Mental Agony

By Isaac Benjamin

Mental Agony is a fiction based on some old family values and challenges in the early 70s. The book has a traditional setting that discusses old practices that are now outlawed. Amuko Community was beset by a catastrophic fire incident caused by some miscreants who went to vandalize the Right of Way of a Petroleum Pipeline. The Chief of Amuku and elders of the community came up with a decision that the gods of their land were angry with the entire community. To atone for their sins, there must be a human sacrifice which must be male and a native of Amuko. Chima, the protagonist was badly affected as he lost his mother and sister due to the fire disaster. There was a secret decision that Chima be used for the sacrifice. He escaped to the city and later moved northwards. Mr Ike, Chima’s father had ten wives and many children. The family disintegrated with most of the wives going into prostitution. Chima and Kent his friend ran into some stolen funds belonging to a group of armed criminals. They became wealthy. Chima had a reunion with Charles, his step brother. Both had a tragic end, went insane.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Apr 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781728351995

Isaac Benjamin

Isaac Benjamin is the author of several literary classics with distinctive characteristics. His works portray true narratives of human experience. The author is a product of the Nigerian Defence Academy with a B.Sc in Political Science and Defence Studies. He holds a Masters Degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolutions. He hopes to be done with his Doctoral studies in no distant time. His works among others includes Great Giants of Wicked Purities, Child Delivery in a Courtroom, Farewell To N’Djamena, Ode to Children of Our Embattled Values, a collection of poems titled The Solitary Verses. The author has some research works published in several journals. Hell’s Gate, one of the author’s literary works is in Hollywood database. The writer is a nationalist who strongly believes in the unity of his country, Nigeria.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

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C hima woke up to the sound of some distance noise in the dark. He tried to reach for the bedside lamp but there was no ray of light to help his sight. Frustrated, he stood up dazed as he staggered towards the direction of the sound of someone knocking on the door. Who must be calling at that time of the morning? Although he was unsure of the time, he knew it will not be before 4 a.m. He picked up the match box on the table, then turned on the oil lamp that hung on a corner of the window. Chima had travelled to a nearby town went to visit a friend who was very ill and had slept over to make sure his condition became stable. His mother and his sister were also in the same town to assist a family friend who just gave birth to triplets. It was exactly 4.25 a.m. Chima came out of his friend’s house to meet an elderly man who b egan:

Chima, I guess you were deep asleep. I am so sorry, the man sounded apologetic. He could hardly place the face.

Please who are you? Chima asked frantically.

"My name is Baba Eunice, the head of the family your mother came to assist. My wife just gave birth to triplets, I am sure you must have been told.

Yes sir. Chima responded.

See my son, they just kidnapped your mother.

Hurriedly, the sleep vanished from Chima’s eyes. Armed robbery and drug trafficking were the trend in the Eastern towns and most young men were making a fortune from it. What astonished Chima most was that the family had very little to call a fortune. They lived in a mud house in the village. Chima went back into the house and got dressed, then reached to open the door it. The man was dressed very shabbily probably out of the confusion of what had befallen them.

Nno sir, he greeted.

Good morning, my son. These young men are at it again. They just took hostage of your mum and three other women.

Do they have weapons on them?

Yes, they were in possession of some cutlasses.

Nnayi, but you are a hunter and I also have a local pistol that I possessed during our village land dispute with Osiquator village.

Chima hurried back into his friend’s house. He always moves with his local pistol in case of danger. It was in his bag properly concealed. Most of the crimes that were committed at that time were easily traced if the criminals used weapons. This was because the military government at that time usually ordered security agents to carry out Cordon and Search in suspected homes and communities when there was a terrible crime. He got back to meet the elder and together they drove on his bicycle to the suspected venue. The time now was some few minutes to 6.10 a.m. The serenity of the place that was to be the kidnappers’ hideout was such that could scare any new visitor away. They alighted from the bicycle and had it hidden within some shrubs. Then slowly, they crept towards a building in the heart of a forbidden forest. It was a place that all those that were cursed by the gods were taken to and hanged. Although it was about twenty kilometers to where people dwelled, it had a fear that was captivating even to those that carried out evil acts.

They got close to a strange looking large antagonizing hut and Chima could hear clearly the conversation between the three men that were responsible for the kidnap. They were separated from their victims. Although they had a touch light with them, they dare not use it. Chima followed closely as his vision slowly adapted to the thick darkness. Suddenly, he heard his mother’s voice and was surprised and sad. Among the items they carried along was a locally prepared sedative substance that hunters used to weaken wild animals like the lion. They would then subdue them before an attack.

The hunter got close to the room the assailants were then quietly poured the substance on the tiny opening that separated the weak wooden door from the mud wall. The door was not locked.

I feel weak and sleepy, the team leader of the kidnappers’ uttered in a low weak tone.

I am suddenly hungry and tired, the second replied.

Let’s wait until morning, but we could sleep a little.

