Chapter 6 Gifted or cursed

A rift we humans thought was another moon wheeling ( it's a season of constant rain with no sign of the blue sun. It sometimes creates something like a cycle in the sky; a type of hole where rain pours from), but the contradiction to their words was the season they were in then.

It was the moon falling season ( a season we hardly see rain in) and after the moon falling season comes the sun falling ( it's the season when blue particles the exact color of our sun falls to the ground. During the season, everywhere is blue, and the weather too cold for most to travel on. We store most of our foods during the moon shining inorder to survive the sun falling.

In Mabudazou, we have six seasons in a complete moon cycle; the first season is the sun shinning. In this season, the sun shines for five Izu Uka without a single drop of rain escaping the prison the sun confined it in.

After the Sun shining season comes the moon shining; a season of abundance.

The moon shining is the best season we have every complete moon cycle( an incomplete moon cycle only have five seasons; the season being the moon wheeling).

The third season is the moon falling; a season of perpetual day heat, and unsteady rainfall. A season that best suits the hunters.

The fourth season is the Moon wheeling; this season is the season of perpetual raining; it's the opposite of the sunshining season. The moon wheeling doesn't appear after every ten complete moon cycles. It seizes for a moon cycle after every ten years.

The fifth season is the lunar solar dropping; it's a season the moon and sun shines at the same time, the green moon on one part of our sky, and the blue sun on another part,

and the last season of every complete moon cycle is the sun falling; a season the blue sweet smelling particles fall.

It's always a surprise we don't get blue stains on our almost white skin.)

The Rift caused a lot of speculations in the mind of the elders of Mabudazou; it caused a lot of searchings that led to no fruitful result.

The more the Ubochi breaks, the more the rift expanded till it reached the size of a house, and that was when the wolves came to Mabudazou.

Wolves that took almost everything from my kingdom.

When they came, we were not aware of them since they blended well with us humans.

The only distinct difference between us is their skin color; theirs is a dark golden to our almost pale with skin.

People spoke in hushed tone about the strangers in our mist not knowing they were spies in disguise; a specie come to dominate.

The walked among us (the humans), four moon cycles before their inversion; then they've completely known and studied our ways.

Invading a kingdom they knew inside out wasn't that difficult for them; it was mainly a piece of Ude( oh my sweet fruit; how can I get a replacement for the potion I want to make for my Ima?)

When they struck, it was too late for the humans to fight back( even if they did, they wouldn't have defeated them since the wolves are known to fight with strange instruments. Fighting gears we've not seen in our entire life), caught unawares, the four kingdoms was utterly destroyed.

They didn't wipe out our race completely; they killed the Igwe and high chiefs of Mabudazou, taking control of the four kingdoms ( my villager is yet to be evaded).

The wolf king emerges victorious after every battle with the humans; his fame far superceding his person.

It's rumoured that no human survives in the village of wolves ( when they evaded our kingdom, they took the kingdom of Cherem as theirs, leaving the other kingdoms in the hands of humans they trusted).

Walking into the forest, I hum under my tone( it's going to be a while before I leave this place. Whenever I go to the forest, leaving there early is always difficult for me), today's a great day despite the two insolent brat that wanted to spoil it for me.

You know why I said today's a great day? the moment I too two step into the forest; I came face to face with an abundance of my Ude fruit.

Gasping, I rushed towards it's tree. How can this be? I looked at the tree in astonishment. How could it have survived in the moon falling season?.

More importantly, why didn't I see it yesterday I came to collect herbs for my potions?.

Looking around to make sure no one's in sight, I collected as much Ude as I will need for the rest of the season( if you're wondering why I want to take all at the same time? I will tell you something no one knows about me, but they suspect all the same. I have a wishing power( I don't know what to call that really; it's the only explanation of what unfolds around me), I get what I wish for or long for ( except love and acceptance from the villagers; you can say my gift or curse only works on things not humans), I lamented about not getting an Udende( a medicinal plant that cures cold and all things related to it) during the sun shinning ( not all trees survive the hot season), and the next day I found an abundance of it at my backyard.

Picking some as I thought the others will stay for as long as it will take me to finish the ones I took that fateful day.

Coming out the next morning, and seeing an empty tree devoid of its fruit made me realize my wishing tress doesn't last for long.

My gifts( I've decided to call it that since it heals more than it kills; personal thoughts aside) isn't only on wishing tress to appear like you thought.

I once said I have the gift of healing; the healing not only lies on my potion makings and all that, it lies on my touch( Father always says I have a magical touch; I can heal anyone faster with her hands than when they apply it themselves); my ability to heal people( I haven't had the chance of healing anyone, but I've had the chance of healing stray wounded animals) faster with my hands.

That there is my gift; the gift of healing( a gift Father said came from his side. Father wasn't a Mabudazou as you thought. He came to Mabudazou after his kingdom was evaded by the tribe of Otiti( that's a story for another day), he sojourned Mabudazou, and that was when he saw and fell in love with my mother).

A gift I inherited from my father's side.

Father said that in Otito his kingdom( he was the son of an agbara nwayi( a woman who serves and commune with the gods), from the lineage of healers) Healers are born once in a generation, but in his case; none of his siblings( he also is included) was blessed with the gift of healing; a sought after gift in Otito.

A gift that was passed to me from my father who never had the priveledges of experiencing those himself.

Sadly he died before I can fully realize my full potentials; a death I still lament to the moon and back ( it's an expression we make use of when we want to say words like forever and eternity).

My white hair according to father signifies my healing prowess; according to him, the lighter your hair, the more healing powers you acquire.

You should have seen the pride on his face whenever he untangling my hair( we make use of Agu mba's teeth. The river animal ( it lives in the water) have round teeth; a teeth that's totally made for untangling a stubborn hair.

He will always caress my hair like it's a priceless jewel ( hair that I hate more than anything in the entire Mabudazou, and farther. A hair that distinguishes me from others even when I want to blend in), whispering to me how adored I would have been in Otito( a kingdom I would have gone to; if not for anything but to check on the validity of father's words. A kingdom that was destroyed before I can get the chance of experiencing what it means to be accepted for who you are. Not shunned fir something you don't have a hand in.

Shunned for a gift I never asked nor requested for; a gift I wouldn't have wanted have I been given the chance to choose my path of destiny.

A gift that benefits them more than it does me *hand on my chin; lost in thoughts*

"have the gift benefited me for once? the answer remains no. If it works only to my benefit father wouldn't have died before I can get to him. Mother wouldn't have died before she can hold me in her arms.

I truly am a cursed child like the villagers call me, not a blessing as my father thought my gift to be.

If am a blessing, why does misfortune knock on my door every damn time? why is that people around me always gets hurt because of me?

Am the daughter of Ekwensu.