to consult with you last time oh prophetess! You warned me to visit you before proceeding on my intended journey. I defied and disobeyed you. For this, I repent oh guardian of the oracle!

"When I reached home oh prophetess, I was tired and needed to relax with some wine. I brew my liquor with my own hands oh great one. As soon as I drank what I considered enough and sensible, terrible things possessed me. I became blind and was not myself anymore. My head does not think properly. At times I cannot even remember my name. My body has grown weak and tired. Even my sight has failed, oh guardian of the shrines. The way you see me now oh omnipotent! I am not the same person you saw seven days ago. My whole body and mind have undergone some transformation. I feel as if I am insane.

Bad omen has befallen my daughters because they saw me naked. It was neither their intention nor their fault. The devil stripped me naked and threw me out of the liquor store, and struck me unconscious! Oh, omnipresent! We come to the oracle to seek cleansing and blessing through your intervention oh, prophetess! Nuhu concluded.

He strode forward and handed the sample of the wine to the old woman. He was sweating profusely with exhaustion. He felt thirsty, but he could only drink milk because he was highly suspicious and afraid of his honey‑brews. The wine had almost killed him but he could not visualize why and how. Nevertheless, he was certain the oracle would come out with a definite answer and solution.

They helped the old woman put all the offerings at the cave entrance. She never allowed anyone beyond the cave entrance. After the ceremony was over, the oracle through the ageless woman demanded them to return the following day. They were instructed to wash themselves clean that night. The daughters were to come the following day dressed in spotlessly clean white garments. They were to wear some fragrance. They were also to bring some sweet smelling herbs to burn at the shrine. They were to appear exceptionally clean before the Creator. Nuhu was to dress in red robes and a red skullcap. He had to apply some ram oil all over his body. For the sacrifice, the family had to bring a black male dog and three spotlessly white he‑goats. Nobody should eat or drink anything that morning.

The family retreated home and ate heavily that night, to face the Creator the following day. The oracle would foretell the cause of the problems plaguing the family. They all went home relaxed and slept very soundly that night except Afrikania who suffered some strange anxiety and stress.

* * *

As they approached the oracle hill the following day, the whole hill appeared to be on fire. It blazed and roared with thunder and lightning. Terrified wild animals bolted from the hills to safer grounds in the valleys below. Frightened birds took flight into the distance. Nuhu and his daughters trembled with fear and awe as they approached the hill carrying their offerings. Their favorite huge black dog proudly and faithfully followed close behind wagging its bushy tail, with its oversize shiny testis protruding and dangling between its hind legs. Its long reddish tongue stuck out its gaping mouth dripping with saliva. The dog had never travelled that far from home. The shrine tree shone and twinkled with multicolored lights like a huge Christmas tree. It was a sight to behold.

The shrine under the tree where sacrifice rituals were performed had undergone some eerie transfiguration. Some four white stone stools were arranged in a semicircle, with the bigger stool a short distance from the others. There were some weird mist and glowing light at the cave entrance. Nuhu and his daughters sat transfixed gazing at the awesome marvel. He sat on the bigger stone a distance from his daughters. He had never witnessed such marvel in his entire life, nor had his father ever talked of any transfigurations in the hills. Nuhu who knew the rituals recited some prayers. He beckoned his daughters to the altar where they slaughtered and roasted the fattest goats. They were allowed to break their overnight fasting. The sweet smell of roasting mutton filled the hills. They feasted heavily as they waited for the ancient woman to appear. ‘Faith’, the black dog, ate so much meat it could hardly breathe. It was very excited as it lay panting loudly under the huge tree sticking out its long watery red tongue. They let the leftovers burn to ashes after offering the libation.

After they rested enough and to the dog’s surprise, they tied the dog’s legs and started thrashing and clubbing it so hard and mercilessly with clubs that it’s loud yelps and yaps echoed through the hills. It seemed to wonder what had gone so wrong to deserve such a beating. Mythically a dog’s cry dispelled evil spirits. The family was supposed to kill it by beatings without spilling its blood. They felt pity as it stared at them as if wondering why the only friends it knew had suddenly turned against it. Uropa wept at the dog’s pathetically pleading looks and yells as they repeatedly struck it. At times it cried like a human being in terrible agony. Although it was their favorite dog, it had to be sacrificed because it was the only black one. It had to die of its color to please the gods. As they beat it to a pulp, its last prolonged deathly yells, which sounded unusually loud, scared off some vampire bats out of the caves, which took flight into the horizon.

Suddenly, an apparition of a human face with long flowing gray beards and large fiery eyes appeared in the black ominously hanging massive clouds. It swirled staring menacingly at them. Nuhu and his daughters cowered at their stools. Nuhu was only used to the old woman but had never before seen the awesome face of a god.

As they froze on their seats, a thunderous voice boomed from the ghostly cloud, followed by streaks of brilliant lightning. The whole valley shook.

I am god your creator, the highest god, the giver and the taker. I created the entire universe, which includes heavens and earth, with all the things in them. In heaven, there are many gods who are my assistants, each responsible for a particular aspect of life. The heavenly angels are my messengers. Satan, who used to be my deputy rebelled against me and escaped to hell, which used to be part of the universe. He escaped with many angels and lots of my power and knowledge that I had entrusted him. He is my only competitor. He is responsible for death and all evil things, diseases, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, droughts, famines, wars and all calamities. He destroys my creations, including good human beings. He manifests himself in everything, including human beings. The devils and demons who used to be my angels are his messengers. I have tried to capture him but he is very elusive. God is goodness and Satan is evilness. I live in heaven, a place of joy, while Satan lives in hell a place of sorrow. I created the human beings in my image to occupy the planet Earth. I endowed the human beings with adequate intelligence, knowledge and strong free willpower to withstand Satan’s manipulations. Therefore human beings are accountable and responsible for their righteous actions, thought, words and deeds! The voice echoed with a guffaw.