These people will escape. One of us should be awake, on sentry.

Where you in the military before, Okoro?

No, I learnt about it during my training as a boys scout.

My eyes are heavy, Bob, the youngest among the kidnappers uttered.

Let me lie down to sleep for five minutes while you guys can take a long hour nap. By morning we should get the ransom if the families are serious.

The three kidnappers slept off in a jiffy. The hunter and Chima lit the touch light and entered the room where they saw over ten persons including two children. Chima hugged his mother who sat at a corner of the hut. They quickly rescued them by first removing the rope that was used to tie their hands and legs. They were also blind folded so that they do not recognize where they were. This was the most stupid thing to do, Chima told Baba Eunice. They took the rope and tied the three men then escaped with their captives.

Chima was so excited to see his mother not hurt. He spoke with her reassuringly as they journeyed across the thick vegetation. None of the men spoke laud but in low tone as they must not give their position to yet another group that might be waiting to take advantage of this situation.

Within thirty minutes that morning, all the captives were led to safety. Chima advised that they went to the police station to report the matter. A police post was not too far from the hunter, Baba Eunice’s house where all the captives were led to. However, it was too early and the Divisional Police Officer might not be in his office. They lodged the complaint at the police station and were asked to come back by the police man who attended to them.

It was October 1985, the news of the incident reached all the nooks and cranny of Ngwo town and the village of Amuko. Although there were some youths who had been on the police watch for many weeks, the incident uncovered the myth behind this criminal group that had committed so many crimes and were never intercepted. The Divisional Police Officer on hearing the details of the crime immediately deployed his men to arrest the gang in the forest. They were subsequently transferred to their higher headquarters for further interrogation. The amazing thing was that even at that time, some of these die- hard crooks had some top men in the society behind them. The story made many headlines in the national and local television stations.

Chima’s mother and sister went back to the village after the ugly incident while Chima remained behind to assist his friend and the police with evidence to the case that was to be charged to court. Something rather disturbing began to cause Chima to draw into himself. There were also other inadequacies that were borne out of some family challenges. Chima was from a polygamous home where most of the kids depended absolutely on their mothers. Mr Ike his father, who is a retired civil servant, had ten wives. With two kids to feed, Chima’s mother had a little garden behind a primary school and was also involved in some petty trading.

Most kids in the village attended public schools which most often had over five hundred pupils to one teacher. The chairs were not many enough to accommodate all the pupils, so most of them sat on the bare ground. The Amusa Local Government promised to come to their assistance but these were mere promises from politicians as usual. Portable drinking water and other amenities were like a mirage in this community. The health centre was donated by a rich Good Samaritan whose family member had died due to the lack of medical assistance. Although very serious cases were referred to bigger and better equipped hospitals, it did help to reduce the mortality rate in Amuko community.

Then surprisingly, oil was discovered some few kilometers from the Amuko community but the land belonged to the Amukos. And though this was meant to bring some level of development, the degradation and pollution affected the entire village. The fishermen were out of business and the farmers had very few land to cultivate their crops. This brought so much hardship to the people as prices of common commodities increased tremendously.

The Amuko community is in the rain forest zone with light thrusting through the trees when the Sun is high. It has a unique smoggy and quietness that pierces through the soul. You could feel some form of calmness and peace especially if one was visiting for the first time. Droplets of water that dripped from large leaves were amazing sights to behold. Also, water trickling through the little creeks that bordered the left fringe of the village was beautiful. You could hear the bird sounds so sonorously in the calm environment. One would expect that nothing evil could happen here. Amid a few streets lined with garbage piles, you will see the neglect of a people wrapped in the misery of government broken promises.

It was few days to the New Year, there was an explosion that almost engulfed the whole of Amuko community. The community which is on the boundary between Abia State, Rivers and Bayelsa State respectively was inhabited by about five thousand people or a little more. With very deplorable landscape and environmental challenges, many indigenes thought that with the discovery of oil in their community life will someday change for the better. Unfortunately, this was not the case as the oil company did not care about them.

Then a few weeks to the planting season, a terrible fire which laid waste almost the whole of Amuko community and its people rendered many homeless. It started about 10 o’clock in the morning. The flames made progress as a very high tropical wind furiously waved the fire to spread rapidly. Many people died while the ones that escaped had various degrees of burn. The whole community was in a state of mourning. Some young men whose trade it was to vandalize petroleum pipelines and illegally collect its products into big containers which they transport to big towns and sell at the black market were the cause of this mishap. The point of explosion was about 5 kilometers from the Amuko village.

Chima, his mother and sister were badly affected. With very little money in their possession, as it took time for the emergency team to arrive the community, Chima’s mother and his sister were in terrible condition within the first five hours. Some elders who escaped and saw her run out with the burns followed her immediately then got some local items and palm kernel oil to begin to save her life before the emergency group came. The fire had affected her entire body seriously causing damage to the upper skin.