When I was busy in another part of the universe, Satan sneaked down on earth and destroyed the entire human race that had taken me an eternity to create. Some of my angels, who were on patrol, were just on time to save you and your daughters from the satanic forces of floods and the epidemics. There are no other survivors on earth. You are the only living human beings in the entire world. That is why I have assigned some of my angels to guard you and your daughters against Satan. I was even in the process of creating suitors for your daughters to reproduce a pure human race. But cunning Satan is so cleverly shrewd and at times so powerful that he has infiltrated your family and manifested himself in some of you. Unfortunately, once Satan manifests himself in a human being, that person turns into an incorrigible demon and becomes a danger to other human beings. The alternative is either to get rid of that human being or remove the person from the midst of others. Persistent confessions and repentance, followed by sacrifices to gods, at times can cleanse and redeem a human being from the vice of Satan. The voice bellowed menacingly.

Without prejudice, I am ready to give you a chance by inviting every one of you to come forward, to genuinely confess and repent all the wrongdoings committed either in thoughts, words or deeds. Don’t hide anything from the gods because the gods know whatever is in your hearts and mind. The more you lie to the gods the more you anger them and hence the harsher will be the judgment. The floor is now open for your confessions and repentance before your god. Make it quick because I have to go to another world, to attend to some more havoc caused by the villain Satan. I am now listening!

There was deathly silence, as Nuhu and his daughters looked at one another in confusion. Nuhu shot up and stepped forward, just to encourage his daughters to say something to the creator.

Oh creator of heaven and earth, the most awesome god and god of other gods, oh master of life and death! My name is Nuhu, your simple servant. Let me take this opportunity to thank you and other gods for the bounty of everything I own, starting with my daughters, abundant foods, livestock and other animals, including ‘Faith’, my favorite dog, which we have just sacrificed to you oh god! I thank you for everything you have given me including wisdom, especially of brewing the best liqour. I thank you! We are here before you today oh divine one because I almost died after drinking the brew made with my own hands. You are right oh god, when you say that Satan has infiltrated my family. My brew seems to be haunted because whenever I taste it, it threatens to kill me. There are demons hiding in the liqour. On behalf of my daughters, and as far as I know, we toil and sweat for whatever we eat. We live in total harmony and any minor differences between us are just human and nothing serious oh god. We need deliverance, redemption and cleansing oh god. That is all I beseech thee, oh mighty one! Nuhu concluded, bowed and stepped back to his seat.

His daughters were so awe‑stricken that they were just frozen in their seats. Nuhu looked at them approvingly to step forward and say something. Impulsively, Uropa stepped forward and implored the gods.

Oh most mighty god, creator of our forefathers, we are before thee today because we have either knowingly or unknowingly sinned against thee, by thoughts, words or deeds. I beseech thee oh god because we have tried our best to live by your covenants, which you handed our forefathers and taught to us. We show our reverence and faith, by offering our best sacrifices to you oh god. We love our father Nuhu. We are faithful to him and obey his teachings. If we have not lived to your expectations oh god, we seek your forgiveness and guidance. That is what I beseech thee oh creator! After Uropa concluded, and stepped back to her seat, there was chilling silence.

Asiana’s mind was blank. She did not know what to say or how to say it. She was aware she was not perfect because her mind had always been dominated by some unexplainable emotions of hatred, suspicion and hostility towards others. She did not wish to expose her inner feelings to others, but at the same time did not want to risk the wrath of the gods by concealing her dominant unbecoming attitudes. She reluctantly rose and stepped forward.

Oh most high god, we have sinned against thee in thoughts, words and deeds. I today confess that Satan had crept into my heart. I feel jealous of my sisters. I am hostile towards my sisters. I have not been very honest. Although I love our father Nuhu, at times I thought he did not love me as much as he loves my sisters. I ask your forgiveness, oh creator!

She tactfully concluded knowing that with such subtle general statements, she would escape the wrath of the gods. She decided some things are better not said in the presence of others.

Nuhu apprehensively noticed god shaking his head with disappointment and stroking his long flowing beards with his mighty hairy hand. Nuhu was filled with concern and horror. He suspected Asiana had concealed something serious. He almost shouted at her to go back and tell it all, but refrained. He dreaded losing any of his daughters to the gods’ wrath. He wished Afrikania could step forward and say something satisfactory to the gods. He knew without doubt that they were facing the doomsday. Oh yes, the day of personal judgment, according to what every individual heart and mind contained and concealed, without shared responsibility and accountability. He feared for his daughters.

Finally, to Nuhu’s great relief, Afrikania shot up like someone from some deep trance. She displayed neither fear nor remorse. She gave god such stunningly electrifying smile that god almost smiled back but quickly realized he was staring at Satan’s face in Afrikania. Satan was deeply embedded in her. God looked at her and marveled at the beauty, aura and power that Satan had bestowed on her. She possessed Satan’s full powers. While others could not stand god’s brilliance, she stared god straight in the eyes and almost mesmerized him with her hypnotic beauty, a perfect den of Satan.

To paralyze Satan’s presence in her, he summoned some other three gods to be on stand by, just in case Satan turned combative. Heavenly angels swirled and streaked in the skies brandishing their blazing fiery swords, ready for combat with the devils. There was red alert all over the universe. At last, god was confronting Satan face to face manifested in the young girl and hoped to capture him. The skies around the hills were enveloped in some darkness except for the bright angels streaking in the skies with their blazing swords lashing. Nuhu who occasionally stole a glance at the skies wondered what had transpired. Afrikania was unperturbed. When she spoke, her arrogant voice was as sharp