What could have been responsible for this? An old man asked another.

Maybe the gods are angry with our community. Or perhaps, it is the water spirits. They would have been appeased before the oil company started their exploration, another man added.

I strongly think you are right, another man replied.

The fire gutted most buildings and as some of them were of thatch roofs, it was easy to spread very far. Many people tried to carry a few of their belongings out of their houses. It was like dooms day had come, as the incident put a burden on many and caused them to weep hysterically. A lot of the villagers were weak with shock and anguish. The people of Amuko were mostly traditionalists who believed in the deities and the protection of their ancestors. Although, most of them combined the African Traditional Religion with Christianity, they followed the former with a deep reverence.

Where are Mama Ngozi and Papa Ignatius? Did they not see that this will happen, and they will not inform us?" An old woman asked in annoyance and frustration. With sadness and some form of emptiness they forgot that life is an adventure that could have many thorns on some peoples’ path. Sometimes it could be in form of a natural disaster that would eat up many unprepared souls. Unfortunately too, some people are forced to challenge the existence and protection of the Supersensible who watches over all these things and feels pity for mankind.

Chima could not see with one eye initially. The burn was so bad that it affected the whole parts of his body. His mother’s condition was becoming stable, not like the terrible form that brought an immediate shock to her.

What will I tell you my son? I am going; we have had our own share of life challenges. If you make it, tell them not to cause this kind of calamity to our poor people. Follow the path that is honourable and true. May the Lord God forgive us our trespasses.

Chima held her hand that had body fluid dripping off in some parts. It was a horrible sight to behold.

You will not die mother, he repeated. They were the most hit by the disaster. The community head tasked the traditional doctors to come to the aid of the badly affected victims. There were wailings all over the land.

Then like there was truly something unusual that was happening in the land, thick clouds began to form which was an indication that there would be a heavy down pour. The fire was still burning in many parts of the village consuming the thatch houses that were close by. The families who were not affected by the inferno and youths did their best to quench the fire by getting water from the nearby stream and little water bodies around, but their effort seemed to yield insignificant results. Domestic animals ran from one place of danger to safe areas of the village. A few of them were caught in the inferno. Some people were burnt to death. You could hear shrill of sorrow in the distance where families affected adversely cried aloud in pains. The calamity was scaring and as the clouds continued to gather, there came a sudden mysterious cry from heaven. This could not be explained in plain language. Then shortly, came the rain in very heavy thundering manner. Those whose houses were burnt ran to shelter elsewhere. The rain continued while the fire got put out gradually, especially the ones that did not have combustible items within them.

Suddenly, there was a big flood that swept across the community. Misery filled the land making it difficult for some families that were affected to be consoled. The rain that followed brought some painful soothing. Then the community town crier began to go round the community to make announcement of an emergency town hall meeting. All the heads of families were to be in attendance.

It was some few minutes past 7 p.m. A long train of men carrying wary faces began to approach the main building of the magnificent town hall. It was built from contributions that were gotten from their sons and daughters doing the ‘white collar jobs’ in Lagos. The Chief of the village arrived in the hall after it was determined that almost all able bodied men were already seated in the hall. A little irony of the calamity was that a pregnant woman that was running to safety gave birth to a baby boy along the street. It was some distance away from the inferno. Some elderly women quickly came to her aid using some of their clothes to gather the wasted blood that came with the birth. This just juxtaposes the complications about the wonders on earth, for during this scenario that people are dying, a child was coming into the world.

The town hall meeting was held to give in house relief to families that were affected. Those who had their residences completely razed were to be accommodated by nearby families. Additionally, the head of the medical centre was given some money from the village fund which was used to get some medicines and medical requirements. Then, came the question of the dead bodies, the carpenters in the community were tasked to construct as many coffins as possible. However, badly affected corpses were to be buried without waste of time. The gods were angry with the community, the chief told everyone present for the town hall meeting and that the solution to the problem was to appease the gods. This must be done within six months of the horrifying incident.

CHAPTER 2

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V ultures hovered round the community and the nearby bushes mutilating the dead bodies. It was as though poor hectares of land belonged to the terrible birds. Some people did not die in their abodes. As they ran to safety, they were trapped by fire coming from opposite directions. This made some people to head towards the forest. Some of the villagers that were already in bad conditions, due to the fire incident, died in the forest. Their corpses were found some days later as farmers trekked to their farm locat ions.

The stench emitted was so strong that it was easy to locate the dead bodies. The community made frantic effort to comb a sizable portion of the forest where it was possible fleeing persons would not have gone beyond. This was a very good thing to do.

As they continued to look for their probably dead ones, they got to the edge of the slum that terminates into the bank of a stagnant creek. The sad challenge was going to be the contagious disease that came from the water bodies that were their sources of drinking water. It was difficult to find clean water neither was there any proper sanitation after the incident. Charred carnage put the reality of the calamity to a